AMD EPYC 7252 vs Intel Xeon W-2145 Comparison

The Verdict

The benchmark data presents a clear and consistent picture: the AMD EPYC 7252 wins every single head-to-head benchmark against the Intel Xeon W-2145. Across six Cinebench tests, the AMD part takes all six wins, with margins ranging from 7.8% to 7.9%. The Intel Xeon W-2145 records zero wins in the direct comparison. This is not a close contest; the EPYC 7252 is uniformly faster in both single-core and multi-core workloads.

For a buyer choosing between these two specific processors, the decision is straightforward from a performance standpoint. The EPYC 7252 is the better choice for anyone prioritizing raw compute performance in Cinebench-style rendering workloads. Its advantage is consistent whether the task is heavily multi-threaded or lightly threaded, meaning a user does not have to compromise on one type of workload to gain an advantage in another. The Intel Xeon W-2145, while still a capable 8-core, 16-thread workstation chip, sits behind the AMD part in every measured metric.

However, platform considerations matter. The EPYC 7252 uses the AMD Socket SP3 platform with support for eight-channel DDR4 memory, while the Intel Xeon W-2145 uses Socket 2066 with quad-channel memory. Both platforms support ECC memory and report identical peak memory bandwidth of 85.3 GB/s in the database. The AMD part also offers a significantly higher number of PCIe lanes (128 Gen 4 lanes versus 48 Gen 3 lanes for Intel), which is a decisive factor for systems with many expansion cards or NVMe storage devices. The Intel part is listed as end-of-life, while the AMD part remains active in production, which could influence long-term availability and system serviceability.

In short, the data indicates the AMD EPYC 7252 is the superior processor in this pairing. The Intel Xeon W-2145 offers no performance advantage in the recorded benchmarks, and its platform is more limited in PCIe expansion capability.

Where Each One Wins

The recorded data shows a complete sweep for the AMD EPYC 7252. There is no benchmark category where the Intel Xeon W-2145 comes out ahead. This includes both multi-core and single-core Cinebench tests, so there is no scenario in the available data where the Intel chip has a use-case advantage.

The AMD EPYC 7252 wins in multi-core scenarios by a consistent margin. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, it scores 1662 against Intel's 1542, a 7.8% lead. In Cinebench R20 multi-core, the scores are 6929 versus 6425, again a 7.8% advantage. In Cinebench R23 multi-core, the AMD part scores 16499 versus 15299, maintaining the same 7.8% gap. This consistency suggests a fundamental throughput advantage for the AMD architecture in heavily threaded rendering work.

The single-core results tell the same story. The EPYC 7252 leads in Cinebench R15 single-core with 234 versus 217 (7.8% lead), in R20 single-core with 978 versus 906 (7.9% lead), and in R23 single-core with 2329 versus 2159 (7.9% lead). This is notable because the Intel Xeon W-2145 has a much higher boost clock (4.50 GHz versus 3.20 GHz for AMD), yet it still loses in single-threaded performance. The data indicates that the AMD Zen 2 architecture delivers higher instructions-per-clock efficiency, overcoming the clock speed deficit.

The only benchmark where the Intel part has additional data is Geekbench, where it scores 8712 multi-core and 1345 single-core. The AMD part has no Geekbench score recorded in the database, so no direct comparison is possible in that specific test. However, this does not change the outcome of the head-to-head Cinebench comparison, where AMD wins all six tests.

Architecture Differences

The two processors represent fundamentally different design philosophies and manufacturing generations. The AMD EPYC 7252 is built on the Zen 2 architecture, codenamed Rome, using a 7 nm process node fabricated by TSMC. The Intel Xeon W-2145 uses the Skylake architecture, specifically Skylake-W, on Intel's 14 nm process. This process node difference is significant: the AMD chip uses a much smaller transistor geometry, which contributes to its efficiency and performance characteristics.

The core configurations are similar on the surface: both have 8 cores and 16 threads. The base clocks differ notably, with the Intel part running at 3.70 GHz versus 3.10 GHz for AMD. The boost clocks show an even larger gap: Intel boosts to 4.50 GHz, while AMD only reaches 3.20 GHz. Despite this clock disadvantage, the AMD part wins every benchmark, indicating that the Zen 2 architecture's IPC (instructions per clock) advantage is substantial.

Cache hierarchies are structured differently. The AMD EPYC 7252 has 64 KB of L1 cache per core, 512 KB of L2 cache per core, and 32 MB of L3 cache per die, with a total L3 of 64 MB. The Intel Xeon W-2145 also has 64 KB of L1 per core but doubles the L2 to 1 MB per core, while its L3 is only 11 MB shared. Even though Intel has more L2 cache, the AMD part's much larger total L3 cache (64 MB versus 11 MB) likely contributes to its performance advantage in rendering workloads that benefit from large shared caches.

The memory controllers differ in width. The AMD part supports eight-channel DDR4 memory, while the Intel part supports quad-channel DDR4. However, the database records identical peak memory bandwidth for both at 85.3 GB/s. This suggests that despite the wider bus on the AMD side, the practical bandwidth ceiling is reported as the same. Both parts support ECC memory, which is expected for server and workstation segments.

The transistor counts and die sizes reflect the different manufacturing approaches. The AMD EPYC 7252 contains 7,600 million transistors across a die size listed as 2x 74 mm². The Intel Xeon W-2145 has a much larger single die at 484 mm², with no transistor count listed in the database. The AMD chip uses a chiplet design as indicated by the two-die layout, while Intel uses a monolithic die.

PCIe support is a major differentiator. The AMD EPYC 7252 provides 128 lanes of PCIe Gen 4 (CPU only), while the Intel Xeon W-2145 provides 48 lanes of PCIe Gen 3 (CPU only). This is a substantial expansion capability difference, with the AMD platform offering both more lanes and a newer generation of the interface.

The production status also differs: the AMD EPYC 7252 is listed as active, while the Intel Xeon W-2145 is end-of-life. The sockets are incompatible: AMD Socket SP3 versus Intel Socket 2066.

FAQ

Q: Which processor is faster in multi-core rendering workloads?

A: The AMD EPYC 7252 is faster in all recorded multi-core Cinebench tests. It leads by 7.8% in Cinebench R15 (1662 versus 1542), R20 (6929 versus 6425), and R23 (16499 versus 15299).

Q: Does the Intel Xeon W-2145 win in any benchmark?

A: No. In the head-to-head benchmark data, the AMD EPYC 7252 wins all six recorded tests. The Intel part records zero wins.

Q: How can the AMD chip win single-core tests when it has a lower boost clock?

A: The AMD EPYC 7252 boosts to 3.20 GHz, while the Intel Xeon W-2145 boosts to 4.50 GHz. Despite this 1.30 GHz deficit, the AMD part leads in single-core Cinebench tests by 7.8% to 7.9%, indicating that the Zen 2 architecture delivers higher performance per clock cycle.

Q: Do both processors support ECC memory?

A: Yes, both the AMD EPYC 7252 and the Intel Xeon W-2145 support ECC memory. Both also report the same peak memory bandwidth of 85.3 GB/s.

Q: Which processor offers more PCIe expansion capability?

A: The AMD EPYC 7252 provides 128 lanes of PCIe Gen 4, while the Intel Xeon W-2145 provides 48 lanes of PCIe Gen 3. This makes the AMD platform significantly more expandable for add-in cards and high-speed storage.

Q: What is the production status of each processor?

A: The AMD EPYC 7252 is listed as active in production. The Intel Xeon W-2145 is listed as end-of-life.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The direct comparison in the database covers six Cinebench tests, and the AMD EPYC 7252 wins all of them with remarkable consistency. The margins are tightly clustered between 7.8% and 7.9%, which indicates a stable performance differential across different rendering workloads and thread counts.

In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the AMD EPYC 7252 scores 1662 against the Intel Xeon W-2145's 1542. This 7.8% advantage is the same margin seen in the R15 single-core test, where AMD scores 234 versus 217. It is unusual for a processor to win both multi-core and single-core tests by the same percentage, but the data shows exactly that. This suggests the AMD architecture's advantage is uniform across thread utilization levels.

Moving to Cinebench R20, the pattern holds. The multi-core test shows AMD at 6929 versus Intel at 6425, a 7.8% lead. The single-core test shows AMD at 978 versus Intel at 906, a 7.9% lead. The slight increase in the single-core margin from 7.8% to 7.9% is minor but consistent with the R23 results.

In the most demanding test, Cinebench R23 multi-core, the AMD EPYC 7252 scores 16499, while the Intel Xeon W-2145 scores 15299. This is again a 7.8% difference. The R23 single-core test shows AMD at 2329 versus Intel at 2159, a 7.9% lead. The AMD part's score of 16499 in R23 multi-core is over 1,200 points higher than Intel's 15299, which represents a substantial real-world rendering performance gap.

It is importantly the Intel Xeon W-2145 has additional Geekbench scores recorded: 8712 multi-core and 1345 single-core. The AMD EPYC 7252 has no Geekbench scores in the database, so a direct comparison in that benchmark suite is not possible. However, this omission does not affect the outcome of the Cinebench head-to-head, where AMD's sweep is complete.

The average benchmark score in the database places the AMD EPYC 7252 at 4772, with a percentile rank of 59 among all CPUs. The Intel Xeon W-2145 has an average score of 4576 and a percentile rank of 58. These overall averages include the Geekbench scores for Intel, which likely boost its average, yet AMD still maintains a higher overall average score. The nearest rivals for the AMD part include the Intel Xeon W-1290E at 4775 (-0.1%), the Intel Core i5-1350P at 4776 (-0.1%), and the Intel Xeon E-2386G at 4799 (-0.6%). The Intel part's nearest rivals include the Intel Xeon E-2356G at 4548 (+0.6%), the Intel Core i7-10700KF at 4547 (+0.6%), and the Intel Core i9-10900 at 4614 (-0.8%).

The data is unambiguous: the AMD EPYC 7252 outperforms the Intel Xeon W-2145 in every recorded benchmark comparison, with consistent margins that make the AMD part the clear choice for compute-intensive workloads.