AMD EPYC 7302P vs Intel Core i5-3470 Comparison

The AMD EPYC 7302P and Intel Core i5-3470 occupy opposite ends of the computing spectrum, separated by seven years of architectural evolution and entirely different market segments. The EPYC 7302P is an active server/workstation processor built on TSMC's 7 nm process, while the i5-3470 is an end-of-life desktop chip from Intel's 22 nm Ivy Bridge generation. The benchmark data shows a complete sweep: the EPYC 7302P wins all eight head-to-head tests, with margins ranging from 55.8% to over 600%. These are not close contests; they are generational and categorical mismatches.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The most lopsided results appear in the Cinebench suite. In Cinebench R15 multicore, the EPYC 7302P scores 2800 against the i5-3470's 398, a delta of 603.5%. The single-core R15 result is similarly brutal: 395 versus 56, a 605.4% advantage for AMD. Moving to Cinebench R20, the multicore gap remains consistent at 602.6% (11670 vs 1661), and the single-core delta is 603.8% (1647 vs 234). Cinebench R23 reinforces the pattern with a multicore score of 27786 versus 3957 (602.2% delta) and a single-core score of 3922 versus 558 (602.9% delta). These numbers tell a clear story: the EPYC 7302P delivers roughly seven times the performance in heavily threaded workloads and over six times in single-threaded rendering tasks.

Geekbench results show a slightly different shape. The multicore test has the EPYC 7302P at 7462 against the i5-3470's 2015, a 270.3% delta — less dramatic than Cinebench because Geekbench's workload mix does not scale as purely with core count. The single-core Geekbench result is the closest contest of the entire comparison: 1114 versus 715, a 55.8% advantage for AMD. That single-core margin is still substantial, but it highlights that the i5-3470's older Ivy Bridge architecture is not completely obsolete at low thread counts. Still, the EPYC 7302P wins every benchmark in the head-to-head set, giving it a perfect 8-0 record. The i5-3470 has no wins to claim in any tested workload.

Architecture Differences

The underlying designs could not be more different. The EPYC 7302P uses AMD's Zen 2 architecture, codenamed Rome, built on a 7 nm process at TSMC. It packs 16 cores and 32 threads across a die size of 4x 74 mm², totaling 15,200 million transistors. The i5-3470 uses Intel's Ivy Bridge architecture on a 22 nm process, with 4 cores and 4 threads on a single 160 mm² die containing 1,400 million transistors. The transistor count difference is roughly 11:1, which helps explain the performance chasm.

Cache hierarchies reflect the server versus desktop divide. The EPYC 7302P has 64 KB of L1 and 512 KB of L2 per core, plus 32 MB of L3 per die for a total of 128 MB. The i5-3470 has 64 KB of L1 and 256 KB of L2 per core, but only 6 MB of shared L3. That is a 21x difference in total L3 capacity. Memory support is another major split: the EPYC 7302P runs DDR4 across an eight-channel bus with 204.8 GB/s of bandwidth, while the i5-3470 uses dual-channel DDR3 at 25.6 GB/s. The EPYC offers ECC memory; the i5 does not.

Connectivity and platform features diverge sharply. The EPYC 7302P uses AMD Socket SP3 with PCIe Gen 4 and 128 lanes (CPU only), while the i5-3470 uses Intel Socket 1155 with PCIe Gen 3 and 16 lanes. The i5-3470 includes integrated graphics (Intel HD 2500); the EPYC 7302P has none. Power envelopes also differ: the EPYC 7302P has a 155 W TDP, while the i5-3470 is rated at 77 W. The EPYC's base clock of 3.00 GHz and boost of 3.30 GHz are lower than the i5's 3.20 GHz base and 3.60 GHz boost, yet the architectural and core-count advantages overwhelm the clock-speed deficit.

FAQ

Q: Why does the AMD EPYC 7302P win every benchmark despite having lower clock speeds than the Intel Core i5-3470?

A: The EPYC 7302P has 16 cores and 32 threads versus 4 cores and 4 threads for the i5-3470. The EPYC also uses a newer 7 nm Zen 2 architecture with 128 MB of total L3 cache and eight-channel DDR4 memory at 204.8 GB/s, while the i5 uses 22 nm Ivy Bridge with 6 MB L3 and dual-channel DDR3 at 25.6 GB/s. Higher clocks on the i5 cannot compensate for the massive core, cache, and memory bandwidth deficits.

Q: Is the Intel Core i5-3470 competitive in single-core workloads?

A: No. The closest result is Geekbench single-core, where the i5 scores 715 against the EPYC's 1114, a 55.8% deficit. In Cinebench R20 single-core, the i5 scores 234 versus 1647, a 603.8% gap. The older Ivy Bridge architecture loses in every single-threaded test.

Q: What memory and platform differences matter most?

A: The EPYC 7302P supports DDR4 with eight-channel memory and 204.8 GB/s bandwidth, plus ECC. The i5-3470 uses DDR3 with dual-channel memory at 25.6 GB/s and no ECC. The EPYC also offers PCIe Gen 4 with 128 lanes versus the i5's PCIe Gen 3 with 16 lanes, so the platform I/O capabilities are fundamentally different.

Q: Which processor has integrated graphics?

A: Only the Intel Core i5-3470 has integrated graphics in the form of Intel HD 2500. The AMD EPYC 7302P has no integrated graphics, which is typical for a server/workstation processor designed to work with dedicated GPUs.

Q: What is the production status of each chip?

A: The AMD EPYC 7302P is listed as Active, while the Intel Core i5-3470 is End-of-life. The EPYC was released on 2019-08-06, and the i5 was released on 2012-05-31.

Q: How do these processors compare to their nearest rivals in the database?

A: The EPYC 7302P has an average benchmark score of 7100, sitting 1.2% above the Intel Core i9-7980XE and 1.6% above the Intel Xeon Platinum 8260. The i5-3470 has an average score of 6906, which is 0.2% above the Intel Xeon W-2195 but 0.4% below the AMD Ryzen 3 3200G. Both chips sit at the 63rd percentile among all CPUs.

The Verdict

The data makes the choice unambiguous for any workload where performance matters. The AMD EPYC 7302P is superior in every measured category: multicore, single-core, and memory bandwidth. It offers 16 cores and 32 threads, 128 MB of L3 cache, eight-channel DDR4, ECC support, and PCIe Gen 4 with 128 lanes. The Intel Core i5-3470 provides 4 cores, 4 threads, 6 MB of L3, dual-channel DDR3, no ECC, and PCIe Gen 3 with 16 lanes. If you need server or workstation compute, the EPYC 7302P is the only rational pick from these two. The i5-3470's only advantages are its lower 77 W TDP, integrated graphics, and lower launch MSRP of $184 versus $825 for the EPYC. But those are platform-level tradeoffs, not performance wins. The i5-3470 is end-of-life and cannot match the EPYC in any benchmark tested.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ on every major specification line. The EPYC 7302P has 16 cores and 32 threads; the i5-3470 has 4 cores and 4 threads. Base clocks are 3.00 GHz versus 3.20 GHz, and boost clocks are 3.30 GHz versus 3.60 GHz. TDP is 155 W versus 77 W. The EPYC uses AMD Socket SP3, the i5 uses Intel Socket 1155. Architecture is Zen 2 (Rome) versus Ivy Bridge. Process node is 7 nm (TSMC) versus 22 nm (Intel). Transistors are 15,200 million versus 1,400 million; die size is 4x 74 mm² versus 160 mm². L1 cache is 64 KB per core on both, but L2 is 512 KB per core on the EPYC versus 256 KB per core on the i5. Total L3 is 128 MB versus 6 MB shared. Memory support is DDR4 eight-channel versus DDR3 dual-channel; bandwidth is 204.8 GB/s versus 25.6 GB/s. ECC is supported on the EPYC, not on the i5. PCIe is Gen 4 with 128 lanes versus Gen 3 with 16 lanes. Integrated graphics are absent on the EPYC and present as Intel HD 2500 on the i5. Market segments are Server/Workstation versus Desktop. Production status is Active versus End-of-life. The EPYC's part number is 100-000000049; the i5's is SR0T8.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD EPYC 7302P wins in every benchmark category tested — all eight head-to-head tests. It is the clear choice for multi-threaded rendering, server virtualization, data compression, and any workload that scales across its 32 threads. Its eight-channel memory and 204.8 GB/s bandwidth make it suitable for memory-intensive tasks that the i5's 25.6 GB/s dual-channel DDR3 cannot handle. The EPYC's 128 MB of L3 cache and PCIe Gen 4 with 128 lanes further cement its position for workstation and server deployments.

The Intel Core i5-3470 has no benchmark wins in this comparison. Its only practical advantages are qualitative: a 77 W TDP that makes it easier to cool, integrated Intel HD 2500 graphics for basic display output without a discrete GPU, and an older platform with less demanding infrastructure requirements. For a legacy desktop system running light single-threaded tasks, it could still function, but the data shows it trails the EPYC by 55.8% even in its best-case single-core Geekbench result. There is no workload in the tested set where the i5-3470 comes out ahead.