AMD EPYC 7543P vs Intel Core i5-1240U Comparison

Where Each One Wins

The benchmark data presents an unusually one-sided picture. The AMD EPYC 7543P wins all six recorded head-to-head Cinebench comparisons, with no benchmark victories for the Intel Core i5-1240U. This is not a close contest; it is a systematic dominance across every tested workload category.

The EPYC 7543P's largest advantage appears in multi-threaded rendering workloads. In Cinebench R23 multi-core, the AMD part scores 56,683 against the Intel's 7,902, a delta of 617.3%. That is not a marginal lead; it is an order-of-magnitude difference in sustained parallel throughput. The Cinebench R20 multi-core test tells the same story: 23,806 versus 5,013, a 374.9% advantage. The R15 multi-core result shows 5,713 versus 1,242, a 360% gap. Every multi-core test lands in the same territory, the EPYC part delivers between 3.6x and 6.2x the raw multi-threaded score.

Single-core results are equally decisive, though the margins are smaller in percentage terms. In Cinebench R23 single-core, the EPYC 7543P scores 8,002 against the i5-1240U's 1,559, a 413.3% advantage. The R20 single-core test shows 3,360 versus 707, a 375.2% lead. The R15 single-core test records 806 versus 226, a 256.6% gap. These are not typical single-core deltas where a modern mobile chip might close the gap; the server part simply outruns the mobile part in every single-threaded workload as well.

The Intel Core i5-1240U does have a set of PassMark scores recorded in the database, but no head-to-head comparison exists for those tests against the EPYC 7543P. The recorded PassMark results for the i5-1240U include a multi-thread score of 13,406, a single-thread score of 3,239, and a floating-point math score of 29,726. These numbers are informative for understanding the mobile chip's own profile, but they do not change the head-to-head outcome. The database records zero wins for the Intel part across all six direct comparisons.

Architecture Differences

The two processors occupy entirely different segments of the computing landscape, and the architectural gap explains the benchmark results. The AMD EPYC 7543P is a 32-core, 64-thread server processor built on the Zen 3 architecture, codenamed Milan, part of the EPYC 7003 series. It uses a 7nm process from TSMC, with 33,200 million transistors spread across 8 dies, each 81 mm². The Intel Core i5-1240U is a 10-core, 12-thread mobile processor using the Alder Lake architecture, specifically Alder Lake-U, built on Intel's 10nm process. The core count difference alone, 32 versus 10, is substantial, but the thread count difference, 64 versus 12, is even more pronounced.

Cache hierarchies reflect the different design goals. The EPYC 7543P has 64 KB of L1 per core, 512 KB of L2 per core, and a massive 256 MB of shared L3 cache. The i5-1240U has 80 KB of L1 per core, 1.25 MB of L2 per core, and 12 MB of shared L3. The EPYC's shared L3 is more than 21 times larger than the Intel's total L3 pool, which directly benefits large working sets in server workloads.

Memory architecture diverges completely. The EPYC 7543P supports DDR4 across an eight-channel memory bus, delivering 204.8 GB/s of memory bandwidth. The i5-1240U supports both DDR4 and DDR5 on a dual-channel bus, with no memory bandwidth figure recorded in the database. The EPYC also supports ECC memory, while the Intel part does not. PCIe connectivity differs as well: the EPYC provides Gen 4 with 128 lanes from the CPU, while the i5-1240U provides Gen 4 without a recorded lane count.

Clock speeds show an interesting inversion. The Intel part has a much higher boost clock at 4.40 GHz, versus the EPYC's 3.70 GHz, and a base clock listed at 1100.00 MHz, versus the EPYC's 2.80 GHz. Despite the higher boost frequency on the mobile chip, the EPYC still wins every single-core benchmark. This indicates that the Zen 3 architecture's per-core efficiency and the server part's larger cache and memory subsystem compensate for the lower peak frequency.

Power envelopes differ by a factor of 25. The EPYC 7543P has a TDP of 225 watts, while the i5-1240U has a TDP of 9 watts. The mobile chip is designed for battery-powered ultraportables, with integrated Iris Xe graphics with 80 execution units. The EPYC has no integrated graphics, relying on discrete solutions for display output. The sockets reflect this: the EPYC uses AMD Socket SP3, the Intel part uses BGA 1781, a soldered mobile package.

The Verdict

The data points to a clear conclusion: the AMD EPYC 7543P is the superior processor for any workload that benefits from raw compute throughput. It wins all six head-to-head benchmarks, with multi-core deltas ranging from 360% to 617.3% and single-core deltas from 256.6% to 413.3%. No recorded test shows the Intel Core i5-1240U winning. The EPYC's 32 cores, 64 threads, 256 MB of L3 cache, eight-channel DDR4 memory, and 128 PCIe Gen 4 lanes make it a server and workstation part in the truest sense.

Who should pick the EPYC 7543P? Anyone running Cinebench-class rendering workloads, large-scale parallel computation, or memory-bandwidth-sensitive server applications. The 617.3% lead in Cinebench R23 multi-core is the single most telling number. The EPYC also wins single-core tests, so even lightly threaded workloads favor the AMD part in this comparison. The launch MSRP is $2730, and the part is intended for Socket SP3 server platforms.

Who should pick the Intel Core i5-1240U? Strictly from the recorded data, it is not competitive in any of the six compared benchmarks. Its merits lie elsewhere: a 9-watt TDP, integrated Iris Xe graphics, dual-channel DDR4/DDR5 support, and a mobile BGA package. The PassMark scores show it can handle everyday computing tasks, but in a direct compute comparison against the EPYC 7543P, it loses every recorded test. The choice is not about performance parity; it is about platform requirements. If the workload is server-class compute, the EPYC 7543P is the only defensible option from these two.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has more cores and threads?

A: The AMD EPYC 7543P has 32 cores and 64 threads. The Intel Core i5-1240U has 10 cores and 12 threads.

Q: What is the largest benchmark margin between the two?

A: The largest margin is in Cinebench R23 multi-core, where the AMD EPYC 7543P scores 56,683 against the Intel Core i5-1240U's 7,902, a 617.3% advantage.

Q: Does the Intel Core i5-1240U win any head-to-head benchmark?

A: No. The database records 6 wins for the AMD EPYC 7543P and 0 wins for the Intel Core i5-1240U across all compared Cinebench tests.

Q: How do the cache sizes compare?

A: The AMD EPYC 7543P has 64 KB of L1 per core, 512 KB of L2 per core, and 256 MB of shared L3. The Intel Core i5-1240U has 80 KB of L1 per core, 1.25 MB of L2 per core, and 12 MB of shared L3.

Q: What memory configurations do the two processors support?

A: The AMD EPYC 7543P supports DDR4 on an eight-channel bus with 204.8 GB/s bandwidth and ECC memory. The Intel Core i5-1240U supports DDR4 and DDR5 on a dual-channel bus, without ECC support.

Q: What is the TDP difference?

A: The AMD EPYC 7543P has a TDP of 225 watts. The Intel Core i5-1240U has a TDP of 9 watts.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The six direct comparisons all follow the same pattern, but the magnitudes deserve close attention. In Cinebench R23 multi-core, the EPYC 7543P scores 56,683 versus the i5-1240U's 7,902. The 617.3% delta is the largest in the entire comparison set. This test stresses all available cores simultaneously, and the EPYC's 32 cores and 64 threads simply overwhelm the Intel part's 10 cores and 12 threads.

Cinebench R20 multi-core shows a similar dynamic: 23,806 for the EPYC versus 5,013 for the Intel, a 374.9% lead. The R15 multi-core test records 5,713 versus 1,242, a 360% advantage. All three multi-core tests place the EPYC between 3.6x and 6.2x ahead, with the newer R23 test showing the widest gap. The progressive widening from R15 to R20 to R23 suggests the EPYC's advantage scales with workload intensity and duration.

Single-core results are closer in percentage terms but still decisive. Cinebench R23 single-core gives the EPYC 8,002 against 1,559, a 413.3% lead. R20 single-core shows 3,360 versus 707, a 375.2% delta. R15 single-core records 806 versus 226, a 256.6% gap. The pattern here is notable because the Intel part has a higher boost clock, 4.40 GHz versus 3.70 GHz, yet still loses every single-threaded test. The EPYC's Zen 3 architecture and larger cache hierarchy evidently offset the clock deficit.

For the Intel Core i5-1240U, the recorded PassMark results provide context for its intended role. The multi-thread score of 13,406 and single-thread score of 3,239 indicate a capable mobile processor for everyday workloads. The integer math score of 44,968, floating-point math score of 29,726, and data compression score of 143,102 show balanced general-purpose performance. But none of these tests appear in the head-to-head comparison, so they do not affect the direct outcome.

The database's percentile ranking places both processors at the 70th percentile against all CPUs, despite the massive performance gap between them. This reflects the different market segments: the EPYC 7543P is a high-end server part competing against other server silicon, while the i5-1240U is a mobile part competing against other mobile silicon. The average benchmark score for the EPYC 7543P is 16,395, with nearest rivals including the AMD Ryzen 5 4600H at 16,341 and the Intel Core i7-1260U at 16,320. The i5-1240U has an average score of 16,957, with nearest rivals including the AMD EPYC 7702 at 16,932 and the Intel Core i7-1260P at 17,007. Both parts sit in similar overall performance percentiles within their respective peer groups, but their direct comparison is lopsided in favor of the EPYC.