AMD EPYC 4585PX vs Intel Xeon w7-3555 Comparison

The Intel Xeon w7-3555 and AMD EPYC 4585PX occupy the same high-performance server/workstation tier, both landing in the 97th percentile of all CPUs, yet they achieve this status through radically different designs. The Intel part relies on 28 cores and 56 threads, while the AMD chip counters with 16 cores and 32 threads but runs at significantly higher clocks. Benchmark results show the AMD EPYC 4585PX winning 12 of 17 head-to-head tests, while the Intel Xeon w7-3555 claims 5 wins, with each processor dominating distinct workloads.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has more cores and threads?

A: The Intel Xeon w7-3555 has 28 cores and 56 threads, while the AMD EPYC 4585PX has 16 cores and 32 threads. This gives the Intel part a 75% advantage in core count and a 75% advantage in thread count.

Q: How do their clock speeds compare?

A: The AMD EPYC 4585PX has a base clock of 4.30 GHz and a boost clock of 5.70 GHz, compared to the Intel Xeon w7-3555's 2.70 GHz base and 4.80 GHz boost. The AMD chip runs considerably faster at both ends of the clock spectrum.

Q: What are the process nodes and foundries for each chip?

A: The Intel Xeon w7-3555 is built on Intel's 10 nm process with a die size of 4x 477 mm², while the AMD EPYC 4585PX uses TSMC's 4 nm process with a die size of 2x 70.6 mm² and 16,630 million transistors.

Q: Which processor has more L3 cache?

A: The AMD EPYC 4585PX has 128 MB of L3 cache, while the Intel Xeon w7-3555 has 75 MB. The AMD part offers 70.7% more L3 cache, which likely contributes to its single-thread performance advantage.

Q: How do they compare in Cinebench R23 multi-core?

A: The AMD EPYC 4585PX scores 60,451 in Cinebench R23 multi-core, outperforming the Intel Xeon w7-3555's 57,590 by 4.7%. This is notable because the Intel chip has 12 more cores, yet still loses the multi-threaded workload.

Q: What are the memory bandwidth figures?

A: The Intel Xeon w7-3555 supports eight-channel DDR5 memory with a bandwidth of 307.2 GB/s, while the AMD EPYC 4585PX is limited to dual-channel DDR5 with 89.6 GB/s. The Intel part has over three times the memory bandwidth.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD EPYC 4585PX dominates the Cinebench suite, winning all six tests across R15, R20, and R23 in both single-core and multi-core variants. Its single-thread advantage is particularly pronounced, with a 21.8% lead in PassMark single-thread score (4538 vs 3549). This makes the AMD chip the obvious choice for latency-sensitive tasks, lightly threaded applications, and workloads that depend on raw clock speed. The chip also wins PassMark physics (6612 vs 5802, a 12.3% margin), integer math (248563 vs 244642), find prime numbers (547 vs 398, a 27.2% advantage), and multithread (68908 vs 67754).

The Intel Xeon w7-3555 takes the workloads where its core count and memory bandwidth matter most. It wins PassMark data compression by 9.3% (966970 vs 884774), floating-point math by 24.6% (190917 vs 153219), and extended instructions by 11.8% (77619 vs 69457). It also edges out the AMD part in data encryption (48007 vs 47224, a 1.7% margin) and random string sorting (96112 vs 95210, a 0.9% margin). These results suggest the Intel chip excels in data-heavy, AVX-like, and scientific computing workloads where many cores operating in parallel can be fully utilized.

Architecture Differences

The two processors are built on fundamentally different architectures. The Intel Xeon w7-3555 uses Sapphire Rapids, a 10 nm design from Intel, while the AMD EPYC 4585PX uses Zen 5 architecture codenamed Grado, manufactured on TSMC's 4 nm process. The process node difference is significant: 10 nm vs 4 nm, which explains the AMD chip's ability to reach higher clocks while consuming less power.

The Intel part is a monolithic multi-die design with a die size of 4x 477 mm², while the AMD chip uses two smaller dies of 70.6 mm² each. The AMD EPYC 4585PX packs 16,630 million transistors into this smaller area, reflecting the density advantage of the 4 nm node. Cache hierarchies also differ markedly: both have 80 KB L1 per core, but the Intel chip has 2 MB L2 per core versus 1 MB on AMD, while the AMD chip has a much larger 128 MB L3 versus Intel's 75 MB.

Memory architecture diverges significantly. The Intel Xeon w7-3555 has an eight-channel DDR5 memory bus capable of 307.2 GB/s, whereas the AMD EPYC 4585PX uses a dual-channel DDR5 bus limited to 89.6 GB/s. This 3.4x bandwidth difference is a major factor in the Intel chip's wins in memory-intensive workloads like data compression. The Intel part also offers 112 PCIe Gen 5 lanes (CPU only), while the AMD chip provides 24 lanes, giving Intel a massive connectivity advantage for expansion-heavy server configurations.

Specification Differences

The Intel Xeon w7-3555 has 28 cores and 56 threads, while the AMD EPYC 4585PX has 16 cores and 32 threads. Base clocks are 2.70 GHz for Intel and 4.30 GHz for AMD, with boost clocks of 4.80 GHz versus 5.70 GHz. Thermal design power differs substantially: the Intel chip is rated at 325 W, while the AMD part draws 170 W.

The Intel processor uses Intel Socket 4677, while the AMD chip fits into AMD Socket AM5. Memory bandwidth is 307.2 GB/s for Intel versus 89.6 GB/s for AMD, with the former using eight-channel DDR5 and the latter dual-channel DDR5. PCIe connectivity is also different: Intel offers 112 Gen 5 lanes, AMD provides 24 Gen 5 lanes. The AMD EPYC 4585PX includes integrated Radeon Graphics, while the Intel Xeon w7-3555 has no integrated graphics. The Intel chip was released on 2024-08-23, and the AMD part followed on 2025-05-12.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The Cinebench results are uniformly in favor of the AMD EPYC 4585PX, with a consistent 4.7-4.8% margin across every test. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, AMD scores 6093 versus Intel's 5804, a 4.7% difference. Single-core R15 shows AMD at 860 versus 819, a 4.8% edge. The pattern repeats in R20 multi-core (25389 vs 24187) and R23 multi-core (60451 vs 57590). These consistent margins indicate the AMD chip's clock speed advantage translates directly to performance in these rendering workloads, overcoming Intel's core count advantage.

The PassMark suite tells a more nuanced story. The Intel Xeon w7-3555's biggest win comes in floating-point math, scoring 190917 against AMD's 153219, a 24.6% advantage. This suggests Intel's FPU implementation or memory bandwidth provides a substantial edge for numerical workloads. Intel also leads in extended instructions (77619 vs 69457, 11.8%), data compression (966970 vs 884774, 9.3%), data encryption (48007 vs 47224, 1.7%), and random string sorting (96112 vs 95210, 0.9%).

The AMD EPYC 4585PX counters with its largest margin in find prime numbers, scoring 547 versus Intel's 398, a 27.2% advantage. Single-thread performance is also a decisive AMD win at 4538 versus 3549, a 21.8% difference. The AMD chip leads physics (6612 vs 5802, 12.3%), integer math (248563 vs 244642, 1.6%), and multithread (68908 vs 67754, 1.7%). The overall win count is 12 for AMD and 5 for Intel, but the Intel wins are often by larger margins in specific domains, while many AMD wins are narrow.

The Verdict

The data points to a clear split based on workload characteristics. The AMD EPYC 4585PX is the stronger general-purpose processor, winning 12 of 17 benchmarks including all Cinebench tests and the PassMark single-thread, multithread, integer math, physics, and prime number tests. Its 21.8% single-thread advantage and 4.7-4.8% Cinebench multi-core margins suggest it handles typical server and workstation tasks more efficiently, despite having 12 fewer cores. The lower TDP of 170 W versus 325 W also indicates better power efficiency per unit of performance.

The Intel Xeon w7-3555 is the specialist for memory-bandwidth-hungry and floating-point-intensive workloads. Its 24.6% lead in floating-point math and 9.3% lead in data compression reflect the benefit of 307.2 GB/s memory bandwidth versus AMD's 89.6 GB/s. The 112 PCIe Gen 5 lanes versus 24 lanes also make it the choice for configurations requiring extensive I/O expansion. For scientific computing, data analytics, and compression workloads, the Intel chip's 5 wins come in the areas that matter most for those specific tasks.

The average benchmark scores are close: 106,192 for Intel versus 99,324 for AMD, a difference of about 6.9%, with Intel's nearest rival comparison showing it within 2.8% of several EPYC and Xeon parts. Both processors sit in the 97th percentile of all CPUs, but the AMD EPYC 4585PX achieves this with fewer cores and lower power draw. For buyers prioritizing raw single-thread speed, rendering performance, and power efficiency, the AMD EPYC 4585PX is the data-supported pick. For those needing maximum memory bandwidth, extensive PCIe connectivity, and top-tier floating-point throughput, the Intel Xeon w7-3555 is the justified choice.