EPYC 7451 vs Xeon Gold 6226R

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 7451

2017

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +7.6% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+190.9% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 22 MB).

Trade-offs

❌20% higher power demand at 180W vs 150W.

Xeon Gold 6226R

2020

Why buy it

✅Draws 150W instead of 180W, a 30W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than EPYC 7451 across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (26,278 vs 26,639).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (22 MB vs 64 MB).

EPYC 7451

2017

Xeon Gold 6226R

2020

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +7.6% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+190.9% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 22 MB).

Why buy it

✅Draws 150W instead of 180W, a 30W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌20% higher power demand at 180W vs 150W.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than EPYC 7451 across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (26,278 vs 26,639).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (22 MB vs 64 MB).

Quick Answers

So, is EPYC 7451 better than Xeon Gold 6226R?

Yes. EPYC 7451 is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 7.6% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data and 1.4% better PassMark, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, EPYC 7451 is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 7.6% 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, EPYC 7451 is the better fit. You are getting 1.4% better PassMark, backed by 24 cores and 48 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 190.9% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 22 MB).

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

EPYC 7451 still looks like the safer overall buy. EPYC 7451 is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you a 7.6% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data.

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

Xeon Gold 6226R is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2020 vs 2017). 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 7451 Benchmark Check

Xeon Gold 6226R Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	EPYC 7451	Xeon Gold 6226R
1080p
low	187 FPS	184 FPS
medium	165 FPS	148 FPS
high	132 FPS	120 FPS
ultra	105 FPS	93 FPS
1440p
low	153 FPS	146 FPS
medium	127 FPS	114 FPS
high	97 FPS	92 FPS
ultra	78 FPS	72 FPS
4K
low	71 FPS	68 FPS
medium	63 FPS	57 FPS
high	48 FPS	45 FPS
ultra	39 FPS	36 FPS

Open EPYC 7451 Open Xeon Gold 6226R

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	EPYC 7451	Xeon Gold 6226R
1080p
low	355 FPS	400 FPS
medium	321 FPS	346 FPS
high	271 FPS	288 FPS
ultra	219 FPS	242 FPS
1440p
low	306 FPS	346 FPS
medium	280 FPS	307 FPS
high	239 FPS	256 FPS
ultra	187 FPS	213 FPS
4K
low	191 FPS	224 FPS
medium	176 FPS	199 FPS
high	152 FPS	177 FPS
ultra	122 FPS	146 FPS

Open EPYC 7451 Open Xeon Gold 6226R

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	EPYC 7451	Xeon Gold 6226R
1080p
low	620 FPS	657 FPS
medium	518 FPS	657 FPS
high	466 FPS	657 FPS
ultra	399 FPS	656 FPS
1440p
low	517 FPS	657 FPS
medium	432 FPS	612 FPS
high	378 FPS	580 FPS
ultra	325 FPS	512 FPS
4K
low	383 FPS	462 FPS
medium	308 FPS	361 FPS
high	270 FPS	322 FPS
ultra	220 FPS	261 FPS

Open EPYC 7451 Open Xeon Gold 6226R

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	EPYC 7451	Xeon Gold 6226R
1080p
low	666 FPS	657 FPS
medium	666 FPS	657 FPS
high	659 FPS	657 FPS
ultra	571 FPS	576 FPS
1440p
low	666 FPS	657 FPS
medium	587 FPS	599 FPS
high	503 FPS	517 FPS
ultra	426 FPS	444 FPS
4K
low	476 FPS	469 FPS
medium	429 FPS	422 FPS
high	378 FPS	377 FPS
ultra	324 FPS	328 FPS

Open EPYC 7451 Open Xeon Gold 6226R

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of EPYC 7451 and Xeon Gold 6226R

EPYC 7451

The EPYC 7451 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 29 June 2017 (8 years ago). It is based on the Naples (2017−2018) architecture. It features 24 cores and 48 threads. Base frequency is 2.3 GHz, with boost up to 3.2 GHz. L3 cache: 64 MB (total). L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: TR4. Thermal design power (TDP): 180 Watt. Memory support: DDR4 Eight-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 26,639 points. Launch price was $2,400.

Xeon Gold 6226R

The Xeon Gold 6226R is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 24 February 2020 (5 years ago). It is based on the Cascade Lake (2019−2020) architecture. It features 16 cores and 32 threads. Base frequency is 2.9 GHz, with boost up to 3.9 GHz. L3 cache: 22 MB. L2 cache: 16 MB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA3647. Thermal design power (TDP): 150 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2933. Passmark benchmark score: 26,278 points. Launch price was $1,300.

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Processing Power

The EPYC 7451 packs 24 cores / 48 threads, while the Xeon Gold 6226R offers 16 cores / 32 threads — the EPYC 7451 has 8 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.2 GHz on the EPYC 7451 versus 3.9 GHz on the Xeon Gold 6226R — a 19.7% clock advantage for the Xeon Gold 6226R (base: 2.3 GHz vs 2.9 GHz). The EPYC 7451 uses the Naples (2017−2018) architecture (14 nm), while the Xeon Gold 6226R uses Cascade Lake (2019−2020) (14 nm). In PassMark, the EPYC 7451 scores 26,639 against the Xeon Gold 6226R's 26,278 — a 1.4% lead for the EPYC 7451. L3 cache: 64 MB (total) on the EPYC 7451 vs 22 MB on the Xeon Gold 6226R.

Feature	EPYC 7451	Xeon Gold 6226R
Cores / Threads	24 / 48+50%	16 / 32
Boost Clock	3.2 GHz	3.9 GHz+22%
Base Clock	2.3 GHz	2.9 GHz+26%
L3 Cache	64 MB (total)+191%	22 MB
L2 Cache	512K (per core)	16 MB+3100%
Process	14 nm	14 nm
Architecture	Naples (2017−2018)	Cascade Lake (2019−2020)
PassMark	26,639+1%	26,278

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Memory & Platform

The EPYC 7451 uses the TR4 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Xeon Gold 6226R uses LGA3647 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.