AMD EPYC 7261 vs AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 4350GE Comparison

The AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 4350GE and the AMD EPYC 7261 are two processors built for entirely different corners of the AMD ecosystem. The former is a low-power desktop APU from the 4000 series, while the latter is a high-core-count server part from the EPYC 7001 line. Despite their disparate origins, benchmark data reveals a surprisingly tight contest in raw compute, although the EPYC pulls ahead in every single measured test.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The EPYC 7261 wins all six head-to-head benchmark comparisons, but the margins are consistently narrow. Across the entire Cinebench suite, the EPYC 7261’s advantage over the Ryzen 3 PRO 4350GE never exceeds 2 percent. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the EPYC scores 954 against the Ryzen’s 936, a 1.9 percent lead. The single-core test in R15 shows a similar story: 134 versus 132, a 1.5 percent edge for the EPYC.

Moving to Cinebench R20, the pattern holds. The EPYC 7261 achieves 3,979 in multi-core, which is 2 percent ahead of the Ryzen 3 PRO 4350GE’s 3,900. The single-core result is 561 against 550, again a 2 percent delta. The most demanding test, Cinebench R23, shows the EPYC at 9,476 multi-core versus 9,287 for the Ryzen, a 2 percent gap. In R23 single-core, the EPYC’s 1,337 beats the Ryzen’s 1,311 by 1.9 percent.

What is notable is the absence of a single win for the Ryzen 3 PRO 4350GE. Even in single-threaded workloads, where its higher boost clock of 4.00 GHz should theoretically help, it trails the EPYC 7261, which boosts to only 2.90 GHz. The data shows that despite the 1.10 GHz boost clock disadvantage, the EPYC’s architecture and design deliver marginally better per-thread performance in every Cinebench iteration.

The average benchmark scores tell a similar tale. The Ryzen 3 PRO 4350GE has an average benchmark score of 2,767, while the EPYC 7261 sits at 2,740. Interestingly, this means the Ryzen has a higher average score across all its recorded benchmarks than the EPYC. This is because the Ryzen’s benchmark suite includes Geekbench results (4,587 multi-core and 1,436 single-core), which are not present in the EPYC’s data set. In direct Cinebench comparisons, the EPYC is the victor. The Ryzen’s nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 3 5400U (deltaPct 0.1) and the Intel Xeon D-1567 (deltaPct -0.1), showing it sits in a dense performance cluster. The EPYC’s rivals include the Intel Xeon E-2176M (deltaPct -0.4) and the AMD Ryzen 7 4700U (deltaPct 0.7), placing it in a similar percentile band.

Architecture Differences

The two chips are separated by two full generations of AMD architecture. The Ryzen 3 PRO 4350GE is built on the Zen 2 architecture, codenamed Renoir, and manufactured on a 7 nm process at TSMC. It packs 9,800 million transistors into a die size of 156 mm². In contrast, the EPYC 7261 uses the original Zen architecture, codenamed Naples, on a 14 nm process from GlobalFoundries. It contains 4,800 million transistors on a larger 213 mm² die.

Core counts differ significantly. The Ryzen 3 PRO 4350GE has 4 cores and 8 threads, while the EPYC 7261 doubles this with 8 cores and 16 threads. This explains why the EPYC’s multi-core lead is not larger. The Ryzen’s newer Zen 2 cores, with their higher clock speeds (3.50 GHz base and 4.00 GHz boost versus 2.50 GHz base and 2.90 GHz boost), compensate for having half the physical cores.

Cache hierarchies are also distinct. The Ryzen 3 PRO 4350GE has 64 KB of L1 cache per core and 512 KB of L2 per core, with a shared 4 MB L3 cache. The EPYC 7261 offers a larger 96 KB of L1 per core, the same 512 KB of L2 per core, but a massive 32 MB of shared L3 cache. This eightfold difference in L3 cache is a classic server-oriented design choice, enabling the EPYC to handle larger datasets and more concurrent memory requests.

Memory support is another major divergence. Both support DDR4, but the Ryzen 3 PRO 4350GE uses a dual-channel memory bus with a bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s. The EPYC 7261 features an eight-channel memory bus, delivering a theoretical bandwidth of 170.6 GB/s. Both support ECC memory, which is crucial for the EPYC’s server role. The Ryzen’s integrated Radeon Vega 6 graphics is a feature the EPYC lacks entirely, as it has no integrated graphics and relies on discrete server GPUs. The Ryzen uses AMD Socket AM4 and has 16 PCIe Gen 3 lanes, while the EPYC uses the larger AMD Socket SP3 and also supports PCIe Gen 3, though with the full complement of server lanes. The Ryzen’s multiplier is locked, whereas the EPYC 7261 has an unlocked multiplier, a rare feature for server parts.

The Verdict

The benchmark results indicate that the AMD EPYC 7261 is the faster processor in every Cinebench test, but the performance gap is marginal. A 2 percent lead in multi-core and a 1.9 percent lead in single-core are within the margin of error for many real-world applications. The data does not support choosing the EPYC for sheer speed alone, as the Ryzen 3 PRO 4350GE nearly matches it.

However, the architecture differences are stark. The EPYC 7261 offers double the cores and threads, a massive 32 MB L3 cache, and an eight-channel memory interface with 170.6 GB/s of bandwidth. These specifications make it suited for memory-intensive server workloads where the Ryzen, with its dual-channel 51.2 GB/s bus and 4 MB L3 cache, would bottleneck. The Ryzen 3 PRO 4350GE, on the other hand, is a 35-watt TDP desktop APU with integrated graphics, designed for compact systems where power efficiency and a built-in GPU matter more than raw throughput.

The data shows a clear split: if the workload requires massive memory bandwidth and many threads, the EPYC 7261 is the logical choice. If the workload is light-threaded and benefits from a newer, more efficient node with integrated graphics, the Ryzen 3 PRO 4350GE is the better fit. The EPYC’s higher TDP of 170 watts versus the Ryzen’s 35 watts further reinforces its server orientation, where power constraints are less critical than in a desktop environment.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 4350GE has an average benchmark score of 2,767, slightly ahead of the AMD EPYC 7261’s 2,740.

Q: Does the EPYC 7261 win all direct comparisons?

A: Yes, the EPYC 7261 wins all six head-to-head Cinebench comparisons, with deltas ranging from -1.5 percent to -2 percent.

Q: What is the difference in core count?

A: The AMD EPYC 7261 has 8 cores and 16 threads, while the AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 4350GE has 4 cores and 8 threads.

Q: Which processor supports ECC memory?

A: Both the AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 4350GE and the AMD EPYC 7261 support ECC memory.

Q: Does either processor have integrated graphics?

A: Only the AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 4350GE has integrated graphics, in the form of Radeon Vega 6. The AMD EPYC 7261 has no integrated graphics.

Q: What is the L3 cache size on each chip?

A: The AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 4350GE has 4 MB of shared L3 cache, while the AMD EPYC 7261 has 32 MB of shared L3 cache.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 4350GE wins in scenarios that prioritize power efficiency and integrated functionality. Its 35-watt TDP is dramatically lower than the EPYC’s 170-watt TDP, making it far easier to cool in a small form factor. The inclusion of Radeon Vega 6 graphics means a basic system can run without a discrete GPU, which is impossible with the EPYC. Its higher boost clock of 4.00 GHz and newer 7 nm process give it a per-core efficiency advantage, and its high average benchmark score of 2,767 suggests it handles mixed workloads well. For a desktop user running office applications, light content creation, or a home server with modest demands, the Ryzen’s data profile is far more suitable.

The AMD EPYC 7261 wins in server-grade, multi-threaded, and memory-bandwidth-hungry environments. Its 8-core, 16-thread configuration provides double the parallel processing capacity. The 170.6 GB/s memory bandwidth from its eight-channel bus dwarfs the Ryzen’s 51.2 GB/s, which is critical for virtualization, database hosting, and large-scale data analytics. The 32 MB L3 cache reduces latency for frequently accessed data, a feature absent in the Ryzen’s 4 MB cache. While its benchmark lead is small, the EPYC’s architectural advantages in cache and memory throughput make it the data-backed choice for enterprise workloads that do not rely solely on clock speed. The unlocked multiplier on the EPYC also allows for tuning in server environments where fine-grained performance control is needed.