EPYC 7742 vs Xeon Gold 6448H

CPU

GPU

EPYC 7742

64 Cores128 Thrd225 WWMax: 3.4 GHz2019

Popular choices:

•••••••••

Xeon Gold 6448H

32 Cores64 Thrd250 WWMax: 4.1 GHz2023

Popular choices:

•••••••••

Performance Spectrum - CPU

EPYC 7742

64 / 128

69,448

0.0%

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7965WX

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9965WX

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9975WX

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7985WX

Xeon Gold 6448H

32 / 64

70,292

+1.2%

About PassMark

PassMark CPU Mark evaluates processor speed through complex mathematical computations. It provides a reliable metric to compare multi-core performance, where higher scores indicate faster processing for multitasking, gaming, and heavy workloads.

Head-to-Head Verdict, Benchmarks, Value & Long-Term Outlook

This comparison brings together gaming FPS, productivity performance, platform differences, power efficiency, pricing context, and upgrade path so you can see which CPU actually makes more sense.

EPYC 7742

2019

Why buy it

✅+326.7% larger total L3 cache (256 MB vs 60 MB).
✅Draws 225W instead of 250W, a 25W reduction.
✅60% more PCIe lanes (128 vs 80) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon Gold 6448H across 3 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (69,448 vs 70,292).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 10.0 vs 19.2 PassMark/$ ($6,950 MSRP vs $3,658 MSRP).
❌Older platform position on TR4 with DDR4, while Xeon Gold 6448H moves to LGA4677 and DDR5.

Xeon Gold 6448H

2023

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +91.4% higher average FPS across 3 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $3,292 less on MSRP ($3,658 MSRP vs $6,950 MSRP).
✅Delivers 92.3% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 19.2 vs 10.0 PassMark/$ ($3,658 MSRP vs $6,950 MSRP).
✅Newer platform on LGA4677 with DDR5 support instead of TR4 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (60 MB vs 256 MB).

EPYC 7742

2019

Xeon Gold 6448H

2023

Why buy it

✅+326.7% larger total L3 cache (256 MB vs 60 MB).
✅Draws 225W instead of 250W, a 25W reduction.
✅60% more PCIe lanes (128 vs 80) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +91.4% higher average FPS across 3 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $3,292 less on MSRP ($3,658 MSRP vs $6,950 MSRP).
✅Delivers 92.3% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 19.2 vs 10.0 PassMark/$ ($3,658 MSRP vs $6,950 MSRP).
✅Newer platform on LGA4677 with DDR5 support instead of TR4 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon Gold 6448H across 3 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (69,448 vs 70,292).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 10.0 vs 19.2 PassMark/$ ($6,950 MSRP vs $3,658 MSRP).
❌Older platform position on TR4 with DDR4, while Xeon Gold 6448H moves to LGA4677 and DDR5.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (60 MB vs 256 MB).

Quick Answers

So, is Xeon Gold 6448H better than EPYC 7742?

Yes. Xeon Gold 6448H is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 91.4% average FPS lead across 3 shared CPU game tests in our data, 1.2% better PassMark, and the stronger long-term platform, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Xeon Gold 6448H is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 91.4% more average FPS across 3 shared CPU game tests.

Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Xeon Gold 6448H is the better fit. You are getting 1.2% better PassMark, backed by 32 cores and 64 threads.

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?

Xeon Gold 6448H is the smarter buy today. Xeon Gold 6448H is $3,292 cheaper on MSRP at $3,658 MSRP versus $6,950 MSRP, and it gives you a 91.4% average FPS lead across 3 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 92.3% better value on MSRP (19.2 vs 10.0 PassMark/$), so the better CPU is not just faster, it is also the cleaner value play on paper.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

Xeon Gold 6448H is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2023 vs 2019), a healthier platform with LGA4677 and DDR5 instead of TR4, more multi-core headroom with 32 cores / 64 threads instead of 64/128, and AVX-512 support for heavier modern compute workloads. That should give you a better long-term upgrade path for motherboard, RAM, and future CPU swaps.

Games Benchmarks

Paired with RTX 4090

To accurately isolate CPU performance, all benchmarks below use an NVIDIA RTX 4090 as the reference GPU. This eliminates GPU-side bottlenecks and highlights pure processing throughput differences between the CPUs.

Note: Real-world results may vary based on your actual GPU. CPU performance impact is more visible in processing-intensive titles and high-refresh-rate gaming scenarios.

EPYC 7742 Benchmark Check

Xeon Gold 6448H Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	EPYC 7742	Xeon Gold 6448H
1080p
low	192 FPS	200 FPS
medium	172 FPS	165 FPS
high	138 FPS	137 FPS
ultra	110 FPS	107 FPS
1440p
low	157 FPS	159 FPS
medium	132 FPS	124 FPS
high	101 FPS	98 FPS
ultra	82 FPS	77 FPS
4K
low	72 FPS	73 FPS
medium	65 FPS	61 FPS
high	50 FPS	48 FPS
ultra	40 FPS	39 FPS

Open EPYC 7742 Open Xeon Gold 6448H

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	EPYC 7742	Xeon Gold 6448H
1080p
low	247 FPS	572 FPS
medium	221 FPS	498 FPS
high	183 FPS	403 FPS
ultra	148 FPS	359 FPS
1440p
low	202 FPS	494 FPS
medium	186 FPS	435 FPS
high	158 FPS	364 FPS
ultra	124 FPS	304 FPS
4K
low	126 FPS	309 FPS
medium	118 FPS	276 FPS
high	103 FPS	249 FPS
ultra	84 FPS	223 FPS

Open EPYC 7742 Open Xeon Gold 6448H

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	EPYC 7742	Xeon Gold 6448H
1080p
low	629 FPS	1025 FPS
medium	536 FPS	980 FPS
high	486 FPS	906 FPS
ultra	415 FPS	822 FPS
1440p
low	524 FPS	847 FPS
medium	446 FPS	753 FPS
high	394 FPS	685 FPS
ultra	338 FPS	615 FPS
4K
low	389 FPS	531 FPS
medium	312 FPS	437 FPS
high	274 FPS	378 FPS
ultra	224 FPS	310 FPS

Open EPYC 7742 Open Xeon Gold 6448H

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	EPYC 7742	Xeon Gold 6448H
1080p
low	906 FPS	946 FPS
medium	828 FPS	855 FPS
high	713 FPS	739 FPS
ultra	618 FPS	639 FPS
1440p
low	711 FPS	733 FPS
medium	623 FPS	645 FPS
high	534 FPS	554 FPS
ultra	454 FPS	480 FPS
4K
low	503 FPS	533 FPS
medium	454 FPS	476 FPS
high	401 FPS	419 FPS
ultra	346 FPS	361 FPS

Open EPYC 7742 Open Xeon Gold 6448H

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of EPYC 7742 and Xeon Gold 6448H

EPYC 7742

The EPYC 7742 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 7 August 2019 (6 years ago). It is based on the Zen 2 (2017−2020) architecture. It features 64 cores and 128 threads. Base frequency is 2.25 GHz, with boost up to 3.4 GHz. L3 cache: 256 MB (total). L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 7 nm, 14 nm process technology. Socket: TR4. Thermal design power (TDP): 225 Watt. Memory support: DDR4 Eight-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 69,448 points. Launch price was $6,950.

Xeon Gold 6448H

The Xeon Gold 6448H is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 10 January 2023 (2 years ago). It is based on the Sapphire Rapids (2023−2024) architecture. It features 32 cores and 64 threads. Base frequency is 2.4 GHz, with boost up to 4.1 GHz. L3 cache: 60 MB. L2 cache: 2 MB (per core). Built on Intel 7 nm process technology. Socket: LGA4677. Thermal design power (TDP): 250 Watt. Memory support: DDR5-4800, DDR5-4400. Passmark benchmark score: 70,292 points. Launch price was $3,658.

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Processing Power

The EPYC 7742 packs 64 cores / 128 threads, while the Xeon Gold 6448H offers 32 cores / 64 threads — the EPYC 7742 has 32 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.4 GHz on the EPYC 7742 versus 4.1 GHz on the Xeon Gold 6448H — a 18.7% clock advantage for the Xeon Gold 6448H (base: 2.25 GHz vs 2.4 GHz). The EPYC 7742 uses the Zen 2 (2017−2020) architecture (7 nm, 14 nm), while the Xeon Gold 6448H uses Sapphire Rapids (2023−2024) (Intel 7 nm). In PassMark, the EPYC 7742 scores 69,448 against the Xeon Gold 6448H's 70,292 — a 1.2% lead for the Xeon Gold 6448H. L3 cache: 256 MB (total) on the EPYC 7742 vs 60 MB on the Xeon Gold 6448H.

Feature	EPYC 7742	Xeon Gold 6448H
Cores / Threads	64 / 128+100%	32 / 64
Boost Clock	3.4 GHz	4.1 GHz+21%
Base Clock	2.25 GHz	2.4 GHz+7%
L3 Cache	256 MB (total)+327%	60 MB
L2 Cache	512K (per core)	2 MB (per core)+300%
Process	7 nm, 14 nm	Intel 7 nm
Architecture	Zen 2 (2017−2020)	Sapphire Rapids (2023−2024)
PassMark	69,448	70,292+1%

🧠

Memory & Platform

The EPYC 7742 uses the TR4 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Xeon Gold 6448H uses LGA4677 (PCIe 5.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches 3200 on the EPYC 7742 versus 4800 on the Xeon Gold 6448H — the Xeon Gold 6448H supports 40% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. Both support up to 4096 of RAM. Both feature 8-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 128 (EPYC 7742) vs 80 (Xeon Gold 6448H) — the EPYC 7742 offers 48 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: SP3 (EPYC 7742) and C741 (Xeon Gold 6448H).

Feature	EPYC 7742	Xeon Gold 6448H
Socket	TR4	LGA4677
PCIe Generation	PCIe 4.0	PCIe 5.0+25%
Max RAM Speed	3200	4800+50%
Max RAM Capacity	4096	4096
RAM Channels	8	8
ECC Support	Yes	Yes
PCIe Lanes	128+60%	80

🔧

Advanced Features

Neither processor supports overclocking. Only the Xeon Gold 6448H supports AVX-512 instructions — important for machine learning and scientific applications. Both support VT-x, VT-d virtualization. Direct competitor: EPYC 7742 rivals Xeon Platinum 8280; Xeon Gold 6448H rivals EPYC 9454.

Feature	EPYC 7742	Xeon Gold 6448H
Integrated GPU	No	No
IGPU Model	None	None
Unlocked	No	No
AVX-512	No	Yes
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	VT-x, VT-d

💰

Value Analysis

The EPYC 7742 launched at $6950 MSRP, while the Xeon Gold 6448H debuted at $3658. On MSRP ($6950 vs $3658), the Xeon Gold 6448H is $3292 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the EPYC 7742 delivers 10.0 pts/$ vs 19.2 pts/$ for the Xeon Gold 6448H — making the Xeon Gold 6448H the 63.2% better value option.