AMD EPYC 7413 vs Intel Xeon 6736P Comparison

The Verdict

The Intel Xeon 6736P and AMD EPYC 7413 are both active server/workstation processors that end up in very different places on the benchmark chart. The recorded data shows the AMD EPYC 7413 wins 12 of the 17 head-to-head comparisons, while the Intel Xeon 6736P takes 5. However, the average benchmark score tells a different story: the Xeon 6736P sits at 87864, which is 9.8% above the EPYC 7413's 80041. That gap exists because the Xeon wins the heavier, more demanding workloads by large margins, while the EPYC's victories are mostly narrow.

The Xeon 6736P is the pick for workloads that stress floating point math, compression, string sorting, and extended instruction sets. It holds a 96th percentile ranking among all CPUs, and its nearest rivals in the database are the Intel Xeon 6731P at 87756 (0.1% behind) and the Intel Xeon w7-2575X at 88172 (0.3% ahead). The EPYC 7413 sits at the 95th percentile, with nearest rivals including the Intel Core i9-14900KF at 79371 (0.8% behind) and the Intel Xeon w5-2565X at 80671 (0.8% ahead).

For buyers who run mixed server workloads, the EPYC 7413 offers more consistent wins across the Cinebench suite and several PassMark integer and encryption tests. But for anyone who needs maximum throughput in math-heavy or data-compression tasks, the Xeon 6736P is clearly the stronger unit. The EPYC's single-thread advantage is also notable, but it comes from a higher base clock, not from architectural superiority in the benchmark results.

Where Each One Wins

The Xeon 6736P wins its five head-to-head matchups in categories that reward raw compute throughput and vector processing. The largest win is in PassMark physics, where it scores 6531 against the EPYC's 4708, a 38.7% advantage. Floating point math shows a 26% lead (149770 vs 118881), random string sorting is 27.8% ahead (103723 vs 81134), and extended instructions are 21.6% ahead (55563 vs 45696). Data compression is the smallest Xeon win at 11.3% (796658 vs 715616). These are not marginal victories; they are substantial enough to change hardware selection for computation-heavy server roles.

The EPYC 7413 wins 12 comparisons, but most by small margins. Every Cinebench test (R15, R20, R23, both single and multi-core) goes to the EPYC by 1.1%. PassMark multithread also lands at 1.1% (50641 vs 50072). The EPYC wins PassMark single thread by 15.7% (2400 vs 2024), which is its largest margin. It also wins data encryption by 4.7% (48492 vs 46236), integer math by 4.1% (215629 vs 206833), and find prime numbers by 1.3% (397 vs 392).

The pattern is clear: the EPYC 7413 is consistently ahead in general-purpose and single-threaded tasks, while the Xeon 6736P dominates in specialized throughput. The Cinebench results show the EPYC ahead in both rendering-style multicore and single-core tests, which suggests a well-balanced core design, but the magnitude of those wins is small compared to the Xeon's specialty advantages.

Architecture Differences

The Xeon 6736P is built on Intel's Granite Rapids architecture, on a 5 nm process from Intel's own foundry. It packs 36 cores and 72 threads, with a base clock of 2.00 GHz and a boost clock of 4.10 GHz. The die size is 598 mm², and the TDP is 205 W. It uses Intel Socket 4710 and is part of the Xeon 6 (Granite Rapids-SP) generation.

The EPYC 7413 belongs to the EPYC 7003 series, built on Zen 3 architecture (codename Milan) on a 7 nm process from TSMC. It has 24 cores and 48 threads, with a base clock of 2.65 GHz and a boost clock of 3.60 GHz. The die is composed of 4x 81 mm² chiplets, totaling 16,600 million transistors. It uses AMD Socket SP3 and has a 180 W TDP.

Cache hierarchies differ significantly. The Xeon has 112 KB of L1 per core, 2 MB of L2 per core, and 144 MB of shared L3. The EPYC has 64 KB of L1 per core, 512 KB of L2 per core, and 128 MB of shared L3. The Xeon's larger per-core L2 and 16 MB larger L3 likely contribute to its compression and string-sorting wins. The EPYC's smaller per-core caches but higher base clock help explain its single-thread advantage.

Memory support separates the two clearly. The Xeon uses DDR5 with an eight-channel bus and 409.6 GB/s of memory bandwidth. The EPYC uses DDR4 with an eight-channel bus and 204.8 GB/s of bandwidth. That is exactly double the bandwidth for the Xeon, which aligns with its strong performance in bandwidth-sensitive tests like floating point math and data compression. Both support ECC memory.

PCIe connectivity also differs. The Xeon offers Gen 5 with 88 lanes (CPU only), while the EPYC offers Gen 4 with 128 lanes (CPU only). The EPYC has more lanes but an older standard. Neither has integrated graphics. The Xeon's launch MSRP is $3351, and the EPYC's launch MSRP is $1825.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has more cores and threads?

A: The Intel Xeon 6736P has 36 cores and 72 threads, while the AMD EPYC 7413 has 24 cores and 48 threads.

Q: Which processor wins in single-threaded performance?

A: The AMD EPYC 7413 wins PassMark single thread with a score of 2400 versus 2024 for the Xeon, a 15.7% advantage. It also wins every Cinebench single-core test by 1.1%.

Q: Which processor has higher memory bandwidth?

A: The Intel Xeon 6736P has 409.6 GB/s of memory bandwidth over eight channels of DDR5, exactly double the EPYC 7413's 204.8 GB/s over eight channels of DDR4.

Q: How do the two compare in Cinebench R23 multicore?

A: The AMD EPYC 7413 scores 43044, while the Intel Xeon 6736P scores 42561, a 1.1% difference in favor of the EPYC.

Q: What is the biggest single benchmark margin between the two?

A: The largest margin is in PassMark physics, where the Intel Xeon 6736P scores 6531 versus 4708 for the EPYC 7413, a 38.7% lead.

Q: Which processor has a higher boost clock?

A: The Intel Xeon 6736P has a boost clock of 4.10 GHz, while the AMD EPYC 7413 has a boost clock of 3.60 GHz. The EPYC has a higher base clock at 2.65 GHz versus 2.00 GHz.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The Cinebench suite is uniformly close. In Cinebench R15 multicore, the EPYC scores 4338 against the Xeon's 4290, a 1.1% margin. The same 1.1% appears in R15 single-core (612 vs 605), R20 multicore (18078 vs 17875), R20 single-core (2551 vs 2523), R23 multicore (43044 vs 42561), and R23 single-core (6076 vs 6008). The consistency of that 1.1% across all six tests suggests the EPYC's core design scales evenly across the Cinebench workload, regardless of thread count or rendering complexity.

PassMark multithread follows the same pattern: the EPYC scores 50641, the Xeon 50072, again a 1.1% margin. Find prime numbers is nearly identical, with the EPYC at 397 and the Xeon at 392, a 1.3% edge. Integer math shows a slightly larger EPYC win at 4.1% (215629 vs 206833), and data encryption goes to the EPYC by 4.7% (48492 vs 46236). PassMark single thread is the EPYC's strongest result at 15.7% (2400 vs 2024).

The Xeon's wins are larger in absolute terms. Floating point math shows the Xeon at 149770 versus 118881, a 26% lead. Random string sorting goes to the Xeon at 103723 versus 81134, a 27.8% margin. Extended instructions favor the Xeon at 55563 versus 45696, a 21.6% lead. Data compression is the Xeon's smallest win at 11.3% (796658 vs 715616). PassMark physics is the standout: 6531 for the Xeon versus 4708 for the EPYC, a 38.7% advantage.

The database's average benchmark score calculation lands the Xeon at 87864 and the EPYC at 80041, a difference of 9.8%. That average weights the Xeon's specialty wins heavily. The nearest rivals for the Xeon are the Intel Xeon 6731P at 87756 (0.1% behind) and the Intel Xeon w7-2575X at 88172 (0.3% ahead), meaning the Xeon 6736P sits in a tightly contested cluster at the top of its segment. The EPYC's nearest rivals include the Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus at 79574 (0.6% behind) and the Intel Xeon w5-2565X at 80671 (0.8% ahead), placing it in a similarly competitive bracket.

The data does not support a single universal winner. The EPYC 7413 is the more balanced processor, winning the majority of tests but by narrow margins. The Xeon 6736P is the specialist, losing the general-purpose tests by 1.1% while winning the heavy compute tests by 21.6% to 38.7%. For floating point, physics simulation, compression, and vector-heavy code, the Xeon 6736P is the clear choice. For balanced server workloads, single-threaded responsiveness, and encryption, the EPYC 7413 holds the edge.