AMD EPYC 7301 vs AMD Ryzen 9 4900H Comparison

The Verdict

The AMD Ryzen 9 4900H and AMD EPYC 7301 serve two completely different purposes, and the benchmark data reflects that split clearly. The Ryzen 9 4900H is the pick for anyone who needs strong single-threaded performance and fast responses in everyday workloads, particularly in a mobile form factor. It wins the older Cinebench R15 multicore test by a massive 50% margin and takes the R15 single-core test by 6.6%. The EPYC 7301, on the other hand, is the choice for sustained multi-threaded server workloads. It wins the newer Cinebench R23 multicore test by 8.9% and dominates the R23 single-core test by 28%, a surprising result given its much lower clock speeds. If your priority is raw throughput in modern, heavily threaded applications, the EPYC 7301 is the data-backed winner. If you need a responsive, efficient processor for mobile or desktop-class tasks with strong legacy benchmark performance, the Ryzen 9 4900H is the one.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from different eras and design philosophies. The Ryzen 9 4900H is built on the Zen 2 architecture with the Renoir codename, using a 7 nm process from TSMC. It packs 9,800 million transistors into a 156 mm² die. The EPYC 7301 uses the original Zen architecture with the Naples codename, fabricated on a 14 nm process by GlobalFoundries, with 4,800 million transistors on a 213 mm² die. That process gap is significant: the Ryzen 9 4900H crams more than twice the transistor count into a smaller physical area.

Core counts differ dramatically. The Ryzen 9 4900H has 8 cores and 16 threads, while the EPYC 7301 doubles that to 16 cores and 32 threads. Clock speeds tell the opposite story. The Ryzen 9 4900H runs at a base clock of 3.30 GHz and boosts to 4.40 GHz. The EPYC 7301 sits at 2.20 GHz base and 2.70 GHz boost. That 1.70 GHz boost advantage for the Ryzen 9 4900H explains its single-core wins in older tests.

Cache layouts are also very different. The Ryzen 9 4900H has 64 KB of L1 per core, 512 KB of L2 per core, and 8 MB of shared L3. The EPYC 7301 has 96 KB of L1 per core, 512 KB of L2 per core, and a much larger 64 MB of shared L3. Memory support diverges sharply: the Ryzen 9 4900H uses dual-channel DDR4 or LPDDR4 with 51.2 GB/s bandwidth and no ECC support, while the EPYC 7301 uses eight-channel DDR4 with 170.6 GB/s bandwidth and ECC support. Both use PCIe Gen 3. The Ryzen 9 4900H includes integrated Radeon Graphics with 512 shaders; the EPYC 7301 has no integrated graphics. The Ryzen 9 4900H is a mobile part on AMD Socket FP6, while the EPYC 7301 is a server/workstation part on AMD Socket SP3. The EPYC 7301 has an unlocked multiplier; the Ryzen 9 4900H does not.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head results show a clear generational and architectural split. In Cinebench R15 multicore, the Ryzen 9 4900H scores 1926.5 against the EPYC 7301's 1284, a 50% advantage. That is a decisive win for the mobile chip, likely driven by its much higher clock speeds and newer architecture, despite having half the cores. In Cinebench R15 single-core, the Ryzen 9 4900H again wins, scoring 193 versus 181, a 6.6% margin.

The newer Cinebench R23 tests flip the script. In R23 multicore, the EPYC 7301 scores 12742 against the Ryzen 9 4900H's 11604, an 8.9% win for the server chip. The 16-core, 32-thread design finally asserts itself in a modern multi-threaded workload. The biggest surprise comes in R23 single-core: the EPYC 7301 scores 1798 versus the Ryzen 9 4900H's 1294, a 28% win for the EPYC. This is counterintuitive given the clock speed gap, but the recorded data is unambiguous. The EPYC 7301's newer benchmark performance suggests its Zen architecture handles the R23 workload far more efficiently per clock than the Zen 2 part in this specific test, or that thermal and power constraints on the mobile Ryzen 9 4900H limit its sustained performance.

The win count is even at two apiece. The Ryzen 9 4900H takes the older R15 tests, the EPYC 7301 takes the newer R23 tests. Looking at the average benchmark scores, the Ryzen 9 4900H averages 3820 across its recorded benchmarks, while the EPYC 7301 averages 3685. That puts the Ryzen 9 4900H about 3.7% ahead on average, though both sit at the 56th percentile among all CPUs.

The nearest rivals in the database provide context. The Ryzen 9 4900H sits within 1% of the Intel Xeon E-2286M, Intel Core i7-8086K, Intel Core i7-9700KF, and AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 2700. The EPYC 7301 sits within 0.6% of the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 1700X, AMD EPYC 7251, Intel Core i3-13100E, and Intel Core i9-10980HK. Neither chip is a class leader; both are solidly mid-pack performers relative to the full database.

FAQ

Q: Which processor is faster in single-core workloads?

A: It depends on the benchmark generation. In Cinebench R15 single-core, the AMD Ryzen 9 4900H wins with a score of 193 versus 181, a 6.6% margin. In Cinebench R23 single-core, the AMD EPYC 7301 wins with 1798 versus 1294, a 28% margin.

Q: Which processor has more cores and threads?

A: The AMD EPYC 7301 has 16 cores and 32 threads. The AMD Ryzen 9 4900H has 8 cores and 16 threads. The EPYC 7301 has double the core and thread count.

Q: What are the clock speed differences?

A: The AMD Ryzen 9 4900H has a base clock of 3.30 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. The AMD EPYC 7301 has a base clock of 2.20 GHz and a boost clock of 2.70 GHz. The Ryzen 9 4900H has a 1.70 GHz higher boost clock.

Q: Which processor supports ECC memory?

A: The AMD EPYC 7301 supports ECC memory and uses eight-channel DDR4 with 170.6 GB/s bandwidth. The AMD Ryzen 9 4900H does not support ECC memory and uses dual-channel DDR4 or LPDDR4 with 51.2 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: Do both processors have integrated graphics?

A: No. The AMD Ryzen 9 4900H includes Radeon Graphics with 512 shaders. The AMD EPYC 7301 has no integrated graphics.

Q: Which processor has more L3 cache?

A: The AMD EPYC 7301 has 64 MB of shared L3 cache. The AMD Ryzen 9 4900H has 8 MB of shared L3 cache. The EPYC 7301 has eight times the L3 cache.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Ryzen 9 4900H wins in Cinebench R15 multicore and single-core, making it the better choice for legacy benchmark compatibility and applications that scale well with high clock speeds. Its 50% lead in R15 multicore is the single largest margin in the head-to-head data. The mobile design with integrated Radeon Graphics 512SP makes it suitable for systems that do not need a discrete GPU. The 7 nm process and 54 W TDP also make it a more power-efficient option on paper, though the database does not include direct power consumption measurements. The Ryzen 9 4900H is the pick for users who prioritize responsiveness, older software, and a compact mobile platform.

The AMD EPYC 7301 wins in Cinebench R23 multicore and single-core, making it the better choice for modern, heavily threaded server workloads. Its 8.9% lead in R23 multicore shows that the 16-core, 32-thread configuration delivers more throughput in current rendering workloads. The 28% lead in R23 single-core is the most striking result in the comparison, indicating that the EPYC 7301's architecture handles this specific test far better despite lower clocks. The eight-channel memory with 170.6 GB/s bandwidth and ECC support make it suitable for memory-intensive server applications. The 64 MB L3 cache is eight times larger than the Ryzen 9 4900H's, which can benefit workloads with large working sets. The EPYC 7301 is the pick for server racks, virtualization hosts, and any environment where ECC memory and massive memory bandwidth are non-negotiable.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ across nearly every major specification. The AMD Ryzen 9 4900H has 8 cores and 16 threads; the AMD EPYC 7301 has 16 cores and 32 threads. Base clocks are 3.30 GHz versus 2.20 GHz, and boost clocks are 4.40 GHz versus 2.70 GHz. TDP is 54 W for the Ryzen 9 4900H and 170 W for the EPYC 7301. The Ryzen 9 4900H uses AMD Socket FP6; the EPYC 7301 uses AMD Socket SP3.

The process nodes differ: 7 nm from TSMC for the Ryzen 9 4900H, 14 nm from GlobalFoundries for the EPYC 7301. Transistor counts are 9,800 million versus 4,800 million, and die sizes are 156 mm² versus 213 mm². L1 cache is 64 KB per core on the Ryzen 9 4900H and 96 KB per core on the EPYC 7301. Both have 512 KB of L2 per core. L3 cache is 8 MB shared on the Ryzen 9 4900H and 64 MB shared on the EPYC 7301.

Memory support differs: the Ryzen 9 4900H supports DDR4 and LPDDR4 in dual-channel configuration with 51.2 GB/s bandwidth and no ECC. The EPYC 7301 supports DDR4 in eight-channel configuration with 170.6 GB/s bandwidth and ECC support. Both use PCIe Gen 3. The Ryzen 9 4900H has integrated Radeon Graphics 512SP; the EPYC 7301 has none. The market segments are Mobile versus Server/Workstation. Release dates are 2020-03-15 for the Ryzen 9 4900H and 2017-06-28 for the EPYC 7301. The EPYC 7301 has an unlocked multiplier; the Ryzen 9 4900H does not. Neither has a recorded launch MSRP in the database.