EPYC 7301 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 7301

2017

Why buy it

✅+0.5% higher PassMark.
✅+287.9% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 17 MB).

Trade-offs

❌100% higher power demand at 170W vs 85W.

Xeon Silver 4116

2017

Why buy it

✅Draws 85W instead of 170W, a 85W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (14,918 vs 14,991).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (17 MB vs 64 MB).

EPYC 7301

2017

Xeon Silver 4116

2017

Why buy it

✅+0.5% higher PassMark.
✅+287.9% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 17 MB).

Why buy it

✅Draws 85W instead of 170W, a 85W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌100% higher power demand at 170W vs 85W.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (14,918 vs 14,991).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (17 MB vs 64 MB).

Quick Answers

So, is EPYC 7301 better than Xeon Silver 4116?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Xeon Silver 4116 is ahead with a 2.9% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, EPYC 7301 pulls ahead with 0.5% better PassMark. EPYC 7301 also has the bigger cache pool with 287.9% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 17 MB).

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, EPYC 7301 is the better fit. You are getting 0.5% better PassMark, backed by 16 cores and 32 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 287.9% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 17 MB).

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

EPYC 7301 still looks like the safer overall buy. EPYC 7301 is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you 0.5% better PassMark.

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

EPYC 7301 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting 287.9% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 17 MB) and more multi-core headroom with 16 cores / 32 threads instead of 12/24. 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 7301 Benchmark Check

Xeon Silver 4116 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	EPYC 7301	Xeon Silver 4116
1080p
low	183 FPS	167 FPS
medium	160 FPS	133 FPS
high	128 FPS	108 FPS
ultra	102 FPS	86 FPS
1440p
low	151 FPS	139 FPS
medium	126 FPS	109 FPS
high	96 FPS	87 FPS
ultra	77 FPS	68 FPS
4K
low	70 FPS	65 FPS
medium	62 FPS	55 FPS
high	48 FPS	43 FPS
ultra	39 FPS	34 FPS

Open EPYC 7301 Open Xeon Silver 4116

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	EPYC 7301	Xeon Silver 4116
1080p
low	206 FPS	141 FPS
medium	187 FPS	124 FPS
high	160 FPS	113 FPS
ultra	131 FPS	89 FPS
1440p
low	177 FPS	124 FPS
medium	163 FPS	112 FPS
high	141 FPS	101 FPS
ultra	111 FPS	80 FPS
4K
low	112 FPS	90 FPS
medium	103 FPS	84 FPS
high	92 FPS	74 FPS
ultra	74 FPS	58 FPS

Open EPYC 7301 Open Xeon Silver 4116

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	EPYC 7301	Xeon Silver 4116
1080p
low	375 FPS	373 FPS
medium	375 FPS	373 FPS
high	375 FPS	373 FPS
ultra	375 FPS	373 FPS
1440p
low	375 FPS	373 FPS
medium	375 FPS	373 FPS
high	375 FPS	373 FPS
ultra	323 FPS	373 FPS
4K
low	375 FPS	373 FPS
medium	305 FPS	367 FPS
high	269 FPS	325 FPS
ultra	219 FPS	266 FPS

Open EPYC 7301 Open Xeon Silver 4116

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	EPYC 7301	Xeon Silver 4116
1080p
low	375 FPS	373 FPS
medium	375 FPS	373 FPS
high	375 FPS	373 FPS
ultra	375 FPS	373 FPS
1440p
low	375 FPS	373 FPS
medium	375 FPS	373 FPS
high	375 FPS	373 FPS
ultra	375 FPS	373 FPS
4K
low	375 FPS	373 FPS
medium	375 FPS	373 FPS
high	375 FPS	373 FPS
ultra	320 FPS	334 FPS

Open EPYC 7301 Open Xeon Silver 4116

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of EPYC 7301 and Xeon Silver 4116

EPYC 7301

The EPYC 7301 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 16 cores and 32 threads. Base frequency is 2.2 GHz, with boost up to 2.7 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: 14,991 points. Launch price was $825.

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 7301 packs 16 cores / 32 threads, while the Xeon Silver 4116 offers 12 cores / 24 threads — the EPYC 7301 has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 2.7 GHz on the EPYC 7301 versus 3 GHz on the Xeon Silver 4116 — a 10.5% clock advantage for the Xeon Silver 4116 (base: 2.2 GHz vs 2.1 GHz). The EPYC 7301 uses the Naples (2017−2018) architecture (14 nm), while the Xeon Silver 4116 uses Skylake (server) (2017−2018) (14 nm). In PassMark, the EPYC 7301 scores 14,991 against the Xeon Silver 4116's 14,918 — a 0.5% lead for the EPYC 7301. L3 cache: 64 MB (total) on the EPYC 7301 vs 16.5 MB (total) on the Xeon Silver 4116.

Feature	EPYC 7301	Xeon Silver 4116
Cores / Threads	16 / 32+33%	12 / 24
Boost Clock	2.7 GHz	3 GHz+11%
Base Clock	2.2 GHz+5%	2.1 GHz
L3 Cache	64 MB (total)+288%	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	14,991	14,918

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Memory & Platform

The EPYC 7301 uses the TR4 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Xeon Silver 4116 uses LGA3647 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.