AMD EPYC 7413 vs Intel Xeon w5-2565X Comparison

The Intel Xeon w5-2565X and AMD EPYC 7413 are both high-end server/workstation processors that land in the 95th percentile of all CPUs, but they achieve that status through very different designs. The Intel part, a Sapphire Rapids chip with 18 cores and 36 threads, posts an average benchmark score of 80,671, while the AMD EPYC 7413, a Zen 3 Milan part with 24 cores and 48 threads, averages 80,041. This puts the Xeon w5-2565X just 0.8% ahead of its rival in aggregate performance, a margin that masks dramatic swings in individual workloads. The Intel chip wins 12 of the 17 head-to-head tests, but the AMD chip takes the other five by margins as large as 45.1%, making the choice heavily dependent on workload type.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has more cores and threads?

A: The AMD EPYC 7413 has 24 cores and 48 threads, compared to the Intel Xeon w5-2565X’s 18 cores and 36 threads. That is a 6-core and 12-thread advantage for the AMD part.

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

A: The Intel Xeon w5-2565X dominates single-threaded workloads, scoring 3,595 in PassMark single-thread versus 2,400 for the EPYC 7413. That is a 49.8% advantage for Intel, a massive gap driven by the Xeon’s higher boost clock.

Q: What is the biggest benchmark margin in either direction?

A: The largest win for Intel is in PassMark single-thread, where it leads by 49.8%. The largest win for AMD is in PassMark physics, where the EPYC 7413 leads by 44.3%, scoring 4,708 versus 2,622.

Q: Which processor has higher memory bandwidth?

A: The AMD EPYC 7413 has higher peak memory bandwidth at 204.8 GB/s thanks to its eight-channel memory bus, while the Intel Xeon w5-2565X offers 153.6 GB/s over a quad-channel bus.

Q: Are both processors currently in production?

A: Yes, both the Intel Xeon w5-2565X and the AMD EPYC 7413 have an active production status. The Intel part was released in August 2024, while the AMD part launched in March 2021.

Q: Which processor has a higher launch MSRP?

A: The AMD EPYC 7413 has a higher launch MSRP of $1825, while the Intel Xeon w5-2565X has a launch MSRP of $1339.

The Verdict

The data paints a clear picture for different buyer profiles. The Intel Xeon w5-2565X is the pick for anyone prioritizing single-threaded responsiveness and floating-point throughput. Its 49.8% lead in PassMark single-thread and 24.2% lead in floating-point math are decisive, and it maintains a consistent 2.5% edge across all Cinebench R15, R20, and R23 tests, both single and multi-core. For workstation users running lightly threaded applications or heavily floating-point simulation code, the Intel part is the superior choice.

The AMD EPYC 7413, however, is the better option for certain multi-threaded server tasks. It wins PassMark integer math by 12.1% and PassMark physics by 44.3%, which suggests a strong advantage in collision detection and physical simulation. It also leads in data encryption by 25% and random string sorting by 8.3%. If a workload is dominated by integer math, encryption, or physics, the EPYC’s 24 cores and larger L3 cache deliver measurable wins.

Neither chip is universally faster. The average benchmark scores are nearly identical, with the Xeon w5-2565X at 80,671 and the EPYC 7413 at 80,041, a 0.8% difference. The decision comes down to whether the user needs Intel’s single-thread and floating-point dominance or AMD’s integer and physics advantages. The Xeon w5-2565X also offers DDR5 memory and PCIe Gen 5 support, while the EPYC 7413 sticks with DDR4 and PCIe Gen 4, but with double the memory channels and lanes.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The most striking result is PassMark single-thread, where the Intel Xeon w5-2565X scores 3,595 against the EPYC 7413’s 2,400, a 49.8% advantage. This is the largest single win for either chip and reflects the Xeon’s 4.80 GHz boost clock versus the EPYC’s 3.60 GHz. The Intel part also wins PassMark extended instructions by 29.1% (58,976 vs 45,696), showing a major advantage in SIMD-heavy code.

In floating-point math, Intel leads by 24.2%, scoring 147,644 against 118,881. This is a critical win for scientific computing and rendering tasks. The Cinebench suite tells a uniform story: Intel wins every test by exactly 2.5%, from R15 multi-core (4,446 vs 4,338) to R23 multi-core (44,112 vs 43,044) and all corresponding single-core runs. This consistency suggests the Xeon’s architectural efficiency per core is higher, even though it has fewer cores.

The AMD EPYC 7413 fights back in integer-heavy tasks. It wins PassMark integer math by 12.1% (215,629 vs 189,446) and PassMark physics by 44.3% (4,708 vs 2,622), a massive margin that indicates a strong advantage in physical simulation workloads. AMD also dominates data encryption, scoring 48,492 against Intel’s 36,365, a 25% lead. In random string sorting, the EPYC wins by 8.3% (81,134 vs 74,360), and in find prime numbers, it wins by 45.1% (397 vs 218). These results show that the EPYC’s additional six cores translate directly into wins for parallel integer workloads.

The aggregate PassMark multithread score slightly favors Intel, with the Xeon at 51,897 versus 50,641 for the EPYC, a 2.5% margin. Data compression also slightly favors Intel, with scores of 726,133 versus 715,616, a 1.5% lead. Overall, the Intel chip wins 12 of 17 tests, but the AMD chip wins the remaining five by margins that are often much larger than Intel’s typical 2.5% edge.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ fundamentally in core count, clock speeds, and power. The AMD EPYC 7413 has 24 cores and 48 threads, while the Intel Xeon w5-2565X has 18 cores and 36 threads. Intel’s base clock is 3.20 GHz versus AMD’s 2.65 GHz, and Intel’s boost clock is 4.80 GHz versus AMD’s 3.60 GHz. This clock advantage is the primary reason Intel wins single-thread tests.

Power consumption also diverges, with the Intel chip rated at 240 W TDP and the AMD chip at 180 W TDP. The Intel part is unlocked, allowing overclocking, while the AMD part is locked. Memory support differs: Intel uses DDR5 on a quad-channel bus with 153.6 GB/s bandwidth, while AMD uses DDR4 on an eight-channel bus with 204.8 GB/s bandwidth. PCIe support also differs, with Intel offering Gen 5 across 64 lanes and AMD offering Gen 4 across 128 lanes.

The sockets are incompatible: Intel uses Socket 4677, while AMD uses Socket SP3. The Intel part has a launch MSRP of $1339, while the AMD part has a launch MSRP of $1825. Both support ECC memory and target the server/workstation segment.

Architecture Differences

The Intel Xeon w5-2565X is built on Sapphire Rapids architecture using Intel’s 10 nm process, while the AMD EPYC 7413 uses Zen 3 architecture on TSMC’s 7 nm process. The AMD chip is built from four chiplets, each 81 mm² in size, totaling 16,600 million transistors. The Intel chip’s transistor count and die size are not listed.

Cache organization is a major differentiator. Intel allocates 80 KB of L1 and 2 MB of L2 per core, with a 37.5 MB shared L3 cache. AMD allocates 64 KB of L1 and 512 KB of L2 per core, but offers a massive 128 MB shared L3 cache. This 128 MB pool is over three times larger than Intel’s L3, which explains AMD’s wins in cache-sensitive integer workloads like random string sorting and find prime numbers.

The memory controllers also differ architecturally. Intel pairs its quad-channel DDR5 controller with 153.6 GB/s bandwidth, while AMD’s eight-channel DDR4 controller delivers 204.8 GB/s. The AMD part’s higher bandwidth is a clear advantage for memory-bound multi-threaded tasks, even though the DDR4 standard is older. The Intel part counters with PCIe Gen 5 support, doubling the per-lane bandwidth versus AMD’s PCIe Gen 4, though AMD offers double the lane count. These architectural choices explain the benchmark split: Intel wins on per-core speed and floating-point, while AMD wins on total cache capacity and memory bandwidth.