AMD EPYC 4244P vs Intel Core i7-12700KF Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark database records 17 head-to-head comparisons between the Intel Core i7-12700KF and the AMD EPYC 4244P. Intel wins 15 of those, AMD wins 2. The margin of victory is not uniform, and the pattern reveals a clear split between raw throughput and specialized workloads.

Intel's most dominant result comes in floating-point math. The i7-12700KF scores 87,449 in PassMark floating-point math against the EPYC's 45,546, a 92% advantage. That is the largest delta in the entire comparison. Integer math also favors Intel heavily, with scores of 113,521 versus 78,709, a 44.2% lead. Data compression shows a 46.1% gap (441,960 versus 302,606), and extended instructions land at 29.4% ahead (28,650 versus 22,149). Encryption follows at 27.1% (23,181 versus 18,232).

Across the Cinebench suite, the pattern is consistent. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, Intel scores 2,906 against AMD's 2,327, a 24.9% lead. Single-core in R15 is nearly identical in percentage: 410 versus 328, also 25%. R20 multi-core gives 12,111 versus 9,697 (24.9%), and R20 single-core gives 1,709 versus 1,368 (24.9%). R23 multi-core shows 28,838 versus 23,089, again 24.9%. R23 single-core shows 4,071 versus 3,259, again 24.9%. The consistency of that 24.9% delta across three Cinebench versions and both thread counts suggests a structural advantage in Intel's favor, not a workload-specific quirk.

PassMark multi-threaded performance has Intel at 34,092 versus 26,797, a 27.2% lead. Random string sorting gives Intel 45,150 versus 38,048, an 18.7% edge. Single-thread results show a narrower gap: 3,984 versus 3,710, only 7.4% ahead.

AMD's two wins are focused on specific instruction patterns. In PassMark find prime numbers, the EPYC scores 187 against Intel's 112, a 40.1% advantage. In PassMark physics, AMD scores 1,981 versus 1,780, a 10.1% lead. These are not general-purpose victories; they point to algorithmic strengths in AMD's execution pipeline rather than overall performance superiority.

The average benchmark scores place Intel at 35,365 and AMD at 34,220. Intel's percentile rank among all CPUs is 85, AMD's is 84. The nearest rivals for Intel include the Core i7-13700T (delta -0.1%), Core i5-13600T (0.2%), and Core 5 213PE (-0.2%). AMD's nearest rivals include the Ryzen AI 7 350 (0%), Ryzen 7 3700X (-0.1%), and Core i5-13450HX (-0.3%). Both processors sit in the same general performance tier despite the lopsided head-to-head count.

Architecture Differences

The two chips come from fundamentally different design philosophies. Intel's Core i7-12700KF uses the Alder Lake architecture on a 10 nm process, built at Intel's own foundry. It has 12 cores and 20 threads, with a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz. The die measures 215 mm². AMD's EPYC 4244P uses the Zen 4 architecture on a 5 nm process from TSMC, with 6 cores and 12 threads. Its base clock is 3.80 GHz, boost 5.10 GHz, and the die is just 71 mm² with 6,570 million transistors.

Cache organization differs sharply. Intel allocates 80 KB of L1 per core, 1.25 MB of L2 per core, and 25 MB of shared L3. AMD uses 64 KB L1 per core, 1 MB L2 per core, and 32 MB of shared L3. Intel has more per-core cache levels, while AMD's larger shared L3 pool benefits its smaller core count.

Memory support splits as well. Intel supports both DDR4 and DDR5 with a dual-channel bus. AMD supports only DDR5, also dual-channel, but lists a memory bandwidth of 83.2 GB/s, a figure Intel does not record in the database. ECC memory is available on AMD only. The platform sockets differ completely: Intel uses Socket 1700, AMD uses Socket AM5.

PCIe connectivity favors AMD. Intel provides Gen 4 with 20 lanes (CPU only), while AMD provides Gen 5 with 28 lanes (CPU only). AMD also includes integrated Radeon Graphics; Intel's integrated graphics field is null. AMD's multiplier is locked, Intel's is unlocked. The market segments differ: Intel is classified as Desktop, AMD as Server/Workstation.

Release dates are nearly two and a half years apart. Intel launched on November 3, 2021; AMD on May 20, 2024. Both are listed as Active production status. The process node difference (10 nm versus 5 nm) explains the die size and transistor count disparity, but the benchmark data shows Intel translating its larger, older process into higher throughput in most tests.

Where Each One Wins

Intel's Core i7-12700KF dominates in almost every measured category. The 92% lead in floating-point math makes it the clear choice for workloads that hammer FPU pipelines: scientific simulation, numerical analysis, and rendering tasks that rely on floating-point operations. The 44.2% integer math advantage covers general computation, and the 46.1% data compression gap makes Intel the stronger pick for archiving, database compression, and storage-related processing. The 27.1% encryption lead suggests better performance in cryptographic workloads, though the margin is smaller than the math tests.

Cinebench results, which reflect 3D rendering and content creation, all favor Intel by roughly 25%. The R23 multi-core score of 28,838 versus 23,089 means Intel completes rendering tasks about a quarter faster. The single-core R23 score of 4,071 versus 3,259 shows that even lightly threaded rendering work benefits from Intel's architecture. For video editors, 3D artists, or anyone running Cinebench-like workloads, the data points strongly to Intel.

AMD's EPYC 4244P wins in find prime numbers and physics. The prime number score of 187 versus 112 is a 40.1% gap, which suggests strong integer division and modulo operations. The physics score of 1,981 versus 1,780 (10.1%) indicates better performance in constrained physical simulations, though the margin is modest. These wins are narrow in scope. They do not offset the broad Intel advantage.

For multi-threaded general workloads, PassMark multithread shows Intel at 34,092 versus 26,797, a 27.2% lead. The 12-core, 20-thread configuration clearly outpaces the 6-core, 12-thread EPYC in parallelism. AMD's higher base and boost clocks (3.80/5.10 versus 3.60/5.00) do not compensate for having half the cores.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has more cores and threads?

A: The Intel Core i7-12700KF has 12 cores and 20 threads. The AMD EPYC 4244P has 6 cores and 12 threads.

Q: What is the largest performance gap in the head-to-head results?

A: The largest gap is in PassMark floating-point math, where Intel scores 87,449 against AMD's 45,546, a 92% difference.

Q: Are there any workloads where the AMD EPYC 4244P wins?

A: Yes. The EPYC wins PassMark find prime numbers (187 versus 112, a 40.1% edge) and PassMark physics (1,981 versus 1,780, a 10.1% edge).

Q: How do the Cinebench R23 results compare?

A: Intel leads multi-core with 28,838 versus 23,089, and single-core with 4,071 versus 3,259. Both deltas are 24.9%.

Q: What memory types does each processor support?

A: Intel supports DDR4 and DDR5 with dual-channel bus. AMD supports only DDR5 with dual-channel bus and lists a bandwidth of 83.2 GB/s.

Q: Which processor has integrated graphics?

A: The AMD EPYC 4244P includes Radeon Graphics. The Intel Core i7-12700KF has no integrated graphics listed in the database.

The Verdict

The data is unambiguous for most use cases. The Intel Core i7-12700KF wins 15 of 17 head-to-head benchmarks, including every Cinebench test, every math-heavy PassMark test, and all multi-threaded throughput metrics. Its average benchmark score of 35,365 exceeds AMD's 34,220, and its percentile rank of 85 versus 84 confirms the edge. The 24.9% Cinebench lead across three versions and both thread counts indicates a consistent architectural advantage in rendering. The 92% floating-point lead is decisive for compute-heavy tasks.

The AMD EPYC 4244P should be selected when the workload matches its two wins. Prime number finding and physics simulations are narrow but real strengths. Its 65 W TDP also stands in contrast to Intel's 125 W, though power efficiency is not quantified in the database beyond those figures. ECC memory support and PCIe Gen 5 with 28 lanes give it platform advantages for server environments that require error-correcting memory or high-bandwidth peripheral connectivity. Its integrated Radeon Graphics provides a display output without a separate GPU.

For general desktop computing, content creation, software compilation, data compression, or any task that scales with cores and threads, the Intel Core i7-12700KF is the stronger choice based on recorded measurements. For specialized server workloads that rely on prime number operations, physics calculations, ECC memory, or Gen 5 PCIe expansion, the AMD EPYC 4244P offers targeted advantages. The EPYC's smaller die (71 mm² versus 215 mm²) and newer 5 nm process from TSMC do not translate into broader benchmark victories, but they do enable its lower power envelope and server-oriented feature set.

Specification Differences

| Field | Intel Core i7-12700KF | AMD EPYC 4244P |

| --- | --- | --- |

| Cores | 12 | 6 |

| Threads | 20 | 12 |

| Base Clock | 3.60 GHz | 3.80 GHz |

| Boost Clock | 5.00 GHz | 5.10 GHz |

| TDP | 125 W | 65 W |

| Socket | Intel Socket 1700 | AMD Socket AM5 |

| Architecture | Alder Lake | Zen 4 |

| Process Node | 10 nm | 5 nm |

| Foundry | Intel | TSMC |

| Die Size | 215 mm² | 71 mm² |

| L1 Cache | 80 KB (per core) | 64 KB (per core) |

| L2 Cache | 1.25 MB (per core) | 1 MB (per core) |

| L3 Cache | 25 MB (shared) | 32 MB (shared) |

| Memory Support | DDR4, DDR5 | DDR5 |

| Memory Bus | Dual-channel | Dual-channel |

| ECC Memory | No | Yes |

| PCIe | Gen 4, 20 Lanes (CPU only) | Gen 5, 28 Lanes (CPU only) |

| Integrated Graphics | None | Radeon Graphics |

| Market Segment | Desktop | Server/Workstation |

| Release Date | 2021-11-03 | 2024-05-20 |

| Launch MSRP | $384 | $229 |

| Multiplier Unlocked | Yes | No |