AMD EPYC 7542 vs Intel Core i5-1145G7 Comparison

The Intel Core i5-1145G7 and the AMD EPYC 7542 occupy opposite ends of the computing spectrum. The former is a 4-core mobile processor designed for thin-and-light laptops, while the latter is a 32-core server behemoth built for datacenter workloads. The benchmark data confirms a complete dominance by the EPYC 7542 across every single test in the comparison, with the Intel part trailing by roughly 80% in all six head-to-head metrics. This analysis quantifies the scale of that performance gap, contextualizes each processor's standing among its peers, and clarifies which user should choose which part based strictly on the provided numbers.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has more cores and threads?

A: The AMD EPYC 7542 has 32 cores and 64 threads, while the Intel Core i5-1145G7 has 4 cores and 8 threads. This 8x core advantage and 8x thread advantage is the primary driver of the EPYC's dominance in multi-threaded workloads.

Q: How do the two processors compare in Cinebench R23 multi-core performance?

A: The AMD EPYC 7542 scores 38,555 in Cinebench R23 multi-core, while the Intel Core i5-1145G7 scores 7,777. The EPYC 7542 is 79.8% ahead, a margin that reflects its massive core count advantage.

Q: Is there any benchmark where the Intel processor wins?

A: No. The head-to-head data shows the AMD EPYC 7542 wins all six benchmark comparisons, with the Intel Core i5-1145G7 recording zero wins. The Intel part's closest margin is a 79.8% deficit in Cinebench R23 single-core.

Q: What is the single-core performance difference between the two?

A: In Cinebench R23 single-core, the AMD EPYC 7542 scores 5,443, while the Intel Core i5-1145G7 scores 1,098. Despite the Intel chip having a higher boost clock of 4.40 GHz versus 3.40 GHz for the EPYC, the EPYC still leads by 79.8%.

Q: How does the AMD EPYC 7542 compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The AMD EPYC 7542 has an average benchmark score of 11,152. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 5 3500U, which scores 11,176 (0.2% higher), and the Intel Core i3-1305U, which scores 11,200 (0.4% higher). The EPYC 7542 sits at the 66th percentile of all CPUs.

Q: Which processor has a higher base clock speed?

A: The AMD EPYC 7542 has a base clock of 2.90 GHz, which is higher than the Intel Core i5-1145G7's base clock of 2.60 GHz. However, the Intel chip has a significantly higher boost clock at 4.40 GHz compared to the EPYC's 3.40 GHz.

The Verdict

The data is unambiguous: the AMD EPYC 7542 is the superior processor for any workload that can utilize its 32 cores and 64 threads. It wins every benchmark in the comparison by a margin of roughly 80%, making it the obvious choice for server, workstation, and heavily parallelized compute tasks. Its 128 MB of shared L3 cache, eight-channel memory bus, and 204.8 GB/s of memory bandwidth are enterprise-grade specifications that align with its server market segment. The Intel Core i5-1145G7, with its 4 cores and 8 threads, is designed for mobile efficiency, but its benchmark scores are dwarfed by the EPYC. The Intel part's only potential advantage is its integrated Iris Xe Graphics and its 28-watt TDP, which are irrelevant in a server context. For users running multi-threaded applications like video rendering, scientific simulations, or database workloads, the EPYC 7542 is the only rational choice based on this data. The i5-1145G7 is suitable for basic mobile tasks, but it cannot compete with the EPYC 7542 in any measured benchmark.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The AMD EPYC 7542 wins all six head-to-head benchmark comparisons, with a consistent performance advantage of approximately 80% over the Intel Core i5-1145G7. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the EPYC scores 3,886 versus the i5's 783, a 79.9% lead. The single-core R15 test shows a similar story: the EPYC scores 548 while the Intel chip scores 110, again a 79.9% deficit for the i5. Moving to Cinebench R20, the EPYC's multi-core score of 16,193 dwarfs the i5's 3,266, a 79.8% margin. The R20 single-core result follows suit, with the EPYC at 2,286 and the i5 at 461, a 79.8% difference. The most recent Cinebench R23 tests reinforce this trend. In multi-core, the EPYC 7542 scores 38,555, while the i5-1145G7 manages only 7,777, a 79.8% advantage for the AMD part. In single-core R23, the EPYC scores 5,443 against the i5's 1,098, again a 79.8% edge. This consistent ~80% delta across all tests, from older to newer Cinebench versions, suggests a fundamental architectural and core-count superiority rather than a workload-specific anomaly. The EPYC 7542's performance is so dominant that the Intel part's higher boost clock of 4.40 GHz does not translate into any single-core victory.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ in nearly every measurable specification. The AMD EPYC 7542 has 32 cores and 64 threads, compared to the Intel Core i5-1145G7's 4 cores and 8 threads. The EPYC's base clock is 2.90 GHz, while the i5's is 2.60 GHz; however, the i5's boost clock is 4.40 GHz, significantly higher than the EPYC's 3.40 GHz. The TDP is a stark contrast: the EPYC 7542 is rated at 225 watts, while the i5-1145G7 is rated at just 28 watts. The sockets are incompatible, with the EPYC using AMD Socket SP3 and the i5 using Intel BGA 1449. Memory support differs substantially: the EPYC supports DDR4 with an eight-channel memory bus and a bandwidth of 204.8 GB/s, whereas the i5 supports DDR4 and LPDDR4X over a dual-channel bus with no bandwidth figure listed. The EPYC supports ECC memory; the i5 does not. PCIe support also varies: the EPYC has Gen 4, while the i5 has Gen 4 with 4 lanes (CPU only). The EPYC has no integrated graphics, while the i5 includes Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EU. The EPYC is an active production part, while the i5 is end-of-life. The i5 has a launch MSRP of $309; the EPYC's launch MSRP is not listed.

Architecture Differences

The fundamental architectural split is between Intel's Tiger Lake-U mobile design and AMD's Zen 2 Rome server architecture. The Intel Core i5-1145G7 is built on Intel's 10 nm process node and has a die size of 144 mm². It uses the Tiger Lake architecture with a codename of Tiger Lake-U, and its generation is listed as Core i5 (Willow Cove-U). The cache layout for the i5 includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 1.25 MB of L2 per core, and 8 MB of shared L3 cache. In contrast, the AMD EPYC 7542 is fabricated by TSMC on a 7 nm process node, with a die size of just 74 mm² and 3,800 million transistors. It uses the Zen 2 architecture with the codename Rome, from the EPYC 7002 series. The EPYC's cache hierarchy is drastically different: 96 KB of L1 per core, 512 KB of L2 per core, and a massive 128 MB of shared L3 cache. This L3 cache difference is 16x in favor of the EPYC, which is critical for server workloads with large working sets. The EPYC 7542 was released on 2019-08-06, while the i5-1145G7 came later on 2020-09-01. The Intel part is manufactured by Intel itself, whereas the AMD chip is made by TSMC. These architectural choices—more cores, larger cache, higher power envelope, and newer process node—explain why the EPYC 7542 achieves nearly 5x the multi-core performance of the i5-1145G7 in Cinebench R23, despite the i5's higher boost clock and smaller process node.