AMD EPYC 7473X vs AMD EPYC 7543 Comparison

The AMD EPYC 7543 and AMD EPYC 7473X are two server processors from the same EPYC 7003 series that take noticeably different routes to performance. Both are built on the Zen 3 architecture, both run at identical clock speeds, and both plug into the same Socket SP3 platform, yet the recorded data shows the 7543 sweeping all six benchmarks while the 7473X counters with an enormous cache advantage. This is a comparison where the raw scores tell only half the story: the 7473X is a Milan-X variant whose 768 MB of shared L3 cache dwarfs the 256 MB on the 7543, and that raises an interesting question about which traits actually matter for different server workloads.

Where Each One Wins

The benchmark data is unambiguous in one direction. The EPYC 7543 wins all six recorded tests, three Cinebench multi-core runs and three single-core runs, with a consistent margin of roughly six percent across the board. Its average benchmark score of 15477 also edges out the 7473X's 14574. In raw throughput, the 7543 is simply the faster part.

The single-core results deserve a closer look, because both chips share the same 2.80 GHz base clock and 3.70 GHz boost clock. Despite identical frequency specifications, the 7543 posts 761 versus 716 in Cinebench R15 single-core and 7554 versus 7113 in R23 single-core. That gap implies either better sustained boost behavior or simply more headroom from its additional cores when workloads spill over, and it is a reminder that specified clocks do not tell the whole story.

The 7473X wins nothing in the recorded Cinebench suite, but Cinebench is a rendering workload that does not depend heavily on massive L3 capacity. The chip's case rests on its cache: 768 MB of shared L3 versus 256 MB. Workloads with large working sets that fit in cache, rather than rendering loops, are where the Milan-X design is intended to pay off, even if the database contains no direct measurements of that behavior. The data shows what Cinebench rewards; it does not show what cache-heavy workloads reward.

Architecture Differences

At the silicon level these are siblings. Both are AMD Zen 3 processors manufactured by TSMC on a 7 nm process, with 33,200 million transistors and a physical construction of 8 dies of 81 mm² each. Both support DDR4 memory across an eight-channel bus with 204.8 GB/s of bandwidth, both offer ECC memory, and both provide 128 lanes of PCIe Gen 4 from the CPU. Neither has integrated graphics, both sit in the Server/Workstation segment, both remain in active production, and both have locked multipliers.

The differences are concentrated in three places: core count, cache, and codename. The 7543 is codenamed Milan and carries 32 cores and 64 threads. The 7473X is codenamed Milan-X and carries 24 cores and 48 threads, but pairs those fewer cores with 768 MB of shared L3 cache, three times the 256 MB found on the 7543. Per-core cache structure is otherwise identical, with 64 KB of L1 and 512 KB of L2 per core on both chips.

Power is a minor differentiator. The 7473X is rated at 240 W TDP against 225 W for the 7543, so the cache-heavy part actually draws a slightly higher envelope despite having eight fewer cores, which suggests the stacked cache carries its own power cost. Release timing also differs: the 7543 arrived on 2021-03-14, while the 7473X followed on 2022-03-21 as part of the Milan-X refresh. The launch MSRP was $3761 for the 7543 and $3900 for the 7473X.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

Every recorded test goes to the 7543, and the margins are strikingly uniform.

In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the 7543 scores 5393 against 5078 for the 7473X, a 6.2 percent win. R20 multi-core tells the same story: 22473 versus 21162, again 6.2 percent. R23 multi-core extends the pattern with 53509 against 50388, a 6.2 percent advantage. A six percent multi-core gap from a chip with a third more cores (32 versus 24) is a modest return per core, which hints that the 7473X's larger cache partially offsets its core-count deficit even in rendering, or that the workload is not fully core-bound at these counts.

Single-core results mirror the multi-core picture almost exactly. R15 single-core is 761 versus 716 (6.3 percent), R20 single-core is 3172 versus 2987 (6.2 percent), and R23 single-core is 7554 versus 7113 (6.2 percent). Identical clock specifications producing a consistent single-core gap is the most curious finding here, and the database does not capture the mechanism behind it.

Context from the wider field adds perspective. The 7543's average score of 15477 places it in the 69th percentile of all CPUs, within a fraction of a percent of the Intel Core 5 211TE (15370, 0.7 percent ahead), marginally behind the AMD Ryzen 3 7440U (15682), the Intel Core i5-11400H (15749), and notably the AMD EPYC 9254 (15756). The 7473X's 14574 average also sits in the 69th percentile, dead even with the Intel Xeon 6315P (delta of 0 percent) and effectively tied with the AMD Ryzen 5 5500U (14589), the Intel Core i5-9600K (14605), and the AMD Ryzen 3 4100 (14505).

The Verdict

For any workload that resembles the recorded Cinebench suite, the data says take the EPYC 7543. It wins every test by about six percent, delivers more cores and threads, and does so at a slightly lower 225 W TDP. As a general-purpose compute part in this comparison, it is the clear choice.

The 7473X is harder to judge from rendering numbers alone, and that is precisely the point. Its tripled L3 cache of 768 MB is the defining feature, and the recorded benchmarks do not exercise it. For workloads where large in-cache data sets dominate, the 7473X is architecturally positioned to punch above its 24 cores, but the database offers no direct evidence of that, only the structural fact of the cache. Buyers who know their workload is cache-sensitive should weigh that 768 MB seriously; buyers who need maximum measured throughput should follow the numbers to the 7543.

FAQ

Q: Which CPU is faster in the recorded benchmarks? A: The AMD EPYC 7543 wins all six tests, with a lead of roughly 6.2 to 6.3 percent in every single-core and multi-core Cinebench run.

Q: Do the two CPUs have different clock speeds? A: No. Both have a 2.80 GHz base clock and a 3.70 GHz boost clock, yet the 7543 still scores higher across the board.

Q: What is the main advantage of the EPYC 7473X? A: Its 768 MB of shared L3 cache, three times the 256 MB on the 7543, thanks to its Milan-X design.

Q: How many cores does each CPU have? A: The EPYC 7543 has 32 cores and 64 threads; the EPYC 7473X has 24 cores and 48 threads.

Q: Are both CPUs socket-compatible? A: Yes, both use AMD Socket SP3 and support the same DDR4 eight-channel memory platform with 204.8 GB/s of bandwidth.

Q: Which CPU has the higher TDP? A: The 7473X at 240 W, slightly above the 225 W rating of the 7543, despite having fewer cores.

Specification Differences

| Field | AMD EPYC 7543 | AMD EPYC 7473X |

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

| Codename | Milan | Milan-X |

| Cores | 32 | 24 |

| Threads | 64 | 48 |

| L3 Cache (shared) | 256 MB | 768 MB |

| TDP | 225 W | 240 W |

| Release Date | 2021-03-14 | 2022-03-21 |

| Launch MSRP | $3761 | $3900 |

| Part Number | 100-000000345100-100000345WOF | 100-000000507WOF100-000000507 |

| Avg Benchmark Score | 15477 | 14574 |

All other specifications, including process node, architecture, memory support, PCIe lanes, and per-core L1 and L2 cache, are identical between the two processors.