AMD EPYC 73F3 vs Intel Core i7-7700 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data shows a complete sweep for the AMD EPYC 73F3 across all six head-to-head comparisons. Every benchmark in this matchup, from Cinebench R15 through R23, both single-core and multi-core, ends with the EPYC 73F3 ahead by a uniform 81.3% margin. This consistency is striking: the performance gap does not vary by workload type or thread count. Whether the task leans on a single core or engages all available threads, the relative difference remains identical.

Starting with Cinebench R15, the Intel Core i7-7700 scores 740 in multi-core, while the AMD EPYC 73F3 posts 3949. The delta is 81.3% in favor of the EPYC. In single-core R15, the i7-7700 manages 104, compared to 557 from the EPYC 73F3, again an 81.3% gap. Moving to Cinebench R20, the multi-core result shows 3084 for the i7-7700 against 16458 for the EPYC 73F3. The single-core R20 numbers are 435 and 2323, respectively. Cinebench R23 follows the same pattern: 7344 versus 39187 in multi-core, and 1036 versus 5532 in single-core.

The uniformity of the 81.3% delta across all six tests suggests that the performance advantage is structural rather than workload-specific. It is not the case that the EPYC 73F3 excels only in heavily threaded scenarios while the i7-7700 closes the gap in single-threaded tasks. The single-core tests show the same relative deficit for the Intel part as the multi-core tests do. This indicates a fundamental per-core performance difference, not merely a core-count advantage.

It is notably the Intel Core i7-7700 achieves zero wins in this comparison. The wins column reads 0 for the i7-7700 and 6 for the AMD EPYC 73F3. No benchmark in the head-to-head set favors the Intel processor, even by a small margin. The data does not show any test where the i7-7700 comes out ahead, nor does it show a test where the margin narrows below the 81.3% figure.

Looking at the broader benchmark database, the Intel Core i7-7700 has an average benchmark score of 11914, placing it at the 67th percentile among all CPUs tracked. The AMD EPYC 73F3 has an average benchmark score of 11334, also at the 67th percentile. Despite the EPYC 73F3 winning every head-to-head comparison, its overall average score is actually lower than the i7-7700's. This is because the average benchmark score aggregates across a wider range of tests, many of which are not included in the head-to-head set. The i7-7700 has additional benchmark entries in the database, such as Geekbench and Passmark tests, that are not part of the direct comparison.

The nearest rivals for the Intel Core i7-7700 include the AMD EPYC 7453 with an average score of 11912 and a delta of 0%, the AMD Ryzen 5 3500X at 12000 with a delta of -0.7%, the Intel Xeon Bronze 3408U at 12019 with a delta of -0.9%, and the Intel Xeon Gold 6314U at 12026 with a delta of -0.9%. For the AMD EPYC 73F3, the nearest rivals are the AMD EPYC 7402 at 11312 with a delta of 0.2%, the Intel Core i5-1145G7 at 11279 with a delta of 0.5%, the AMD EPYC 7452 at 11279 with a delta of 0.5%, and the Intel Core i3-1305U at 11200 with a delta of 1.2%. These figures place each processor in a different competitive neighborhood, despite sharing the same overall percentile rank.

FAQ

Q: Which processor wins every head-to-head benchmark in the database?

A: The AMD EPYC 73F3 wins all six head-to-head benchmarks against the Intel Core i7-7700. The wins cover Cinebench R15, R20, and R23, in both single-core and multi-core variants.

Q: What is the performance difference between the two in Cinebench R23 multi-core?

A: The Intel Core i7-7700 scores 7344, while the AMD EPYC 73F3 scores 39187. The EPYC 73F3 leads by 81.3% in this test.

Q: Does the Intel Core i7-7700 win any single-core test?

A: No. The single-core results show the EPYC 73F3 ahead by 81.3% in all three Cinebench versions. The i7-7700 scores 104, 435, and 1036 in R15, R20, and R23 single-core tests, respectively, while the EPYC 73F3 scores 557, 2323, and 5532.

Q: How do the average benchmark scores compare?

A: The Intel Core i7-7700 has an average benchmark score of 11914, while the AMD EPYC 73F3 has an average benchmark score of 11334. The i7-7700 is higher despite losing every head-to-head test, because its average includes additional benchmarks like Geekbench and Passmark that are not part of the direct comparison set.

Q: What percentile rank do both processors hold?

A: Both the Intel Core i7-7700 and the AMD EPYC 73F3 are at the 67th percentile among all CPUs in the database. This means they outperform roughly two-thirds of all recorded processors, despite their very different benchmark profiles.

Q: Are there any benchmarks where the Intel part is competitive?

A: Within the head-to-head set, no. The smallest margin recorded is still 81.3% in favor of the EPYC 73F3. The only tests where the i7-7700 appears competitive are outside the direct comparison, such as its Passmark single-thread score of 2442, which is not compared against the EPYC 73F3 in the head-to-head data.

The Verdict

The data points to a clear choice for anyone prioritizing raw compute throughput. The AMD EPYC 73F3 outperforms the Intel Core i7-7700 by an identical 81.3% margin across every benchmark in the head-to-head set. If the workload is Cinebench-based rendering or similar multi-threaded tasks, the EPYC 73F3 is the only rational pick based on these measurements. Its multi-core R23 score of 39187 is more than five times the i7-7700's 7344.

For single-threaded performance, the EPYC 73F3 also takes the lead, which is notable because the i7-7700 has a higher boost clock of 4.20 GHz compared to the EPYC 73F3's 4.00 GHz. Despite the clock disadvantage, the EPYC 73F3 still manages to be 81.3% faster in single-core tests. This suggests that the architectural efficiency of Zen 3 more than compensates for the lower clock speed.

The Intel Core i7-7700, however, has its own strengths when viewed outside the head-to-head scope. Its average benchmark score of 11914 is higher than the EPYC 73F3's 11334, driven by strong showings in Passmark and Geekbench tests. The i7-7700 also consumes far less power, with a TDP of 65 watts versus 240 watts for the EPYC 73F3. For a desktop user with modest multi-threaded demands, the i7-7700 may still serve adequately, but the direct comparison data does not support choosing it over the EPYC 73F3 for any Cinebench workload.

The verdict from the head-to-head data is unambiguous: the AMD EPYC 73F3 is the superior processor for every benchmark tested. The Intel part does not win a single test, and the margin is consistent at 81.3%. Any user selecting between these two for performance should choose the EPYC 73F3 based on these recorded results alone.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ in nearly every fundamental specification. The Intel Core i7-7700 has 4 cores and 8 threads, while the AMD EPYC 73F3 has 16 cores and 32 threads. The base clock of the i7-7700 is 3.60 GHz, slightly higher than the EPYC 73F3's 3.50 GHz. The boost clock also favors Intel: 4.20 GHz versus 4.00 GHz.

The TDP figures are dramatically different. The i7-7700 draws 65 watts, while the EPYC 73F3 draws 240 watts. The socket types are incompatible: Intel uses Socket 1151, while AMD uses Socket SP3. Memory support differs as well, with the i7-7700 using dual-channel DDR4 and the EPYC 73F3 using eight-channel DDR4. The memory bandwidth figures reflect this: 38.4 GB/s for the i7-7700 versus 204.8 GB/s for the EPYC 73F3.

ECC memory support is absent on the i7-7700 but present on the EPYC 73F3. The PCIe capabilities also differ: the i7-7700 offers Gen 3 with 16 lanes (CPU only), while the EPYC 73F3 offers Gen 4 with 128 lanes (CPU only). The i7-7700 includes integrated graphics (HD 630), while the EPYC 73F3 has no integrated graphics. The release dates are far apart: January 2017 for the i7-7700 and March 2021 for the EPYC 73F3.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap between these two processors is substantial. The Intel Core i7-7700 uses the Kaby Lake architecture on a 14 nm process node, fabricated by Intel. The AMD EPYC 73F3 uses the Zen 3 architecture (codename Milan) on a 7 nm process node, fabricated by TSMC. The transistor count and die size are only recorded for the EPYC 73F3: 33,200 million transistors across 8x 81 mm² dies. No comparable figures exist in the database for the i7-7700.

Cache hierarchies differ as well. Both have 64 KB of L1 cache per core, but the L2 cache differs: 256 KB per core on the i7-7700 versus 512 KB per core on the EPYC 73F3. The L3 cache is a major point of separation: the i7-7700 has 8 MB shared, while the EPYC 73F3 has 256 MB shared. That is a 32-fold difference in L3 capacity, which explains much of the performance gap in cache-sensitive workloads.

The memory architecture is also distinct. The i7-7700 runs dual-channel DDR4 with 38.4 GB/s bandwidth, while the EPYC 73F3 runs eight-channel DDR4 with 204.8 GB/s. The EPYC 73F3's memory bandwidth is more than five times higher, which directly benefits multi-threaded workloads that saturate memory. The market segments differ too: the i7-7700 is a desktop part, while the EPYC 73F3 is aimed at server and workstation environments.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD EPYC 73F3 wins every benchmark in the head-to-head comparison. Its advantages are most pronounced in multi-threaded Cinebench tests, where the combination of 16 cores, 32 threads, 256 MB of L3 cache, and eight-channel memory bandwidth delivers scores of 3949 in R15, 16458 in R20, and 39187 in R23. These are the workloads where the EPYC 73F3's server-oriented design pays off: heavily parallel rendering, computation, or data processing tasks that can use all available cores and memory channels.

The EPYC 73F3 also wins single-core tests, scoring 557 in R15, 2323 in R20, and 5532 in R23. This is notable because the i7-7700 has a higher boost clock (4.20 GHz versus 4.00 GHz), yet still loses by 81.3%. The Zen 3 architecture's instruction-level efficiency and larger L3 cache (256 MB versus 8 MB) contribute to this per-core advantage.

The Intel Core i7-7700, despite losing all head-to-head benchmarks, has areas where its overall database profile is stronger. Its average benchmark score of 11914 exceeds the EPYC 73F3's 11334, driven by Passmark tests such as data compression (122429), integer math (27538), and single-thread performance (2442). These Passmark scores are not part of the head-to-head comparison, so they do not count toward the wins tally. However, they indicate that the i7-7700 is a capable processor for lighter desktop workloads, especially given its 65-watt TDP.

In practical terms, the i7-7700 is better suited for everyday desktop use, office productivity, and light content creation where power consumption and integrated graphics matter. The EPYC 73F3 is the clear winner for server workloads, heavy rendering, virtualization, or any task that can exploit 32 threads and 204.8 GB/s of memory bandwidth. The data does not show any head-to-head test where the i7-7700 wins, so for pure performance per the recorded benchmarks, the EPYC 73F3 is the definitive choice.