AMD EPYC 7302 vs Intel Core i7-8565U Comparison

The Intel Core i7-8565U and AMD EPYC 7302 occupy opposite ends of the processor spectrum. The i7-8565U is a 4-core, 8-thread mobile chip built on Intel's 14 nm Whiskey Lake architecture, while the EPYC 7302 is a 16-core, 32-thread server processor built on AMD's 7 nm Zen 2 architecture. The recorded data shows a one-sided head-to-head: the EPYC 7302 wins all six shared Cinebench tests, with the i7-8565U trailing by roughly 81% in each. Yet the i7-8565U posts a higher average benchmark score in the database, 8665 versus 8139, and a slightly higher percentile rank. This contrast reflects the different benchmark sets and the different roles the two chips are designed to fill.

FAQ

Q: Which processor wins the head-to-head benchmark comparison?

A: The AMD EPYC 7302 wins all six recorded head-to-head Cinebench tests. The Intel Core i7-8565U records zero wins.

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

A: In Cinebench R23 multi-core, the EPYC 7302 scores 28140 against the i7-8565U's 5258, a delta of -81.3% for the i7. The R15 and R20 multi-core tests show the same pattern.

Q: Does the i7-8565U have any advantage in the recorded data?

A: Yes. The i7-8565U has a higher average benchmark score (8665 versus 8139) and a higher percentile rank (65th versus 64th), even though it loses every head-to-head Cinebench test.

Q: What are the core and thread counts of each processor?

A: The Intel Core i7-8565U has 4 cores and 8 threads. The AMD EPYC 7302 has 16 cores and 32 threads.

Q: Which processor supports ECC memory?

A: The AMD EPYC 7302 supports ECC memory. The Intel Core i7-8565U does not.

Q: Which processor includes integrated graphics?

A: The Intel Core i7-8565U includes UHD Graphics 620. The AMD EPYC 7302 has no integrated graphics.

Architecture Differences

The two processors are built on fundamentally different architectures. The i7-8565U uses Intel's Whiskey Lake architecture, specifically the Whiskey Lake-U codename, fabricated on a 14 nm process at Intel's own foundry. The EPYC 7302 uses AMD's Zen 2 architecture, codenamed Rome, fabricated on a 7 nm process at TSMC. The EPYC 7302 is part of the EPYC 7002 series and carries 15,200 million transistors across a die size of 4x 74 mm²; the database records no transistor or die size figures for the i7-8565U.

The core configuration differs sharply. The i7-8565U has 4 cores and 8 threads, while the EPYC 7302 has 16 cores and 32 threads. Clock speeds also diverge: the i7-8565U runs at a base clock of 1800.00 MHz and boosts to 4.60 GHz, while the EPYC 7302 runs at a base clock of 3.00 GHz and boosts to 3.30 GHz. The i7 has a much higher boost ceiling, but the EPYC has a higher base clock and four times the cores.

Cache hierarchies differ in size and organization. Both have 64 KB of L1 cache per core. The L2 cache is 256 KB per core on the i7-8565U and 512 KB per core on the EPYC 7302. The L3 cache is 8 MB shared on the i7, while the EPYC 7302 has 32 MB per die and 128 MB total.

Memory support is another major divider. The i7-8565U supports DDR3 and DDR4 over a dual-channel bus with 38.4 GB/s of bandwidth. The EPYC 7302 supports DDR4 over an eight-channel bus with 204.8 GB/s of bandwidth. The EPYC also supports ECC memory; the i7 does not. PCIe connectivity differs as well: the i7 provides Gen 3 with 16 lanes, while the EPYC provides Gen 4 with 128 lanes.

The i7-8565U includes integrated UHD Graphics 620, while the EPYC 7302 has no integrated graphics. The i7 is a mobile part on the Intel BGA 1528 socket with a 15 W TDP, while the EPYC is a server/workstation part on the AMD Socket SP3 with a 155 W TDP. The i7 is marked end-of-life in the database, while the EPYC is active. The i7 was released on 2018-09-30, and the EPYC on 2019-08-06.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head set contains six Cinebench tests, and the AMD EPYC 7302 wins all of them. The deltas are consistent, ranging from -81.3% to -81.5%, meaning the i7-8565U trails by roughly four-fifths in every test.

In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the EPYC 7302 scores 2836 against the i7-8565U's 529, a delta of -81.3%. In R15 single-core, the EPYC scores 400 against 74, a delta of -81.5%. The single-core gap is slightly larger in percentage terms, which is notable because the i7-8565U has a much higher boost clock of 4.60 GHz versus the EPYC's 3.30 GHz. Despite the boost advantage, the EPYC's Zen 2 cores still outpace the Whiskey Lake cores in this test.

In Cinebench R20, the pattern holds. Multi-core shows the EPYC at 11818 and the i7 at 2208, a delta of -81.3%. Single-core shows the EPYC at 1668 and the i7 at 311, a delta of -81.4%.

In Cinebench R23, the most recent test in the set, the EPYC 7302 scores 28140 in multi-core against the i7-8565U's 5258, a delta of -81.3%. In single-core, the EPYC scores 3972 against 742, also a delta of -81.3%.

The consistency of the deltas across all six tests is striking. The EPYC 7302 leads by the same approximate margin in both single-core and multi-core workloads, which suggests the advantage comes from the core architecture itself rather than from core count alone.

The average benchmark scores tell a different story. The i7-8565U has an average benchmark score of 8665, while the EPYC 7302 has 8139. The i7 also sits at the 65th percentile of all CPUs, while the EPYC sits at the 64th. This is because the i7's average includes Passmark results, such as data compression at 75995, integer math at 21581, and single-thread at 2118, while the EPYC's recorded benchmarks are limited to the Cinebench series. The head-to-head set, however, is unambiguous: the EPYC wins all six tests.

The Verdict

The data points to a clear split by use case. The AMD EPYC 7302 is the faster processor in every shared benchmark. It wins all six Cinebench tests with deltas around -81.3%, and it offers 16 cores, 32 threads, 128 MB of total L3 cache, eight-channel DDR4 memory with 204.8 GB/s of bandwidth, ECC support, and PCIe Gen 4 with 128 lanes. This is a server/workstation part designed for throughput, and the recorded data confirms that it delivers.

The Intel Core i7-8565U is a different kind of product. It is a mobile chip with a 15 W TDP, integrated UHD Graphics 620, and a dual-channel memory bus. It has no ECC support and no head-to-head wins in the database. Its advantages are portability, integrated graphics, and a higher average benchmark score of 8665, which reflects its Passmark results. The i7-8565U is end-of-life, while the EPYC 7302 is active.

For anyone choosing between these two, the decision is straightforward. If the workload is server-side, multi-threaded, or memory-bandwidth intensive, the EPYC 7302 is the only choice based on the recorded data. If the requirement is a low-power mobile processor with integrated graphics, the i7-8565U is the relevant part, but it cannot match the EPYC in any head-to-head test.

Specification Differences

The following fields differ between the two processors in the database:

• Cores: 4 (i7-8565U) versus 16 (EPYC 7302)
• Threads: 8 versus 32
• Base clock: 1800.00 MHz versus 3.00 GHz
• Boost clock: 4.60 GHz versus 3.30 GHz
• TDP: 15 W versus 155 W
• Socket: Intel BGA 1528 versus AMD Socket SP3
• Architecture: Whiskey Lake versus Zen 2
• Codename: Whiskey Lake-U versus Rome
• Generation: Core i7 (Whiskey Lake) versus EPYC (Zen 2 (Rome))
• Process node: 14 nm versus 7 nm
• Foundry: Intel versus TSMC
• Transistors: not recorded versus 15,200 million
• Die size: not recorded versus 4x 74 mm²
• L2 cache: 256 KB per core versus 512 KB per core
• L3 cache: 8 MB shared versus 32 MB per die, 128 MB total
• Memory support: DDR3, DDR4 versus DDR4
• Memory bus: dual-channel versus eight-channel
• Memory bandwidth: 38.4 GB/s versus 204.8 GB/s
• ECC memory: no versus yes
• PCIe: Gen 3, 16 lanes versus Gen 4, 128 lanes
• Integrated graphics: UHD Graphics 620 versus none
• Market segment: Mobile versus Server/Workstation
• Production status: End-of-life versus Active
• Release date: 2018-09-30 versus 2019-08-06
• Launch MSRP: $409 versus $978
• Part number: SREJPSRFFW versus 100-000000043
• Series: not recorded versus EPYC 7002 series

The two processors share the same L1 cache size of 64 KB per core, and neither has an unlocked multiplier.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD EPYC 7302 wins all six head-to-head Cinebench tests. In multi-core tests, its advantage is overwhelming: 2836 versus 529 in R15, 11818 versus 2208 in R20, and 28140 versus 5258 in R23. In single-core tests, it also wins: 400 versus 74 in R15, 1668 versus 311 in R20, and 3972 versus 742 in R23. The EPYC is the clear choice for any workload that relies on raw CPU throughput, and its eight-channel memory, ECC support, and 128 lanes of PCIe Gen 4 reinforce its server positioning.

The Intel Core i7-8565U does not win any head-to-head benchmark, but it has attributes that matter in its own segment. It includes integrated UHD Graphics 620, which the EPYC lacks entirely. It runs at a 15 W TDP, making it suitable for mobile systems, while the EPYC draws 155 W. It supports DDR3 as well as DDR4, giving it flexibility in older platforms. Its average benchmark score of 8665 is higher than the EPYC's 8139, and its 65th percentile rank edges out the EPYC's 64th. These figures reflect the i7's Passmark results, including a data compression score of 75995 and a single-thread score of 2118, which are not part of the EPYC's recorded benchmark set.