AMD EPYC 7573X vs Intel Core Ultra 5 115U Comparison

The Verdict

The AMD EPYC 7573X and Intel Core Ultra 5 115U occupy entirely different corners of the processor market, and the benchmark data reflects that divide with unusual clarity. The EPYC 7573X is a 32-core, 64-thread server processor built for sustained multi-threaded workloads, while the Core Ultra 5 115U is an 8-core, 10-thread mobile chip designed for efficiency and portability. In the recorded head-to-head benchmarks, the EPYC 7573X wins all six tests, with margins ranging from 443.7% to 444.8% across Cinebench R15, R20, and R23, both single-core and multi-core. These are not close contests; the EPYC 7573X is between 5.4 and 5.5 times faster in every measured workload.

The verdict is straightforward. Server and workstation buyers who need massive parallel throughput should choose the AMD EPYC 7573X. Its 32 cores, 64 threads, and 768 MB of shared L3 cache make it a data-center workhorse, and its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 59017 dwarfs the Core Ultra 5 115U's 10855. Mobile users, on the other hand, should pick the Intel part, not because it wins benchmarks, but because the database shows it in a different product class entirely: a 15 W TDP, dual-channel memory, integrated Arc Xe-LPG graphics, and a BGA socket that targets laptops, not racks. The EPYC 7573X has no integrated graphics and consumes 280 W, making it unsuitable for any portable or consumer desktop scenario.

The percentile data adds nuance. The EPYC 7573X sits at the 71st percentile of all CPUs in the database, while the Core Ultra 5 115U sits at the 70th. Despite the enormous head-to-head gaps, their average benchmark scores are close: 17070 for the EPYC 7573X versus 16753 for the Core Ultra 5 115U. This is because the EPYC 7573X's nearest rivals include the Intel Core i5-11400 at 17067, the Intel Core Ultra 7 164U at 17074, and the AMD Ryzen 5 3600 at 17035, all within 0.2% to 0.3% of its average. The Core Ultra 5 115U's nearest rivals are similarly clustered: the Intel Core i5-1235U at 16770, the AMD Ryzen 3 7335U at 16827, and the AMD Ryzen 3 8440U at 16663. In other words, the two processors land in the same broad performance neighborhood when averaged across all database tests, but the EPYC 7573X's Cinebench results are in a different league.

Architecture Differences

The two chips share a 7 nm process node, but that is where the similarity ends. The AMD EPYC 7573X uses Zen 3 architecture under the Milan-X codename, part of the EPYC 7003 series. It packs 32 cores and 64 threads, with a base clock of 2.80 GHz and a boost clock of 3.60 GHz. Its cache hierarchy is extraordinary: 64 KB of L1 per core, 512 KB of L2 per core, and 768 MB of shared L3 cache. The transistor count is 33,200 million across a die size of 8x 81 mm², fabricated by TSMC. The EPYC 7573X supports DDR4 memory over an eight-channel bus, delivering 204.8 GB/s of memory bandwidth, and it has ECC memory enabled. It uses AMD Socket SP3 and provides PCIe Gen 4 with 128 lanes (CPU only). Its market segment is server and workstation, and it was released on 2022-03-21 with a launch MSRP of $5590.

The Intel Core Ultra 5 115U, by contrast, uses Meteor Lake architecture, also on a 7 nm node but fabricated by Intel. It has 8 cores and 10 threads, a 1500.00 MHz base clock and a 4.20 GHz boost clock. Its cache is far smaller: 112 KB of L1 per core, 2 MB of L2 per core, and 10 MB of shared L3. The Core Ultra 5 115U supports DDR5 memory (dependent on motherboard) over a dual-channel bus, with 89.6 GB/s of memory bandwidth, and it does not support ECC. It uses Intel BGA 2049, provides PCIe Gen 4 with 12 lanes (CPU only), and includes integrated Arc Xe-LPG 48EU graphics. Its market segment is mobile, and it was released on 2023-12-13. Notably, the Intel part has a TDP of 15 W versus the EPYC's 280 W, a factor that explains its suitability for laptops despite the massive performance deficit.

The architecture differences also show up in the cache design. The EPYC 7573X's 768 MB shared L3 is 76.8 times larger than the Core Ultra 5 115U's 10 MB shared L3. The Intel part's L1 and L2 are larger per core (112 KB and 2 MB versus 64 KB and 512 KB), but the EPYC's sheer core count and massive L3 dominate in multi-threaded workloads. The memory bus widths also diverge sharply: eight-channel DDR4 versus dual-channel DDR5, yielding 204.8 GB/s versus 89.6 GB/s of bandwidth.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has more cores and threads?

A: The AMD EPYC 7573X has 32 cores and 64 threads, while the Intel Core Ultra 5 115U has 8 cores and 10 threads.

Q: How large is the L3 cache difference?

A: The EPYC 7573X has 768 MB of shared L3 cache, while the Core Ultra 5 115U has 10 MB of shared L3. The EPYC's L3 is 76.8 times larger.

Q: Do both processors support ECC memory?

A: No. The AMD EPYC 7573X has ECC memory support, but the Intel Core Ultra 5 115U does not.

Q: What is the TDP difference?

A: The EPYC 7573X has a TDP of 280 W, while the Core Ultra 5 115U has a TDP of 15 W. The Intel part draws far less power, consistent with its mobile market segment.

Q: Which processor has integrated graphics?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 115U includes Arc Xe-LPG 48EU integrated graphics. The AMD EPYC 7573X has no integrated graphics.

Q: What do the average benchmark scores show?

A: The EPYC 7573X has an average benchmark score of 17070, and the Core Ultra 5 115U has an average of 16753. Despite the EPYC's dominance in Cinebench, the averages are close because the EPYC's nearest rivals (Intel Core i5-11400, Core Ultra 7 164U, Ryzen 5 3600) all score near 17000, and the Intel part's nearest rivals (Core i5-1235U, Ryzen 3 7335U, Ryzen 3 8440U) score near 16700.

Specification Differences

| Specification | AMD EPYC 7573X | Intel Core Ultra 5 115U |

| --- | --- | --- |

| Series | EPYC 7003 series | Core Ultra Series 1 |

| Cores | 32 | 8 |

| Threads | 64 | 10 |

| Base Clock | 2.80 GHz | 1500.00 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 3.60 GHz | 4.20 GHz |

| TDP | 280 W | 15 W |

| Socket | AMD Socket SP3 | Intel BGA 2049 |

| Architecture | Zen 3 | Meteor Lake |

| Codename | Milan-X | Meteor Lake |

| Generation | EPYC (Zen 3 (Milan)) | Ultra 5 (Meteor Lake) |

| Foundry | TSMC | Intel |

| Transistors | 33,200 million | Not listed |

| Die Size | 8x 81 mm² | Not listed |

| L1 Cache | 64 KB (per core) | 112 KB (per core) |

| L2 Cache | 512 KB (per core) | 2 MB (per core) |

| L3 Cache | 768 MB (shared) | 10 MB (shared) |

| Memory Support | DDR4 | DDR5, depends on motherboard |

| Memory Bus | Eight-channel | Dual-channel |

| Memory Bandwidth | 204.8 GB/s | 89.6 GB/s |

| ECC Memory | Yes | No |

| PCIe | Gen 4, 128 Lanes (CPU only) | Gen 4, 12 Lanes (CPU only) |

| Integrated Graphics | None | Arc Xe-LPG 48EU |

| Market Segment | Server/Workstation | Mobile |

| Release Date | 2022-03-21 | 2023-12-13 |

| Launch MSRP | $5590 | Not listed |

| Part Number | 100-000000506 WOF | SRN6F |

Both processors are on a 7 nm node, have locked multipliers, and are currently in active production.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded head-to-head data covers six Cinebench tests, and the AMD EPYC 7573X wins every one of them. The margins are consistently around 443% to 444%, which indicates not just a performance edge but a fundamental class difference.

In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the EPYC 7573X scores 5948 against the Core Ultra 5 115U's 1094, a delta of 443.7%. In Cinebench R15 single-core, the EPYC scores 839 against 154, a delta of 444.8%. The single-core margins are slightly larger than the multi-core ones, which is notable because Intel's chip has a higher boost clock (4.20 GHz versus 3.60 GHz). The data suggests that the EPYC's Zen 3 cores, despite the lower boost frequency, deliver more work per clock in this workload, or that the Intel part's mobile power envelope limits sustained single-core performance.

Cinebench R20 tells the same story. Multi-core: 24787 for the EPYC versus 4559 for the Intel part, a 443.7% delta. Single-core: 3499 versus 643, a 444.2% delta. Cinebench R23 follows the pattern exactly: multi-core 59017 versus 10855, a 443.7% delta, and single-core 8331 versus 1532, a 443.8% delta. The consistency of these percentages across R15, R20, and R23 is striking; the performance ratio between the two chips is nearly identical regardless of the Cinebench version.

The Intel Core Ultra 5 115U does have additional benchmark data in the database that the EPYC 7573X lacks, including PassMark tests for data compression, encryption, floating point math, integer math, and single-thread performance. Its PassMark single-thread score is 3057, and its multi-thread score is 13024. But these tests are not part of the head-to-head comparison, and the Cinebench results provide the only direct apples-to-apples data. On those six tests, the EPYC 7573X is the clear winner, with a 6-0 record in the wins column versus 0 for the Intel part.

The takeaway from the head-to-head data is that raw architectural resources, specifically core count and cache size, dominate these benchmarks. The EPYC 7573X's 32 cores, 64 threads, and 768 MB L3 cache produce roughly 5.4 times the multi-core performance of the Core Ultra 5 115U's 8 cores and 10 MB L3. Even in single-core tests, where the Intel chip's higher boost clock should help, the EPYC still leads by over 440%. The Intel part's strengths, such as its 15 W TDP and integrated graphics, do not show up in these compute-bound Cinebench workloads, which is why the head-to-head table looks so one-sided.