EPYC 9135 vs Xeon Gold 5420+

CPU

GPU

EPYC 9135

16 Cores32 Thrd200 WWMax: 4.3 GHz2024

Popular choices:

•••••••••

Xeon Gold 5420+

28 Cores56 Thrd205 WWMax: 4.1 GHz2023

Popular choices:

•••••••••

Performance Spectrum - CPU

EPYC 9135

16 / 32

57,808

0.0%

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 5975WX

Ryzen Threadripper 9960X

Ryzen Threadripper 7970X

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7985WX

Xeon Gold 5420+

28 / 56

58,209

+0.7%

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 9135

2024

Why buy it

✅+21.9% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 53 MB).
✅Costs $634 less on MSRP ($1,214 MSRP vs $1,848 MSRP).
✅Delivers 51.2% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 47.6 vs 31.5 PassMark/$ ($1,214 MSRP vs $1,848 MSRP).
✅Draws 200W instead of 205W, a 5W 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 5420+ across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (57,808 vs 58,209).

Xeon Gold 5420+

2023

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +3.4% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (53 MB vs 64 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 31.5 vs 47.6 PassMark/$ ($1,848 MSRP vs $1,214 MSRP).

EPYC 9135

2024

Xeon Gold 5420+

2023

Why buy it

✅+21.9% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 53 MB).
✅Costs $634 less on MSRP ($1,214 MSRP vs $1,848 MSRP).
✅Delivers 51.2% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 47.6 vs 31.5 PassMark/$ ($1,214 MSRP vs $1,848 MSRP).
✅Draws 200W instead of 205W, a 5W reduction.
✅60% more PCIe lanes (128 vs 80) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +3.4% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon Gold 5420+ across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (57,808 vs 58,209).

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (53 MB vs 64 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 31.5 vs 47.6 PassMark/$ ($1,848 MSRP vs $1,214 MSRP).

Quick Answers

So, is Xeon Gold 5420+ better than EPYC 9135?

Yes. Xeon Gold 5420+ is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 3.4% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data and 0.7% better PassMark, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Xeon Gold 5420+ is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 3.4% more average FPS across 50 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Xeon Gold 5420+ is the better fit. You are getting 0.7% better PassMark, backed by 28 cores and 56 threads.

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

Xeon Gold 5420+ is still the faster CPU overall, but EPYC 9135 makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Xeon Gold 5420+ is 52.2% more expensive on MSRP at $1,848 MSRP versus $1,214 MSRP, and it gives you a 3.4% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. EPYC 9135 is also 51.2% better value on MSRP (47.6 vs 31.5 PassMark/$), which is why it is easier to justify for price-conscious builds on paper.

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

EPYC 9135 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2024 vs 2023) and 21.9% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 53 MB). 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 9135 Benchmark Check

Xeon Gold 5420+ Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	EPYC 9135	Xeon Gold 5420+
1080p
low	172 FPS	200 FPS
medium	139 FPS	165 FPS
high	119 FPS	137 FPS
ultra	96 FPS	107 FPS
1440p
low	152 FPS	159 FPS
medium	120 FPS	124 FPS
high	99 FPS	98 FPS
ultra	81 FPS	77 FPS
4K
low	81 FPS	73 FPS
medium	69 FPS	61 FPS
high	55 FPS	48 FPS
ultra	45 FPS	39 FPS

Open EPYC 9135 Open Xeon Gold 5420+

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	EPYC 9135	Xeon Gold 5420+
1080p
low	496 FPS	298 FPS
medium	439 FPS	265 FPS
high	341 FPS	221 FPS
ultra	293 FPS	197 FPS
1440p
low	427 FPS	261 FPS
medium	382 FPS	234 FPS
high	309 FPS	201 FPS
ultra	248 FPS	168 FPS
4K
low	267 FPS	163 FPS
medium	242 FPS	149 FPS
high	211 FPS	138 FPS
ultra	183 FPS	124 FPS

Open EPYC 9135 Open Xeon Gold 5420+

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	EPYC 9135	Xeon Gold 5420+
1080p
low	729 FPS	1025 FPS
medium	607 FPS	980 FPS
high	552 FPS	906 FPS
ultra	489 FPS	822 FPS
1440p
low	559 FPS	847 FPS
medium	463 FPS	753 FPS
high	415 FPS	685 FPS
ultra	362 FPS	615 FPS
4K
low	407 FPS	531 FPS
medium	325 FPS	437 FPS
high	287 FPS	378 FPS
ultra	232 FPS	310 FPS

Open EPYC 9135 Open Xeon Gold 5420+

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	EPYC 9135	Xeon Gold 5420+
1080p
low	929 FPS	916 FPS
medium	846 FPS	832 FPS
high	732 FPS	717 FPS
ultra	660 FPS	621 FPS
1440p
low	735 FPS	721 FPS
medium	652 FPS	634 FPS
high	561 FPS	543 FPS
ultra	493 FPS	470 FPS
4K
low	524 FPS	525 FPS
medium	475 FPS	469 FPS
high	417 FPS	411 FPS
ultra	365 FPS	354 FPS

Open EPYC 9135 Open Xeon Gold 5420+

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of EPYC 9135 and Xeon Gold 5420+

EPYC 9135

The EPYC 9135 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 10 October 2024 (1 year ago). It is based on the Turin (2024) architecture. It features 16 cores and 32 threads. Base frequency is 3.65 GHz, with boost up to 4.3 GHz. L3 cache: 64 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 4 nm process technology. Socket: SP5. Thermal design power (TDP): 200 Watt. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 57,808 points. Launch price was $1,214.

Xeon Gold 5420+

The Xeon Gold 5420+ 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 28 cores and 56 threads. Base frequency is 2 GHz, with boost up to 4.1 GHz. L3 cache: 52.5 MB. L2 cache: 2 MB (per core). Built on 10 nm process technology. Socket: LGA4677. Thermal design power (TDP): 205 Watt. Memory support: DDR5-4400. Passmark benchmark score: 58,209 points. Launch price was $1,848.

⚡

Processing Power

The EPYC 9135 packs 16 cores / 32 threads, while the Xeon Gold 5420+ offers 28 cores / 56 threads — the Xeon Gold 5420+ has 12 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.3 GHz on the EPYC 9135 versus 4.1 GHz on the Xeon Gold 5420+ — a 4.8% clock advantage for the EPYC 9135 (base: 3.65 GHz vs 2 GHz). The EPYC 9135 uses the Turin (2024) architecture (4 nm), while the Xeon Gold 5420+ uses Sapphire Rapids (2023−2024) (10 nm). In PassMark, the EPYC 9135 scores 57,808 against the Xeon Gold 5420+'s 58,209 — a 0.7% lead for the Xeon Gold 5420+. L3 cache: 64 MB (total) on the EPYC 9135 vs 52.5 MB on the Xeon Gold 5420+.

Feature	EPYC 9135	Xeon Gold 5420+
Cores / Threads	16 / 32	28 / 56+75%
Boost Clock	4.3 GHz+5%	4.1 GHz
Base Clock	3.65 GHz+83%	2 GHz
L3 Cache	64 MB (total)+22%	52.5 MB
L2 Cache	1 MB (per core)	2 MB (per core)+100%
Process	4 nm-60%	10 nm
Architecture	Turin (2024)	Sapphire Rapids (2023−2024)
PassMark	57,808	58,209

🧠

Memory & Platform

The EPYC 9135 uses the SP5 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Xeon Gold 5420+ uses LGA4677 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches 6000 on the EPYC 9135 versus 4800 on the Xeon Gold 5420+ — the EPYC 9135 supports 22.2% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The EPYC 9135 supports up to 6144 of RAM compared to 4096 — 40% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 12 (EPYC 9135) vs 8 (Xeon Gold 5420+). PCIe lanes: 128 (EPYC 9135) vs 80 (Xeon Gold 5420+) — the EPYC 9135 offers 48 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: SP5 (EPYC 9135) and C741 (Xeon Gold 5420+).

Feature	EPYC 9135	Xeon Gold 5420+
Socket	SP5	LGA4677
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0+25%	PCIe 4.0
Max RAM Speed	6000+25%	4800
Max RAM Capacity	6144+50%	4096
RAM Channels	12+50%	8
ECC Support	Yes	Yes
PCIe Lanes	128+60%	80

🔧

Advanced Features

Neither processor supports overclocking. Both support AVX-512 instructions, benefiting scientific computing, AI inference, and encryption workloads. Both support VT-x, VT-d virtualization. Direct competitor: EPYC 9135 rivals Xeon Platinum 8558P; Xeon Gold 5420+ rivals EPYC 9354.

Feature	EPYC 9135	Xeon Gold 5420+
Integrated GPU	No	No
IGPU Model	None	None
Unlocked	No	No
AVX-512	Yes	Yes
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	VT-x, VT-d

💰

Value Analysis

The EPYC 9135 launched at $1214 MSRP, while the Xeon Gold 5420+ debuted at $1848. On MSRP ($1214 vs $1848), the EPYC 9135 is $634 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the EPYC 9135 delivers 47.6 pts/$ vs 31.5 pts/$ for the Xeon Gold 5420+ — making the EPYC 9135 the 40.7% better value option.