AMD EPYC 7551P vs Intel Core i5-7500 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark data presents a decisive overall victory for the AMD EPYC 7551P, which wins 7 of the 8 recorded head-to-head comparisons. The only exception is Geekbench single-core, where the Intel Core i5-7500 takes a commanding lead. The scale of the EPYC's wins is substantial, often exceeding an 80% margin, which points to a fundamental difference in workload capability rather than a marginal performance gap.

In multi-threaded workloads, the EPYC 7551P is in a different class entirely. The Cinebench R23 multi-core test shows the EPYC scoring 32,500 against the i5-7500's 5,133, a delta of -84.2% from the Intel part's perspective. This pattern repeats across all Cinebench versions. In Cinebench R20 multi-core, the EPYC scores 13,650 versus 2,155, and in Cinebench R15 multi-core, it scores 3,276 versus 517. The consistency of the -84.2% delta across all three Cinebench multi-core tests indicates that the performance relationship scales predictably with thread count and sustained load.

The EPYC's dominance extends to Cinebench single-core tests as well, which is a notable finding. In Cinebench R23 single-core, the EPYC scores 4,588 against the i5-7500's 724, a -84.2% delta. Cinebench R20 single-core shows 1,926 versus 304, and Cinebench R15 single-core shows 462 versus 72. These results are surprising given that the i5-7500 has a higher boost clock of 3.80 GHz compared to the EPYC's 3.00 GHz, yet the EPYC still wins decisively in these tests. The architectural efficiency of the Zen core in this specific benchmark suite appears to outweigh the clock speed advantage of the Intel part.

Geekbench multi-core also favors the EPYC, though by a smaller margin. The EPYC scores 6,296 against the i5-7500's 3,619, a -42.5% delta. This narrower gap suggests that Geekbench's multi-core test does not scale as aggressively with core count as Cinebench does, or that the workload mix in Geekbench does not fully utilize the EPYC's 32 cores and 64 threads. Still, a 42.5% deficit is a substantial loss for the i5-7500.

The single bright spot for the Intel Core i5-7500 is Geekbench single-core, where it scores 1,277 against the EPYC's 919, a 39% advantage. This is the only test in the entire comparison where the i5-7500 comes out ahead, and it highlights the Intel part's strength in lightly threaded, latency-sensitive workloads. The 39% margin is significant and suggests that for applications that rely on a single thread and cannot leverage parallelism, the i5-7500 is clearly the better choice.

It is importantly the EPYC 7551P's lead in Cinebench single-core tests does not translate to Geekbench single-core. This discrepancy indicates that the two benchmark suites measure different aspects of single-thread performance. Cinebench appears to favor the EPYC's architecture while Geekbench favors the i5-7500's higher clock speed and possibly its more mature single-thread optimizations. The data does not explain why this divergence exists, but it is a meaningful distinction for users who rely on specific benchmark suites to predict real-world performance.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD EPYC 7551P is the clear winner in all Cinebench tests, both multi-core and single-core, as well as Geekbench multi-core. This makes it the preferred choice for any workload that can utilize multiple threads, including rendering, simulation, and server-side processing. The Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 32,500 places the EPYC far ahead of the i5-7500's 5,133, and the consistent -84.2% delta across all Cinebench versions indicates that this advantage is stable across different generations of the benchmark. For users running 3D rendering, video encoding, or any parallel compute task, the EPYC 7551P is the only rational choice based on this data.

The EPYC also wins Cinebench single-core tests, which broadens its appeal. While one might expect a 32-core server processor to lag behind a desktop quad-core in single-thread workloads, the data shows the opposite. The EPYC's 4,588 score in Cinebench R23 single-core is more than six times the i5-7500's 724. This means that even in mixed workloads that include single-threaded components, the EPYC does not necessarily cede ground to the Intel part. However, the Geekbench single-core result complicates this picture.

The Intel Core i5-7500 wins only Geekbench single-core, with a 39% advantage over the EPYC. This is a narrow but clear victory. For applications that are strictly single-threaded and where Geekbench is a reliable predictor of performance, the i5-7500 should be favored. The i5-7500's higher boost clock of 3.80 GHz likely contributes to this result, though the EPYC's lower 3.00 GHz boost clock does not prevent it from winning Cinebench single-core, so clock speed alone does not tell the full story.

In terms of market positioning, the i5-7500 is a desktop part with integrated graphics, while the EPYC is a server/workstation part without any integrated GPU. This distinction matters for use cases where a discrete graphics card is not available. The i5-7500 includes HD 630 integrated graphics, which allows for basic display output and light graphics work without a separate GPU. The EPYC 7551P has no integrated graphics, so it requires a discrete GPU even for basic display output. This is not a performance metric but a functional requirement that affects system design.

The Verdict

The data is unambiguous: the AMD EPYC 7551P is the superior processor for virtually all compute-intensive workloads. Its 32 cores and 64 threads deliver multi-core performance that the Intel Core i5-7500 cannot approach, with Cinebench R23 multi-core scores showing an 84.2% deficit for the Intel part. The EPYC also wins every Cinebench single-core test, which is unexpected given its lower boost clock, and it wins Geekbench multi-core by 42.5%. Anyone building a system for rendering, simulation, or server workloads should choose the EPYC 7551P without hesitation.

The Intel Core i5-7500 should be chosen only for use cases where Geekbench single-core performance is the primary concern. Its 39% advantage in that specific test is real and meaningful for applications that are strictly single-threaded and where the Geekbench metric has been shown to correlate with real-world performance. The i5-7500 also offers integrated graphics, which the EPYC lacks, making it a more self-contained solution for basic desktop use. However, the i5-7500's 4 cores and 4 threads severely limit its multi-threaded capability, and its average benchmark score of 8,208 is only marginally higher than the EPYC's 7,952.

Interestingly, both processors sit at the 64th percentile among all CPUs in the database, despite their vastly different core counts and performance profiles. This suggests that the database's percentile ranking is based on average benchmark score, and the two parts land close together: the i5-7500 averages 8,208 while the EPYC averages 7,952. The nearest rivals for the i5-7500 include the Intel Xeon Gold 5318Y at 8,147 (0.7% delta) and the AMD EPYC 7302 at 8,139 (0.8% delta), while the EPYC 7551P's nearest rivals include the Intel Core i7-13700E at 7,957 (-0.1% delta) and the Intel Core i9-10980XE at 7,910 (0.5% delta). These rivalries show that both parts are competitive in their respective segments, but the performance distribution is very different.

For most buyers, the EPYC 7551P is the stronger choice. The only scenario where the i5-7500 makes sense is a desktop build focused on single-threaded applications, with integrated graphics as a requirement and no need for multi-core performance. The EPYC 7551P, with its 64 threads, eight-channel memory bus, and 170.6 GB/s memory bandwidth, is a server-class part designed for heavy parallel workloads. The i5-7500, with its dual-channel memory and 38.4 GB/s bandwidth, is a mainstream desktop part. The data reflects this divide clearly.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has a higher Cinebench R23 multi-core score?

A: The AMD EPYC 7551P scores 32,500, while the Intel Core i5-7500 scores 5,133, giving the EPYC a -84.2% delta advantage over the i5-7500.

Q: Does the Intel Core i5-7500 win any benchmark comparison?

A: Yes, the i5-7500 wins Geekbench single-core with a score of 1,277 against the EPYC's 919, a 39% advantage.

Q: How do the two processors compare in Geekbench multi-core?

A: The AMD EPYC 7551P scores 6,296 and the Intel Core i5-7500 scores 3,619, a -42.5% delta for the Intel part.

Q: What is the average benchmark score for each processor?

A: The Intel Core i5-7500 has an average benchmark score of 8,208, while the AMD EPYC 7551P has an average of 7,952. Both are at the 64th percentile among all CPUs.

Q: Do both processors support the same memory configuration?

A: No. The i5-7500 supports dual-channel DDR4 with 38.4 GB/s bandwidth and no ECC. The EPYC 7551P supports eight-channel DDR4 with 170.6 GB/s bandwidth and ECC support.

Q: Which processor has integrated graphics?

A: The Intel Core i5-7500 includes HD 630 integrated graphics, while the AMD EPYC 7551P has no integrated graphics.

Architecture Differences

The two processors are built on fundamentally different architectures. The Intel Core i5-7500 uses the Kaby Lake architecture, manufactured on Intel's 14 nm process. It has 4 cores and 4 threads, with a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 3.80 GHz. The cache hierarchy consists of 64 KB L1 per core, 256 KB L2 per core, and 6 MB of shared L3 cache. The EPYC 7551P uses the Zen architecture with the Naples codename, manufactured on GlobalFoundries' 14 nm process. It has 32 cores and 64 threads, with a base clock of 2.00 GHz and a boost clock of 3.00 GHz. The cache layout is significantly larger: 96 KB L1 per core, 512 KB L2 per core, and 64 MB of shared L3 cache.

The EPYC 7551P has a transistor count of 4,800 million and a die size of 213 mm², while the i5-7500's transistor count and die size are not recorded in the database. The memory architecture also differs substantially. The i5-7500 uses a dual-channel DDR4 bus with 38.4 GB/s bandwidth and no ECC support. The EPYC 7551P uses an eight-channel DDR4 bus with 170.6 GB/s bandwidth and supports ECC memory. This gives the EPYC more than four times the memory bandwidth, which is critical for server workloads that are memory-bound.

The socket types are incompatible: the i5-7500 uses Intel Socket 1151, while the EPYC 7551P uses AMD Socket SP3. The PCIe configuration also differs: the i5-7500 provides Gen 3 with 16 lanes from the CPU, while the EPYC 7551P provides Gen 3 without a specified lane count in the data. The i5-7500 has integrated HD 630 graphics, while the EPYC has none. The EPYC 7551P has an unlocked multiplier, while the i5-7500 does not. The release dates are close: the i5-7500 was released in January 2017 and the EPYC 7551P in June 2017.

Specification Differences

The most obvious specification difference is core and thread count. The Intel Core i5-7500 has 4 cores and 4 threads, while the AMD EPYC 7551P has 32 cores and 64 threads. Clock speeds also differ: the i5-7500 runs at 3.40 GHz base and 3.80 GHz boost, while the EPYC runs at 2.00 GHz base and 3.00 GHz boost. The TDP is another major differentiator: the i5-7500 has a 65 W TDP, while the EPYC 7551P has a 180 W TDP.

Memory support differs in channel count and bandwidth. The i5-7500 supports dual-channel DDR4 with 38.4 GB/s bandwidth and does not support ECC. The EPYC 7551P supports eight-channel DDR4 with 170.6 GB/s bandwidth and does support ECC. The cache sizes are also different: the i5-7500 has 6 MB of shared L3 cache, while the EPYC has 64 MB of shared L3 cache. Per-core L1 and L2 caches are larger on the EPYC as well: 96 KB L1 and 512 KB L2 per core versus 64 KB L1 and 256 KB L2 per core on the i5-7500.

The socket types are different, as are the architectures and codenames. The i5-7500 uses Kaby Lake on Intel Socket 1151, while the EPYC uses Zen (Naples) on AMD Socket SP3. The process nodes are both 14 nm, but the foundries differ: Intel for the i5-7500, GlobalFoundries for the EPYC. The EPYC has an unlocked multiplier, while the i5-7500 does not. The i5-7500 has integrated HD 630 graphics, while the EPYC has none. The market segments differ: the i5-7500 is a desktop part, while the EPYC is a server/workstation part. Both are currently marked as active in production.