AMD EPYC 7352 vs Intel Core Ultra 7 265K Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark comparison between the Intel Core Ultra 7 265K and the AMD EPYC 7352 reveals a lopsided contest, with the Intel part winning 15 of 17 recorded tests. The two workloads where AMD strikes back are narrow but notable, while Intel's victories range from marginal to overwhelming.

Starting with the largest deltas, the Intel Core Ultra 7 265K dominates single-threaded performance. In the PassMark single-thread test, Intel scores 4928 against AMD's 1979, a 149% advantage. That is the single biggest gap in the entire comparison. The Cinebench R15 single-core test tells a similar story: Intel posts 708, AMD manages 488, a 45.1% lead. In Cinebench R20 single-core, Intel's 2953 versus AMD's 2034 translates to a 45.2% margin. The pattern is consistent: for any workload that relies on one thread, the Intel part is dramatically faster.

Multi-threaded performance is closer, but Intel still holds the edge in most tests. In Cinebench R15 multicore, Intel scores 5020 against AMD's 3458, a 45.2% difference. Cinebench R20 multicore shows Intel at 20918 versus 14411, again a 45.2% margin. PassMark multithread gives Intel 58594 and AMD 40370, a 45.1% lead. The Cinebench R23 multicore result is far tighter: Intel's 35850 barely edges AMD's 34314, a 4.5% difference. This suggests that at sustained all-core loads in certain rendering scenarios, the EPYC's 24 cores and 48 threads can nearly close the gap, but not fully overtake.

Floating-point math is another area of massive Intel superiority. PassMark floating point math shows Intel at 189629 versus AMD's 87969, a 115.6% advantage. Prime number finding also heavily favors Intel: 491 versus 301, a 63.1% gap. Extended instruction workloads give Intel 54333 against AMD's 40203, a 35.1% lead. Physics simulation in PassMark favors Intel 3731 to 2688, a 38.8% difference. Random string sorting shows Intel at 79752, AMD at 69231, a 15.2% advantage. Data encryption favors Intel 48246 to 44426, an 8.6% margin. Data compression is the closest overall: Intel's 665554 barely beats AMD's 660712, a 0.7% difference.

AMD's two wins come in specific niches. In PassMark integer math, AMD scores 148605 against Intel's 143242, a 3.6% edge. The more striking result is Cinebench R23 single-core, where AMD scores 4844 versus Intel's 2020, a 58.3% lead in AMD's favor. This is an anomaly worth noting: in every other single-threaded test, Intel wins by a wide margin. The discrepancy likely reflects different measurement conditions or workload characteristics across benchmark versions, but the database records it as a clear AMD victory.

The Verdict

The data points to two different intended use cases. The Intel Core Ultra 7 265K is the stronger all-around processor for desktop workloads, winning 15 of 17 head-to-head tests. It leads in single-threaded responsiveness, most multi-threaded rendering tasks, encryption, compression, floating-point math, and physics simulation. Its average benchmark score of 70879 places it in the 94th percentile of all CPUs, with its nearest rivals being the Intel Xeon 6511P at 71051 (0.2% ahead) and the Intel Xeon Platinum 8270 at 71370 (0.7% ahead). The Intel part also sits ahead of the Core i7-14700KF by 1% and the Ryzen 7 9700F by 1.3%.

The AMD EPYC 7352, with an average benchmark score of 68118, also sits in the 94th percentile, but its nearest rivals tell a different story: the EPYC 9184X is 0.1% ahead, the Ryzen Threadripper PRO 5955WX is 0.4% behind, and the EPYC 4484PX is 0.4% behind. The EPYC's niche is clear from the two tests it wins: integer math and Cinebench R23 single-core. For workloads that depend primarily on integer arithmetic or that align with the Zen 2 architecture's Cinebench R23 single-thread behavior, the EPYC is the better choice. For everything else in the recorded benchmarks, the Intel part wins.

A user building a desktop system for general productivity, content creation, or mixed workloads should choose the Intel Core Ultra 7 265K based on the benchmark data. A user deploying a server or workstation that prioritizes integer-heavy calculations, or that specifically benefits from the EPYC's 48 threads in a narrow set of scenarios, may prefer the AMD EPYC 7352. The Intel part is also the only one of the two with integrated graphics, which may simplify system builds.

FAQ

Q: Which CPU has the higher single-threaded performance?

A: In most tests, the Intel Core Ultra 7 265K. It leads by 149% in PassMark single-thread, 45.1% in Cinebench R15 single-core, and 45.2% in Cinebench R20 single-core. However, the AMD EPYC 7352 wins Cinebench R23 single-core by 58.3%, scoring 4844 versus Intel's 2020.

Q: How do the two compare in multi-threaded rendering?

A: Intel leads in Cinebench R15 multicore by 45.2% (5020 versus 3458), in Cinebench R20 multicore by 45.2% (20918 versus 14411), and in Cinebench R23 multicore by 4.5% (35850 versus 34314). PassMark multithread also favors Intel by 45.1% (58594 versus 40370).

Q: Which CPU handles integer math better?

A: The AMD EPYC 7352 wins PassMark integer math with a score of 148605 against Intel's 143242, a 3.6% margin. Intel wins PassMark find prime numbers at 491 versus AMD's 301, a 63.1% difference.**

Q: What is the memory bandwidth difference between the two?

A: The AMD EPYC 7352 has eight-channel memory support with a bandwidth of 204.8 GB/s. The Intel Core Ultra 265K has dual-channel memory support with a bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s. The EPYC's total L3 cache is 128 MB, while Intel has 30 MB shared.**

Q: Which processor has more cores and threads?

A: The AMD EPYC 7352 has 24 cores and 48 threads. The Intel Core Ultra 7 265K has 20 cores and 20 threads. Despite fewer cores and no simultaneous multithreading, the Intel part wins most multi-threaded benchmarks.**

Q: Do both CPUs support ECC memory?

A: Yes, both the Intel Core Ultra 7 265K and the AMD EPYC 7352 support ECC memory. The Intel part supports DDR5, while the AMD part supports DDR4.**

Specification Differences

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265K and AMD EPYC 7352 differ across nearly every major specification field. Intel has 20 cores and 20 threads, with a base clock of 3.90 GHz and a boost clock of 5.50 GHz. AMD has 24 cores and 48 threads, with a base clock of 2.30 GHz and a boost clock of 3.20 GHz. The Intel TDP is 125 watts, while the AMD TDP is 155 watts. Intel uses Socket 1851; AMD uses Socket SP3. The Intel part has a launch MSRP of $394; the AMD part has a launch MSRP of $1350. Intel's multiplier is unlocked; AMD's is locked. Intel's market segment is Desktop; AMD's is Server/Workstation. Intel was released on 2024-10-23; AMD on 2019-08-06. Intel's part number is SRQCW; AMD's is 100-000000077. Intel has integrated Arc Xe-LPG Graphics with 64 execution units; AMD has no integrated graphics. Intel supports DDR5 with a dual-channel memory bus; AMD supports DDR4 with an eight-channel memory bus. Memory bandwidth differs: Intel at 102.4 GB/s, AMD at 204.8 GB/s. Intel provides PCIe Gen 5 with 20 lanes (CPU only); AMD provides PCIe Gen 4 with 128 lanes (CPU only).

Architecture Differences

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265K is built on Arrow Lake architecture (Arrow Lake-S), part of the Core Ultra Series 2. It uses a 3 nm process node at TSMC, with 17,800 million transistors on a 243 mm² die. The AMD EPYC 7352 uses Zen 2 architecture (Rome), part of the EPYC 7002 series. It uses a 7 nm process node at TSMC, with 15,200 million transistors across 4x 74 mm² dies.

Cache layouts differ substantially. Intel provides 192 KB of L1 cache per core, 3 MB of L2 cache per core, and 30 MB of shared L3 cache. AMD provides 96 KB of L1 cache per core, 512 KB of L2 cache per core, and 32 MB of L3 cache per die, totaling 128 MB of L3 cache. Neither part has 3D V-Cache.

Generation and codename differ: Intel is generation Ultra 7 (Arrow Lake), AMD is generation EPYC (Zen 2 Rome). The production status for both is Active.

Where Each One Wins

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265K wins in the overwhelming majority of recorded benchmarks. It takes all Cinebench R15 and R20 tests, both single-core and multicore, with margins around 45%. It wins Cinebench R23 multicore by 4.5%. It wins PassMark data compression, data encryption, extended instructions, find prime numbers, floating-point math, multithread, physics, random string sorting, and single-thread tests. The single-thread victory is especially pronounced at 149%. For a desktop user running typical applications, content creation tools, or mixed productivity workloads, the Intel part is the clear choice from this data.

The AMD EPYC 7352 wins two tests: PassMark integer math by 3.6% and Cinebench R23 single-core by 58.3%. For workloads that emphasize integer arithmetic, such as certain database or financial calculations, the EPYC shows a measurable advantage. The Cinebench R23 single-core result is an outlier relative to the other single-threaded tests, but it is recorded in the database as a decisive AMD win. Additionally, the EPYC offers 48 threads versus Intel's 20, and 128 MB of L3 cache versus Intel's 30 MB, which may benefit workloads not captured in these specific benchmarks. The EPYC also supports eight-channel memory with 204.8 GB/s bandwidth, double Intel's 102.4 GB/s, and provides 128 PCIe Gen 4 lanes versus Intel's 20 Gen 5 lanes, making it the more capable platform for heavily parallel memory access and high-lane-count expansion scenarios.