EPYC 7473X vs Xeon Gold 6421N

CPU

GPU

EPYC 7473X

24 Cores48 Thrd240 WWMax: 3.7 GHz2022

Popular choices:

•••••••••

Xeon Gold 6421N

32 Cores64 Thrd185 WWMax: 3.6 GHz2023

Popular choices:

•••••••••

Performance Spectrum - CPU

EPYC 7473X

24 / 48

59,280

+0.8%

Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 370

Ryzen 9 5900X

Ryzen 9 5950X

Ryzen 9 9850HX

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 5975WX

Ryzen Threadripper 9960X

Ryzen Threadripper 7970X

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7985WX

Xeon Gold 6421N

32 / 64

58,797

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 7473X

2022

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +8.1% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅60% more PCIe lanes (128 vs 80) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 15.2 vs 24.8 PassMark/$ ($3,900 MSRP vs $2,368 MSRP).
❌29.7% higher power demand at 240W vs 185W.
❌Older platform position on SP3 with DDR4, while Xeon Gold 6421N moves to LGA4677 and DDR5.

Xeon Gold 6421N

2023

Why buy it

✅Costs $1,532 less on MSRP ($2,368 MSRP vs $3,900 MSRP).
✅Delivers 63.4% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 24.8 vs 15.2 PassMark/$ ($2,368 MSRP vs $3,900 MSRP).
✅Draws 185W instead of 240W, a 55W reduction.
✅Newer platform on LGA4677 with DDR5 support instead of SP3 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than EPYC 7473X across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (58,797 vs 59,280).

EPYC 7473X

2022

Xeon Gold 6421N

2023

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +8.1% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅60% more PCIe lanes (128 vs 80) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Why buy it

✅Costs $1,532 less on MSRP ($2,368 MSRP vs $3,900 MSRP).
✅Delivers 63.4% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 24.8 vs 15.2 PassMark/$ ($2,368 MSRP vs $3,900 MSRP).
✅Draws 185W instead of 240W, a 55W reduction.
✅Newer platform on LGA4677 with DDR5 support instead of SP3 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 15.2 vs 24.8 PassMark/$ ($3,900 MSRP vs $2,368 MSRP).
❌29.7% higher power demand at 240W vs 185W.
❌Older platform position on SP3 with DDR4, while Xeon Gold 6421N moves to LGA4677 and DDR5.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than EPYC 7473X across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (58,797 vs 59,280).

Quick Answers

So, is EPYC 7473X better than Xeon Gold 6421N?

Yes. EPYC 7473X is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 8.1% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data and 0.8% better PassMark, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, EPYC 7473X is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 8.1% more average FPS across 50 shared CPU game tests. It also has a big cache advantage at 768 MB vs 60 MB.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, EPYC 7473X is the better fit. You are getting 0.8% better PassMark, backed by 24 cores and 48 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 1180% larger total L3 cache (768 MB vs 60 MB).

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

EPYC 7473X is still the faster CPU overall, but Xeon Gold 6421N makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. EPYC 7473X is 64.7% more expensive on MSRP at $3,900 MSRP versus $2,368 MSRP, and it gives you a 8.1% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. Xeon Gold 6421N is also 63.4% better value on MSRP (24.8 vs 15.2 PassMark/$), which is why it is easier to justify for price-conscious builds on paper.

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

Xeon Gold 6421N is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2023 vs 2022), a healthier platform with LGA4677 and DDR5 instead of SP3, and AVX-512 support for heavier modern compute workloads. 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 7473X Benchmark Check

Xeon Gold 6421N Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	EPYC 7473X	Xeon Gold 6421N
1080p
low	205 FPS	200 FPS
medium	167 FPS	165 FPS
high	136 FPS	137 FPS
ultra	105 FPS	107 FPS
1440p
low	163 FPS	159 FPS
medium	127 FPS	124 FPS
high	100 FPS	98 FPS
ultra	79 FPS	77 FPS
4K
low	74 FPS	73 FPS
medium	61 FPS	61 FPS
high	48 FPS	47 FPS
ultra	40 FPS	39 FPS

Open EPYC 7473X Open Xeon Gold 6421N

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	EPYC 7473X	Xeon Gold 6421N
1080p
low	561 FPS	239 FPS
medium	490 FPS	213 FPS
high	390 FPS	177 FPS
ultra	316 FPS	143 FPS
1440p
low	461 FPS	201 FPS
medium	413 FPS	182 FPS
high	338 FPS	157 FPS
ultra	266 FPS	122 FPS
4K
low	284 FPS	125 FPS
medium	258 FPS	116 FPS
high	225 FPS	102 FPS
ultra	187 FPS	83 FPS

Open EPYC 7473X Open Xeon Gold 6421N

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	EPYC 7473X	Xeon Gold 6421N
1080p
low	865 FPS	956 FPS
medium	717 FPS	837 FPS
high	668 FPS	793 FPS
ultra	590 FPS	705 FPS
1440p
low	622 FPS	774 FPS
medium	514 FPS	668 FPS
high	472 FPS	623 FPS
ultra	412 FPS	555 FPS
4K
low	444 FPS	495 FPS
medium	345 FPS	391 FPS
high	308 FPS	342 FPS
ultra	249 FPS	279 FPS

Open EPYC 7473X Open Xeon Gold 6421N

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	EPYC 7473X	Xeon Gold 6421N
1080p
low	994 FPS	923 FPS
medium	902 FPS	832 FPS
high	777 FPS	717 FPS
ultra	672 FPS	619 FPS
1440p
low	768 FPS	715 FPS
medium	670 FPS	627 FPS
high	573 FPS	538 FPS
ultra	493 FPS	460 FPS
4K
low	551 FPS	516 FPS
medium	491 FPS	460 FPS
high	431 FPS	404 FPS
ultra	373 FPS	349 FPS

Open EPYC 7473X Open Xeon Gold 6421N

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of EPYC 7473X and Xeon Gold 6421N

EPYC 7473X

The EPYC 7473X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2022-03-01. It is based on the Milan-X (2022) architecture. It features 24 cores and 48 threads. Base frequency is 2.8 GHz, with boost up to 3.7 GHz. L3 cache: 768 MB (total). L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 7 nm process technology. Socket: SP3. Thermal design power (TDP): 240 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-3200. Passmark benchmark score: 59,280 points. Launch price was $3,900.

Xeon Gold 6421N

The Xeon Gold 6421N is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 10 January 2023 (2 years ago). It is based on the Sapphire Rapids (2023−2024) architecture. It features 32 cores and 64 threads. Base frequency is 1.8 GHz, with boost up to 3.6 GHz. L3 cache: 60 MB. L2 cache: 2 MB (per core). Built on Intel 7 nm process technology. Socket: LGA4677. Thermal design power (TDP): 185 Watt. Memory support: DDR5-4400. Passmark benchmark score: 58,797 points. Launch price was $2,368.

⚡

Processing Power

The EPYC 7473X packs 24 cores / 48 threads, while the Xeon Gold 6421N offers 32 cores / 64 threads — the Xeon Gold 6421N has 8 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.7 GHz on the EPYC 7473X versus 3.6 GHz on the Xeon Gold 6421N — a 2.7% clock advantage for the EPYC 7473X (base: 2.8 GHz vs 1.8 GHz). The EPYC 7473X uses the Milan-X (2022) architecture (7 nm), while the Xeon Gold 6421N uses Sapphire Rapids (2023−2024) (Intel 7 nm). In PassMark, the EPYC 7473X scores 59,280 against the Xeon Gold 6421N's 58,797 — a 0.8% lead for the EPYC 7473X. L3 cache: 768 MB (total) on the EPYC 7473X vs 60 MB on the Xeon Gold 6421N.

Feature	EPYC 7473X	Xeon Gold 6421N
Cores / Threads	24 / 48	32 / 64+33%
Boost Clock	3.7 GHz+3%	3.6 GHz
Base Clock	2.8 GHz+56%	1.8 GHz
L3 Cache	768 MB (total)+1180%	60 MB
L2 Cache	512K (per core)	2 MB (per core)+300%
Process	7 nm	Intel 7 nm
Architecture	Milan-X (2022)	Sapphire Rapids (2023−2024)
PassMark	59,280	58,797

🧠

Memory & Platform

The EPYC 7473X uses the SP3 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Xeon Gold 6421N uses LGA4677 (PCIe 5.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches 3200 on the EPYC 7473X versus 4800 on the Xeon Gold 6421N — the Xeon Gold 6421N supports 40% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. Both support up to 4096 of RAM. Both feature 8-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 128 (EPYC 7473X) vs 80 (Xeon Gold 6421N) — the EPYC 7473X offers 48 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: SP3 (EPYC 7473X) and C741 (Xeon Gold 6421N).

Feature	EPYC 7473X	Xeon Gold 6421N
Socket	SP3	LGA4677
PCIe Generation	PCIe 4.0	PCIe 5.0+25%
Max RAM Speed	3200	4800+50%
Max RAM Capacity	4096	4096
RAM Channels	8	8
ECC Support	Yes	Yes
PCIe Lanes	128+60%	80

🔧

Advanced Features

Neither processor supports overclocking. Only the Xeon Gold 6421N supports AVX-512 instructions — important for machine learning and scientific applications. Both support VT-x, VT-d virtualization. Direct competitor: EPYC 7473X rivals Xeon Platinum 8380; Xeon Gold 6421N rivals EPYC 9354.

Feature	EPYC 7473X	Xeon Gold 6421N
Integrated GPU	No	No
IGPU Model	None	None
Unlocked	No	No
AVX-512	No	Yes
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	VT-x, VT-d

💰

Value Analysis

The EPYC 7473X launched at $3900 MSRP, while the Xeon Gold 6421N debuted at $2368. On MSRP ($3900 vs $2368), the Xeon Gold 6421N is $1532 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the EPYC 7473X delivers 15.2 pts/$ vs 24.8 pts/$ for the Xeon Gold 6421N — making the Xeon Gold 6421N the 48.1% better value option.