EPYC 7501 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 7501

2017

Why buy it

✅+190.9% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 22 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon Gold 6242 across 3 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (24,925 vs 24,994).

Xeon Gold 6242

2019

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +14.3% higher average FPS across 3 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 150W instead of 155W, a 5W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (22 MB vs 64 MB).

EPYC 7501

2017

Xeon Gold 6242

2019

Why buy it

✅+190.9% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 22 MB).

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +14.3% higher average FPS across 3 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 150W instead of 155W, a 5W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon Gold 6242 across 3 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (24,925 vs 24,994).

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (22 MB vs 64 MB).

Quick Answers

So, is Xeon Gold 6242 better than EPYC 7501?

Yes. Xeon Gold 6242 is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 14.3% average FPS lead across 3 shared CPU game tests in our data, 0.3% better PassMark, and the stronger long-term platform, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Xeon Gold 6242 is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 14.3% more average FPS across 3 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Xeon Gold 6242 is the better fit. You are getting 0.3% better PassMark, backed by 16 cores and 32 threads.

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

Xeon Gold 6242 still looks like the safer overall buy. Xeon Gold 6242 is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you a 14.3% average FPS lead across 3 shared CPU game tests in our data.

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

Xeon Gold 6242 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2019 vs 2017) and more multi-core headroom with 16 cores / 32 threads instead of 32/64. That extra compute headroom should age better as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

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 7501 Benchmark Check

Xeon Gold 6242 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	EPYC 7501	Xeon Gold 6242
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 7501 Open Xeon Gold 6242

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	EPYC 7501	Xeon Gold 6242
1080p
low	207 FPS	400 FPS
medium	188 FPS	346 FPS
high	160 FPS	288 FPS
ultra	131 FPS	242 FPS
1440p
low	178 FPS	346 FPS
medium	163 FPS	307 FPS
high	141 FPS	256 FPS
ultra	111 FPS	213 FPS
4K
low	112 FPS	224 FPS
medium	103 FPS	199 FPS
high	92 FPS	177 FPS
ultra	75 FPS	146 FPS

Open EPYC 7501 Open Xeon Gold 6242

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	EPYC 7501	Xeon Gold 6242
1080p
low	620 FPS	625 FPS
medium	518 FPS	625 FPS
high	466 FPS	625 FPS
ultra	399 FPS	625 FPS
1440p
low	517 FPS	625 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 7501 Open Xeon Gold 6242

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	EPYC 7501	Xeon Gold 6242
1080p
low	623 FPS	625 FPS
medium	623 FPS	625 FPS
high	623 FPS	625 FPS
ultra	561 FPS	576 FPS
1440p
low	623 FPS	625 FPS
medium	584 FPS	598 FPS
high	500 FPS	517 FPS
ultra	420 FPS	444 FPS
4K
low	475 FPS	468 FPS
medium	427 FPS	421 FPS
high	375 FPS	377 FPS
ultra	320 FPS	328 FPS

Open EPYC 7501 Open Xeon Gold 6242

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of EPYC 7501 and Xeon Gold 6242

EPYC 7501

The EPYC 7501 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 32 cores and 64 threads. Base frequency is 2 GHz, with boost up to 3 GHz. L3 cache: 64 MB (total). L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: TR4. Thermal design power (TDP): 170 Watt. Memory support: DDR4 Eight-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 24,925 points. Launch price was $3,400.

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 7501 packs 32 cores / 64 threads, while the Xeon Gold 6242 offers 16 cores / 32 threads — the EPYC 7501 has 16 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3 GHz on the EPYC 7501 versus 3.9 GHz on the Xeon Gold 6242 — a 26.1% clock advantage for the Xeon Gold 6242 (base: 2 GHz vs 2.8 GHz). The EPYC 7501 uses the Naples (2017−2018) architecture (14 nm), while the Xeon Gold 6242 uses Cascade Lake (2019−2020) (14 nm). In PassMark, the EPYC 7501 scores 24,925 against the Xeon Gold 6242's 24,994 — a 0.3% lead for the Xeon Gold 6242. L3 cache: 64 MB (total) on the EPYC 7501 vs 22 MB on the Xeon Gold 6242.

Feature	EPYC 7501	Xeon Gold 6242
Cores / Threads	32 / 64+100%	16 / 32
Boost Clock	3 GHz	3.9 GHz+30%
Base Clock	2 GHz	2.8 GHz+40%
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	24,925	24,994

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Memory & Platform

The EPYC 7501 uses the TR4 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Xeon Gold 6242 uses LGA3647 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.