AMD EPYC 7301 vs Intel Core i5-1245U Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark data shows a consistent, if narrow, victory for the Intel Core i5-1245U across every single Cinebench test in this head-to-head comparison. The AMD EPYC 7301, despite its larger core count and server pedigree, does not manage to take a single win in the six recorded tests. The Intel part wins all six head-to-head benchmarks, with the margin almost uniformly sitting at 2.4% in multi-core tests and slightly narrower in one single-core test.

Starting with multi-core performance, the Intel Core i5-1245U posts a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 13053 against the EPYC 7301's 12742, a 2.4% lead. That pattern repeats in Cinebench R20 multi-core, where Intel scores 5482 versus AMD's 5351, again a 2.4% delta. The R15 multi-core test tells the same story: Intel at 1315, AMD at 1284, with the same 2.4% advantage. The consistency of this margin across all three Cinebench versions indicates a stable performance gap in heavily threaded workloads, not a test-specific artifact.

Single-core performance follows the same direction, though the margins deserve closer attention. In Cinebench R23 single-core, the Intel chip scores 1842 against AMD's 1798, a 2.4% lead. The R20 single-core result shows Intel at 773 and AMD at 755, also 2.4%. The R15 single-core test shows the smallest gap of the entire comparison: Intel at 185, AMD at 181, a 2.2% delta. Even in the test where the EPYC gets closest, it still loses.

What makes this interesting is that the EPYC 7301 has 16 cores and 32 threads compared to the Intel's 10 cores and 12 threads. The Intel processor overcomes a 6-core, 20-thread disadvantage in multi-core workloads, which speaks to substantial per-core efficiency differences. The EPYC's 2.20 GHz base clock and 2.70 GHz boost clock are far below the Intel's 1.60 GHz base and 4.40 GHz boost, and the data suggests the Intel part's higher boost ceiling delivers more usable throughput.

Looking at the broader database context, both processors sit at the 56th percentile among all CPUs. Their average benchmark scores are close: the Intel i5-1245U averages 3775, while the EPYC 7301 averages 3685. The Intel part's nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 2700 at 3777 (0% delta), the Intel Core i7-9700KF at 3787 (-0.3%), the Intel Core i7-8086K at 3800 (-0.6%), and the Intel Core i5-11600T at 3742 (0.9%). The EPYC 7301's nearest rivals are the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 1700X at 3673 (0.3%), the AMD EPYC 7251 at 3671 (0.4%), the Intel Core i3-13100E at 3668 (0.5%), and the Intel Core i9-10980HK at 3706 (-0.6%). Both chips are effectively mid-pack processors in the database's overall distribution, but the Intel chip holds a small average score advantage.

FAQ

Q: Which processor wins more benchmarks in this comparison?

A: The Intel Core i5-1245U wins all 6 head-to-head benchmarks against the AMD EPYC 7301. The AMD EPYC 7301 records 0 wins in this comparison.

Q: How large is the multi-core performance gap?

A: The Intel Core i5-1245U leads by 2.4% in Cinebench R15 multi-core (1315 vs 1284), Cinebench R20 multi-core (5482 vs 5351), and Cinebench R23 multi-core (13053 vs 12742).

Q: Is the single-core advantage the same as the multi-core advantage?

A: Mostly yes. The Intel chip leads by 2.4% in Cinebench R23 single-core (1842 vs 1798) and Cinebench R20 single-core (773 vs 755). The only slightly smaller margin is in Cinebench R15 single-core, where Intel leads by 2.2% (185 vs 181).

Q: How do these processors compare in the overall database?

A: Both processors are at the 56th percentile among all CPUs. The Intel Core i5-1245U has an average benchmark score of 3775, while the AMD EPYC 7301 averages 3685.

Q: Which processor has more cores and threads?

A: The AMD EPYC 7301 has 16 cores and 32 threads, compared to the Intel Core i5-1245U's 10 cores and 12 threads. Despite having fewer cores and threads, the Intel chip wins every benchmark in this comparison.

Q: Does the EPYC 7301 support ECC memory?

A: Yes, the AMD EPYC 7301 supports ECC memory. The Intel Core i5-1245U does not support ECC memory.

Architecture Differences

The architectural divide between these two processors is substantial. The Intel Core i5-1245U is built on Alder Lake architecture, specifically the Alder Lake-U codename, using Intel's 10 nm process node and fabricated by Intel. The AMD EPYC 7301 belongs to the EPYC 7001 series, uses the Zen architecture with the Naples codename, and is manufactured on GlobalFoundries' 14 nm process. The Intel part is a mobile processor, while the AMD part targets the server and workstation segment.

The cache layouts differ significantly. The Intel Core i5-1245U has 80 KB of L1 cache per core, 1.25 MB of L2 cache per core, and 12 MB of shared L3 cache. The AMD EPYC 7301 has 96 KB of L1 per core, 512 KB of L2 per core, and a much larger 64 MB of shared L3 cache. The EPYC's L3 cache is over five times larger than the Intel's, which reflects its server-oriented design where large working sets and many concurrent threads benefit from substantial shared cache.

Memory architecture also separates these two. The Intel chip supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory over a dual-channel bus, with no ECC support. The AMD EPYC 7301 supports DDR4 memory over an eight-channel bus, with a recorded memory bandwidth of 170.6 GB/s, and it does support ECC memory. The eight-channel memory bus and ECC capability are classic server features; the Intel part's dual-channel configuration and lack of ECC align with its mobile positioning.

The transistor and die details are only available for the AMD chip: the EPYC 7301 has 4,800 million transistors on a 213 mm² die. No transistor count or die size is recorded for the Intel part. PCIe support also differs: the Intel Core i5-1245U offers Gen 4 with 20 lanes (CPU only), while the AMD EPYC 7301 offers Gen 3 without a lane count specified in the data.

The Intel chip includes integrated graphics, specifically Iris Xe 80EU, whereas the AMD EPYC 7301 has no integrated graphics. The Intel processor's multiplier is locked, while the EPYC 7301 has an unlocked multiplier. The EPYC also has a much higher 170 W TDP compared to the Intel's 15 W TDP, reflecting the server part's power-hungry design versus the mobile chip's efficiency focus.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ across nearly every major specification field in the database. Core count: the Intel Core i5-1245U has 10 cores and 12 threads, while the AMD EPYC 7301 has 16 cores and 32 threads. Clock speeds: the Intel chip runs at 1.60 GHz base and 4.40 GHz boost, while the EPYC runs at 2.20 GHz base and 2.70 GHz boost. The Intel part has a higher boost clock by a wide margin, but the EPYC has a higher base clock.

Power: the Intel chip has a 15 W TDP, the EPYC has a 170 W TDP. Sockets: the Intel uses Intel BGA 1744, the EPYC uses AMD Socket SP3. Process node: Intel is on 10 nm, AMD is on 14 nm. Memory support: Intel supports DDR4 and DDR5 with a dual-channel bus, AMD supports only DDR4 but with an eight-channel bus. The AMD part has a recorded memory bandwidth of 170.6 GB/s; no memory bandwidth figure is recorded for the Intel chip.

ECC memory: the Intel does not support it, the AMD does. PCIe: Intel is Gen 4 with 20 lanes (CPU only), AMD is Gen 3 with no lane count specified. Integrated graphics: the Intel has Iris Xe 80EU, the AMD has none. The AMD EPYC 7301 has an unlocked multiplier; the Intel Core i5-1245U does not. The AMD chip's transistor count is 4,800 million and die size is 213 mm²; neither is recorded for the Intel chip.

Release timing also separates them: the Intel Core i5-1245U has a release date of 2022-02-22, while the AMD EPYC 7301 has a release date of 2017-06-28. Both are listed as Active in production status. The Intel part's market segment is Mobile; the AMD part's is Server/Workstation. Neither processor has a launch MSRP recorded in the database.

Where Each One Wins

Based strictly on the benchmark data, the Intel Core i5-1245U wins every measured test in this head-to-head. It leads in Cinebench R15 multi-core (1315 vs 1284), R15 single-core (185 vs 181), R20 multi-core (5482 vs 5351), R20 single-core (773 vs 755), R23 multi-core (13053 vs 12742), and R23 single-core (1842 vs 1798). The margins are consistent, ranging from 2.2% to 2.4% depending on the test.

The Intel chip's advantage is notable given its mobile positioning and far lower TDP. A 15 W mobile processor outperforming a 170 W server processor in every recorded Cinebench test suggests that the EPYC 7301's design priorities lie elsewhere. The EPYC's eight-channel DDR4 memory bus, 170.6 GB/s memory bandwidth, ECC support, and 64 MB of L3 cache point toward memory-heavy server workloads that are not captured by Cinebench's CPU-focused rendering tests.

The AMD EPYC 7301's wins, if any, would have to come from scenarios the benchmark suite does not measure. The data records no wins for the EPYC across the six head-to-head tests. Its strengths are architectural: 16 cores, 32 threads, eight-channel memory, ECC support, and a large shared L3 cache. For workloads that stress memory capacity, memory bandwidth, or require error-correcting memory, the EPYC's feature set offers capabilities the Intel part simply does not have. But in the recorded Cinebench results, the Intel Core i5-1245U is the clear winner.

The Verdict

The benchmark data makes the choice straightforward in one sense: the Intel Core i5-1245U wins all 6 recorded head-to-head benchmarks against the AMD EPYC 7301. The Intel chip's 2.4% lead in multi-core tests like Cinebench R23 (13053 vs 12742) and its 2.4% lead in single-core tests like Cinebench R20 (773 vs 755) means that, for any workload represented by Cinebench, the Intel processor is the faster part. This holds even though the EPYC 7301 has 16 cores and 32 threads versus the Intel's 10 cores and 12 threads.

The Intel Core i5-1245U is the pick for anyone prioritizing raw Cinebench performance, lower power consumption (15 W TDP versus 170 W TDP), integrated graphics, and modern platform features like PCIe Gen 4 and DDR5 memory support. Its mobile market segment and 15 W TDP make it suited to laptops and compact systems where efficiency matters. The AMD EPYC 7301, despite losing every benchmark here, offers capabilities the Intel part lacks: ECC memory support, an eight-channel memory bus with 170.6 GB/s bandwidth, a 64 MB shared L3 cache, and an unlocked multiplier. Those features serve server and workstation deployments where data integrity, memory throughput, and cache capacity matter more than Cinebench scores.

Both processors sit at the 56th percentile in the database, with average scores of 3775 for the Intel and 3685 for the AMD. The Intel part's average score is higher, and its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 2700 (3777, 0% delta) and the Intel Core i7-9700KF (3787, -0.3%). The EPYC's nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 1700X (3673, 0.3%) and the AMD EPYC 7251 (3671, 0.4%). The data indicates that the Intel Core i5-1245U is the better choice for general compute performance as measured by these benchmarks, while the AMD EPYC 7301 remains relevant for specific server-oriented use cases that demand ECC memory, extensive memory channels, and large cache pools. For a direct performance comparison based on the recorded Cinebench results, the Intel Core i5-1245U wins outright.