EPYC 9015 vs Xeon Platinum 8260

CPU

GPU

EPYC 9015

8 Cores16 Thrd125 WWMax: 4.1 GHz2024

Popular choices:

•••••••••

Xeon Platinum 8260

24 Cores48 Thrd165 WWMax: 3.9 GHz2019

Popular choices:

•••••••••

Performance Spectrum - CPU

EPYC 9015

8 / 16

30,505

0.0%

Ryzen Threadripper 3970X

Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 5995WX

Xeon Platinum 8260

24 / 48

30,720

+0.7%

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 9015

2024

Why buy it

✅+17.6% higher Geekbench single-core performance for gaming and desktop responsiveness.
✅+79% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 36 MB).
✅Draws 125W instead of 165W, a 40W reduction.
✅Newer platform on SP5 with DDR5 support instead of LGA3647 and DDR4.
✅166.7% more PCIe lanes (128 vs 48) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (15,000 vs 18,500).

Xeon Platinum 8260

2019

Why buy it

✅+23.3% higher Cinebench R23 multi-core.

Trade-offs

❌Lower Geekbench single-core performance for gaming (1,190 vs 1,400).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (36 MB vs 64 MB).
❌Launch MSRP is still $400 MSRP, while EPYC 9015 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌32% higher power demand at 165W vs 125W.
❌Older platform position on LGA3647 with DDR4, while EPYC 9015 moves to SP5 and DDR5.

EPYC 9015

2024

Xeon Platinum 8260

2019

Why buy it

✅+17.6% higher Geekbench single-core performance for gaming and desktop responsiveness.
✅+79% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 36 MB).
✅Draws 125W instead of 165W, a 40W reduction.
✅Newer platform on SP5 with DDR5 support instead of LGA3647 and DDR4.
✅166.7% more PCIe lanes (128 vs 48) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Why buy it

✅+23.3% higher Cinebench R23 multi-core.

Trade-offs

❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (15,000 vs 18,500).

Trade-offs

❌Lower Geekbench single-core performance for gaming (1,190 vs 1,400).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (36 MB vs 64 MB).
❌Launch MSRP is still $400 MSRP, while EPYC 9015 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌32% higher power demand at 165W vs 125W.
❌Older platform position on LGA3647 with DDR4, while EPYC 9015 moves to SP5 and DDR5.

Quick Answers

So, is EPYC 9015 better than Xeon Platinum 8260?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, EPYC 9015 is ahead with a 2.4% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Xeon Platinum 8260 pulls ahead with 23.3% better Cinebench R23 multi-core. EPYC 9015 also has the bigger cache pool with 79% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 36 MB).

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Xeon Platinum 8260 is the better fit. You are getting 23.3% better Cinebench R23 multi-core, backed by 24 cores and 48 threads.

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

EPYC 9015 is still the faster CPU overall, but Xeon Platinum 8260 makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. EPYC 9015 is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $400 MSRP, and it gives you a 2.4% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. The trade-off is that Xeon Platinum 8260 is still stronger for heavier multi-core work with 23.3% better Cinebench R23 multi-core. Xeon Platinum 8260 is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (76.8 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), which is why it is easier to justify for price-conscious builds on paper.

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

EPYC 9015 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2024 vs 2019), a healthier platform with SP5 and DDR5 instead of LGA3647, and 79% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 36 MB). 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 9015 Benchmark Check

Xeon Platinum 8260 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	EPYC 9015	Xeon Platinum 8260
1080p
low	165 FPS	194 FPS
medium	134 FPS	158 FPS
high	116 FPS	127 FPS
ultra	93 FPS	98 FPS
1440p
low	148 FPS	158 FPS
medium	118 FPS	123 FPS
high	95 FPS	96 FPS
ultra	77 FPS	76 FPS
4K
low	69 FPS	72 FPS
medium	58 FPS	60 FPS
high	46 FPS	46 FPS
ultra	38 FPS	38 FPS

Open EPYC 9015 Open Xeon Platinum 8260

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	EPYC 9015	Xeon Platinum 8260
1080p
low	494 FPS	423 FPS
medium	438 FPS	368 FPS
high	340 FPS	300 FPS
ultra	293 FPS	247 FPS
1440p
low	425 FPS	365 FPS
medium	380 FPS	321 FPS
high	307 FPS	264 FPS
ultra	248 FPS	210 FPS
4K
low	266 FPS	228 FPS
medium	241 FPS	202 FPS
high	209 FPS	178 FPS
ultra	183 FPS	146 FPS

Open EPYC 9015 Open Xeon Platinum 8260

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	EPYC 9015	Xeon Platinum 8260
1080p
low	722 FPS	768 FPS
medium	604 FPS	649 FPS
high	549 FPS	600 FPS
ultra	487 FPS	530 FPS
1440p
low	554 FPS	573 FPS
medium	461 FPS	467 FPS
high	413 FPS	425 FPS
ultra	361 FPS	372 FPS
4K
low	395 FPS	411 FPS
medium	318 FPS	321 FPS
high	281 FPS	286 FPS
ultra	228 FPS	232 FPS

Open EPYC 9015 Open Xeon Platinum 8260

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	EPYC 9015	Xeon Platinum 8260
1080p
low	763 FPS	768 FPS
medium	763 FPS	768 FPS
high	699 FPS	753 FPS
ultra	621 FPS	655 FPS
1440p
low	690 FPS	752 FPS
medium	609 FPS	659 FPS
high	524 FPS	566 FPS
ultra	454 FPS	486 FPS
4K
low	501 FPS	542 FPS
medium	451 FPS	483 FPS
high	397 FPS	424 FPS
ultra	340 FPS	366 FPS

Open EPYC 9015 Open Xeon Platinum 8260

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of EPYC 9015 and Xeon Platinum 8260

EPYC 9015

The EPYC 9015 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 10 October 2024 (1 year ago). It is based on the Turin (2024) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 3.6 GHz, with boost up to 4.1 GHz. L3 cache: 64 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 4 nm process technology. Socket: SP5. Thermal design power (TDP): 125 Watt. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 30,505 points. Launch price was $527.

Xeon Platinum 8260

The Xeon Platinum 8260 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 11 December 2018 (6 years ago). It is based on the Cascade Lake-SP (2018) architecture. It features 24 cores and 48 threads. Base frequency is 2.4 GHz, with boost up to 3.9 GHz. L3 cache: 35.75 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA3647. Thermal design power (TDP): 165 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2933. Passmark benchmark score: 30,720 points. Launch price was $4,702.

⚡

Processing Power

The EPYC 9015 packs 8 cores / 16 threads, while the Xeon Platinum 8260 offers 24 cores / 48 threads — the Xeon Platinum 8260 has 16 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.1 GHz on the EPYC 9015 versus 3.9 GHz on the Xeon Platinum 8260 — a 5% clock advantage for the EPYC 9015 (base: 3.6 GHz vs 2.4 GHz). The EPYC 9015 uses the Turin (2024) architecture (4 nm), while the Xeon Platinum 8260 uses Cascade Lake-SP (2018) (14 nm). In PassMark, the EPYC 9015 scores 30,505 against the Xeon Platinum 8260's 30,720 — a 0.7% lead for the Xeon Platinum 8260. Cinebench R23 multi-core: 15,000 vs 18,500 (20.9% advantage for the Xeon Platinum 8260). Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 1,400 vs 1,190, a 16.2% lead for the EPYC 9015 that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 11,000 vs 6,946 (45.2% advantage for the EPYC 9015). L3 cache: 64 MB (total) on the EPYC 9015 vs 35.75 MB (total) on the Xeon Platinum 8260.

Feature	EPYC 9015	Xeon Platinum 8260
Cores / Threads	8 / 16	24 / 48+200%
Boost Clock	4.1 GHz+5%	3.9 GHz
Base Clock	3.6 GHz+50%	2.4 GHz
L3 Cache	64 MB (total)+79%	35.75 MB (total)
L2 Cache	1 MB (per core)	1 MB (per core)
Process	4 nm-71%	14 nm
Architecture	Turin (2024)	Cascade Lake-SP (2018)
PassMark	30,505	30,720
Cinebench R23 Multi	15,000	18,500+23%
Geekbench 6 Single	1,400+18%	1,190
Geekbench 6 Multi	11,000+58%	6,946

🧠

Memory & Platform

The EPYC 9015 uses the SP5 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Xeon Platinum 8260 uses LGA3647 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR5-6000 on the EPYC 9015 versus DDR4-2933 on the Xeon Platinum 8260 — the EPYC 9015 supports 22.2% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The EPYC 9015 supports up to 4096 GB of RAM compared to 1024 GB — 120% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 12 (EPYC 9015) vs 6 (Xeon Platinum 8260). PCIe lanes: 128 (EPYC 9015) vs 48 (Xeon Platinum 8260) — the EPYC 9015 offers 80 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: SP5 platform (EPYC 9015) and C621,Lewisburg (Xeon Platinum 8260).

Feature	EPYC 9015	Xeon Platinum 8260
Socket	SP5	LGA3647
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0+67%	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-6000+25%	DDR4-2933
Max RAM Capacity	4096 GB+300%	1024 GB
RAM Channels	12+100%	6
ECC Support	Yes	Yes
PCIe Lanes	128+167%	48

🔧

Advanced Features

Neither processor supports overclocking. Both support AVX-512 instructions, benefiting scientific computing, AI inference, and encryption workloads. Virtualization support: AMD-V, SEV-SNP (EPYC 9015) vs VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Xeon Platinum 8260). Primary use case: EPYC 9015 targets Next-gen Data Center / AI Workloads, Xeon Platinum 8260 targets Server / Workstation. Direct competitor: EPYC 9015 rivals Xeon 6; Xeon Platinum 8260 rivals Xeon Gold 6248R.

Feature	EPYC 9015	Xeon Platinum 8260
Integrated GPU	No	No
Unlocked	No	No
AVX-512	Yes	Yes
Virtualization	AMD-V, SEV-SNP	VT-x, VT-d, EPT
Target Use	Next-gen Data Center / AI Workloads	Server / Workstation