AMD EPYC 7453 vs Intel Xeon Gold 6342 Comparison

The AMD EPYC 7453 and Intel Xeon Gold 6342 are two server processors aimed at the same dual-socket market segment, yet the benchmark data reveals a consistent, if narrow, advantage for the AMD part. Across every Cinebench test in the comparison, the EPYC 7453 finishes ahead, with margins that hover just under 3%. The most striking result is not the size of the lead but its uniformity, suggesting a fundamental efficiency edge rather than a single workload-specific strength. With both processors holding a 67th percentile ranking among all CPUs, the data places them in the same performance tier, but the AMD chip does more with its additional four cores and 56 threads.

The Verdict

The data points to a clear, though not overwhelming, recommendation for the AMD EPYC 7453. In every single benchmark recorded, it beats the Intel Xeon Gold 6342, making it the safer choice for workloads that rely on Cinebench-style rendering and multi-threaded computation. The largest margin of victory is a 2.9% lead in Cinebench R20 multicore, where the EPYC scores 17,297 against Intel’s 16,805; the same 2.9% delta appears in R23 multicore (41,185 vs 40,014) and R23 singlecore (5,814 vs 5,649). Even in the tightest race, Cinebench R15 singlecore, the AMD chip wins by 2.8% (585 vs 569). For a server buyer, this consistency means the EPYC 7453 offers a small but dependable performance advantage across the board.

The Intel Xeon Gold 6342 is not without merit, however. Its 24 cores and 48 threads still deliver scores within 3% of the AMD part, and its average benchmark score of 11,574 sits only 338 points below the EPYC’s 11,912. For existing Intel infrastructure, the performance gap may be acceptable, especially if software is tuned for Ice Lake’s specific features. The data does not suggest the Xeon is a poor processor; it simply shows it is outmatched in this direct comparison. The verdict is straightforward: if raw Cinebench performance is the priority, the EPYC 7453 wins every matchup, but the Xeon 6342 remains a viable alternative for those locked into an Intel platform.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from fundamentally different design philosophies. The AMD EPYC 7453 is built on a 7 nm process at TSMC, using the Zen 3 architecture codenamed Milan. It packs 28 cores and 56 threads into a 225 W TDP, with a base clock of 2.75 GHz and a boost clock of 3.45 GHz. The chip relies on a chiplet design, with a die size listed as 4x 81 mm² and a total of 16,600 million transistors. Its cache hierarchy is notable: 64 KB of L1 per core, 512 KB of L2 per core, and a shared 64 MB L3 cache. This large L3 pool is a hallmark of the Milan design, providing ample fast storage for frequently accessed data.

The Intel Xeon Gold 6342, by contrast, uses a 10 nm process at Intel’s own fabs, with the Ice Lake-SP architecture. It offers 24 cores and 48 threads, consuming a slightly higher 230 W TDP. Clock speeds are marginally better on paper: 2.80 GHz base and 3.50 GHz boost. The cache layout differs markedly, with 64 KB of L1 per core, a larger 1 MB of L2 per core, but only 36 MB of shared L3. The smaller L3 cache, combined with fewer cores, likely explains why the Intel part trails in multi-threaded tests, despite its higher clocks. Both processors support DDR4 memory over an eight-channel bus with 204.8 GB/s of bandwidth, and both include ECC support, but the AMD chip offers 128 PCIe Gen 4 lanes versus Intel’s 64, a significant difference for I/O-heavy systems.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark results are remarkably consistent, with the AMD EPYC 7453 winning all six recorded tests. The smallest delta is 2.8% in Cinebench R15 singlecore, where the EPYC scores 585 against the Xeon’s 569. The largest is 2.9%, appearing in four separate tests: R15 multicore (4,151 vs 4,033), R20 multicore (17,297 vs 16,805), R23 multicore (41,185 vs 40,014), and R23 singlecore (5,814 vs 5,649). The only test not hitting 2.9% is R20 singlecore, where the EPYC wins 2,441 to 2,372, a 2.9% margin as well. This uniformity is telling; it suggests the AMD architecture scales its advantage evenly across both single-threaded and multi-threaded workloads.

Looking at the average benchmark scores, the EPYC 7453 posts 11,912 against the Xeon Gold 6342’s 11,574, a difference of 338 points. This places the AMD part in the same neighborhood as the Intel Core i7-7700, which scores 11,914, a 0% delta. The Xeon, meanwhile, trails the AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 7945 by 0.9% (11,469 vs 11,574). These rival comparisons put both processors in a crowded mid-pack, but the head-to-head data consistently favors AMD. The biggest win for the EPYC is in multi-threaded workloads, where its extra four cores and 56 threads appear to overcome Intel’s higher clock speeds. For single-threaded tasks, the margin narrows slightly, but the AMD chip still comes out ahead, indicating its Zen 3 cores are more efficient per clock.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has more cores and threads?

A: The AMD EPYC 7453 has 28 cores and 56 threads, while the Intel Xeon Gold 6342 has 24 cores and 48 threads.

Q: How much faster is the AMD EPYC 7453 in multi-threaded tests?

A: The AMD chip leads by 2.9% in Cinebench R20 multicore (17,297 vs 16,805) and by 2.9% in R23 multicore (41,185 vs 40,014).

Q: Does the Intel Xeon Gold 6342 win any benchmark?

A: No, the data shows the AMD EPYC 7453 wins all six recorded Cinebench tests, with the Intel part finishing second each time.

Q: What is the difference in average benchmark scores?

A: The AMD EPYC 7453 has an average score of 11,912, while the Intel Xeon Gold 6342 scores 11,574, a gap of 338 points.

Q: Which processor has a higher boost clock?

A: The Intel Xeon Gold 6342 has a boost clock of 3.50 GHz, compared to 3.45 GHz for the AMD EPYC 7453.

Q: How do the cache sizes compare?

A: The AMD EPYC 7453 has 64 MB of shared L3 cache, while the Intel Xeon Gold 6342 has 36 MB; the Intel part has 1 MB of L2 per core versus 512 KB for AMD.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD EPYC 7453 wins in every benchmark category recorded, but its strongest showing is in multi-threaded workloads. The 2.9% lead in Cinebench R23 multicore (41,185 vs 40,014) and R20 multicore (17,297 vs 16,805) demonstrates that the extra four cores and 56 threads provide a tangible benefit in heavily parallelized tasks. This makes the EPYC the better choice for rendering, scientific computing, and virtualization, where core count directly translates to throughput. The single-threaded results are closer, with the EPYC leading by 2.8-2.9% in all three R15, R20, and R23 singlecore tests, but the gap is consistent enough to favor AMD even in lightly threaded applications.

The Intel Xeon Gold 6342, despite losing every test, has its own strengths implied by the data. Its higher base clock of 2.80 GHz and boost clock of 3.50 GHz suggest it may respond well to lightly threaded tasks that do not scale with core count, even if the benchmarks do not show a win. The 1 MB L2 cache per core could also benefit latency-sensitive workloads, though the 36 MB L3 cache is considerably smaller than AMD’s 64 MB. For users with software that is heavily optimized for Intel’s Ice Lake instructions, the Xeon may close the gap in real-world applications, but the measured data does not support a win in any Cinebench test. The AMD part is the clear victor in this comparison.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ across nearly every core specification. The AMD EPYC 7453 has 28 cores and 56 threads, while the Intel Xeon Gold 6342 has 24 cores and 48 threads. The base clock is 2.75 GHz for AMD and 2.80 GHz for Intel; the boost clock is 3.45 GHz for AMD and 3.50 GHz for Intel. The TDP is 225 W for the EPYC and 230 W for the Xeon. The AMD part uses a Socket SP3, while the Intel part uses Socket 4189. The architectures are Zen 3 (Milan) and Ice Lake-SP, respectively, with process nodes of 7 nm (TSMC) and 10 nm (Intel). The cache hierarchy differs, with AMD offering 64 KB L1 and 512 KB L2 per core plus 64 MB shared L3, while Intel offers 64 KB L1 and 1 MB L2 per core plus 36 MB shared L3. Memory support is identical in bandwidth (204.8 GB/s) and channel count (eight-channel DDR4), but PCIe lanes differ: AMD provides 128 Gen 4 lanes, Intel provides 64 Gen 4 lanes. The AMD chip has a launch MSRP of $1570, while the Intel part has no listed launch MSRP.