EPYC 7251 vs Xeon Silver 4116

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 7251

2017

Why buy it

✅+0.1% higher PassMark.
✅+93.9% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 17 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon Silver 4116 across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌41.2% higher power demand at 120W vs 85W.

Xeon Silver 4116

2017

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +4.9% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 85W instead of 120W, a 35W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (14,918 vs 14,935).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (17 MB vs 32 MB).

EPYC 7251

2017

Xeon Silver 4116

2017

Why buy it

✅+0.1% higher PassMark.
✅+93.9% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 17 MB).

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +4.9% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 85W instead of 120W, a 35W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon Silver 4116 across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌41.2% higher power demand at 120W vs 85W.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (14,918 vs 14,935).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (17 MB vs 32 MB).

Quick Answers

So, is Xeon Silver 4116 better than EPYC 7251?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Xeon Silver 4116 is ahead with a 4.9% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, EPYC 7251 pulls ahead with 0.1% better PassMark. EPYC 7251 also has the bigger cache pool with 93.9% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 17 MB).

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, EPYC 7251 is the better fit. You are getting 0.1% better PassMark, backed by 8 cores and 16 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 93.9% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 17 MB).

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

Xeon Silver 4116 still looks like the safer overall buy. Xeon Silver 4116 is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you a 4.9% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data.

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

Xeon Silver 4116 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 7251 Benchmark Check

Xeon Silver 4116 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	EPYC 7251	Xeon Silver 4116
1080p
low	170 FPS	167 FPS
medium	149 FPS	133 FPS
high	122 FPS	108 FPS
ultra	99 FPS	86 FPS
1440p
low	139 FPS	139 FPS
medium	116 FPS	109 FPS
high	92 FPS	87 FPS
ultra	74 FPS	68 FPS
4K
low	65 FPS	65 FPS
medium	58 FPS	55 FPS
high	46 FPS	43 FPS
ultra	36 FPS	34 FPS

Open EPYC 7251 Open Xeon Silver 4116

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	EPYC 7251	Xeon Silver 4116
1080p
low	188 FPS	141 FPS
medium	170 FPS	124 FPS
high	147 FPS	113 FPS
ultra	122 FPS	89 FPS
1440p
low	163 FPS	124 FPS
medium	150 FPS	112 FPS
high	131 FPS	101 FPS
ultra	108 FPS	80 FPS
4K
low	107 FPS	90 FPS
medium	99 FPS	84 FPS
high	87 FPS	74 FPS
ultra	70 FPS	58 FPS

Open EPYC 7251 Open Xeon Silver 4116

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	EPYC 7251	Xeon Silver 4116
1080p
low	373 FPS	373 FPS
medium	373 FPS	373 FPS
high	373 FPS	373 FPS
ultra	373 FPS	373 FPS
1440p
low	373 FPS	373 FPS
medium	373 FPS	373 FPS
high	373 FPS	373 FPS
ultra	319 FPS	373 FPS
4K
low	367 FPS	373 FPS
medium	297 FPS	367 FPS
high	261 FPS	325 FPS
ultra	213 FPS	266 FPS

Open EPYC 7251 Open Xeon Silver 4116

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	EPYC 7251	Xeon Silver 4116
1080p
low	373 FPS	373 FPS
medium	373 FPS	373 FPS
high	373 FPS	373 FPS
ultra	373 FPS	373 FPS
1440p
low	373 FPS	373 FPS
medium	373 FPS	373 FPS
high	373 FPS	373 FPS
ultra	373 FPS	373 FPS
4K
low	373 FPS	373 FPS
medium	373 FPS	373 FPS
high	344 FPS	373 FPS
ultra	295 FPS	334 FPS

Open EPYC 7251 Open Xeon Silver 4116

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of EPYC 7251 and Xeon Silver 4116

EPYC 7251

The EPYC 7251 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 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 2.1 GHz, with boost up to 2.9 GHz. L3 cache: 32 MB (total). L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: TR4. Thermal design power (TDP): 120 Watt. Memory support: DDR4 Eight-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 14,935 points. Launch price was $574.

Xeon Silver 4116

The Xeon Silver 4116 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 11 July 2017 (8 years ago). It is based on the Skylake (server) (2017−2018) architecture. It features 12 cores and 24 threads. Base frequency is 2.1 GHz, with boost up to 3 GHz. L3 cache: 16.5 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA3647. Thermal design power (TDP): 85 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2400. Passmark benchmark score: 14,918 points. Launch price was $1,002.

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Processing Power

The EPYC 7251 packs 8 cores / 16 threads, while the Xeon Silver 4116 offers 12 cores / 24 threads — the Xeon Silver 4116 has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 2.9 GHz on the EPYC 7251 versus 3 GHz on the Xeon Silver 4116 — a 3.4% clock advantage for the Xeon Silver 4116 (base: 2.1 GHz vs 2.1 GHz). The EPYC 7251 uses the Naples (2017−2018) architecture (14 nm), while the Xeon Silver 4116 uses Skylake (server) (2017−2018) (14 nm). In PassMark, the EPYC 7251 scores 14,935 against the Xeon Silver 4116's 14,918 — a 0.1% lead for the EPYC 7251. L3 cache: 32 MB (total) on the EPYC 7251 vs 16.5 MB (total) on the Xeon Silver 4116.

Feature	EPYC 7251	Xeon Silver 4116
Cores / Threads	8 / 16	12 / 24+50%
Boost Clock	2.9 GHz	3 GHz+3%
Base Clock	2.1 GHz	2.1 GHz
L3 Cache	32 MB (total)+94%	16.5 MB (total)
L2 Cache	512K (per core)	1 MB (per core)+100%
Process	14 nm	14 nm
Architecture	Naples (2017−2018)	Skylake (server) (2017−2018)
PassMark	14,935	14,918

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Memory & Platform

The EPYC 7251 uses the TR4 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Xeon Silver 4116 uses LGA3647 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.