AMD EPYC 7452 vs AMD Ryzen 5 3500U Comparison

The AMD EPYC 7452 and AMD Ryzen 5 3500U occupy opposite ends of AMD’s product spectrum. The EPYC 7452 is a 32-core server processor built for throughput, while the Ryzen 5 3500U is a 4-core mobile chip designed for efficiency. Benchmark data shows the EPYC 7452 dominates every shared Cinebench test, but the two CPUs share the same 66th percentile ranking among all CPUs, indicating that their average benchmark scores place them at similar positions relative to the broader market. The EPYC 7452 has an average benchmark score of 11,279, while the Ryzen 5 3500U scores 11,176 — a difference of just 0.9%. This near-identical average masks the extreme divergence in their architectural design and workload focus.

FAQ

Q: How much faster is the AMD EPYC 7452 in multi-core rendering?

A: The EPYC 7452 scores 3,930 in Cinebench R15 multi-core versus 650 for the Ryzen 5 3500U, a 504.6% advantage. In Cinebench R20 multi-core, the EPYC 7452 scores 16,377 compared to the Ryzen 5 3500U’s 650, though the latter figure is from a different test generation.

Q: Does the Ryzen 5 3500U win any benchmark?

A: No. In the head-to-head benchmark results, the EPYC 7452 wins both tests: Cinebench R15 multi-core and Cinebench R15 single-core. The Ryzen 5 3500U has zero wins in the head-to-head comparison.

Q: Are these CPUs from the same architecture generation?

A: No. The EPYC 7452 uses Zen 2 architecture on a 7 nm TSMC process, while the Ryzen 5 3500U uses Zen+ architecture on a 12 nm GlobalFoundries process. The EPYC 7452 is codenamed Rome; the Ryzen 5 3500U is codenamed Picasso.

Q: How do their average benchmark scores compare?

A: The EPYC 7452 has an average benchmark score of 11,279, while the Ryzen 5 3500U averages 11,176. The EPYC 7452’s nearest rival is the Intel Core i5-1145G7 at 11,279 (0% delta), while the Ryzen 5 3500U’s nearest rival is the Intel Xeon Gold 6336Y at 11,191 (-0.1% delta).

Q: What is the performance difference in single-core tests?

A: The EPYC 7452 scores 554 in Cinebench R15 single-core versus 143 for the Ryzen 5 3500U, a 287.4% advantage. In Cinebench R20 single-core, the EPYC 7452 scores 2,312; the Ryzen 5 3500U does not have a comparable R20 single-core result in the data.

Q: What are the core and thread counts for each processor?

A: The EPYC 7452 has 32 cores and 64 threads. The Ryzen 5 3500U has 4 cores and 8 threads. This 8x core difference explains the massive multi-core performance gap.

Architecture Differences

The EPYC 7452 and Ryzen 5 3500U represent two distinct design philosophies from AMD. The EPYC 7452 is built on the Zen 2 architecture with the Rome codename, fabricated on a 7 nm process at TSMC. The Ryzen 5 3500U uses the older Zen+ architecture with the Picasso codename, manufactured on a 12 nm process at GlobalFoundries. This process node difference — 7 nm versus 12 nm — is fundamental to their respective performance and efficiency profiles.

The transistor counts tell an interesting story. The Ryzen 5 3500U contains 4,940 million transistors on a 210 mm² die, while the EPYC 7452 contains 3,800 million transistors on a 74 mm² die. Despite having more transistors, the Ryzen 5 3500U’s larger die reflects its integrated graphics and mobile-oriented design. The EPYC 7452’s smaller die with fewer transistors is optimized for server compute density.

Cache configurations differ dramatically. Both CPUs have 96 KB of L1 cache per core and 512 KB of L2 cache per core. However, the EPYC 7452 features 128 MB of shared L3 cache, while the Ryzen 5 3500U has only 4 MB of shared L3 cache. This 32x difference in L3 cache capacity is critical for server workloads that benefit from large shared pools of fast memory.

Memory support also diverges significantly. The EPYC 7452 supports DDR4 memory with an eight-channel memory bus and 204.8 GB/s of memory bandwidth. The Ryzen 5 3500U also supports DDR4 but with a dual-channel memory bus and no memory bandwidth figure listed. The EPYC 7452 supports ECC memory; the Ryzen 5 3500U does not. PCIe generations differ as well: the EPYC 7452 uses Gen 4, while the Ryzen 5 3500U uses Gen 3.

The Ryzen 5 3500U includes integrated Radeon Vega 8 graphics, while the EPYC 7452 has no integrated graphics. This makes the Ryzen 5 3500U suitable for mobile systems without discrete GPUs, while the EPYC 7452 requires a separate graphics solution. Both processors have locked multipliers and are listed as Active in production status.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head comparison includes only two Cinebench tests, and the EPYC 7452 wins both decisively. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the EPYC 7452 scores 3,930 versus 650 for the Ryzen 5 3500U. That is a 504.6% delta — the EPYC 7452 delivers more than six times the multi-core performance. The 32-core EPYC 7452 leverages its 64 threads to crush the 4-core, 8-thread Ryzen 5 3500U in any workload that scales across cores.

In Cinebench R15 single-core, the EPYC 7452 scores 554 against 143 for the Ryzen 5 3500U, a 287.4% advantage. This is notable because single-core performance typically depends more on clock speed and IPC than core count. The EPYC 7452 has a base clock of 2.20 GHz and a boost clock of 3.35 GHz, while the Ryzen 5 3500U has a base clock of 2.10 GHz and a boost clock of 3.70 GHz. Despite the Ryzen 5 3500U having a higher boost clock, the EPYC 7452’s newer Zen 2 architecture delivers substantially better single-thread performance.

The broader benchmark set reinforces this pattern. In Cinebench R20 multi-core, the EPYC 7452 scores 16,377, while the Ryzen 5 3500U does not have a comparable result in the head-to-head data. The EPYC 7452 also scores 2,312 in Cinebench R20 single-core and 38,993 in Cinebench R23 multi-core. The Ryzen 5 3500U has a separate set of benchmarks including Geekbench multi-core (2,508) and single-core (870), plus multiple PassMark tests, but none of these appear in the head-to-head comparison.

The closest comparison point outside the head-to-head tests is average benchmark score. The EPYC 7452 averages 11,279, placing it alongside the Intel Core i5-1145G7 with a 0% delta. The Ryzen 5 3500U averages 11,176, sitting near the Intel Xeon Gold 6336Y with a -0.1% delta. These averages suggest that despite their architectural differences, both CPUs occupy similar positions in the overall performance distribution.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ across nearly every major specification category. Core count is the most obvious divergence: the EPYC 7452 has 32 cores and 64 threads, while the Ryzen 5 3500U has 4 cores and 8 threads. Base clocks are close — 2.20 GHz for the EPYC 7452 versus 2.10 GHz for the Ryzen 5 3500U — but boost clocks favor the mobile chip: 3.70 GHz for the Ryzen 5 3500U versus 3.35 GHz for the EPYC 7452.

Thermal design power could not be more different. The EPYC 7452 has a TDP of 155 watts, while the Ryzen 5 3500U has a TDP of 15 watts. This 10x difference reflects the EPYC 7452’s server positioning versus the Ryzen 5 3500U’s mobile efficiency focus. Sockets are entirely incompatible: the EPYC 7452 uses AMD Socket SP3, while the Ryzen 5 3500U uses AMD Socket FP5.

Architecture and process node differences are stark. The EPYC 7452 uses Zen 2 (Rome) on 7 nm from TSMC, while the Ryzen 5 3500U uses Zen+ (Picasso) on 12 nm from GlobalFoundries. Transistor counts and die sizes differ: the EPYC 7452 has 3,800 million transistors on 74 mm², while the Ryzen 5 3500U has 4,940 million transistors on 210 mm².

Cache configurations diverge sharply. Both have 96 KB L1 and 512 KB L2 per core, but the EPYC 7452’s 128 MB shared L3 dwarfs the Ryzen 5 3500U’s 4 MB shared L3. Memory support shows the EPYC 7452 with eight-channel DDR4 and 204.8 GB/s bandwidth versus the Ryzen 5 3500U’s dual-channel DDR4 with no bandwidth figure. ECC memory is supported only on the EPYC 7452. PCIe generation differs: Gen 4 on the EPYC 7452 versus Gen 3 on the Ryzen 5 3500U.

Integrated graphics are exclusive to the Ryzen 5 3500U, which features Radeon Vega 8. The EPYC 7452 has no integrated graphics. Market segments differ accordingly: the EPYC 7452 targets Server/Workstation, while the Ryzen 5 3500U targets Mobile. Release dates also differ, with the Ryzen 5 3500U launching on 2019-01-05 and the EPYC 7452 launching on 2019-08-06.

Where Each One Wins

The EPYC 7452 wins every benchmark in the head-to-head comparison, making it the clear choice for compute-intensive workloads. Its 504.6% advantage in Cinebench R15 multi-core demonstrates overwhelming strength in rendering, scientific computing, and any application that can utilize 64 threads. The 128 MB of shared L3 cache and eight-channel memory with 204.8 GB/s bandwidth make it suitable for large datasets and virtualization environments. Server and workstation deployments that prioritize raw throughput will favor the EPYC 7452.

The Ryzen 5 3500U, despite losing all head-to-head tests, has advantages that the benchmark comparison does not capture. Its 15-watt TDP makes it suitable for thin-and-light laptops where power efficiency is paramount. The integrated Radeon Vega 8 graphics eliminate the need for a discrete GPU in basic systems. Its higher boost clock of 3.70 GHz could benefit lightly threaded workloads that are not represented in the limited head-to-head data. The Ryzen 5 3500U’s 4,940 million transistors on a 210 mm² die reflect additional functionality beyond pure CPU compute.

For users choosing between these processors, the decision hinges on the use case rather than benchmark scores. The EPYC 7452 is designed for servers and workstations where multi-core performance and memory bandwidth are critical. The Ryzen 5 3500U is designed for mobile systems where power consumption, integrated graphics, and physical size matter more than peak throughput. The 66th percentile ranking for both CPUs indicates that each is competitive within its respective market segment, even though their absolute performance profiles could not be more different.

The EPYC 7452’s nearest rivals — the Intel Core i5-1145G7 at 0% delta and the AMD EPYC 7402 at -0.3% — show it sits among capable server and mobile processors. The Ryzen 5 3500U’s nearest rivals — the Intel Xeon Gold 6336Y at -0.1% and the Intel Core i3-1305U at -0.2% — place it in similar company despite its much lower core count. This suggests that the Ryzen 5 3500U’s efficiency-oriented design achieves competitive average performance for its class, while the EPYC 7452’s massive core count delivers server-class throughput. In any directly comparable workload, the EPYC 7452 wins decisively; in mobile-specific scenarios, the Ryzen 5 3500U’s feature set makes it the practical choice.