EPYC 7402 vs Xeon Gold 6444Y

CPU

GPU

EPYC 7402

24 Cores48 Thrd180 WWMax: 3.35 GHz2019

Popular choices:

•••••••••

Xeon Gold 6444Y

16 Cores32 Thrd270 WWMax: 4 GHz2023

Popular choices:

•••••••••

Performance Spectrum - CPU

EPYC 7402

24 / 48

46,012

0.0%

Ryzen 7 5800

Ryzen 9 PRO 8945HS

Ryzen 7 7700X

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 5945WX

Ryzen 9 9955HX3D

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 5975WX

Ryzen Threadripper 9960X

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9975WX

Xeon Gold 6444Y

16 / 32

47,176

+2.5%

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 7402

2019

Why buy it

✅Costs $1,839 less on MSRP ($1,783 MSRP vs $3,622 MSRP).
✅Delivers 98.1% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 25.8 vs 13.0 PassMark/$ ($1,783 MSRP vs $3,622 MSRP).
✅Draws 180W instead of 270W, a 90W reduction.
✅60% more PCIe lanes (128 vs 80) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon Gold 6444Y across 3 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (46,012 vs 47,176).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (32 MB vs 45 MB).
❌Older platform position on SP3 with DDR4, while Xeon Gold 6444Y moves to LGA4677 and DDR5.

Xeon Gold 6444Y

2023

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +34.1% higher average FPS across 3 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+40.6% larger total L3 cache (45 MB vs 32 MB).
✅Newer platform on LGA4677 with DDR5 support instead of SP3 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 13.0 vs 25.8 PassMark/$ ($3,622 MSRP vs $1,783 MSRP).
❌50% higher power demand at 270W vs 180W.

EPYC 7402

2019

Xeon Gold 6444Y

2023

Why buy it

✅Costs $1,839 less on MSRP ($1,783 MSRP vs $3,622 MSRP).
✅Delivers 98.1% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 25.8 vs 13.0 PassMark/$ ($1,783 MSRP vs $3,622 MSRP).
✅Draws 180W instead of 270W, a 90W reduction.
✅60% more PCIe lanes (128 vs 80) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +34.1% higher average FPS across 3 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+40.6% larger total L3 cache (45 MB vs 32 MB).
✅Newer platform on LGA4677 with DDR5 support instead of SP3 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon Gold 6444Y across 3 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (46,012 vs 47,176).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (32 MB vs 45 MB).
❌Older platform position on SP3 with DDR4, while Xeon Gold 6444Y moves to LGA4677 and DDR5.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 13.0 vs 25.8 PassMark/$ ($3,622 MSRP vs $1,783 MSRP).
❌50% higher power demand at 270W vs 180W.

Quick Answers

So, is Xeon Gold 6444Y better than EPYC 7402?

Yes. Xeon Gold 6444Y is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 34.1% average FPS lead across 3 shared CPU game tests in our data, 2.5% 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 6444Y is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 34.1% 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 6444Y is the better fit. You are getting 2.5% better PassMark, backed by 16 cores and 32 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 40.6% larger total L3 cache (45 MB vs 32 MB).

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

Xeon Gold 6444Y is still the faster CPU overall, but EPYC 7402 makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Xeon Gold 6444Y is 103.1% more expensive on MSRP at $3,622 MSRP versus $1,783 MSRP, and it gives you a 34.1% average FPS lead across 3 shared CPU game tests in our data. EPYC 7402 is also 98.1% better value on MSRP (25.8 vs 13.0 PassMark/$), 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 6444Y is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2023 vs 2019), a healthier platform with LGA4677 and DDR5 instead of SP3, 40.6% larger total L3 cache (45 MB vs 32 MB), more multi-core headroom with 16 cores / 32 threads instead of 24/48, 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 7402 Benchmark Check

Xeon Gold 6444Y Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	EPYC 7402	Xeon Gold 6444Y
1080p
low	158 FPS	205 FPS
medium	131 FPS	163 FPS
high	110 FPS	135 FPS
ultra	87 FPS	104 FPS
1440p
low	132 FPS	165 FPS
medium	107 FPS	126 FPS
high	87 FPS	99 FPS
ultra	69 FPS	77 FPS
4K
low	64 FPS	75 FPS
medium	55 FPS	61 FPS
high	43 FPS	48 FPS
ultra	34 FPS	39 FPS

Open EPYC 7402 Open Xeon Gold 6444Y

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	EPYC 7402	Xeon Gold 6444Y
1080p
low	358 FPS	511 FPS
medium	315 FPS	443 FPS
high	263 FPS	354 FPS
ultra	213 FPS	293 FPS
1440p
low	303 FPS	430 FPS
medium	276 FPS	381 FPS
high	236 FPS	313 FPS
ultra	188 FPS	249 FPS
4K
low	195 FPS	267 FPS
medium	179 FPS	240 FPS
high	153 FPS	212 FPS
ultra	123 FPS	176 FPS

Open EPYC 7402 Open Xeon Gold 6444Y

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	EPYC 7402	Xeon Gold 6444Y
1080p
low	645 FPS	1025 FPS
medium	526 FPS	1005 FPS
high	468 FPS	949 FPS
ultra	410 FPS	862 FPS
1440p
low	499 FPS	880 FPS
medium	406 FPS	777 FPS
high	355 FPS	722 FPS
ultra	307 FPS	651 FPS
4K
low	369 FPS	561 FPS
medium	287 FPS	460 FPS
high	245 FPS	399 FPS
ultra	196 FPS	328 FPS

Open EPYC 7402 Open Xeon Gold 6444Y

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	EPYC 7402	Xeon Gold 6444Y
1080p
low	820 FPS	1179 FPS
medium	746 FPS	1015 FPS
high	646 FPS	907 FPS
ultra	568 FPS	767 FPS
1440p
low	657 FPS	934 FPS
medium	572 FPS	806 FPS
high	492 FPS	681 FPS
ultra	422 FPS	574 FPS
4K
low	448 FPS	684 FPS
medium	402 FPS	597 FPS
high	359 FPS	516 FPS
ultra	312 FPS	431 FPS

Open EPYC 7402 Open Xeon Gold 6444Y

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of EPYC 7402 and Xeon Gold 6444Y

EPYC 7402

The EPYC 7402 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 24 cores and 48 threads. Base frequency is 2.8 GHz, with boost up to 3.35 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): 180 Watt. Memory support: DDR4 Eight-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 46,012 points. Launch price was $1,783.

Xeon Gold 6444Y

The Xeon Gold 6444Y 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 16 cores and 32 threads. Base frequency is 3.6 GHz, with boost up to 4 GHz. L3 cache: 45 MB. L2 cache: 2 MB (per core). Built on Intel 7 nm process technology. Socket: LGA4677. Thermal design power (TDP): 270 Watt. Memory support: DDR5-4800, DDR5-4400. Passmark benchmark score: 47,176 points. Launch price was $1,517.

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Processing Power

The EPYC 7402 packs 24 cores / 48 threads, while the Xeon Gold 6444Y offers 16 cores / 32 threads — the EPYC 7402 has 8 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.35 GHz on the EPYC 7402 versus 4 GHz on the Xeon Gold 6444Y — a 17.7% clock advantage for the Xeon Gold 6444Y (base: 2.8 GHz vs 3.6 GHz). The EPYC 7402 uses the Zen 2 (2017−2020) architecture (7 nm, 14 nm), while the Xeon Gold 6444Y uses Sapphire Rapids (2023−2024) (Intel 7 nm). In PassMark, the EPYC 7402 scores 46,012 against the Xeon Gold 6444Y's 47,176 — a 2.5% lead for the Xeon Gold 6444Y. L3 cache: 32 MB (total) on the EPYC 7402 vs 45 MB on the Xeon Gold 6444Y.

Feature	EPYC 7402	Xeon Gold 6444Y
Cores / Threads	24 / 48+50%	16 / 32
Boost Clock	3.35 GHz	4 GHz+19%
Base Clock	2.8 GHz	3.6 GHz+29%
L3 Cache	32 MB (total)	45 MB+41%
L2 Cache	512 kB (per core)	2 MB (per core)+300%
Process	7 nm, 14 nm	Intel 7 nm
Architecture	Zen 2 (2017−2020)	Sapphire Rapids (2023−2024)
PassMark	46,012	47,176+3%
Cinebench R23 Multi	28,546	—
Geekbench 6 Single	1,299	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	12,622	—

🧠

Memory & Platform

The EPYC 7402 uses the SP3 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Xeon Gold 6444Y uses LGA4677 (PCIe 5.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR4-3200 on the EPYC 7402 versus 5600 on the Xeon Gold 6444Y — the Xeon Gold 6444Y supports 199.7% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. Both support up to 4096 GB of RAM. Both feature 8-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 128 (EPYC 7402) vs 80 (Xeon Gold 6444Y) — the EPYC 7402 offers 48 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: SP3,Rome (EPYC 7402) and C741 (Xeon Gold 6444Y).

Feature	EPYC 7402	Xeon Gold 6444Y
Socket	SP3	LGA4677
PCIe Generation	PCIe 4.0	PCIe 5.0+25%
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-3200	5600+139900%
Max RAM Capacity	4096 GB+104857500%	4096
RAM Channels	8	8
ECC Support	Yes	Yes
PCIe Lanes	128+60%	80

🔧

Advanced Features

Neither processor supports overclocking. Only the Xeon Gold 6444Y supports AVX-512 instructions — important for machine learning and scientific applications. Virtualization support: AMD-V, SEV, IOMMU (EPYC 7402) vs VT-x, VT-d (Xeon Gold 6444Y). Primary use case: EPYC 7402 targets Server / Workstation. Direct competitor: EPYC 7402 rivals Xeon Gold 6242; Xeon Gold 6444Y rivals EPYC 9384X.

Feature	EPYC 7402	Xeon Gold 6444Y
Integrated GPU	No	No
IGPU Model	—	None
Unlocked	No	No
AVX-512	No	Yes
Virtualization	AMD-V, SEV, IOMMU	VT-x, VT-d
Target Use	Server / Workstation	—

💰

Value Analysis

The EPYC 7402 launched at $1783 MSRP, while the Xeon Gold 6444Y debuted at $3622. On MSRP ($1783 vs $3622), the EPYC 7402 is $1839 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the EPYC 7402 delivers 25.8 pts/$ vs 13.0 pts/$ for the Xeon Gold 6444Y — making the EPYC 7402 the 65.8% better value option.