CPU Comparison

The Intel Xeon E-2288G and AMD EPYC 7232P are both 8-core, 16-thread server processors, but they represent fundamentally different platform philosophies. The data shows a near-perfect statistical tie in average benchmark scores, with the Intel part posting 4373 against the AMD’s 4354, a delta of just 0.4%. However, the individual benchmark results and platform specifications reveal significant divergence in memory bandwidth, PCIe capabilities, and clock speed strategy. The EPYC 7232P wins every single head-to-head compute test, yet the margin is consistently slim, never exceeding 1.9% in any Cinebench iteration.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The AMD EPYC 7232P secures a clean sweep of all six Cinebench comparisons, but the victories are narrow and consistent. In Cinebench R15 multicore, the EPYC scores 1517 against the Xeon’s 1493, a 1.6% advantage. The single-core R15 test shows a similar pattern: 214 versus 210, a 1.9% lead for AMD. This near-uniform delta across both single and multi-threaded workloads suggests that the architectural efficiency of Zen 2 compensates for the Intel part’s substantial clock speed advantage.

Moving to Cinebench R20, the multicore result is 6323 for AMD versus 6223 for Intel, again a 1.6% difference. The single-core R20 test repeats the exact same delta: 892 against 878, another 1.6% edge for the EPYC. This consistency is remarkable; the relative performance gap does not widen or narrow with the workload’s intensity or duration. In Cinebench R23, the multicore score is 15055 for AMD against 14817 for Intel, and the single-core result is 2125 versus 2091. Both of these also reflect the 1.6% delta.

The notable aspect here is not the magnitude of the AMD wins, but their uniformity. The Intel Xeon E-2288G has a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost of 5.00 GHz, while the EPYC 7232P operates at 3.10 GHz base and 3.20 GHz boost. Despite the Intel part’s 1.8 GHz higher boost ceiling, the AMD chip’s Zen 2 architecture delivers a small but consistent performance edge in every rendering test. The Geekbench results are not present for the EPYC in the head-to-head data, but the Intel’s Geekbench scores of 7639 multicore and 1632 singlecore place its average benchmark score at 4373, which is only 19 points higher than the EPYC’s 4354 average. This statistical near-parity is confirmed by the nearestRivals data, which lists the two chips as each other’s closest competitors with a deltaPct of just 0.4%.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The Intel Xeon E-2288G has a marginally higher average benchmark score of 4373, compared to the AMD EPYC 7232P’s 4354. This represents a 0.4% difference in favor of Intel.

Q: Does the AMD EPYC 7232P win any benchmark tests?

A: Yes, the EPYC 7232P wins all six head-to-head Cinebench tests. It scores 1517 in R15 multicore, 214 in R15 singlecore, 6323 in R20 multicore, 892 in R20 singlecore, 15055 in R23 multicore, and 2125 in R23 singlecore, each time beating the Intel Xeon E-2288G.

Q: How do the memory systems differ between these two CPUs?

A: The AMD EPYC 7232P supports eight-channel memory with a bandwidth of 85.3 GB/s, while the Intel Xeon E-2288G supports dual-channel memory with a bandwidth of 42.7 GB/s. The AMD part offers exactly double the memory bandwidth.

Q: What are the PCIe capabilities of each processor?

A: The AMD EPYC 7232P provides PCIe Gen 4 with 128 lanes from the CPU. The Intel Xeon E-2288G provides PCIe Gen 3 with only 16 lanes from the CPU.

Q: Which processor has a higher boost clock speed?

A: The Intel Xeon E-2288G has a significantly higher boost clock of 5.00 GHz, compared to the AMD EPYC 7232P’s boost clock of 3.20 GHz. The Intel part also has a higher base clock at 3.70 GHz versus 3.10 GHz.

Q: Are both processors in the same performance percentile?

A: Yes, both the Intel Xeon E-2288G and the AMD EPYC 7232P are in the 58th percentile when compared to all CPUs in the database.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD EPYC 7232P is the clear winner in raw compute benchmarks, taking every Cinebench test. This makes it the logical choice for workloads that are heavily dependent on sustained multi-threaded rendering, such as 3D scene creation or video encoding. Its advantage in these tests, while small, is consistent across R15, R20, and R23, indicating that the Zen 2 architecture handles the Cinebench workload more efficiently. The EPYC’s eight-channel memory controller provides 85.3 GB/s of bandwidth, which is a decisive advantage for memory-intensive server applications, in-memory databases, or high-performance computing tasks that saturate memory capacity. The 128 PCIe Gen 4 lanes offer vastly superior I/O expansion capability, allowing for numerous NVMe drives, GPUs, or network cards without the need for additional switching logic.

The Intel Xeon E-2288G’s wins are not in the benchmark scores but in platform characteristics. Its 5.00 GHz boost clock is exceptionally high for a server processor, and while it does not translate to a Cinebench victory, it may offer better responsiveness in lightly threaded or latency-sensitive workloads where clock speed is the primary driver. The Intel part also has integrated HD Graphics P630, which the AMD chip lacks entirely; this could be relevant for basic display output or troubleshooting in a headless server. The Intel’s 95W TDP is lower than the AMD’s 120W TDP, which could simplify cooling requirements in dense chassis, although the performance data suggests the AMD chip uses its additional power budget effectively.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ substantially in clock speeds. The Intel Xeon E-2288G operates at 3.70 GHz base and 5.00 GHz boost, while the AMD EPYC 7232P runs at 3.10 GHz base and 3.20 GHz boost. The power envelopes also differ, with Intel rated at 95W TDP and AMD at 120W TDP. These chips use entirely different sockets: Intel Socket 1151 for the Xeon and AMD Socket SP3 for the EPYC. The memory bus is a major differentiator, with Intel using dual-channel and AMD using eight-channel. This leads to a memory bandwidth of 42.7 GB/s for Intel and 85.3 GB/s for AMD. The PCIe interface differs as well, with Intel offering Gen 3 with 16 lanes and AMD offering Gen 4 with 128 lanes. The release dates are also distinct, with Intel launching on May 28, 2019, and AMD on August 6, 2019. Finally, the Intel part includes integrated HD Graphics P630, while the AMD part has no integrated graphics. The part numbers are SRFB3 for Intel and 100-000000081 for AMD.

Architecture Differences

The architectural divide between these chips is stark. The Intel Xeon E-2288G is built on the Coffee Lake architecture, specifically the Coffee Lake-S WS codename, using a 14 nm process node fabricated by Intel. It features a die size of 180 mm². The cache hierarchy consists of 64 KB of L1 per core, 256 KB of L2 per core, and 16 MB of shared L3 cache. In contrast, the AMD EPYC 7232P uses the Zen 2 architecture under the Rome codename, built on a 7 nm process node by TSMC. It contains 7,600 million transistors across two dies, each measuring 74 mm². The AMD cache layout uses 64 KB of L1 per core, 512 KB of L2 per core, and 16 MB of L3 per die, for a total of 32 MB of L3 cache.

The manufacturing differences are profound: 14 nm versus 7 nm process, single-die versus dual-die design, and Intel’s 180 mm² die versus AMD’s 2x 74 mm² configuration. The Intel chip came from the Xeon E-2200 series and is now end-of-life, while the AMD EPYC 7232P is from the EPYC 7002 series and remains active in production. The generation names reflect this: Intel is from the Xeon E (Coffee Lake) generation, and AMD is from the EPYC (Zen 2 Rome) generation. Neither processor has an unlocked multiplier, and both support ECC memory. The transistor count is listed for AMD at 7,600 million, but no transistor count is listed for Intel. The production status also differs, with Intel being end-of-life and AMD being active.