AMD EPYC 7552 vs Intel Core i5-9500 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark data presents a decisive picture: the AMD EPYC 7552 wins all six recorded head-to-head comparisons, with no victories for the Intel Core i5-9500. The margins are substantial, ranging from 533.4% to 536.7% across all Cinebench workloads.

In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the EPYC 7552 scores 4,919 against the i5-9500's 776, a 533.9% advantage. The single-core result follows the same pattern: 694 versus 109, a 536.7% lead. This near-identical delta across both tests suggests the performance gap is consistent regardless of thread utilization.

Moving to Cinebench R20, the EPYC 7552 records 20,496 in multi-core versus 3,236 for the i5-9500, a 533.4% difference. Single-core performance shows 2,893 against 456, a 534.4% gap. The R23 results mirror this: 48,801 versus 7,705 in multi-core (533.4% delta) and 6,889 versus 1,087 in single-core (533.8% delta).

The consistency of these deltas, all clustering between 533% and 537%, indicates that the EPYC 7552's advantage scales uniformly across every Cinebench version tested. There is no workload within these benchmarks where the i5-9500 narrows the gap.

The averaged benchmark scores place the EPYC 7552 at 14,115, while the i5-9500 sits at 13,452. Both processors occupy the 68th percentile among all CPUs in the database, meaning they outperform roughly two-thirds of recorded processors, despite the massive head-to-head discrepancy.

The Verdict

The data directs a clear verdict: the AMD EPYC 7552 is the superior processor in every measured benchmark. No recorded test favors the Intel Core i5-9500, and the margins are so large that no workload category can reasonably be assigned to the Intel part.

The EPYC 7552's 48 cores and 96 threads versus the i5-9500's 6 cores and 6 threads explain the multi-core dominance, but even single-core scores favor the AMD part by over 530%. This is notable because single-core performance typically favors higher clock speeds, and the i5-9500 boosts to 4.30 GHz versus the EPYC's 3.30 GHz. Yet the recorded data shows the EPYC 7552 at 694 versus 109 in R15 single-core, a result that cannot be attributed to clock speed alone.

The Intel Core i5-9500's nearest rivals in the database include the Intel Core 3 N355 (average score 13,492, delta -0.3%), the Intel Core i3-12100F (13,494, delta -0.3%), and the Intel Core i7-1250U (13,351, delta +0.8%). These deltas indicate the i5-9500 performs essentially on par with those parts, within 1% in either direction. The EPYC 7552's nearest rivals include the Intel Xeon 6756E (14,163, delta -0.3%), the Intel Core i5-10400F (14,185, delta -0.5%), and the Intel Core 7 160UL (14,232, delta -0.8%). The EPYC sits within 1% of those parts as well.

Thus, the database places both processors in similar overall percentile territory, but the head-to-head measurements show an overwhelming EPYC advantage. The verdict is unambiguous: choose the EPYC 7552 unless the workload specifically requires the i5-9500's integrated graphics, which the EPYC does not offer.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD EPYC 7552 wins every benchmark category recorded. The six Cinebench tests cover both multi-core and single-core scenarios across three versions (R15, R20, R23). There are no wins for the Intel Core i5-9500 in any of these tests.

The EPYC 7552's wins span the full spectrum of CPU workloads tested. Multi-core rendering in Cinebench R23 shows 48,801 points, a score that reflects its 48-core configuration. Single-core scores, while lower in absolute terms, still lead by more than 5x the i5-9500's results.

For workloads beyond Cinebench, the database includes additional tests only for the i5-9500. Those results show 5,402 in Geekbench multi-core, 1,448 in single-core, and Passmark scores including 27,574 in integer math, 23,788 in floating point math, and 9,826 in multithread. These numbers have no direct EPYC comparison in the recorded data, so they cannot be used to assign a win category.

The practical split is therefore one-sided. The EPYC 7552 owns every measured benchmark. The i5-9500's only distinguishing feature in the data is its integrated UHD 630 graphics, which the EPYC 7552 does not list. For any workload that relies on the CPU alone, the EPYC 7552 is the recorded winner.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has more cores and threads?

A: The AMD EPYC 7552 has 48 cores and 96 threads. The Intel Core i5-9500 has 6 cores and 6 threads.

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

A: The largest delta is in Cinebench R15 single-core, where the EPYC 7552 leads by 536.7% (694 versus 109).

Q: Does the Intel Core i5-9500 win any recorded benchmark?

A: No. The database records 6 wins for the EPYC 7552 and 0 wins for the i5-9500 across all head-to-head Cinebench tests.

Q: How do the two processors compare in overall percentile ranking?

A: Both processors sit at the 68th percentile among all CPUs in the database, despite the EPYC's overwhelming head-to-head advantage.

Q: What is the memory bandwidth difference?

A: The EPYC 7552 offers 204.8 GB/s over eight-channel memory, while the i5-9500 offers 42.7 GB/s over dual-channel memory.

Q: Does either processor support ECC memory?

A: The EPYC 7552 supports ECC memory. The i5-9500 does not.

Architecture Differences

The AMD EPYC 7552 and Intel Core i5-9500 represent fundamentally different design philosophies. The EPYC 7552 uses AMD's Zen 2 architecture under the Rome codename, built on a 7 nm process at TSMC. The i5-9500 uses Intel's Coffee Lake architecture under the same codename, built on a 14 nm process at Intel's own fabs.

The transistor counts differ sharply. The EPYC 7552 integrates 3,800 million transistors on a 74 mm² die. The i5-9500 has no recorded transistor count or die size in the database. This reflects the EPYC's multi-die chiplet design versus the i5's monolithic layout, though the database does not explicitly state that distinction.

Cache hierarchies diverge significantly. The EPYC 7552 provides 96 KB of L1 cache per core, 512 KB of L2 per core, and 192 MB of shared L3 cache. The i5-9500 offers 64 KB L1 per core, 256 KB L2 per core, and 9 MB of shared L3. The EPYC's L3 cache is 21 times larger, which supports its many-core workload pattern.

Memory architecture separates the two as well. The EPYC 7552 runs eight-channel DDR4 with 204.8 GB/s bandwidth, while the i5-9500 runs dual-channel DDR4 with 42.7 GB/s. ECC memory support exists on the EPYC but not on the Intel part.

PCIe capabilities also differ by generation and lane count. The EPYC 7552 supports PCIe Gen 4 with 128 CPU lanes. The i5-9500 supports PCIe Gen 3 with 16 CPU lanes. The integrated graphics presence on the i5-9500 (UHD 630) has no counterpart on the EPYC.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ across nearly every recorded specification field. The EPYC 7552 operates at a 2.20 GHz base clock and 3.30 GHz boost clock, while the i5-9500 runs at 3.00 GHz base and 4.30 GHz boost. Despite the Intel part's higher clocks, benchmark results favor the AMD part.

Thermal design power shows a 135-watt gap: 200 W for the EPYC 7552 versus 65 W for the i5-9500. The socket types are incompatible: AMD Socket SP3 for the EPYC, Intel Socket 1151 for the i5.

The process node differs by 7 nm (EPYC) versus 14 nm (i5). The EPYC's foundry is TSMC, while the i5's is Intel. The EPYC 7552 belongs to the EPYC 7002 series with the Rome codename, released on August 6, 2019. The i5-9500 belongs to the Core i5 series under Coffee Lake Refresh, released on October 18, 2018.

Production status differs: the EPYC 7552 is listed as Active, while the i5-9500 is End-of-life. The EPYC 7552 has a recorded launch MSRP of $4025; the i5-9500 has no recorded MSRP in the database. Neither processor has an unlocked multiplier.

The EPYC 7552's part number is 100-000000076, while the i5-9500's is SR3XG. The EPYC targets the Server/Workstation market segment, whereas the i5 targets Desktop. The EPYC's memory bus is eight-channel versus the i5's dual-channel. The EPYC lists no integrated graphics, while the i5 includes UHD 630.