AMD EPYC 7343 vs Intel Xeon 6515P Comparison

The Verdict

The Intel Xeon 6515P and AMD EPYC 7343 are both 16-core, 32-thread server processors aimed at the same segment, but the benchmark data separates them into distinct use cases. The Intel Xeon 6515P wins 13 of the 17 head-to-head comparisons, with its largest advantages coming in extended instruction throughput and floating-point math, where it leads by 49.8% and 49.4%, respectively. The AMD EPYC 7343 counters with meaningful wins in encryption, physics simulation, and integer math, taking those tests by 18.6%, 19.8%, and 5.8%. The Intel part also holds a consistent 3.9% to 4.2% edge across every Cinebench iteration and in PassMark single-thread testing.

The verdict splits cleanly by workload. The Intel Xeon 6515P is the choice for compute-heavy, floating-point intensive tasks, particularly those that leverage extended instruction sets. The AMD EPYC 7343 is better suited for encryption-heavy workloads, physics calculations, and integer sorting, where its Zen 3 architecture demonstrates clear superiority. For general multithreaded rendering and compression workloads, the Intel chip leads, but the margins are narrow enough that platform considerations could reasonably sway a decision. The AMD part also offers 128 PCIe Gen 4 lanes versus Intel's 88 Gen 5 lanes, which matters for expansion-heavy configurations. Both processors sit at the 93rd percentile among all CPUs in the database, meaning neither is a slouch in absolute terms; the differences are in workload fit rather than overall class.

FAQ

Q: Which processor is faster in multithreaded rendering workloads?

A: The Intel Xeon 6515P leads in every Cinebench multicore test. It scores 3885 in Cinebench R15 multicore versus 3739 for the AMD EPYC 7343, a 3.9% advantage. In Cinebench R23 multicore, the Intel part scores 38547 against 37097, again a 3.9% lead.

Q: Does the AMD EPYC 7343 win any benchmarks?

A: Yes, the AMD EPYC 7343 wins four head-to-head tests: PassMark data encryption (37454 versus 30476, an 18.6% lead), PassMark integer math (156033 versus 147047, a 5.8% lead), PassMark physics (4774 versus 3829, a 19.8% lead), and PassMark random string sorting (67576 versus 64425, a 4.7% lead).

Q: How do the two processors compare in single-threaded performance?

A: The Intel Xeon 6515P wins all single-thread tests. It scores 548 in Cinebench R15 single-core versus 527, 2285 versus 2199 in R20, 5442 versus 5237 in R23, and 2855 versus 2740 in PassMark single-thread. The margin is consistently 3.9% to 4.2%.

Q: Which processor has more memory bandwidth?

A: The Intel Xeon 6515P supports DDR5 memory with 409.6 GB/s of bandwidth, while the AMD EPYC 7343 uses DDR4 with 204.8 GB/s. Both use an eight-channel memory bus.

Q: What is the difference in PCIe capabilities?

A: The AMD EPYC 7343 provides 128 PCIe Gen 4 lanes, while the Intel Xeon 6515P provides 88 PCIe Gen 5 lanes. The Intel part offers a newer generation, but the AMD part has more total lanes.

Q: How close are the overall average benchmark scores?

A: The Intel Xeon 6515P has an average benchmark score of 67006, while the AMD EPYC 7343 has an average of 64202. That places the Intel part about 4.4% higher on average, with both at the 93rd percentile among all CPUs.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from fundamentally different design lineages. The Intel Xeon 6515P uses the Granite Rapids architecture, built on Intel's 5 nm process node and produced by Intel's own foundry. It belongs to the Xeon 6 generation under the Granite Rapids-SP family. The AMD EPYC 7343 uses the Zen 3 architecture, codenamed Milan, built on TSMC's 7 nm node and belonging to the EPYC 7003 series.

Cache layouts differ substantially. The Intel part allocates 112 KB of L1 cache per core and 2 MB of L2 cache per core, with a shared 72 MB L3 cache. The AMD part provides 64 KB of L1 per core and 512 KB of L2 per core, but its shared L3 cache is much larger at 128 MB. That larger L3 gives the AMD chip a notable advantage in workloads that repeatedly access a large working set. The transistor counts reflect the different approaches: the AMD EPYC 7343 is listed with 16,600 million transistors across a 4x 81 mm² die arrangement, while the Intel part does not have transistor or die size data recorded.

Memory architecture also diverges. The Intel Xeon 6515P supports DDR5 with 409.6 GB/s of bandwidth, while the AMD EPYC 7343 supports DDR4 with 204.8 GB/s. Both use eight-channel memory buses and both support ECC memory. In terms of expansion, the AMD part offers 128 PCIe Gen 4 lanes, while the Intel part offers 88 PCIe Gen 5 lanes. Neither processor includes integrated graphics. Both are locked multipliers, and both target the server/workstation market segment, with production status listed as active.

Specification Differences

The core and thread counts are identical: 16 cores and 32 threads on both processors. The differences begin with clock speeds. The Intel Xeon 6515P has a base clock of 2.30 GHz and a boost clock of 3.80 GHz. The AMD EPYC 7343 runs at a higher 3.20 GHz base clock and a 3.90 GHz boost clock. Despite the higher clocks, the AMD part has a higher thermal design power: 190 watts versus 150 watts for the Intel chip.

The sockets are incompatible. The Intel Xeon 6515P uses Intel Socket 4710, while the AMD EPYC 7343 uses AMD Socket SP3. The process nodes differ as noted: 5 nm for Intel versus 7 nm for AMD. Memory support differs by generation: DDR5 for Intel, DDR4 for AMD. The memory bandwidth figures are 409.6 GB/s for Intel and 204.8 GB/s for AMD, both over eight channels. PCIe capabilities differ in both generation and lane count: Gen 5 with 88 lanes for Intel, Gen 4 with 128 lanes for AMD.

The release dates are far apart. The AMD EPYC 7343 launched on 2021-03-14, while the Intel Xeon 6515P launched on 2025-02-23. The launch MSRP for the Intel Xeon 6515P is $740, and the launch MSRP for the AMD EPYC 7343 is $1565. The part numbers are SRVU6 for Intel and 100-000000338100-100000338WOF for AMD.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The Cinebench suite shows a remarkably consistent pattern. Across R15, R20, and R23, the Intel Xeon 6515P wins every multicore and single-core test by 3.9% to 4.0%. In Cinebench R15 multicore, the Intel part scores 3885 against 3739. In R15 single-core, it scores 548 against 527. The R20 results show 16189 versus 15580 in multicore and 2285 versus 2199 in single-core. R23 continues the trend with 38547 versus 37097 in multicore and 5442 versus 5237 in single-core. The consistency of the 3.9% margin across every Cinebench iteration suggests a stable clock-for-clock or IPC relationship between the two chips in this workload.

PassMark results are more divided. The Intel Xeon 6515P dominates PassMark extended instructions with a score of 53383 versus 35626, a 49.8% advantage. Floating-point math shows a similar gap: 128954 versus 86311, a 49.4% lead for Intel. These are the two largest margins in the entire comparison, indicating that the Intel architecture has a substantial advantage in SIMD and FP-heavy code paths. The Intel part also wins PassMark multithread (45350 versus 43644, 3.9%), data compression (592645 versus 589770, 0.5%), find prime numbers (385 versus 382, 0.8%), and single-thread (2855 versus 2740, 4.2%).

The AMD EPYC 7343 takes its wins in four specific areas. The largest is PassMark physics, where it scores 4774 against 3829, a 19.8% advantage. PassMark data encryption shows an 18.6% lead for AMD: 37454 versus 30476. PassMark integer math favors the AMD part at 156033 versus 147047, a 5.8% margin. Finally, PassMark random string sorting goes to AMD at 67576 versus 64425, a 4.7% lead. These results indicate that the Zen 3 architecture retains strength in integer-heavy, latency-sensitive, and cryptographic workloads, even as the newer Intel design pulls ahead in floating-point and vectorized operations.

The average benchmark scores in the database place the Intel Xeon 6515P at 67006 and the AMD EPYC 7343 at 64202. The Intel part's nearest rivals by average score include the AMD EPYC 4465P at 66925 (0.1% behind) and the Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX at 67469 (0.7% ahead). The AMD EPYC 7343's nearest rivals include the Intel Core i9-13900KS at 64051 (0.2% behind) and the Intel Core Ultra 7 265 at 64640 (0.7% ahead). Both chips occupy a dense performance neighborhood, but the Intel Xeon 6515P sits slightly higher in the aggregate, and its win count of 13 out of 17 head-to-head tests confirms that its advantages are broader, if not universal.