AMD EPYC 7401P vs Intel Xeon W-1290P Comparison

The Verdict

The recorded data presents a sharply split picture. The AMD EPYC 7401P wins six of the eight head-to-head benchmark comparisons, dominating every Cinebench iteration, both multi-core and single-core. Its advantage there is consistent and large, with a 24.5% lead across all six Cinebench tests. The Intel Xeon W-1290P, however, wins both Geekbench tests, and by an even wider margin: it is 47.3% ahead in Geekbench multi-core and 53.8% ahead in Geekbench single-core.

The EPYC 7401P is the choice for workloads that resemble Cinebench: heavily threaded rendering and content creation, where its 24 cores and 48 threads simply outmuscle the Intel part. The Intel Xeon W-1290P is the pick for Geekbench-style workloads, which appear to favor its much higher clock speeds and newer architecture. The data also shows the EPYC 7401P sits at the 61st percentile of all CPUs, while the Xeon W-1290P sits at the 60th, so the two are effectively peers in overall standing. The EPYC 7401P has a higher average benchmark score of 5814 versus 5443 for the Intel part, a difference of roughly 6.8%. Buyers should let the specific application decide: the AMD part for Cinebench-class rendering, the Intel part for Geekbench-class responsiveness.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from different eras and different design philosophies. The AMD EPYC 7401P is a 2017 server part built on the Zen architecture with the codename Naples. It uses a 14 nm process from GlobalFoundries and packs 4,800 million transistors on a 213 mm² die. It has 24 cores and 48 threads, with a base clock of 2000.00 MHz and a boost clock of 3.00 GHz. Its cache layout is generous: 96 KB of L1 per core, 512 KB of L2 per core, and 64 MB of shared L3. It supports DDR4 memory over an eight-channel bus, yielding a memory bandwidth of 170.6 GB/s. It has no integrated graphics and uses AMD Socket SP3.

The Intel Xeon W-1290P is a 2020 part built on the Comet Lake architecture, which the database lists as a 10 nm process from Intel. It has 10 cores and 20 threads, with a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz. Its die size is 206 mm², and it carries 64 KB of L1 per core, 256 KB of L2 per core, and 20 MB of shared L3. It also supports DDR4, but over a dual-channel bus, with a memory bandwidth of 46.9 GB/s, less than a third of the AMD part's bandwidth. It includes integrated graphics in the form of UHD Graphics P630, uses Intel Socket 1200, and its multiplier is locked, whereas the EPYC 7401P has an unlocked multiplier.

The most consequential architectural differences are core count and memory bandwidth. The EPYC 7401P has 2.4 times the cores and 3.6 times the memory bandwidth. The Xeon W-1290P counters with a 1.85 GHz higher base clock and a 2.30 GHz higher boost clock, plus integrated graphics. The transistor count for the Intel part is not recorded in the database, so a direct comparison there is not possible.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The Cinebench results are uniformly in favor of the AMD EPYC 7401P, and the margin is identical in every test: 24.5%. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the EPYC scores 2384 against 1915 for the Xeon. In R15 single-core, it is 336 against 270. In R20 multi-core, the EPYC scores 9937 against 7983. In R20 single-core, it is 1402 against 1126. In R23 multi-core, the EPYC scores 23660 against 19008. In R23 single-core, it is 3340 against 2683. The consistency of this 24.5% delta across all six Cinebench tests suggests a systematic advantage rather than a workload-specific quirk. The EPYC's higher core count and larger L3 cache likely drive its multi-core wins, while its single-core Cinebench win is more surprising given the Xeon's higher clocks, but the data is unambiguous.

The Geekbench results flip the script entirely. The Intel Xeon W-1290P wins Geekbench multi-core with a score of 8852 against 4666 for the EPYC, a delta of 47.3%. In Geekbench single-core, the Xeon scores 1703 against 787, a delta of 53.8%. These are enormous margins, larger than the EPYC's Cinebench wins. The Geekbench suite appears to reward the Xeon's 5.30 GHz boost clock and Comet Lake architecture, and it punishes the EPYC's relatively low 3.00 GHz boost and older Zen design.

It is importantly the EPYC's average benchmark score of 5814 is higher than the Xeon's 5443, and its nearest rival in the database is the Intel Xeon E-2388G with an average score of 5805, just 0.2% behind. The Xeon W-1290P's nearest rival is the AMD Ryzen Threadripper 1920 with an average score of 5425, just 0.3% behind. So the EPYC 7401P edges out the Xeon W-1290P in overall average performance, but the Xeon's Geekbench dominance shows that average scores hide significant workload-dependent swings.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ in nearly every major specification category. The EPYC 7401P has 24 cores and 48 threads, while the Xeon W-1290P has 10 cores and 20 threads. The EPYC's base clock is 2000.00 MHz versus 3700.00 MHz for the Xeon, and its boost clock is 3.00 GHz versus 5.30 GHz. The EPYC has a TDP of 170 watts, the Xeon 125 watts. The EPYC uses AMD Socket SP3, the Xeon Intel Socket 1200. The EPYC's cache is 96 KB L1 per core, 512 KB L2 per core, and 64 MB shared L3; the Xeon's is 64 KB L1 per core, 256 KB L2 per core, and 20 MB shared L3.

Memory support differs substantially: both support DDR4, but the EPYC runs eight-channel with 170.6 GB/s bandwidth, while the Xeon runs dual-channel with 46.9 GB/s. Both support ECC memory. The EPYC has no integrated graphics; the Xeon includes UHD Graphics P630. The EPYC's PCIe is Gen 3, while the Xeon's is Gen 3 with 16 lanes (CPU only). The EPYC's process node is 14 nm from GlobalFoundries; the Xeon's is 10 nm from Intel. The EPYC's die size is 213 mm², the Xeon's 206 mm². The EPYC has an unlocked multiplier; the Xeon's is locked. The EPYC's part number is PS740PBEVHCAF, the Xeon's is SRKT7. The EPYC was released on 2017-06-28, the Xeon on 2020-05-12. The Xeon has a launch MSRP of $539; the EPYC's launch MSRP is not recorded in the database.

FAQ

Q: Which processor wins more head-to-head benchmarks?

A: The AMD EPYC 7401P wins 6 of the 8 head-to-head comparisons. The Intel Xeon W-1290P wins the remaining 2.

Q: How large is the AMD EPYC 7401P's lead in Cinebench R23 multi-core?

A: The EPYC 7401P scores 23660 in Cinebench R23 multi-core, while the Xeon W-1290P scores 19008, giving the AMD part a 24.5% advantage.

Q: How large is the Intel Xeon W-1290P's lead in Geekbench single-core?

A: The Xeon W-1290P scores 1703 in Geekbench single-core, while the EPYC 7401P scores 787, giving the Intel part a 53.8% advantage.

Q: Which processor has more cores and threads?

A: The AMD EPYC 7401P has 24 cores and 48 threads. The Intel Xeon W-1290P has 10 cores and 20 threads.

Q: Which processor has higher clock speeds?

A: The Intel Xeon W-1290P has a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz. The AMD EPYC 7401P has a base clock of 2000.00 MHz and a boost clock of 3.00 GHz.

Q: Which processor supports more memory bandwidth?

A: The AMD EPYC 7401P supports 170.6 GB/s over an eight-channel DDR4 bus. The Intel Xeon W-1290P supports 46.9 GB/s over a dual-channel DDR4 bus.

Q: Which processor has integrated graphics?

A: The Intel Xeon W-1290P includes UHD Graphics P630. The AMD EPYC 7401P has no integrated graphics.