EPYC 9254 vs Xeon 6520P

CPU

GPU

EPYC 9254

24 Cores48 Thrd200 WWMax: 4.15 GHz2022

Popular choices:

•••••••••

Xeon 6520P

24 Cores48 Thrd210 WWMax: 4 GHz2025

Popular choices:

•••••••••

Performance Spectrum - CPU

EPYC 9254

24 / 48

64,344

+0.5%

Ryzen 7 7700X

Ryzen 7 8840HX

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7945WX

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9945WX

Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

Ryzen Threadripper 9960X

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9975WX

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7985WX

Xeon 6520P

24 / 48

64,010

0.0%

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 9254

2022

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +10.5% higher average FPS across 45 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 200W instead of 210W, a 10W reduction.
✅45.5% more PCIe lanes (128 vs 88) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower Geekbench multi-core (18,023 vs 25,000).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 17.1 vs 49.4 PassMark/$ ($3,761 MSRP vs $1,295 MSRP).

Xeon 6520P

2025

Why buy it

✅+38.7% higher Geekbench multi-core.
✅Costs $2,466 less on MSRP ($1,295 MSRP vs $3,761 MSRP).
✅Delivers 188.9% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 49.4 vs 17.1 PassMark/$ ($1,295 MSRP vs $3,761 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than EPYC 9254 across 45 shared CPU benchmark tests.

EPYC 9254

2022

Xeon 6520P

2025

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +10.5% higher average FPS across 45 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 200W instead of 210W, a 10W reduction.
✅45.5% more PCIe lanes (128 vs 88) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Why buy it

✅+38.7% higher Geekbench multi-core.
✅Costs $2,466 less on MSRP ($1,295 MSRP vs $3,761 MSRP).
✅Delivers 188.9% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 49.4 vs 17.1 PassMark/$ ($1,295 MSRP vs $3,761 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Lower Geekbench multi-core (18,023 vs 25,000).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 17.1 vs 49.4 PassMark/$ ($3,761 MSRP vs $1,295 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than EPYC 9254 across 45 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Quick Answers

So, is Xeon 6520P better than EPYC 9254?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, EPYC 9254 is ahead with a 10.5% average FPS lead across 45 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Xeon 6520P pulls ahead with 38.7% better Geekbench multi-core.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Xeon 6520P is the better fit. You are getting 38.7% better Geekbench multi-core, backed by 24 cores and 48 threads.

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

Xeon 6520P is the smarter buy today. Xeon 6520P is $2,466 cheaper on MSRP at $1,295 MSRP versus $3,761 MSRP, and it gives you 38.7% better Geekbench multi-core. The trade-off is that EPYC 9254 is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 10.5% average FPS lead across 45 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 188.9% better value on MSRP (49.4 vs 17.1 PassMark/$), 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 6520P is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2025 vs 2022) and more multi-core headroom with 24 cores / 48 threads instead of 24/48. 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 9254 Benchmark Check

Xeon 6520P Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	EPYC 9254	Xeon 6520P
1080p
low	171 FPS	188 FPS
medium	142 FPS	165 FPS
high	123 FPS	131 FPS
ultra	96 FPS	106 FPS
1440p
low	149 FPS	155 FPS
medium	120 FPS	131 FPS
high	97 FPS	100 FPS
ultra	77 FPS	82 FPS
4K
low	70 FPS	70 FPS
medium	60 FPS	63 FPS
high	47 FPS	49 FPS
ultra	39 FPS	40 FPS

Open EPYC 9254 Open Xeon 6520P

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	EPYC 9254	Xeon 6520P
1080p
low	603 FPS	520 FPS
medium	529 FPS	460 FPS
high	429 FPS	375 FPS
ultra	375 FPS	309 FPS
1440p
low	507 FPS	425 FPS
medium	453 FPS	383 FPS
high	379 FPS	321 FPS
ultra	314 FPS	256 FPS
4K
low	315 FPS	262 FPS
medium	285 FPS	239 FPS
high	257 FPS	212 FPS
ultra	230 FPS	176 FPS

Open EPYC 9254 Open Xeon 6520P

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	EPYC 9254	Xeon 6520P
1080p
low	716 FPS	910 FPS
medium	608 FPS	838 FPS
high	552 FPS	791 FPS
ultra	486 FPS	698 FPS
1440p
low	549 FPS	782 FPS
medium	465 FPS	716 FPS
high	415 FPS	673 FPS
ultra	359 FPS	601 FPS
4K
low	400 FPS	528 FPS
medium	321 FPS	444 FPS
high	283 FPS	396 FPS
ultra	227 FPS	330 FPS

Open EPYC 9254 Open Xeon 6520P

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	EPYC 9254	Xeon 6520P
1080p
low	868 FPS	985 FPS
medium	793 FPS	887 FPS
high	684 FPS	767 FPS
ultra	605 FPS	666 FPS
1440p
low	695 FPS	804 FPS
medium	610 FPS	700 FPS
high	523 FPS	603 FPS
ultra	453 FPS	519 FPS
4K
low	502 FPS	580 FPS
medium	451 FPS	521 FPS
high	397 FPS	462 FPS
ultra	340 FPS	398 FPS

Open EPYC 9254 Open Xeon 6520P

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of EPYC 9254 and Xeon 6520P

EPYC 9254

The EPYC 9254 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 10 November 2022 (3 years ago). It is based on the Genoa (2022−2023) architecture. It features 24 cores and 48 threads. Base frequency is 2.9 GHz, with boost up to 4.15 GHz. L3 cache: 128 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 5 nm, 6 nm process technology. Socket: SP5. Thermal design power (TDP): 200 Watt. Memory support: DDR5-4800. Passmark benchmark score: 64,344 points. Launch price was $2,299.

Xeon 6520P

The Xeon 6520P is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 24 February 2025 (less than a year ago). It is based on the Granite Rapids (2024−2025) architecture. It features 24 cores and 48 threads. Base frequency is 2.4 GHz, with boost up to 4 GHz. L3 cache: 144 MB (total). L2 cache: 2 MB (per core). Built on Intel 3 nm process technology. Socket: LGA4710. Thermal design power (TDP): 210 Watt. Memory support: DDR5(6400MT/s). Passmark benchmark score: 64,010 points. Launch price was $1,295.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the EPYC 9254 and Xeon 6520P share an identical 24-core/48-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 4.15 GHz on the EPYC 9254 versus 4 GHz on the Xeon 6520P — a 3.7% clock advantage for the EPYC 9254 (base: 2.9 GHz vs 2.4 GHz). The EPYC 9254 uses the Genoa (2022−2023) architecture (5 nm, 6 nm), while the Xeon 6520P uses Granite Rapids (2024−2025) (Intel 3 nm). In PassMark, the EPYC 9254 scores 64,344 against the Xeon 6520P's 64,010 — a 0.5% lead for the EPYC 9254. Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 2,233 vs 1,900, a 16.1% lead for the EPYC 9254 that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 18,023 vs 25,000 (32.4% advantage for the Xeon 6520P). L3 cache: 128 MB (total) on the EPYC 9254 vs 144 MB (total) on the Xeon 6520P.

Feature	EPYC 9254	Xeon 6520P
Cores / Threads	24 / 48	24 / 48
Boost Clock	4.15 GHz+4%	4 GHz
Base Clock	2.9 GHz+21%	2.4 GHz
L3 Cache	128 MB (total)	144 MB (total)+13%
L2 Cache	1 MB (per core)	2 MB (per core)+100%
Process	5 nm, 6 nm	Intel 3 nm-40%
Architecture	Genoa (2022−2023)	Granite Rapids (2024−2025)
PassMark	64,344	64,010
Geekbench 6 Single	2,233+18%	1,900
Geekbench 6 Multi	18,023	25,000+39%

🧠

Memory & Platform

The EPYC 9254 uses the SP5 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Xeon 6520P uses LGA4710 (PCIe 5.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR5-4800 memory speed. The EPYC 9254 supports up to 6144 GB of RAM compared to 4 TB — 199.7% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 12 (EPYC 9254) vs 8 (Xeon 6520P). PCIe lanes: 128 (EPYC 9254) vs 88 (Xeon 6520P) — the EPYC 9254 offers 40 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: SP5 (EPYC 9254) and FCLGA4710 (Xeon 6520P).

Feature	EPYC 9254	Xeon 6520P
Socket	SP5	LGA4710
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0	PCIe 5.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-4800	DDR5-6400
Max RAM Capacity	6144 GB+50%	4 TB
RAM Channels	12+50%	8
ECC Support	Yes	Yes
PCIe Lanes	128+45%	88

🔧

Advanced Features

Neither processor supports overclocking. Both support AVX-512 instructions, benefiting scientific computing, AI inference, and encryption workloads. Virtualization support: AMD-V (EPYC 9254) vs VT-x, VT-d (Xeon 6520P). Primary use case: EPYC 9254 targets Enterprise Server, Xeon 6520P targets Server. Direct competitor: EPYC 9254 rivals Xeon Platinum 8468; Xeon 6520P rivals EPYC 9254.

Feature	EPYC 9254	Xeon 6520P
Integrated GPU	No	No
IGPU Model	None	None
Unlocked	No	No
AVX-512	Yes	Yes
Virtualization	AMD-V	VT-x, VT-d
Target Use	Enterprise Server	Server

💰

Value Analysis

The EPYC 9254 launched at $3761 MSRP, while the Xeon 6520P debuted at $1295. On MSRP ($3761 vs $1295), the Xeon 6520P is $2466 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the EPYC 9254 delivers 17.1 pts/$ vs 49.4 pts/$ for the Xeon 6520P — making the Xeon 6520P the 97.2% better value option.