AMD EPYC 7501 vs Intel Xeon W-2175 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded Cinebench data shows a remarkably consistent picture: the AMD EPYC 7501 wins every single benchmark in this comparison, across all three Cinebench versions and both single-core and multi-core tests. The margins are uniform, hovering just above six percent in every discipline. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the EPYC 7501 scores 2135 against 2010 for the Intel Xeon W-2175, a 6.2% advantage. The single-core R15 test tells the same story: 301 versus 283, a 6.4% edge. Those two results set the pattern for the entire comparison.

Moving to Cinebench R20, the EPYC 7501 records 8898 in multi-core, beating the Xeon W-2175's 8379 by 6.2%. Single-core R20 shows 1256 against 1182, a 6.3% margin. The most demanding workload in the database, Cinebench R23, follows suit: the AMD part scores 21186 multi-core, the Intel part 19951, again a 6.2% gap. Even in R23 single-core, where the Intel chip's higher boost clock might be expected to help, the EPYC 7501 wins 2991 to 2816, a 6.2% lead.

The consistency of these deltas is notable. Every benchmark, regardless of thread count or rendering engine version, lands within a narrow band of 6.2% to 6.4%. There is no workload category in this data where the Intel Xeon W-2175 takes the lead. The average benchmark score in the database reinforces the point: the EPYC 7501 averages 6128, while the Xeon W-2175 averages 5770, a difference of roughly 6.2% overall. Both processors sit at the 61st percentile among all CPUs in the database, meaning they occupy the same tier of overall performance, but the AMD chip is consistently ahead within that tier.

FAQ

Q: Which processor wins more benchmarks in this comparison?

A: The AMD EPYC 7501 wins all six recorded head-to-head benchmarks, covering Cinebench R15, R20, and R23 in both single-core and multi-core tests. The Intel Xeon W-2175 has zero wins in the recorded data.

Q: How large is the performance gap in multi-core workloads?

A: The EPYC 7501 leads by 6.2% in all three multi-core tests: R15 (2135 vs 2010), R20 (8898 vs 8379), and R23 (21186 vs 19951).

Q: Does the Intel Xeon W-2175's higher boost clock help in single-core tests?

A: No. Despite a 4.30 GHz boost clock compared to the EPYC 7501's 3.00 GHz, the Intel chip loses every single-core test. The EPYC 7501 wins R15 single-core 301 to 283 (6.4%), R20 single-core 1256 to 1182 (6.3%), and R23 single-core 2991 to 2816 (6.2%).

Q: How do the two processors compare to their nearest rivals in the database?

A: The EPYC 7501's average score of 6128 places it 0.3% behind the Intel Core i9-7940X (6147), 0.9% behind the AMD EPYC 7272 (6186), and 1.7% behind the AMD Ryzen Threadripper 1950X (6231). The Xeon W-2175's average of 5770 puts it 0.6% behind the Intel Xeon E-2388G (5805) and 0.8% behind the AMD EPYC 7401P (5814), while it leads the AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2920X (5730) by 0.7% and the AMD EPYC 7351 (5710) by 1.1%.

Q: What is the production status of each processor?

A: The AMD EPYC 7501 is listed as Active production. The Intel Xeon W-2175 is listed as End-of-life.

Q: Are both processors in the same market segment?

A: Yes, both are classified as Server/Workstation parts. However, the EPYC 7501 is an EPYC 7001 series processor on AMD Socket SP3, while the Xeon W-2175 is a Skylake-W part on Intel Socket 2066.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from fundamentally different design philosophies. The AMD EPYC 7501 uses the Zen architecture under the Naples codename, built by GlobalFoundries on a 14 nm process. It packs 32 cores and 64 threads, with a die size of 213 mm² and 4,800 million transistors. The Intel Xeon W-2175 uses the Skylake architecture under the Skylake-W codename, built by Intel on the same 14 nm process node. It offers 14 cores and 28 threads on a substantially larger die of 484 mm². Intel's transistor count is not recorded in the database.

Cache configurations differ sharply. The EPYC 7501 provides 96 KB of L1 per core and 512 KB of L2 per core, plus a shared 64 MB L3 cache. The Xeon W-2175 has 64 KB of L1 per core, 1 MB of L2 per core, and a much smaller 19.25 MB shared L3. The AMD part's L3 cache is more than three times larger, which helps explain its consistent win in single-core benchmarks despite a lower boost clock. The EPYC 7501 also has an unlocked multiplier, while the Xeon W-2175 is locked.

Memory architecture is another major split. The EPYC 7501 supports eight-channel DDR4 with 170.6 GB/s of memory bandwidth. The Xeon W-2175 supports quad-channel DDR4 with 85.3 GB/s, exactly half the bandwidth. Both support ECC memory. The PCIe implementation also differs: the EPYC 7501 uses Gen 3, while the Xeon W-2175 uses Gen 3 with 48 lanes from the CPU only. The AMD part uses AMD Socket SP3, the Intel part uses Intel Socket 2066.

Specification Differences

The core and thread counts are the most obvious difference: the EPYC 7501 has 32 cores and 64 threads, the Xeon W-2175 has 14 cores and 28 threads. Clock speeds favor Intel on paper: the Xeon W-2175 has a 2.50 GHz base clock and 4.30 GHz boost, while the EPYC 7501 has a 2.00 GHz base clock and 3.00 GHz boost. Thermal design power also differs, with the EPYC 7501 rated at 170 W and the Xeon W-2175 at 140 W.

Memory bandwidth is a major differentiator: 170.6 GB/s for the EPYC 7501 versus 85.3 GB/s for the Xeon W-2175, reflecting the eight-channel versus quad-channel memory buses. Cache sizes differ as detailed above. The EPYC 7501's die is 213 mm², the Xeon W-2175's is 484 mm². The EPYC 7501 has an unlocked multiplier; the Xeon W-2175 does not. The EPYC 7501 was released on 2017-06-28, the Xeon W-2175 on 2017-10-14. The Xeon W-2175 has a launch MSRP of $1947; no launch MSRP is recorded for the EPYC 7501. The EPYC 7501 is in active production, the Xeon W-2175 is end-of-life. The part numbers are PS7501BEVIHAF for AMD and SR3W2 for Intel.

Where Each One Wins

Based strictly on the recorded benchmarks, the AMD EPYC 7501 wins everywhere. It takes all six head-to-head tests, with advantages ranging from 6.2% to 6.4%. The multi-core wins are expected given the massive core count advantage: 32 cores versus 14 cores. The EPYC 7501's 64 threads give it a 21186 score in Cinebench R23 multi-core, a workload that scales with thread count.

More surprising is the single-core sweep. The Xeon W-2175 has a 1.30 GHz higher boost clock, yet the EPYC 7501 still wins single-core tests by over six percent. The database points to the EPYC 7501's larger L3 cache, 64 MB versus 19.25 MB, and its higher per-core L1 cache, 96 KB versus 64 KB, as plausible factors. The single-core R23 result, 2991 versus 2816, shows that the AMD architecture extracts more work per clock in this rendering workload.

The Intel Xeon W-2175's case rests on the broader database context rather than direct wins. Its average score of 5770 places it in the same 61st percentile as the EPYC 7501, and it leads the AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2920X by 0.7% and the AMD EPYC 7351 by 1.1% in average score. It also has a lower TDP of 140 W versus 170 W. None of these translate to a benchmark win in the head-to-head data, but they show the Xeon W-2175 is not a weak performer overall; it simply trails the EPYC 7501 in every direct comparison recorded.

The Verdict

The data supports a clear choice for most buyers. The AMD EPYC 7501 wins every single benchmark in the comparison, in both single-threaded and multi-threaded workloads, with margins consistently above six percent. It offers double the core count, more than triple the L3 cache, double the memory bandwidth, and active production status. The only recorded specification advantage for the Intel Xeon W-2175 is a lower TDP (140 W versus 170 W) and a higher boost clock that does not translate into a single benchmark victory. The Xeon W-2175 also carries a launch MSRP of $1947, while no launch MSRP is recorded for the EPYC 7501.

For workloads that resemble Cinebench, which is to say heavily threaded rendering and compute tasks, the EPYC 7501 is the stronger choice on every measurable axis. Its 32 cores and 64 threads provide headroom that the 14-core, 28-thread Xeon W-2175 cannot match. The single-core results are perhaps the more instructive finding: even in lightly threaded tasks, the EPYC 7501's architecture and cache layout overcome the Intel part's clock speed advantage.

The Xeon W-2175 remains a reasonable workstation processor in isolation, as its 61st percentile standing and its positive deltas against several rivals in the database show. It is also end-of-life, which matters for long-term system planning. But in a direct head-to-head, the recorded data gives no scenario where the Intel part comes out ahead. The verdict from the measurements is unambiguous: the AMD EPYC 7501 is the better performing processor in this comparison, and the consistency of its wins across all six benchmarks makes the margin look structural rather than workload-specific.