AMD EPYC 7401P 24-core SP3

The EPYC 7401P is a 24-core, 48-thread server chip that's dirt cheap on the used market. Multi-threaded performance is strong, but single-core is weak and the platform is dated. Worth it for budget server builds, skip it for anything else.

Multi-threaded performance is where this chip earns its keep. The 27,407 PassMark multi score is strong, well above average for CPUs in our database. With 24 cores and 48 threads, it chews through rendering, virtualization, and database workloads without breaking a sweat. The 64MB of L3 cache helps keep those cores fed. But single-thread performance is rough. The 1,642 single-core score is mediocre, and that 2.0GHz base clock means anything latency-sensitive feels sluggish. The all-core boost of 2.8GHz helps a bit, but Zen 1's IPC just can't keep up with modern chips. PCIe 3.0 is also a limitation if you need fast storage or GPU bandwidth.

Compared to something like the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K, the EPYC 7401P gets destroyed in single-threaded tasks and efficiency. The 285K is a modern desktop chip with far better IPC and platform features. But the EPYC has double the cores and supports way more memory. Against other used server chips in this price range, the 7401P holds its own. It's not as fast as newer EPYC Rome or Milan parts, but those cost significantly more. The G.Skill Trident Z Neo and be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 5 aren't even CPUs, so they're not really competitors here. For a budget server build, this is a solid choice if you can find a motherboard.

At around $195 USD on the used market, this is a lot of cores for the money. You're getting 24 cores and 48 threads for less than the price of a mid-range desktop CPU. The catch is that you need a Socket SP3 motherboard, which aren't exactly cheap or easy to find. And you'll need to factor in a cooler since this ships without one. But if you're building a home server or a budget workstation for heavily threaded workloads, the value proposition is hard to beat.

The AMD EPYC 7401P is a first-gen Naples server chip that's still kicking around in 2025, mostly because used server hardware gets cheap fast. You get 24 cores and 48 threads on the Zen 1 architecture, with a 2.0GHz base clock and 3.0GHz boost. It's a uniprocessor part, so no dual-socket shenanigans, but it supports up to 2TB of DDR4 ECC memory.

This thing was built for servers and heavy multi-threaded workloads, not your gaming rig. The multi-core score of 27,407 in PassMark puts it in the 82nd percentile, which is solid for a chip from 2017. Single-core is a different story at 1,642, landing in the 39th percentile. It's a workhorse, not a sprinter.

Skip this if you need strong single-threaded performance, modern PCIe speeds, or any kind of gaming capability. The weak single-core score and PCIe 3.0 limitation will frustrate you. Also skip it if you're not comfortable hunting down a used SP3 motherboard and dealing with server-grade cooling. This is a niche product for a specific kind of buyer.

The EPYC 7401P is for homelabbers, budget server builders, and anyone who needs lots of threads on the cheap. It's not for gamers, not for single-threaded workloads, and not for anyone who wants modern platform features. But if you're running VMs, doing heavy rendering, or building a NAS that needs to handle a lot of simultaneous tasks, this chip delivers. Just know what you're getting into with the SP3 platform.