AMD EPYC 7543P vs AMD EPYC 9334 Comparison

The AMD EPYC 7543P and AMD EPYC 9334 are both 32-core server processors, yet they represent distinct generations of AMD’s EPYC lineup. The 7543P, a Zen 3 Milan part, consistently outperforms the newer Zen 4 Genoa 9334 across every Cinebench benchmark in the data, despite the latter’s architectural advancements. This head-to-head analysis reveals a surprising reversal of generational expectations, with the older chip taking a clean sweep of all six tests. The following sections break down the specific benchmark deltas, the architectural differences that explain them, and the practical implications for server workloads.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The data shows a uniform victory for the AMD EPYC 7543P across all six Cinebench tests, with a win margin of 2.8% to 2.9% in every instance. In Cinebench R15 multicore, the 7543P scores 5713 against the 9334’s 5555, a 2.8% advantage. The single-core R15 test follows the same pattern: 806 versus 784, again a 2.8% delta. Moving to Cinebench R20, the multicore result is 23806 for the 7543P and 23146 for the 9334, a 2.9% lead, while the single-core test shows 3360 versus 3267, a 2.8% gap. The trend continues in Cinebench R23, where the 7543P posts 56683 in multicore against 55110 for the 9334, and 8002 versus 7780 in single-core, both yielding a 2.9% difference.

These margins are consistent and narrow, indicating that the 7543P does not dramatically outclass the 9334, but it does win decisively in every measured scenario. The largest single delta is 2.9% in Cinebench R20 multicore and R23 multicore and single-core, while the smallest is 2.8% in the R15 tests and R20 single-core. There are no benchmark categories where the 9334 gains ground, making the outcome a clean 6-0 sweep for the older processor.

The average benchmark score further underscores this disparity: the 7543P averages 16395 across all tested workloads, while the 9334 averages 15940. This puts the 7543P roughly 2.8% ahead in overall performance, which aligns with the individual test deltas. Notably, the 7543P’s nearest rival in the overall database is the AMD Ryzen 5 4600H with an average score of 16341, a delta of just 0.3%, while the 9334’s closest competitor is the Intel Core Ultra 5 134U at 15910, a 0.2% difference. Both processors sit at the 70th percentile among all CPUs, but the 7543P’s absolute scores are consistently higher.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap between the two chips is substantial, yet it does not translate into a performance win for the newer part. The 7543P is built on the Zen 3 architecture, codenamed Milan, using a 7 nm process from TSMC. It features 32 cores and 64 threads, with a base clock of 2.80 GHz and a boost clock of 3.70 GHz. The 9334, in contrast, uses the Zen 4 architecture, codenamed Genoa, fabricated on TSMC’s 5 nm node. It also has 32 cores and 64 threads, but its base clock is slightly lower at 2.70 GHz, while its boost clock is higher at 3.90 GHz.

The cache configurations differ markedly. The 7543P has 64 KB of L1 cache per core, 512 KB of L2 per core, and a massive 256 MB of shared L3 cache. The 9334 retains the same 64 KB L1 per core, but doubles the L2 to 1 MB per core, while halving the shared L3 to 128 MB. This means the older chip has twice the total L3 capacity, which likely contributes to its benchmark advantage in cache-sensitive workloads. The transistor counts also reflect the node change: the 7543P uses 33,200 million transistors across an 8x 81 mm² die configuration, while the 9334 packs 52,560 million transistors into a 4x 72 mm² layout, showing the density improvement of the 5 nm process.

Memory support is another major divergence. The 7543P uses DDR4 memory with an eight-channel bus, providing 204.8 GB/s of bandwidth. The 9334 moves to DDR5 with a twelve-channel bus, more than doubling bandwidth to 460.8 GB/s. Both support ECC memory, but the newer chip’s memory subsystem is clearly superior on paper. PCIe capabilities also differ: the 7543P offers PCIe Gen 4 with 128 lanes, while the 9334 provides PCIe Gen 5 with the same 128 lanes, doubling the per-lane bandwidth. The sockets are incompatible as well, with the 7543P on AMD Socket SP3 and the 9334 on AMD Socket SP5.

Power and thermal envelopes shift slightly: the 7543P has a TDP of 225 watts, while the 9334 has a TDP of 210 watts, making the newer chip slightly more power-efficient on paper. The release dates show a significant time gap, with the 7543P launching in March 2021 and the 9334 in November 2022. Despite all these architectural improvements, the benchmark data shows the 7543P retaining a small but consistent lead, suggesting that its larger L3 cache and higher base clock outweigh the 9334’s DDR5 bandwidth and higher boost clock in Cinebench workloads.

Where Each One Wins

Based strictly on the benchmark results, the 7543P wins in every single tested category, making it the clear choice for raw Cinebench performance. The 7543P’s 2.8-2.9% lead across all tests indicates it is better suited for workloads that are heavily dependent on single-threaded and multi-threaded compute throughput, as measured by Cinebench’s rendering tasks. Its 256 MB L3 cache likely gives it an edge in scenarios where data reuse is frequent, such as virtualization or large in-memory databases, though the data does not directly test those workloads.

The 9334, despite losing all benchmarks, has features that suggest it could excel in other areas not covered by Cinebench. Its DDR5 memory support with 460.8 GB/s of bandwidth is more than double the 7543P’s 204.8 GB/s, which would benefit memory-bandwidth-intensive applications like scientific computing or high-performance analytics. The PCIe Gen 5 support with 128 lanes offers double the I/O bandwidth compared to the 7543P’s PCIe Gen 4, making the 9334 more attractive for systems with many high-speed NVMe drives or GPUs. The lower TDP of 210 watts versus 225 watts also makes the 9334 slightly more efficient in dense server deployments.

In the Cinebench suite, however, the 9334 cannot overcome the 7543P’s advantage. The 9334’s higher boost clock of 3.90 GHz fails to translate into a single-core win, as the 7543P’s 3.70 GHz boost still produces higher scores in every single-core test. This suggests that the 7543P’s architecture extracts more instructions per clock in these specific workloads, or that its larger cache mitigates the clock speed difference. For users focused purely on CPU compute benchmarks, the 7543P is the definitive winner; for those prioritizing memory bandwidth or PCIe Gen 5 connectivity, the 9334’s platform features would be the deciding factor, though those advantages are not reflected in the Cinebench scores.

The Verdict

The data is unambiguous: the AMD EPYC 7543P outperforms the AMD EPYC 9334 in every Cinebench benchmark recorded, with a clean 6-0 win tally and deltas between 2.8% and 2.9%. The 7543P’s average benchmark score of 16395 versus the 9334’s 15940 confirms this, with the older chip holding a roughly 2.8% overall advantage. Both processors sit at the 70th percentile among all CPUs, but the 7543P’s absolute scores are higher across the board.

For buyers choosing between these two based on the available data, the 7543P is the clear pick for maximum Cinebench performance. Its larger 256 MB L3 cache and higher base clock appear to outweigh the 9334’s architectural upgrades, including its 5 nm process, DDR5 support, and higher boost clock. The 9334’s advantages in memory bandwidth (460.8 GB/s vs 204.8 GB/s) and PCIe Gen 5 are real, but they do not manifest in the benchmark results provided.

The 9334 might be the better choice for specific server environments that rely heavily on memory throughput or next-generation I/O, as its twelve-channel DDR5 and Gen 5 PCIe lanes provide a more modern platform foundation. However, the benchmark data shows no scenario where the 9334 wins, so any decision to choose it must be based on non-Cinebench factors like memory bandwidth or platform longevity, not on raw compute scores. The 7543P remains the superior performer in the tested workloads, making it the recommended option for compute-bound tasks, while the 9334’s merits lie outside the scope of these benchmarks.

FAQ

Q: Which processor wins in Cinebench R23 multicore?

A: The AMD EPYC 7543P wins with a score of 56683, compared to the AMD EPYC 9334’s 55110, a 2.9% advantage.

Q: What is the difference in average benchmark scores between the two chips?

A: The 7543P has an average benchmark score of 16395, while the 9334 averages 15940. This represents a 2.8% lead for the 7543P.

Q: Do both processors have the same number of cores and threads?

A: Yes, both the AMD EPYC 7543P and AMD EPYC 9334 have 32 cores and 64 threads.

Q: How does the L3 cache size compare between the two processors?

A: The 7543P has 256 MB of shared L3 cache, while the 9334 has 128 MB of shared L3 cache. The 7543P has double the L3 capacity.

Q: What memory types do the two processors support?

A: The 7543P supports DDR4 memory with an eight-channel bus, while the 9334 supports DDR5 memory with a twelve-channel bus.

Q: Which processor has a higher boost clock?

A: The AMD EPYC 9334 has a higher boost clock of 3.90 GHz, compared to the 7543P’s 3.70 GHz. Despite this, the 7543P wins in all single-core benchmarks.