AMD EPYC 7452 vs Intel Core i7-4790 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark data paints an unambiguous picture: the AMD EPYC 7452 wins every single recorded comparison against the Intel Core i7-4790. Across six Cinebench tests, the EPYC 7452 dominates with deltas ranging from 531.9% to 536.8%. There is no contest in any metric, and the margin of victory is consistent regardless of whether the workload is single-threaded or multi-threaded.

Starting with multi-core performance, the EPYC 7452 scores 3,930 in Cinebench R15 multi-core versus 621 for the i7-4790, a 532.9% advantage. In Cinebench R20 multi-core, the EPYC 7452 posts 16,377 against 2,591, a 532.1% gap. The R23 multi-core test shows 38,993 for the EPYC 7452 and 6,171 for the i7-4790, a 531.9% delta. These results are remarkably uniform, indicating that the EPYC 7452's advantage scales almost perfectly with core count rather than being workload-specific.

Single-core results follow the same pattern, which is more surprising. The EPYC 7452 scores 554 in Cinebench R15 single-core versus 87 for the i7-4790, a 536.8% lead. In R20 single-core, the EPYC 7452 scores 2,312 against 365, a 533.4% delta. The R23 single-core test shows 5,505 for the EPYC 7452 and 871 for the i7-4790, a 532% advantage. The i7-4790's higher base clock of 3.60 GHz and boost clock of 4.00 GHz do not translate into single-thread superiority, as the EPYC 7452's Zen 2 architecture delivers far higher instructions per clock despite its lower 2.20 GHz base and 3.35 GHz boost.

The average benchmark score reinforces the hierarchy. The EPYC 7452 has an average benchmark score of 11,279 across all recorded tests, while the i7-4790 averages 10,556. Both chips sit at the 66th percentile among all CPUs in the database, but that percentile masks the massive gap in raw performance. The EPYC 7452's nearest rivals include the Intel Core i5-1145G7 at 11,279 (0% delta), the AMD EPYC 7402 at 11,312 (-0.3%), and the AMD EPYC 73F3 at 11,334 (-0.5%). The i7-4790's nearest rivals include the AMD EPYC 7D12 at 10,547 (0.1% delta), the AMD EPYC 7502P at 10,512 (0.4%), and the Intel Xeon W-3175X at 10,369 (1.8%). The EPYC 7452 sits among modern server parts, while the i7-4790 sits among enterprise chips that are closer to its performance tier.

Where Each One Wins

The EPYC 7452 wins in every benchmark category recorded. There are no tests in the database where the i7-4790 takes a lead. This is a clean sweep: 6 wins for the EPYC 7452, 0 wins for the i7-4790.

For use-case analysis, the EPYC 7452 is built for server and workstation workloads. Its 32 cores and 64 threads make it suitable for virtualization, database workloads, scientific computing, and any parallel task that can utilize many threads. The Cinebench multi-core scores, which are roughly 6.3 times higher than the i7-4790 across all versions, indicate that the EPYC 7452 can handle heavily threaded rendering and simulation workloads with ease. The single-core scores, while also dominant, show that even lightly threaded tasks do not suffer, making it a versatile server CPU.

The i7-4790, by contrast, is a desktop part from 2014 with 4 cores and 8 threads. Its recorded benchmarks include PassMark tests that the EPYC 7452 does not have entries for, such as data compression (109,623), data encryption (2,035), extended instructions (6,835), find prime numbers (32), floating point math (13,104), integer math (26,129), multithread (7,264), physics (498), random string sorting (14,790), and single thread (2,228). These scores are only useful for contextualizing the i7-4790's own capabilities, not for direct comparison, since the EPYC 7452 lacks those specific test entries. What the data shows is that the i7-4790, despite being end-of-life and built on a 22 nm process, still delivers usable desktop performance for legacy applications, but it cannot compete with the EPYC 7452 in any shared benchmark.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from different eras and design philosophies. The EPYC 7452 uses AMD's Zen 2 architecture, codenamed Rome, built on a 7 nm process at TSMC. It packs 3,800 million transistors into a 74 mm² die. The i7-4790 uses Intel's Haswell architecture, built on a 22 nm process at Intel, with 1,400 million transistors on a 177 mm² die. The process node difference alone explains a substantial portion of the performance and efficiency gap.

Core and cache configurations differ dramatically. The EPYC 7452 has 32 cores and 64 threads, with 96 KB of L1 cache per core, 512 KB of L2 cache per core, and a massive 128 MB shared L3 cache. The i7-4790 has 4 cores and 8 threads, with 64 KB of L1 cache per core, 256 KB of L2 cache per core, and 8 MB of shared L3 cache. The EPYC 7452's L3 cache is 16 times larger, which is critical for server workloads with large working sets.

Memory architecture is another major divergence. The EPYC 7452 supports DDR4 memory over an eight-channel bus, delivering 204.8 GB/s of memory bandwidth, and it supports ECC memory. The i7-4790 supports DDR3 over a dual-channel bus, delivering 25.6 GB/s, with no ECC support. The EPYC 7452's memory bandwidth is 8 times higher, which matters for memory-bound workloads like databases and in-memory analytics. The i7-4790 also includes integrated graphics (Intel HD 4600), while the EPYC 7452 has none, reflecting its server focus where discrete GPUs or no graphics are standard.

PCIe support differs as well. The EPYC 7452 uses PCIe Gen 4, while the i7-4790 uses PCIe Gen 3 with 16 lanes from the CPU. The EPYC 7452's newer PCIe generation allows for faster I/O, which is relevant for NVMe storage and high-end accelerators. The sockets are incompatible: AMD Socket SP3 for the EPYC 7452 versus Intel Socket 1150 for the i7-4790, meaning no upgrade path between them.

FAQ

Q: Which CPU has more cores and threads?

A: The AMD EPYC 7452 has 32 cores and 64 threads. The Intel Core i7-4790 has 4 cores and 8 threads.

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

A: The largest delta is in Cinebench R15 single-core, where the EPYC 7452 leads by 536.8% (554 versus 87). The smallest delta is in Cinebench R23 multi-core at 531.9% (38,993 versus 6,171).

Q: Does the i7-4790 have any advantages in clock speed?

A: Yes, the i7-4790 has a higher base clock of 3.60 GHz and boost clock of 4.00 GHz, compared to 2.20 GHz and 3.35 GHz for the EPYC 7452. However, this does not translate into benchmark wins, as the EPYC 7452 wins all single-core tests.

Q: What memory types do the two CPUs support?

A: The EPYC 7452 supports DDR4 memory with an eight-channel bus and 204.8 GB/s bandwidth. The i7-4790 supports DDR3 with a dual-channel bus and 25.6 GB/s bandwidth. ECC memory is supported only on the EPYC 7452.

Q: What is the production status of each CPU?

A: The EPYC 7452 is marked as active in production. The i7-4790 is marked as end-of-life.

Q: What are the process nodes and transistor counts?

A: The EPYC 7452 uses a 7 nm process with 3,800 million transistors on a 74 mm² die. The i7-4790 uses a 22 nm process with 1,400 million transistors on a 177 mm² die.

Specification Differences

| Specification | AMD EPYC 7452 | Intel Core i7-4790 |

|---|---|---|

| Cores | 32 | 4 |

| Threads | 64 | 8 |

| Base clock | 2.20 GHz | 3.60 GHz |

| Boost clock | 3.35 GHz | 4.00 GHz |

| TDP | 155 W | 84 W |

| Socket | AMD Socket SP3 | Intel Socket 1150 |

| Architecture | Zen 2 | Haswell |

| Codename | Rome | Haswell |

| Process node | 7 nm | 22 nm |

| Foundry | TSMC | Intel |

| Transistors | 3,800 million | 1,400 million |

| Die size | 74 mm² | 177 mm² |

| L1 cache | 96 KB (per core) | 64 KB (per core) |

| L2 cache | 512 KB (per core) | 256 KB (per core) |

| L3 cache | 128 MB (shared) | 8 MB (shared) |

| Memory support | DDR4 | DDR3 |

| Memory bus | Eight-channel | Dual-channel |

| Memory bandwidth | 204.8 GB/s | 25.6 GB/s |

| ECC memory | Yes | No |

| PCIe | Gen 4 | Gen 3, 16 lanes (CPU only) |

| Integrated graphics | None | Intel HD 4600 |

| Market segment | Server/Workstation | Desktop |

| Production status | Active | End-of-life |

| Release date | 2019-08-06 | 2014-04-30 |

| Launch MSRP | Not available | $312 |

| Multiplier unlocked | No | No |

The Verdict

The data is unambiguous: the AMD EPYC 7452 is in a completely different performance class than the Intel Core i7-4790. Every recorded benchmark favors the EPYC 7452 by margins of at least 531.9%, and the architectural advantages are overwhelming. The EPYC 7452 offers 8 times the cores, 8 times the threads, 16 times the L3 cache, and 8 times the memory bandwidth of the i7-4790. It is built on a 7 nm process versus 22 nm, supports PCIe Gen 4 versus Gen 3, and includes ECC memory support. The i7-4790's only nominal advantages are higher clock speeds and a lower TDP of 84 W versus 155 W, but neither translates into benchmark wins.

Who should pick the EPYC 7452? Anyone building or deploying a server or workstation that will run heavily threaded workloads, virtualization, databases, or memory-intensive tasks. The 32-core count and 128 MB L3 cache make it a strong fit for enterprise applications. The single-core scores also hold up well, so it does not sacrifice responsiveness in lightly threaded scenarios. The 66th percentile ranking among all CPUs places it firmly in capable territory.

Who should pick the i7-4790? The data suggests this is a legacy desktop part that should only be considered for existing Socket 1150 systems or for workloads that specifically require its integrated HD 4600 graphics, which the EPYC 7452 lacks. Its end-of-life status and 4-core, 8-thread configuration limit its relevance. The PassMark scores, while not directly comparable to the EPYC 7452, show modest desktop-class performance. For any new build, the EPYC 7452 is the clear choice based on every recorded metric. For anyone still running an i7-4790 system, the benchmark deltas indicate that upgrading to the EPYC 7452 would yield a performance increase of over 500% in the tested Cinebench workloads, though the platform change would require a new motherboard and DDR4 memory.