AMD EPYC 7232P vs Intel Xeon W-2145 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark data presents a clear and consistent picture: the Intel Xeon W-2145 wins every single head-to-head comparison against the AMD EPYC 7232P across all six Cinebench tests. The margins are narrow but uniform, with the Intel part taking a 1.6% lead in five of the six tests and a 1.4% lead in the remaining one.

In Cinebench R15 multicore, the Xeon W-2145 scores 1542 against the EPYC 7232P's 1517, a 1.6% advantage. The single-core test in the same suite shows a similar story: 217 versus 214, a 1.4% edge for Intel. Moving to Cinebench R20, the multicore result is 6425 for Intel against 6323 for AMD, again 1.6% ahead. The R20 single-core test sees Intel at 906 and AMD at 892, another 1.6% margin. In Cinebench R23, the multicore scores are 15299 for Intel and 15055 for AMD, with the single-core test at 2159 versus 2125. Both R23 results represent a 1.6% lead for the Xeon W-2145.

The Geekbench results, available only for the Intel part in this comparison, show a multicore score of 8712 and a single-core score of 1345. These numbers indicate solid performance in general-purpose workloads, though they cannot be directly compared to the AMD part since no Geekbench data is recorded for the EPYC 7232P in the database.

When placed against the broader field of rivals, both processors sit at the 58th percentile among all CPUs tracked in the database. The Intel Xeon W-2145 has an average benchmark score of 4576, while the AMD EPYC 7232P averages 4354. The Intel part's nearest rivals include the Intel Xeon E-2356G at 4548 (0.6% behind), the Intel Core i7-10700KF at 4547 (0.6% behind), and the Intel Core i5-1340P at 4545 (0.7% behind). The Intel Core i9-10900 sits ahead at 4614, a 0.8% margin over the W-2145. For the EPYC 7232P, the Intel Xeon E-2288G scores 4373, which is 0.4% ahead of the AMD part, while the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 4750GE is 1.3% ahead at 4411. The Intel Core i7-7820X trails at 4321, 0.8% behind, and the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5750G is 1.3% behind at 4296.

The data shows that the Xeon W-2145 is marginally faster in every recorded Cinebench test, but the consistency of the 1.6% delta across different workloads suggests a systematic advantage in single-threaded efficiency and clock-driven performance rather than any workload-specific quirk.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from fundamentally different design philosophies and manufacturing generations. The Intel Xeon W-2145 is built on Intel's 14 nm process and uses the Skylake-W architecture, released in August 2017. The AMD EPYC 7232P uses TSMC's 7 nm process with the Zen 2 (Rome) architecture, released in August 2019, nearly two years later.

Both processors have 8 cores and 16 threads, so thread-count parity is exact. The base clock differs considerably: the Intel part runs at 3.70 GHz base and boosts to 4.50 GHz, while the AMD part has a base clock of 3.10 GHz and a boost of only 3.20 GHz. That 1.30 GHz boost-clock gap explains much of the Intel advantage in single-threaded tests. The EPYC 7232P's boost clock is barely above its base clock, a design choice that prioritizes sustained throughput over peak frequency.

Cache configurations diverge sharply. The Intel Xeon W-2145 has 64 KB of L1 per core, 1 MB of L2 per core, and 11 MB of shared L3 cache. The AMD EPYC 7232P also has 64 KB of L1 per core but only 512 KB of L2 per core, with 16 MB of L3 per die and a total of 32 MB across both dies. The AMD part carries roughly three times the total L3 capacity, though the L2 deficit means per-core cache behavior differs substantially.

The memory subsystem reveals a major architectural divide. The Intel Xeon W-2145 supports DDR4 memory through a quad-channel bus, while the AMD EPYC 7232P supports DDR4 through an eight-channel bus. Despite the channel-count difference, both are rated at 85.3 GB/s of memory bandwidth in the database. Both support ECC memory, which is expected for server and workstation parts.

PCIe connectivity heavily favors the AMD part. The EPYC 7232P provides PCIe Gen 4 with 128 lanes from the CPU, while the Xeon W-2145 offers PCIe Gen 3 with 48 lanes. This is a generational leap in both protocol speed and lane count, and it has direct implications for expandability in server workloads.

The physical implementation differs dramatically. The Intel die measures 484 mm² on a monolithic Skylake-W design. The AMD EPYC 7232P uses a chiplet-based approach with 7,600 million transistors spread across two 74 mm² dies. The Intel part is marked as end-of-life, while the EPYC 7232P remains an active production part.

Both processors lack integrated graphics, both use DDR4 memory, and both are locked (multiplier unlocked is false for each). The sockets are incompatible: Intel Socket 2066 for the Xeon W-2145 and AMD Socket SP3 for the EPYC 7232P.

The Verdict

The recorded data supports a straightforward conclusion: the Intel Xeon W-2145 is the faster processor in every benchmark test the database has recorded for both parts. It wins all six Cinebench comparisons, with a 1.6% margin in multicore and single-core tests across R15, R20, and R23. For users whose priority is raw Cinebench throughput, the choice is clear.

However, the EPYC 7232P offers architectural advantages that the benchmark scores do not capture. Its eight-channel memory bus, 32 MB of total L3 cache, and 128 PCIe Gen 4 lanes make it a more capable platform for memory-heavy and I/O-heavy server deployments. The Xeon W-2145, with 48 PCIe Gen 3 lanes and 11 MB of L3 cache, cannot match that expansion capacity.

The production status also matters. The Xeon W-2145 is end-of-life, while the EPYC 7232P is active and still being produced. For new system designs, the AMD part offers a longer procurement horizon. The Intel part's launch MSRP is $1113, while the EPYC 7232P's launch MSRP is $450, a significant difference in initial platform cost, though both are server-class components.

The final decision depends on workload priorities. If the task is compute-bound rendering or single-threaded performance, the Xeon W-2145 edges ahead in every recorded test. If the task involves high-bandwidth memory access, many PCIe devices, or large cache-resident datasets, the EPYC 7232P's architecture is better suited, despite trailing in Cinebench scores.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has the higher single-core performance?

A: The Intel Xeon W-2145 wins every recorded single-core Cinebench test. It scores 217 in R15, 906 in R20, and 2159 in R23, while the AMD EPYC 7232P scores 214, 892, and 2125 respectively. The margins range from 1.4% to 1.6%.

Q: How do the two processors compare in multicore workloads?

A: The Intel Xeon W-2145 leads in multicore Cinebench tests as well, scoring 1542 in R15, 6425 in R20, and 15299 in R23, versus the EPYC 7232P's 1517, 6323, and 15055. All three deltas are 1.6%.

Q: Do both processors support ECC memory?

A: Yes, both the Intel Xeon W-2145 and the AMD EPYC 7232P support ECC memory, and both are rated at 85.3 GB/s of memory bandwidth.

Q: Which processor has more PCIe lanes?

A: The AMD EPYC 7232P has 128 PCIe Gen 4 lanes from the CPU, while the Intel Xeon W-2145 has 48 PCIe Gen 3 lanes. This is a substantial difference in expansion capability.

Q: Are both processors still in production?

A: No. The Intel Xeon W-2145 is marked as end-of-life, while the AMD EPYC 7232P is listed as an active production part.

Q: What was the launch MSRP of each processor?

A: The Intel Xeon W-2145 had a launch MSRP of $1113, and the AMD EPYC 7232P had a launch MSRP of $450.

Where Each One Wins

The Intel Xeon W-2145 wins in every benchmark category recorded for both processors. It dominates the Cinebench suite, taking victory in R15, R20, and R23 for both multicore and single-core tests. Its higher boost clock of 4.50 GHz against 3.20 GHz gives it an edge in latency-sensitive and single-threaded workloads. The 1 MB L2 cache per core, double that of the EPYC 7232P, likely contributes to its consistent lead in these tests.

The AMD EPYC 7232P wins on architectural merits rather than recorded benchmarks. Its eight-channel memory bus matches the Intel part's bandwidth rating while offering more memory channels for distributed access patterns. The 32 MB total L3 cache, nearly three times the Intel part's 11 MB, benefits workloads with large working sets that fit in cache. The 128 PCIe Gen 4 lanes enable far greater I/O expansion than the Intel part's 48 Gen 3 lanes. The 7 nm process node from TSMC provides a modern manufacturing base, and the 7,600 million transistor count reflects a more complex, newer design.

For compute-bound applications such as video rendering, code compilation, or scientific simulation that scale with core count and clock speed, the Xeon W-2145 is the better choice based on the recorded Cinebench data. For server deployments requiring dense I/O, high memory bandwidth utilization, or large cache-resident databases, the EPYC 7232P's architecture is more suitable even though its benchmark scores are slightly lower.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ in several key specifications. The Intel Xeon W-2145 uses a 14 nm process from Intel, while the AMD EPYC 7232P uses a 7 nm process from TSMC. The Intel part has a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 4.50 GHz, while the AMD part runs at 3.10 GHz base and 3.20 GHz boost. The TDP differs: 140 watts for Intel versus 120 watts for AMD.

Cache layouts diverge significantly. The Intel Xeon W-2145 has 1 MB of L2 per core and 11 MB of shared L3 cache. The AMD EPYC 7232P has 512 KB of L2 per core and 16 MB of L3 per die, totaling 32 MB. Both have 64 KB of L1 per core.

Memory channels differ: the Intel part uses quad-channel DDR4, while the AMD part uses eight-channel DDR4. Both are rated at 85.3 GB/s bandwidth. PCIe support is a major differentiator: the Xeon W-2145 provides Gen 3 with 48 lanes, while the EPYC 7232P provides Gen 4 with 128 lanes.

The sockets are incompatible: Intel Socket 2066 for the Xeon W-2145 and AMD Socket SP3 for the EPYC 7232P. The Intel die size is 484 mm², while the AMD part uses two 74 mm² dies. The EPYC 7232P has 7,600 million transistors; no transistor count is recorded for the Intel part. The release dates differ by about two years, and the production status differs: the Xeon W-2145 is end-of-life, while the EPYC 7232P is active. The launch MSRP also differs: $1113 for Intel and $450 for AMD.