EPYC 7272 vs Xeon Gold 6242

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 7272

2019

Why buy it

✅+0.7% higher PassMark.
✅+45.5% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 22 MB).
✅Draws 120W instead of 150W, a 30W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Fewer obvious downsides in this matchup outside of normal market pricing swings.

Xeon Gold 6242

2019

Why buy it

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (24,994 vs 25,161).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (22 MB vs 32 MB).
❌25% higher power demand at 150W vs 120W.

EPYC 7272

2019

Xeon Gold 6242

2019

Why buy it

✅+0.7% higher PassMark.
✅+45.5% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 22 MB).
✅Draws 120W instead of 150W, a 30W reduction.

Why buy it

Trade-offs

❌Fewer obvious downsides in this matchup outside of normal market pricing swings.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (24,994 vs 25,161).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (22 MB vs 32 MB).
❌25% higher power demand at 150W vs 120W.

Quick Answers

So, is EPYC 7272 better than Xeon Gold 6242?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Xeon Gold 6242 is ahead with a 2.1% average FPS lead across 9 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, EPYC 7272 pulls ahead with 0.7% better PassMark. EPYC 7272 also has the bigger cache pool with 45.5% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 22 MB).

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, EPYC 7272 is the better fit. You are getting 0.7% better PassMark, backed by 12 cores and 24 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 45.5% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 22 MB).

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

EPYC 7272 still looks like the safer overall buy. EPYC 7272 is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you 0.7% better PassMark.

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

Xeon Gold 6242 is the safer long-term CPU choice because it gives you more overall headroom and a better platform outlook.

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 7272 Benchmark Check

Xeon Gold 6242 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	EPYC 7272	Xeon Gold 6242
1080p
low	148 FPS	184 FPS
medium	121 FPS	148 FPS
high	103 FPS	120 FPS
ultra	83 FPS	93 FPS
1440p
low	129 FPS	146 FPS
medium	103 FPS	114 FPS
high	84 FPS	92 FPS
ultra	67 FPS	72 FPS
4K
low	62 FPS	68 FPS
medium	53 FPS	57 FPS
high	42 FPS	45 FPS
ultra	33 FPS	36 FPS

Open EPYC 7272 Open Xeon Gold 6242

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	EPYC 7272	Xeon Gold 6242
1080p
low	354 FPS	400 FPS
medium	312 FPS	346 FPS
high	261 FPS	288 FPS
ultra	213 FPS	242 FPS
1440p
low	300 FPS	346 FPS
medium	274 FPS	307 FPS
high	234 FPS	256 FPS
ultra	188 FPS	213 FPS
4K
low	194 FPS	224 FPS
medium	178 FPS	199 FPS
high	153 FPS	177 FPS
ultra	123 FPS	146 FPS

Open EPYC 7272 Open Xeon Gold 6242

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	EPYC 7272	Xeon Gold 6242
1080p
low	625 FPS	625 FPS
medium	509 FPS	625 FPS
high	453 FPS	625 FPS
ultra	398 FPS	625 FPS
1440p
low	487 FPS	625 FPS
medium	396 FPS	612 FPS
high	347 FPS	580 FPS
ultra	300 FPS	512 FPS
4K
low	363 FPS	462 FPS
medium	282 FPS	361 FPS
high	241 FPS	322 FPS
ultra	193 FPS	261 FPS

Open EPYC 7272 Open Xeon Gold 6242

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	EPYC 7272	Xeon Gold 6242
1080p
low	629 FPS	625 FPS
medium	629 FPS	625 FPS
high	616 FPS	625 FPS
ultra	540 FPS	576 FPS
1440p
low	624 FPS	625 FPS
medium	548 FPS	598 FPS
high	472 FPS	517 FPS
ultra	403 FPS	444 FPS
4K
low	426 FPS	468 FPS
medium	386 FPS	421 FPS
high	345 FPS	377 FPS
ultra	298 FPS	328 FPS

Open EPYC 7272 Open Xeon Gold 6242

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of EPYC 7272 and Xeon Gold 6242

EPYC 7272

The EPYC 7272 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 12 cores and 24 threads. Base frequency is 2.9 GHz, with boost up to 3.2 GHz. L3 cache: 32 MB (total). L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 7 nm, 14 nm process technology. Socket: SP3. Thermal design power (TDP): 120 Watt. Memory support: DDR4 Eight-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 25,161 points. Launch price was $625.

Xeon Gold 6242

The Xeon Gold 6242 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2 April 2019 (6 years ago). It is based on the Cascade Lake (2019−2020) architecture. It features 16 cores and 32 threads. Base frequency is 2.8 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: 24,994 points. Launch price was $2,529.

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Processing Power

The EPYC 7272 packs 12 cores / 24 threads, while the Xeon Gold 6242 offers 16 cores / 32 threads — the Xeon Gold 6242 has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.2 GHz on the EPYC 7272 versus 3.9 GHz on the Xeon Gold 6242 — a 19.7% clock advantage for the Xeon Gold 6242 (base: 2.9 GHz vs 2.8 GHz). The EPYC 7272 uses the Zen 2 (2017−2020) architecture (7 nm, 14 nm), while the Xeon Gold 6242 uses Cascade Lake (2019−2020) (14 nm). In PassMark, the EPYC 7272 scores 25,161 against the Xeon Gold 6242's 24,994 — a 0.7% lead for the EPYC 7272. L3 cache: 32 MB (total) on the EPYC 7272 vs 22 MB on the Xeon Gold 6242.

Feature	EPYC 7272	Xeon Gold 6242
Cores / Threads	12 / 24	16 / 32+33%
Boost Clock	3.2 GHz	3.9 GHz+22%
Base Clock	2.9 GHz+4%	2.8 GHz
L3 Cache	32 MB (total)+45%	22 MB
L2 Cache	512 kB (per core)	16 MB+3100%
Process	7 nm, 14 nm-50%	14 nm
Architecture	Zen 2 (2017−2020)	Cascade Lake (2019−2020)
PassMark	25,161	24,994

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Memory & Platform

The EPYC 7272 uses the SP3 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Xeon Gold 6242 uses LGA3647 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.