AMD EPYC 72F3 vs Intel Xeon W-2195 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data shows a remarkably consistent pattern across all six Cinebench tests: the Intel Xeon W-2195 wins every single head-to-head matchup, yet the margins are uniformly narrow. In Cinebench R15 multicore, the Intel scores 2401 against the AMD EPYC 72F3's 2334, a 2.9% advantage. The single-core R15 result follows the same shape, with Intel at 338 and AMD at 329, a 2.7% edge. Moving to Cinebench R20, the Intel part posts 10007 in multicore versus 9728 for the EPYC, again a 2.9% lead, while the single-core scores are 1412 and 1373 respectively, a 2.8% margin. The Cinebench R23 results tell the identical story: Intel wins multicore 23828 to 23164 (2.9%) and single-core 3363 to 3270 (2.8%). Across all six tests, the Intel Xeon W-2195 claims six wins and zero losses, but the largest delta in the entire comparison is just 2.9%. This is not a dominant sweep; it is a narrow, consistent edge that holds across every workload generation.

The average benchmark scores in the database reinforce this picture. The Intel Xeon W-2195 carries an average benchmark score of 6892, while the AMD EPYC 72F3 sits at 6700. That difference amounts to roughly 2.8%, which aligns almost exactly with the individual Cinebench deltas. Both processors land in similar percentile territory relative to all CPUs in the database: the Intel part is at the 63rd percentile, the AMD part at the 62nd. The nearest rival data also places both chips in comparable company. The Intel Xeon W-2195's closest competitor is the Intel Core i5-3470 with an average score of 6906, a delta of -0.2%, followed by the AMD Ryzen 3 3200G at 6931 (-0.6%), the Intel Core i3-1115G4 at 6851 (+0.6%), and the AMD Athlon X4 970 at 6850 (+0.6%). The AMD EPYC 72F3's nearest rivals include the Intel Xeon Gold 5317 at 6710 (-0.1%), the Intel Xeon D-2775TE at 6711 (-0.2%), the Intel Core i9-9940X at 6657 (+0.6%), and the AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2950X at 6647 (+0.8%). Both chips are clustered among mid-range desktop and server parts, despite their workstation/server positioning.

The consistency of the Intel advantage deserves emphasis. In every single test, the delta hovers between 2.7% and 2.9%. There is no workload in the recorded data where the AMD part closes the gap, nor any where the Intel part pulls away. This suggests a stable, architecture-level performance relationship rather than a workload-specific quirk. The Intel Xeon W-2195 is ahead, but only barely, and the margin is small enough that other system factors, memory configuration, cooling, or platform features, could easily flip real-world results in either direction.

Where Each One Wins

Looking strictly at the benchmark wins, the Intel Xeon W-2195 wins everywhere. It takes the multicore tests in R15, R20, and R23, and it also takes the single-core tests in all three versions. The AMD EPYC 72F3 has zero recorded wins in this head-to-head comparison. However, the practical interpretation of these results requires attention to the magnitude of the margins. The Intel part is ahead by 2.9% in R15 multicore, 2.7% in R15 single-core, 2.9% in R20 multicore, 2.8% in R20 single-core, 2.9% in R23 multicore, and 2.8% in R23 single-core. These are not workload categories where one chip dominates; they are narrow edges that hold uniformly.

For use-case segmentation, the data supports a few observations. The Intel Xeon W-2195 offers the higher boost clock at 4.30 GHz compared to the EPYC 72F3's 4.10 GHz, which aligns with its single-core wins. The AMD part counters with a much higher base clock, 3.70 GHz versus 2.30 GHz, but that does not translate into a single-core victory in the recorded benchmarks. In multicore workloads, the Intel part's 18 cores and 36 threads outnumber the AMD part's 8 cores and 16 threads, and the results show the Intel chip converting that core-count advantage into a small but real multicore lead. The AMD EPYC 72F3, despite having fewer than half the cores, stays within 2.9% in every multicore test, which indicates very high per-core efficiency from the Zen 3 architecture.

The memory subsystem also splits the use cases. The AMD EPYC 72F3 supports eight-channel DDR4 with 204.8 GB/s of memory bandwidth, while the Intel Xeon W-2195 supports quad-channel DDR4 with 85.3 GB/s. For memory-bandwidth-sensitive workloads, the AMD platform offers more than double the theoretical bandwidth. The PCIe situation similarly favors AMD, which provides Gen 4 with 128 lanes compared to Intel's Gen 3 with 48 lanes. These platform-level advantages do not appear in the Cinebench scores, but they are recorded facts that matter for certain server and workstation deployments.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from fundamentally different design eras and philosophies. The Intel Xeon W-2195 is built on the Skylake architecture, specifically the Skylake-W codename, using a 14 nm process from Intel's own foundry. It has 18 cores and 36 threads, with a base clock of 2.30 GHz and a boost clock of 4.30 GHz. The thermal design power is 140 watts. The die size is listed at 484 mm². The cache layout consists of 64 KB of L1 per core, 1 MB of L2 per core, and 24.75 MB of shared L3 cache. Memory support is DDR4 over a quad-channel bus with 85.3 GB/s of bandwidth, and ECC memory is supported. The PCIe implementation is Gen 3 with 48 lanes from the CPU. The socket is Intel Socket 2066. The production status is end-of-life, with a release date in August 2017 and a launch MSRP of $2553.

The AMD EPYC 72F3 uses the Zen 3 architecture under the Milan codename, built on a 7 nm process at TSMC. It has 8 cores and 16 threads, with a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 4.10 GHz. The thermal design power is 180 watts. The transistor count is listed at 33,200 million, spread across 8 chiplets, each 81 mm² in die size. The cache configuration is notably different: 64 KB of L1 per core, 512 KB of L2 per core, and 256 MB of shared L3 cache. That L3 capacity is more than ten times larger than the Intel part's 24.75 MB. Memory support is DDR4 over an eight-channel bus with 204.8 GB/s of bandwidth, and ECC memory is supported. The PCIe implementation is Gen 4 with 128 lanes from the CPU. The socket is AMD Socket SP3. The production status is active, with a release date in March 2021 and a launch MSRP of $2468.

The core-count difference is stark: 18 cores versus 8 cores. The thread count is 36 versus 16. Yet the benchmark results show only a 2.9% multicore gap. This is a direct reflection of the architectural efficiency difference between Skylake and Zen 3. The AMD part, despite having 10 fewer cores and 20 fewer threads, nearly matches the Intel part in multicore throughput. The 256 MB of L3 cache on the EPYC 72F3 is a major architectural feature, providing far more on-die data capacity than the Intel part's 24.75 MB. The process node difference, 14 nm versus 7 nm, also explains some of the efficiency gap, though the AMD part draws more power at 180 watts versus 140 watts.

There is no integrated graphics on either processor. Neither is multiplier-unlocked. Both target the server and workstation market segment, though the Intel part is end-of-life while the AMD part remains active. The memory bus width difference, quad-channel versus eight-channel, and the PCIe generation and lane count differences, Gen 3 48 lanes versus Gen 4 128 lanes, represent significant platform-level architectural divergences that go beyond raw CPU performance.

FAQ

Q: Which processor wins in single-core performance?

A: The Intel Xeon W-2195 wins in all three single-core tests. It scores 338 versus 329 in Cinebench R15 single-core, 1412 versus 1373 in R20 single-core, and 3363 versus 3270 in R23 single-core. The margins are 2.7%, 2.8%, and 2.8% respectively.

Q: How do the multicore scores compare?

A: The Intel Xeon W-2195 leads in multicore as well. In Cinebench R15 multicore, it scores 2401 against 2334 for the AMD EPYC 72F3. In R20 multicore, the scores are 10007 versus 9728. In R23 multicore, they are 23828 versus 23164. All three deltas are 2.9%.

Q: What is the core and thread count difference?

A: The Intel Xeon W-2195 has 18 cores and 36 threads. The AMD EPYC 72F3 has 8 cores and 16 threads. Despite having 10 fewer cores and 20 fewer threads, the AMD part stays within 2.9% of the Intel part in every multicore benchmark.

Q: How does the cache configuration differ?

A: The Intel Xeon W-2195 has 64 KB of L1 per core, 1 MB of L2 per core, and 24.75 MB of shared L3 cache. The AMD EPYC 72F3 has 64 KB of L1 per core, 512 KB of L2 per core, and 256 MB of shared L3 cache. The AMD part has over ten times the L3 capacity.

Q: What are the memory bandwidth specifications?

A: The Intel Xeon W-2195 supports quad-channel DDR4 with 85.3 GB/s of memory bandwidth. The AMD EPYC 72F3 supports eight-channel DDR4 with 204.8 GB/s of memory bandwidth. Both support ECC memory.

Q: Which processor has the higher clock speeds?

A: The Intel Xeon W-2195 has a base clock of 2.30 GHz and a boost clock of 4.30 GHz. The AMD EPYC 72F3 has a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 4.10 GHz. The Intel part boosts higher, while the AMD part has a substantially higher base clock.

The Verdict

The data points to a clear but narrow winner. The Intel Xeon W-2195 wins all six head-to-head benchmarks, with deltas ranging from 2.7% to 2.9%. Its average benchmark score is 6892, compared to 6700 for the AMD EPYC 72F3. Its percentile ranking is 63rd versus 62nd. On pure Cinebench performance, the Intel part is the faster processor in this comparison.

But the verdict is not a simple recommendation for one platform. The AMD EPYC 72F3 matches the Intel part far more closely than its core count suggests it should. With 8 cores and 16 threads, it comes within 2.9% of an 18-core, 36-thread processor in multicore workloads. This indicates exceptional per-core efficiency from the Zen 3 architecture. The AMD part also offers 256 MB of shared L3 cache, eight-channel memory with 204.8 GB/s of bandwidth, Gen 4 PCIe with 128 lanes, and a 7 nm process node. The Intel part counters with a 4.30 GHz boost clock, 18 cores, and a lower 140-watt TDP.

For workloads that depend on single-threaded performance or lightly threaded tasks, the Intel Xeon W-2195 has the recorded advantage, though it is small. For multicore throughput, the Intel part also leads in the recorded benchmarks, but the AMD part's efficiency makes it a far closer competitor than its hardware specifications would suggest. For memory-bandwidth-heavy or PCIe-lane-heavy server deployments, the AMD EPYC 72F3 offers platform capabilities that the Intel part does not match. The Intel Xeon W-2195 is end-of-life, while the AMD EPYC 72F3 is an active product.

The launch MSRP figures are $2553 for the Intel Xeon W-2195 and $2468 for the AMD EPYC 72F3. The performance difference in the recorded benchmarks is roughly 2.8% on average. The choice between these two processors depends on whether the narrow Cinebench lead of the Intel part matters more than the AMD part's modern architecture, larger cache, wider memory bus, and active production status. The benchmark data alone favors Intel, but only by a slim margin.