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 7261

2018

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +13.4% higher average FPS across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+299.8% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 8 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 8 cores / 16 threads.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 22.3 vs 111.7 PassMark/$ ($501 MSRP vs $99 MSRP).
❌138.5% higher power demand at 155W vs 65W.

Ryzen 3 4100

2022

Why buy it

✅Costs $402 less on MSRP ($99 MSRP vs $501 MSRP).
✅Delivers 402.1% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 111.7 vs 22.3 PassMark/$ ($99 MSRP vs $501 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 155W, a 90W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than EPYC 7261 across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (11,062 vs 11,149).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (8 MB vs 32 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than EPYC 7261, which brings 8 cores / 16 threads.

EPYC 7261

2018

Ryzen 3 4100

2022

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +13.4% higher average FPS across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+299.8% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 8 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 8 cores / 16 threads.

Why buy it

✅Costs $402 less on MSRP ($99 MSRP vs $501 MSRP).
✅Delivers 402.1% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 111.7 vs 22.3 PassMark/$ ($99 MSRP vs $501 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 155W, a 90W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 22.3 vs 111.7 PassMark/$ ($501 MSRP vs $99 MSRP).
❌138.5% higher power demand at 155W vs 65W.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than EPYC 7261 across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (11,062 vs 11,149).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (8 MB vs 32 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than EPYC 7261, which brings 8 cores / 16 threads.

Quick Answers

So, is EPYC 7261 better than Ryzen 3 4100?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. EPYC 7261 makes more sense for workstation-style multi-core throughput, while Ryzen 3 4100 is the better mainstream desktop choice for gaming, platform cost, and day-to-day practicality.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, EPYC 7261 is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 13.4% more average FPS across 2 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, EPYC 7261 is the better fit. You are getting 0.8% better PassMark, backed by 8 cores and 16 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 299.8% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 8 MB).

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

EPYC 7261 is still the faster CPU overall, but Ryzen 3 4100 makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. EPYC 7261 is 406.1% more expensive on MSRP at $501 MSRP versus $99 MSRP, and it gives you a 13.4% average FPS lead across 2 shared CPU game tests in our data. Ryzen 3 4100 is also 402.1% better value on MSRP (111.7 vs 22.3 PassMark/$), which is why it is easier to justify for price-conscious builds on paper.

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

Ryzen 3 4100 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2022 vs 2018). That makes it the safer long-term pick.

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 7261 Benchmark Check

Ryzen 3 4100 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	EPYC 7261	Ryzen 3 4100
1080p
low	169 FPS	182 FPS
medium	150 FPS	145 FPS
high	123 FPS	118 FPS
ultra	100 FPS	89 FPS
1440p
low	137 FPS	155 FPS
medium	116 FPS	122 FPS
high	92 FPS	97 FPS
ultra	74 FPS	74 FPS
4K
low	64 FPS	69 FPS
medium	58 FPS	58 FPS
high	45 FPS	46 FPS
ultra	36 FPS	36 FPS

Open EPYC 7261 Open Ryzen 3 4100

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	EPYC 7261	Ryzen 3 4100
1080p
low	279 FPS	277 FPS
medium	279 FPS	235 FPS
high	263 FPS	204 FPS
ultra	213 FPS	157 FPS
1440p
low	279 FPS	235 FPS
medium	266 FPS	203 FPS
high	230 FPS	177 FPS
ultra	185 FPS	142 FPS
4K
low	186 FPS	181 FPS
medium	170 FPS	164 FPS
high	147 FPS	132 FPS
ultra	115 FPS	100 FPS

Open EPYC 7261 Open Ryzen 3 4100

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	EPYC 7261	Ryzen 3 4100
1080p
low	279 FPS	277 FPS
medium	279 FPS	277 FPS
high	279 FPS	277 FPS
ultra	279 FPS	277 FPS
1440p
low	279 FPS	277 FPS
medium	279 FPS	277 FPS
high	279 FPS	277 FPS
ultra	279 FPS	277 FPS
4K
low	279 FPS	277 FPS
medium	279 FPS	277 FPS
high	279 FPS	277 FPS
ultra	277 FPS	247 FPS

Open EPYC 7261 Open Ryzen 3 4100

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	EPYC 7261	Ryzen 3 4100
1080p
low	279 FPS	277 FPS
medium	279 FPS	277 FPS
high	279 FPS	277 FPS
ultra	279 FPS	277 FPS
1440p
low	279 FPS	277 FPS
medium	279 FPS	277 FPS
high	279 FPS	277 FPS
ultra	279 FPS	277 FPS
4K
low	279 FPS	277 FPS
medium	279 FPS	277 FPS
high	279 FPS	277 FPS
ultra	279 FPS	277 FPS

Open EPYC 7261 Open Ryzen 3 4100

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of EPYC 7261 and Ryzen 3 4100

EPYC 7261

The EPYC 7261 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2015-01-01. It is based on the Naples (2017−2018) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 2.5 GHz, with boost up to 2.9 GHz. L3 cache: 32 MB (total). L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: SP3. Thermal design power (TDP): 170 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2666. Passmark benchmark score: 11,149 points. Launch price was $800.

Ryzen 3 4100

The Ryzen 3 4100 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 4 April 2022 (3 years ago). It is based on the Renoir (2020−2023) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 3.8 GHz, with boost up to 4 GHz. L3 cache: 8.00391 MB (total). L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 7 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-3200. Passmark benchmark score: 11,062 points. Launch price was $149.

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Processing Power

The EPYC 7261 packs 8 cores / 16 threads, while the Ryzen 3 4100 offers 4 cores / 8 threads — the EPYC 7261 has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 2.9 GHz on the EPYC 7261 versus 4 GHz on the Ryzen 3 4100 — a 31.9% clock advantage for the Ryzen 3 4100 (base: 2.5 GHz vs 3.8 GHz). The EPYC 7261 uses the Naples (2017−2018) architecture (14 nm), while the Ryzen 3 4100 uses Renoir (2020−2023) (7 nm). In PassMark, the EPYC 7261 scores 11,149 against the Ryzen 3 4100's 11,062 — a 0.8% lead for the EPYC 7261. L3 cache: 32 MB (total) on the EPYC 7261 vs 8.00391 MB (total) on the Ryzen 3 4100.

Feature	EPYC 7261	Ryzen 3 4100
Cores / Threads	8 / 16+100%	4 / 8
Boost Clock	2.9 GHz	4 GHz+38%
Base Clock	2.5 GHz	3.8 GHz+52%
L3 Cache	32 MB (total)+300%	8.00391 MB (total)
L2 Cache	512K (per core)	512K (per core)
Process	14 nm	7 nm-50%
Architecture	Naples (2017−2018)	Renoir (2020−2023)
PassMark	11,149	11,062

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Memory & Platform

The EPYC 7261 uses the SP3 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Ryzen 3 4100 uses AM4 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	EPYC 7261	Ryzen 3 4100
Socket	SP3	AM4
PCIe Generation	PCIe 4.0+33%	PCIe 3.0

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Value Analysis

The EPYC 7261 launched at $501 MSRP, while the Ryzen 3 4100 debuted at $99. On MSRP ($501 vs $99), the Ryzen 3 4100 is $402 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the EPYC 7261 delivers 22.3 pts/$ vs 111.7 pts/$ for the Ryzen 3 4100 — making the Ryzen 3 4100 the 133.6% better value option.