AMD EPYC 4245P vs Intel Core 5 221E Comparison

The Intel Core 5 221E and AMD EPYC 4245P are both 65 W desktop-class processors, but they target different corners of the market. The Intel part is a 14-core, 20-thread Bartlett Lake chip on Socket 1700, while the AMD EPYC is a 6-core, 12-thread Zen 5 part on AM5, aimed at server and workstation use. In the database, the Intel chip posts an average benchmark score of 40144 and sits at the 87th percentile of all CPUs, while the EPYC scores 39215 on average and lands at the 86th percentile. That puts them within 2.4% of each other overall, but the distribution of wins is heavily lopsided: the EPYC takes 14 of 17 head-to-head tests, while the Intel chip wins only 3. The story is not about total score, but about which workloads each processor dominates.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD EPYC 4245P is the clear winner in rendering, compression, and single-threaded tasks. It leads in every Cinebench test, with margins of 2.5% to 2.6% across R15, R20, and R23, both single-core and multi-core. It also wins Passmark data compression by 4.5%, random string sorting by 5.6%, and the multithread test by 1.8%. The EPYC is particularly strong in extended instructions, where it beats the Intel chip by 31.4%, and in physics, where it leads by 15.4%. Its single-thread advantage is 9.4%, and it finds prime numbers 10.4% faster. If the workload is 3D rendering, file compression, or any task that relies on a single fast core, the EPYC is the better choice.

The Intel Core 5 221E wins in three specific areas: floating point math, integer math, and data encryption. Its floating point score of 79028 is 36.3% higher than the EPYC's 57965, and its integer math score of 117813 beats the EPYC's 95120 by 23.9%. It also edges out the EPYC in encryption, 19205 to 18466, a 4% lead. These are compute-heavy, math-oriented workloads, often found in scientific simulation, financial modeling, and cryptography. For those tasks, the Intel chip's larger core count and different architecture give it a decisive edge.

The Verdict

The data points to a simple split. If you need maximum performance in general-purpose computing, rendering, compression, or single-threaded responsiveness, the AMD EPYC 4245P is the stronger part. It wins the majority of benchmarks, including all Cinebench tests, and its single-thread score of 4575 is 9.4% ahead of the Intel's 4147. The EPYC also holds a 1.8% lead in the Passmark multithread test, despite having only 6 cores and 12 threads versus the Intel's 14 cores and 20 threads. That confirms the efficiency of Zen 5 on a 4 nm process.

The Intel Core 5 221E is the pick for math-heavy and encryption-heavy workloads. Its 36.3% lead in floating point math and 23.9% lead in integer math are massive, and it also wins encryption by 4%. If your application is dominated by these operations, the Intel chip will deliver noticeably better throughput. The EPYC's wins are more numerous, but the Intel's wins are larger in magnitude. For a mixed workload, the EPYC's broader dominance makes it the safer default, but for specialized math or encryption, the Intel part is clearly superior.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The biggest win for the AMD EPYC 4245P is in Passmark extended instructions, where it scores 26547 against the Intel's 18216, a 31.4% advantage. This test measures SIMD and vector processing, and the EPYC's Zen 5 architecture is far ahead. The EPYC also wins Passmark physics by 15.4%, scoring 2637 to 2230, and single-thread by 9.4%, 4575 to 4147. In Cinebench R23 multi-core, the EPYC scores 26618 versus 25933, a 2.6% lead, and in R23 single-core it leads 3757 to 3661, also 2.6%. Data compression goes to the EPYC, 339408 to 324285, a 4.5% margin, and random string sorting is 39916 to 37686, a 5.6% lead. The EPYC also wins find prime numbers by 10.4% (193 to 173) and the multithread test by 1.8% (31063 to 30510).

The Intel Core 5 221E's largest win is in floating point math, where it scores 79028 against the EPYC's 57965, a 36.3% lead. Its integer math score of 117813 beats the EPYC's 95120 by 23.9%. In data encryption, the Intel chip scores 19205 versus 18466, a 4% win. These three wins are the only ones for Intel, but they are substantial. The floating point and integer math margins are the largest of any head-to-head test, and they show that the Intel chip's 14 cores and 20 threads can be leveraged effectively in math-heavy code.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has more cores and threads?

A: The Intel Core 5 221E has 14 cores and 20 threads, while the AMD EPYC 4245P has 6 cores and 12 threads.

Q: Which processor has a higher boost clock?

A: The AMD EPYC 4245P boosts to 5.40 GHz, while the Intel Core 5 221E boosts to 5.20 GHz.

Q: Does the Intel chip support DDR4 memory?

A: Yes, the Intel Core 5 221E supports both DDR4 and DDR5, while the AMD EPYC 4245P supports only DDR5.

Q: Which processor has more PCIe lanes?

A: The AMD EPYC 4245P has 24 PCIe Gen 5 lanes, while the Intel Core 5 221E has 16 PCIe Gen 5 lanes.

Q: Which processor is better for single-threaded performance?

A: The AMD EPYC 4245P leads in single-thread tests, with a Passmark single-thread score of 4575 versus 4147 for the Intel chip, a 9.4% advantage.

Q: Which processor wins in encryption?

A: The Intel Core 5 221E wins in data encryption, scoring 19205 to the EPYC's 18466, a 4% lead.

Architecture Differences

The two processors are built on fundamentally different architectures. The Intel Core 5 221E uses the Bartlett Lake design on a 10 nm process from Intel, with a die size of 257 mm². The AMD EPYC 4245P uses Zen 5 architecture, codenamed Grado, on a 4 nm process from TSMC, with a die size of 70.6 mm² and 8,315 million transistors. The Intel chip has no listed transistor count, but its larger die suggests a different design philosophy. The EPYC's smaller, denser process allows for higher clock speeds and better power efficiency, which is reflected in its single-thread and physics wins.

Cache layouts also differ. Both have 80 KB of L1 per core, but the Intel chip has 2 MB of L2 per core, while the EPYC has 1 MB per core. The EPYC compensates with a larger shared L3 cache: 32 MB versus 24 MB on the Intel. The EPYC's L3 advantage likely contributes to its strong performance in compression and extended instructions. The Intel chip supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory, while the EPYC is DDR5-only, but both have dual-channel memory buses and identical 89.6 GB/s memory bandwidth. Both support ECC memory, which is important for server and workstation reliability.

The EPYC has more PCIe lanes (24 Gen 5) than the Intel (16 Gen 5), making it better suited for expansion cards, NVMe storage, or GPUs. The Intel chip includes UHD Graphics 730 integrated graphics, while the EPYC has Radeon Graphics. The EPYC is classified as a server/workstation part, while the Intel is a desktop part, though both are active production and have locked multipliers.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ in nearly every core specification. The Intel Core 5 221E has 14 cores and 20 threads, while the AMD EPYC 4245P has 6 cores and 12 threads. Base clocks are 2.70 GHz for Intel and 3.90 GHz for AMD, with boost clocks of 5.20 GHz and 5.40 GHz, respectively. Both have a 65 W TDP. The Intel chip uses Socket 1700, the EPYC uses AM5. The process node is 10 nm for Intel and 4 nm for AMD, with foundries Intel and TSMC, respectively. Die size is 257 mm² for Intel and 70.6 mm² for AMD, and the EPYC lists 8,315 million transistors while the Intel does not.

L2 cache is 2 MB per core on Intel versus 1 MB per core on AMD, but L3 is 24 MB shared on Intel versus 32 MB shared on AMD. Memory support: Intel accepts DDR4 and DDR5, AMD only DDR5. PCIe lanes: Intel has 16 Gen 5 lanes, AMD has 24 Gen 5 lanes. Integrated graphics: Intel UHD Graphics 730, AMD Radeon Graphics. Market segment: Intel Desktop, AMD Server/Workstation. Release dates: Intel 2025-01-12, AMD 2025-05-12. Launch MSRP: Intel $232, AMD $239. Part numbers: Intel SRQDVQ659, AMD 100-000001555. Both are locked and have ECC support.