AMD EPYC 7272 vs Intel Xeon D-2796TE Comparison

The Intel Xeon D-2796TE and the AMD EPYC 7272 are both server-class processors, but they approach the workload from different directions. The Xeon D-2796TE is a 20-core, 40-thread Ice Lake-D part built on Intel’s 10 nm process, while the EPYC 7272 is a 12-core, 24-thread Zen 2 Rome part built on TSMC’s 7 nm node. In the recorded Cinebench suite, the Intel chip wins every single test, but the margins are narrow, and the EPYC brings its own architectural advantages in memory channels, PCIe lanes, and cache topology. The data shows a clear, if modest, performance leader in the Intel part, with the AMD chip offering a different set of platform-level strengths.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head results are uniform: the Intel Xeon D-2796TE wins all six recorded Cinebench tests. The largest margin comes in the single-core tests, where the Intel part leads by 5.3% in both Cinebench R15 and R20 single-core. In Cinebench R15 single-core, the Intel scores 320 against the EPYC’s 304. In R20 single-core, the Intel scores 1334 against 1267. The R23 single-core test shows a 5.2% lead, with Intel at 3177 and AMD at 3019. These are not huge gaps, but they are consistent across every version of the benchmark.

The multicore results tell the same story. In Cinebench R15 multicore, the Intel Xeon D-2796TE scores 2268, while the EPYC 7272 scores 2155, a 5.2% advantage. In R20 multicore, the Intel scores 9452 versus 8982, again a 5.2% lead. In R23 multicore, the Intel scores 22507 against 21386, another 5.2% margin. The consistency of the 5.2% delta across all three multicore tests suggests a stable performance relationship between the two chips under sustained multithreaded load, rather than a test-specific anomaly.

The single-core deltas are slightly larger at 5.3% for R15 and R20, which is notable because the EPYC 7272 has a higher base clock (2.90 GHz versus 2.00 GHz) and a higher boost clock (3.20 GHz versus 3.10 GHz). Despite the clock disadvantage, the Intel part still comes out ahead in single-threaded work, which points to an IPC advantage for the Ice Lake architecture in these workloads.

Looking at the broader database context, the Intel Xeon D-2796TE sits at the 62nd percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 6510. The EPYC 7272 sits at the 61st percentile, with an average score of 6186. The Intel part’s nearest rivals include the Intel Xeon W-2191B at 6531 (0.3% higher), the Intel Core i9-7960X at 6533 (0.3% higher), and the Intel Core i7-12800HE at 6467 (0.7% lower). The EPYC 7272’s nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen Threadripper 1950X at 6231 (0.7% higher), the AMD EPYC 7501 at 6128 (0.9% lower), and the AMD Ryzen 3 3100U at 6247 (1% higher). These figures place both chips in the same general performance tier, with the Intel part holding a slight edge in average score.

FAQ

Q: Which processor is faster in single-core Cinebench tests?

A: The Intel Xeon D-2796TE wins all three single-core tests. It scores 320 in R15 single-core versus 304 for the EPYC 7272, 1334 in R20 single-core versus 1267, and 3177 in R23 single-core versus 3019. The deltas range from 5.2% to 5.3% in favor of Intel.

Q: Does the AMD EPYC 7272 win any benchmark in the recorded data?

A: No. The head-to-head results show the Intel Xeon D-2796TE winning all six tests, with no wins recorded for the EPYC 7272.

Q: How do the core and thread counts differ?

A: The Intel Xeon D-2796TE has 20 cores and 40 threads, while the AMD EPYC 7272 has 12 cores and 24 threads. The Intel part offers 8 more cores and 16 more threads.

Q: What are the memory channel configurations?

A: The Intel Xeon D-2796TE uses quad-channel DDR4 memory with a recorded bandwidth of 93.9 GB/s. The AMD EPYC 7272 uses eight-channel DDR4 memory with a recorded bandwidth of 85.3 GB/s.

Q: Which processor has more PCIe lanes?

A: The AMD EPYC 7272 provides Gen 4 with 128 lanes (CPU only), while the Intel Xeon D-2796TE provides Gen 4 with 32 lanes (CPU only).

Q: What are the process nodes for each chip?

A: The Intel Xeon D-2796TE is built on Intel’s 10 nm process, while the AMD EPYC 7272 is built on TSMC’s 7 nm process.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from fundamentally different design philosophies. The Intel Xeon D-2796TE is based on the Ice Lake architecture, specifically the Ice Lake-D variant, and is manufactured on Intel’s 10 nm process. It is a monolithic design with 20 cores and 40 threads, using a shared 30 MB L3 cache. The per-core L1 cache is 80 KB and the per-core L2 cache is 1.25 MB. This is a dense, high-core-count part aimed at edge and compact server deployments, which is reflected in its BGA 2579 socket, a soldered form factor rather than a socketed one.

The AMD EPYC 7272 is based on the Zen 2 architecture, codenamed Rome, and is manufactured on TSMC’s 7 nm process. It is a chiplet design, with the recorded die size listed as 2x 74 mm² and 7,600 million transistors. The EPYC 7272 has 12 cores and 24 threads, with a per-core L1 cache of 64 KB and a per-core L2 cache of 512 KB. The L3 cache is organized per die at 32 MB, with a total of 64 MB across the chip. This is double the L3 of the Intel part, which may help in workloads with large working sets that fit in cache.

The memory architecture also differs significantly. The Intel part uses a quad-channel DDR4 memory bus with a bandwidth of 93.9 GB/s. The AMD part uses an eight-channel DDR4 memory bus, but its recorded bandwidth is lower at 85.3 GB/s. This is an interesting inversion: the AMD chip has more channels but a lower aggregate bandwidth figure in the database. Both support ECC memory, which is expected for the server segment.

PCIe connectivity is another major divergence. The Intel Xeon D-2796TE provides Gen 4 with 32 lanes (CPU only), which is relatively limited for a server part. The AMD EPYC 7272 provides Gen 4 with 128 lanes (CPU only), which is a massive advantage for systems that need many NVMe drives, GPUs, or high-speed network cards. For a server chassis with heavy I/O requirements, the EPYC’s lane count is the more scalable option.

The sockets are not interchangeable. The Intel part uses Intel BGA 2579, meaning it is soldered to the board, while the AMD part uses AMD Socket SP3, a standard socketed interface. The Intel part was released on 2022-02-23, while the AMD part was released on 2019-08-06. Both are listed as Active in production status, and both have locked multipliers.

Specification Differences

The core counts differ: the Intel Xeon D-2796TE has 20 cores and 40 threads, while the AMD EPYC 7272 has 12 cores and 24 threads. Clock speeds also differ. The Intel part has a base clock of 2000.00 MHz and a boost clock of 3.10 GHz. The AMD part has a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 3.20 GHz. The EPYC has the higher clocks, but the Intel part still wins the single-core benchmarks.

Thermal design power is close: the Intel part is rated at 118 W, the AMD part at 120 W. Cache configurations differ as described above, with the Intel part using 30 MB shared L3 and the AMD part using 32 MB per die for a total of 64 MB. The memory bus differs, with Intel at quad-channel and AMD at eight-channel. The recorded memory bandwidth is 93.9 GB/s for Intel and 85.3 GB/s for AMD. PCIe lanes differ dramatically: 32 for Intel versus 128 for AMD, both Gen 4.

The process node differs: 10 nm for Intel versus 7 nm for AMD. The foundry differs as well: Intel for the Xeon D, TSMC for the EPYC. The AMD part has a listed transistor count of 7,600 million and a die size of 2x 74 mm², while the Intel part has no transistor or die size data recorded. The release dates differ, with Intel launching in 2022 and AMD in 2019. The launch MSRP for the Intel part is $2101, and for the AMD part it is $625.

The market segment is the same for both: Server/Workstation. Both support DDR4 memory and ECC. Neither has integrated graphics. Both are locked. The part numbers are SRM23SRLCL for Intel and 100-000000079 for AMD.

The Verdict

The recorded data points to the Intel Xeon D-2796TE as the faster processor in Cinebench workloads. It wins all six head-to-head tests, with consistent 5.2% to 5.3% margins. Its average benchmark score of 6510 is higher than the EPYC’s 6186, and it sits one percentile point higher in the global ranking. For pure CPU compute, particularly in the Cinebench suite, the Intel part is the pick.

However, the AMD EPYC 7272 has platform advantages that the Cinebench scores do not capture. It offers 128 PCIe Gen 4 lanes versus 32, which is a fourfold difference in expansion capacity. It also has 64 MB of total L3 cache versus 30 MB, which could matter for certain database or virtualization workloads. The eight-channel memory bus is a structural advantage, even though the recorded bandwidth is lower than the Intel part’s quad-channel figure.

The Intel part also carries a much higher launch MSRP of $2101 versus $625 for the AMD part. That is a significant gap, but this analysis does not weigh pricing beyond stating the figures. From a pure performance standpoint, the Intel chip wins. From a platform flexibility standpoint, the AMD chip offers more lanes and more cache.

The choice depends on the workload. If the priority is maximum Cinebench throughput and the system does not need many PCIe devices, the Intel Xeon D-2796TE is the better performer in the recorded tests. If the priority is I/O expansion, large cache, or the ability to populate many Gen 4 devices, the AMD EPYC 7272 brings capabilities the Intel part does not offer.

Where Each One Wins

The Intel Xeon D-2796TE wins in all recorded compute benchmarks. It is 5.2% ahead in multicore and 5.2% to 5.3% ahead in single-core across the Cinebench R15, R20, and R23 versions. This makes it the stronger choice for workloads that are heavily dependent on CPU rendering, simulation, or other multithreaded compute tasks as measured by Cinebench. Its higher average benchmark score of 6510 versus 6186 reinforces this position.

The AMD EPYC 7272 wins in platform-level specifications. It provides 128 PCIe Gen 4 lanes (CPU only), compared to 32 on the Intel part, which makes it the better fit for systems with many high-speed storage devices, multiple GPUs, or dense networking. Its total L3 cache of 64 MB is more than double the Intel part’s 30 MB, which could benefit workloads with large cached data sets. Its eight-channel memory bus is a structural advantage for memory-heavy server deployments, even though the recorded bandwidth is 85.3 GB/s versus 93.9 GB/s for Intel.

The EPYC 7272 also has a lower launch MSRP of $625 against the Intel’s $2101, though pricing is not analyzed here beyond the recorded figures. The AMD part uses a standard Socket SP3, while the Intel part uses a soldered BGA 2579, which affects serviceability and board choice.

For a compact, power-conscious edge server with moderate I/O needs, the Intel Xeon D-2796TE delivers better Cinebench performance in a 118 W envelope. For a full-featured rack server with extensive PCIe expansion and large cache requirements, the AMD EPYC 7272 offers the lanes and cache capacity that the Intel chip lacks. The data does not declare a single winner across all use cases; it shows a compute leader in Intel and an I/O and cache leader in AMD.