AMD EPYC 7502P vs AMD Ryzen 5 3500U Comparison

The recorded data tells an unusually lopsided story. The AMD Ryzen 5 3500U and the AMD EPYC 7502P occupy the same percentile against all CPUs in the database, at 66, yet they win nothing against each other in shared benchmarks: the EPYC takes all four head-to-head comparisons, including single-core tests where a mobile chip might have been expected to compete. Both launched in 2019, both carry the AMD badge, and both remain listed as Active, but the similarity largely ends there.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The multi-core gap is enormous. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the EPYC 7502P scores 4374 against the Ryzen 5 3500U's 650, a delta of 85.1 percent. Geekbench multi-core follows the same pattern: 7822 versus 2508, or a 67.9 percent gap in the EPYC's favor. With 32 cores and 64 threads against 4 cores and 8 threads, an eightfold thread advantage, results of this magnitude are exactly what the topology predicts.

The single-core results are the more curious data points. Cinebench R15 single-core goes to the EPYC 7502P by 617 to 143, a 76.8 percent margin that is striking given the clocks involved: the Ryzen boosts to 3.70 GHz while the EPYC tops out at 3.35 GHz. A faster boost clock on paper did not translate into a win here, which raises questions about how the mobile part behaves under sustained single-threaded load within its 15 W envelope. The database does not record throttling behavior, but the score pattern is consistent with the lower-power design spending much of a benchmark run below its peak boost.

Geekbench single-core is closer, but the EPYC still wins: 963 against 870, a 9.7 percent margin. That is the narrowest of the four shared tests, and it is the only result where the two chips look remotely like peers. Across all shared benchmarks the Ryzen 5 3500U records zero wins; the EPYC records four.

Where Each One Wins

Strictly on the shared head-to-head data, the EPYC 7502P wins everything, and the interpretation is straightforward. Rendering workloads (Cinebench R15 multi-core) and general multi-threaded compute (Geekbench multi-core) belong firmly to the 32-core part, with margins of 67.9 to 85.1 percent. Single-threaded workloads also land on the EPYC's side of the ledger, though far more narrowly at 9.7 percent in Geekbench.

The Ryzen 5 3500U's strengths lie outside the shared benchmark set. Its recorded results include a full Passmark suite the EPYC does not appear in: integer math at 24732, floating point math at 12485, data compression at 94555, data encryption at 6013, string sorting at 11029, and physics at 367. Its Passmark single-thread score stands at 1924, and Passmark multithread at 6858. These numbers describe a mobile chip with balanced per-thread output for its class, but none of them can be compared directly to the EPYC, which lacks recorded Passmark results.

One contextual number deserves attention: the EPYC's Cinebench R20 multi-core score of 18225 and R23 multi-core score of 43395, plus single-core scores of 2572 (R20) and 6126 (R23). The Ryzen has no R20 or R23 entries at all. Where the datasets overlap, though, the EPYC wins every exchange.

Architecture Differences

The two chips sit one Zen generation apart. The Ryzen 5 3500U uses the Zen+ architecture under the Picasso codename, while the EPYC 7502P uses Zen 2 under the Rome codename. The process gap is wider still: Picasso is built on a 12 nm GlobalFoundries process, Rome on 7 nm at TSMC. Interestingly, the Ryzen carries more transistors in the database record, 4,940 million versus 3,800 million, though the die size recorded for the EPYC, 74 mm², is far smaller than the Ryzen's 210 mm². That 74 mm² figure reflects a chiplet-style design where the recorded die is one component of the package rather than a monolithic whole, which the database entry does not fully spell out.

Per-core cache is identical: 96 KB of L1 and 512 KB of L2 per core on both. Shared L3 diverges dramatically, with 4 MB on the Ryzen and 128 MB on the EPYC, a thirty-twofold difference that pairs with the thirty-twofold core count difference.

The platform features diverge just as sharply. Both support DDR4, but the Ryzen runs a dual-channel bus while the EPYC runs eight-channel memory with 204.8 GB/s of recorded bandwidth; the Ryzen has no recorded bandwidth figure. The EPYC supports ECC memory, the Ryzen does not. PCIe differs by generation, Gen 3 on the mobile part and Gen 4 on the server part. The Ryzen integrates Radeon Vega 8 graphics; the EPYC has none recorded. TDP differs by an order of magnitude, 15 W against 180 W, and the sockets are incompatible by design: Socket FP5 for the mobile chip, Socket SP3 for the server chip. Neither has an unlocked multiplier.

FAQ

Q: Which CPU wins the shared benchmarks?

A: The EPYC 7502P wins all four: Cinebench R15 multi-core by 85.1 percent, Cinebench R15 single-core by 76.8 percent, Geekbench multi-core by 67.9 percent, and Geekbench single-core by 9.7 percent.

Q: Do they perform at the same level overall in the database?

A: They sit in the same percentile against all CPUs, at 66, but their average benchmark scores differ: 11176 for the Ryzen 5 3500U versus 10512 for the EPYC 7502P. Note these averages are built from different test sets, so they are not a direct comparison.

Q: How do their rivals compare?

A: The Ryzen 5 3500U's nearest rivals include the Intel Xeon Gold 6336Y at 11191 (-0.1 percent), the Intel Core i3-1305U at 11200 (-0.2 percent), the AMD EPYC 7542 at 11152 (0.2 percent), and the AMD EPYC 9224 at 11118 (0.5 percent). The EPYC 7502P's rivals include the AMD EPYC 7D12 at 10547 (-0.3 percent), the Intel Core i7-4790 at 10556 (-0.4 percent), the Intel Xeon W-3175X at 10369 (1.4 percent), and the Intel Xeon Gold 6338N at 10347 (1.6 percent).

Q: Does the higher boost clock help the Ryzen in single-core tests?

A: Not in the recorded data. The Ryzen boosts to 3.70 GHz against the EPYC's 3.35 GHz, yet loses Geekbench single-core by 9.7 percent and Cinebench R15 single-core by 76.8 percent.

Q: Which one has integrated graphics?

A: The Ryzen 5 3500U, with Radeon Vega 8. The EPYC 7502P has no integrated graphics recorded.

Q: Do both support ECC memory?

A: No. ECC support is true on the EPYC 7502P and false on the Ryzen 5 3500U.

Specification Differences

| Field | AMD Ryzen 5 3500U | AMD EPYC 7502P |

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

| Cores | 4 | 32 |

| Threads | 8 | 64 |

| Base Clock | 2.10 GHz | 2.50 GHz |

| Boost Clock | 3.70 GHz | 3.35 GHz |

| TDP | 15 W | 180 W |

| Socket | AMD Socket FP5 | AMD Socket SP3 |

| Architecture | Zen+ | Zen 2 |

| Codename | Picasso | Rome |

| Series | 3000 series | EPYC 7002 series |

| Process Node | 12 nm | 7 nm |

| Foundry | GlobalFoundries | TSMC |

| Transistors | 4,940 million | 3,800 million |

| Die Size | 210 mm² | 74 mm² |

| L3 Cache | 4 MB (shared) | 128 MB (shared) |

| Memory Bus | Dual-channel | Eight-channel |

| Memory Bandwidth | Not recorded | 204.8 GB/s |

| ECC Memory | No | Yes |

| PCIe | Gen 3 | Gen 4 |

| Integrated Graphics | Radeon Vega 8 | None |

| Market Segment | Mobile | Server/Workstation |

| Release Date | 2019-01-05 | 2019-08-06 |

| Part Number | YM3500C4T4MFG | 100-000000045 |

Both support DDR4, both have 96 KB L1 and 512 KB L2 per core, both are Active, and neither has an unlocked multiplier or a recorded launch MSRP.

The Verdict

The head-to-head data allows only one conclusion: in every shared test, the EPYC 7502P is the faster processor, by margins ranging from 9.7 percent to 85.1 percent. For rendering and multi-threaded throughput, the choice is not close, and even single-threaded work favors the EPYC despite its lower boost clock.

The Ryzen 5 3500U is not really a rival in this matchup, though, it is a different class of product. It is a 15 W mobile part with integrated Radeon Vega 8 graphics, a dual-channel DDR4 controller, and a socket (FP5) that cannot even share a board with the EPYC's SP3. Where the recorded data points to it is portable, graphics-capable computing within a tight power envelope. The EPYC, an 180 W server and workstation chip with 64 threads, eight-channel memory at 204.8 GB/s, 128 MB of L3, ECC support, and Gen 4 PCIe, belongs in throughput-driven infrastructure and workstation builds.

The curious detail worth flagging is the identical 66th percentile placement. Average scores built from different benchmark mixes place the two chips near different rival sets, Xeon and EPYC parts for the mobile chip, older Xeon and Core i7 parts for the server chip. The lesson: percentiles can mask categorically different products. On the numbers alone, pick the EPYC 7502P for any workload the two share, and pick the Ryzen 5 3500U only where its mobile platform, integrated graphics, and power profile are the actual requirements.