AMD EPYC 7551P vs Intel Core i7-8550U Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark comparison between the Intel Core i7-8550U and the AMD EPYC 7551P is decisively one-sided. Across all six shared Cinebench tests, the AMD EPYC 7551P records the higher score, giving it a clean sweep with 6 wins against 0 for the Intel part. The margins are not subtle; they are consistent and overwhelming in every workload category.

In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the EPYC 7551P scores 3276 against the i7-8550U's 496, a delta of -84.9% from the Intel chip's perspective. The single-core R15 test tells the same story: 462 for the AMD part versus 69 for the Intel part, again a -85.1% delta. Moving to Cinebench R20, the EPYC 7551P posts 13650 in multi-core while the i7-8550U manages 2068, a -84.8% difference. Single-core R20 shows 1926 versus 291, a -84.9% delta. In Cinebench R23, the pattern holds: multi-core scores are 32500 for the EPYC and 4926 for the i7-8550U, a -84.8% gap, while single-core results are 4588 and 695 respectively, a -84.9% difference.

The consistency of these deltas is striking. Each delta sits between -84.8% and -85.1%, indicating that the performance ratio between the two processors is nearly identical across all Cinebench versions and workload types. This suggests the advantage is structural rather than workload-specific. The EPYC 7551P is not merely faster in one niche; it is faster by roughly the same proportion in both single-threaded and multi-threaded rendering tasks.

It is worth noting the broader context from the database. The Intel Core i7-8550U has an average benchmark score of 8407, placing it in the 64th percentile of all CPUs. The AMD EPYC 7551P has an average benchmark score of 7952, also in the 64th percentile. Despite the EPYC's dominance in these head-to-head Cinebench tests, the average scores across all benchmarks in the database are close. The i7-8550U's nearest rivals include the Intel Xeon Gold 5318N at 8433 (-0.3%), the Intel Core i5-10210U at 8344 (+0.7%), and the Intel Xeon Gold 5320T at 8316 (+1.1%). The EPYC 7551P's nearest rivals include the Intel Core i7-13700E at 7957 (-0.1%), the Intel Core i9-10980XE at 7910 (+0.5%), the Intel Xeon Gold 6326 at 8071 (-1.5%), and the Intel Xeon Platinum 8180M at 8110 (-1.9%). The two chips sit in the same percentile, but their benchmark profiles diverge sharply on the Cinebench suite.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap between these two processors explains the benchmark results better than any single specification. The Intel Core i7-8550U is a mobile part built on the Kaby Lake architecture, specifically the Kaby Lake-R refresh. It uses a 14 nm process manufactured by Intel, with a die size of 123 mm². It contains 4 cores and 8 threads, with a base clock of 1800 MHz and a boost clock of 4000 MHz. Its thermal design power is 15 watts, reflecting its mobile, power-constrained design. The CPU is socketed in Intel BGA 1356, uses DDR4 memory without ECC support, and integrates UHD 620 graphics. Its cache layout includes 64 KB of L1 per core, 256 KB of L2 per core, and 8 MB of shared L3. The market segment is explicitly mobile, and the production status is active.

The AMD EPYC 7551P is a server and workstation processor from the EPYC 7001 series, built on the Zen architecture with the codename Naples. It is also on a 14 nm process node, but manufactured by GlobalFoundries. The die size is 213 mm² and the transistor count is 4,800 million. It has 32 cores and 64 threads, a base clock of 2000 MHz, and a boost clock of 3000 MHz. The thermal design power is 180 watts, twelve times that of the Intel part. It uses AMD Socket SP3 and supports DDR4 memory across an eight-channel memory bus, with a memory bandwidth of 170.6 GB/s. ECC memory is supported, and PCIe connectivity is Gen 3. There is no integrated graphics. Cache amounts are larger at every level: 96 KB of L1 per core, 512 KB of L2 per core, and 64 MB of shared L3. The multiplier is unlocked, and the part number is PS755PBDVIHAF.

The core count difference is the most obvious differentiator: 32 cores versus 4 cores, 64 threads versus 8 threads. That is an 8x core advantage and an 8x thread advantage for the EPYC. The L3 cache difference is also notable: 64 MB versus 8 MB, an 8x difference. The EPYC also has a higher base clock (2000 MHz versus 1800 MHz), although the Intel part has a higher boost clock (4000 MHz versus 3000 MHz). The memory subsystem is fundamentally different: the EPYC offers eight-channel memory with 170.6 GB/s bandwidth, while the i7-8550U's memory bus bandwidth is not recorded in the database. The EPYC supports ECC memory; the i7-8550U does not. The EPYC has no integrated graphics; the i7-8550U includes UHD 620. The sockets are incompatible: Intel BGA 1356 versus AMD Socket SP3.

Both are active in production, and both launched in 2017. The i7-8550U has a release date of August 20, 2017, while the EPYC 7551P has a release date of June 28, 2017. Neither has a launch MSRP recorded in the database.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD EPYC 7551P wins every shared benchmark in the head-to-head comparison. All six Cinebench tests, covering both single-core and multi-core variants of R15, R20, and R23, go to the EPYC. The multi-core wins are expected given the 32-core, 64-thread configuration, but the single-core wins are more telling. The EPYC's single-core R23 score of 4588 is far ahead of the i7-8550U's 695, a -84.9% delta. Even though the Intel part has a higher boost clock of 4000 MHz versus 3000 MHz, the EPYC's Zen architecture and higher base clock of 2000 MHz produce a substantially higher single-threaded score. The database also shows the EPYC's Geekbench scores: 6296 multi-core and 919 single-core, though the i7-8550U has no Geekbench scores recorded for direct comparison.

The Intel Core i7-8550U's wins are less visible in the head-to-head table because no shared test outside Cinebench exists. However, the database does contain a broad set of PassMark benchmarks for the i7-8550U. These include a multi-thread score of 5835, a single-thread score of 2021, data compression at 74223, data encryption at 1944, extended instructions at 4665, find prime numbers at 22, floating point math at 12523, integer math at 20770, physics at 451, and random string sorting at 9902. The EPYC 7551P has no PassMark scores recorded, so these results cannot be compared directly. The i7-8550U's average benchmark score of 8407 is higher than the EPYC's 7952, indicating that across the full database of recorded tests, the Intel mobile chip performs competitively relative to the broader CPU population, even though it loses decisively in the Cinebench suite.

For use cases, the EPYC 7551P is the clear choice for multi-threaded rendering, server workloads, and any application that scales across many cores. Its 64 MB of L3 cache, eight-channel memory, and ECC support position it for data center and workstation environments. The i7-8550U, with its 15-watt TDP and integrated UHD 620 graphics, is suited for mobile computing scenarios where power efficiency and a compact platform matter. The i7-8550U's higher boost clock of 4000 MHz may benefit lightly threaded tasks that rely on peak frequency, though the recorded single-core Cinebench scores do not reflect an advantage in those specific tests.

FAQ

Q: Which processor wins the most head-to-head benchmarks?

A: The AMD EPYC 7551P wins all 6 shared head-to-head benchmarks. The Intel Core i7-8550U wins 0.

Q: What is the multi-core Cinebench R23 score for each processor?

A: The AMD EPYC 7551P scores 32500, while the Intel Core i7-8550U scores 4926. The delta is -84.8% from the Intel part's perspective.

Q: How do the single-core Cinebench R23 scores compare?

A: The AMD EPYC 7551P scores 4588, and the Intel Core i7-8550U scores 695, a delta of -84.9%.

Q: Does the Intel Core i7-8550U support ECC memory?

A: No, the Intel Core i7-8550U does not support ECC memory. The AMD EPYC 7551P does support ECC memory.

Q: What are the core and thread counts for each processor?

A: The Intel Core i7-8550U has 4 cores and 8 threads. The AMD EPYC 7551P has 32 cores and 64 threads.

Q: What is the memory bandwidth of the AMD EPYC 7551P?

A: The AMD EPYC 7551P has a memory bandwidth of 170.6 GB/s, delivered through an eight-channel DDR4 memory bus.

Q: Does the Intel Core i7-8550U have integrated graphics?

A: Yes, the Intel Core i7-8550U includes UHD 620 integrated graphics. The AMD EPYC 7551P has no integrated graphics.

The Verdict

The data points to a simple conclusion for users deciding between these two processors: the AMD EPYC 7551P is the dominant performer in every shared benchmark category. Its 32 cores, 64 threads, 64 MB of L3 cache, and eight-channel memory subsystem produce scores that dwarf the Intel Core i7-8550U across Cinebench R15, R20, and R23, in both single-core and multi-core tests. The consistency of the deltas, all between -84.8% and -85.1%, indicates a structural performance gap that no workload tuning can bridge.

The Intel Core i7-8550U, however, occupies a different market segment. It is a mobile processor with a 15-watt TDP, integrated UHD 620 graphics, and a BGA 1356 socket. Its average benchmark score of 8407 is actually higher than the EPYC's 7952, and it sits in the same 64th percentile of all CPUs. The i7-8550U's nearest rival, the Intel Xeon Gold 5318N, is only 0.3% ahead in average score, while the EPYC's nearest rival, the Intel Xeon Gold 6326, is 1.5% ahead. This suggests that, within their respective segments, both chips are competitive with their direct peers, even though they are not competitive with each other.

For server and workstation workloads, multi-threaded rendering, memory bandwidth-intensive tasks, or any environment requiring ECC memory, the AMD EPYC 7551P is the only sensible choice from this comparison. Its 180-watt TDP and Socket SP3 platform are designed for exactly that role. For mobile computing, where power draw is constrained to 15 watts and integrated graphics are a requirement, the Intel Core i7-8550U is the appropriate part. The two chips should not be viewed as alternatives for the same system; they serve different platforms, sockets, and thermal envelopes. The benchmark data simply confirms that, on raw performance, the EPYC 7551P is in a different class.