AMD EPYC 7643P vs Intel Xeon 6741P Comparison

The Intel Xeon 6741P and AMD EPYC 7643P are both 48-core, 96-thread server processors, but they represent dramatically different design philosophies and performance targets. The recorded data shows a clear and consistent performance hierarchy, with the Intel part winning 16 of 17 head-to-head benchmark comparisons. The Xeon 6741P leads by an average of roughly 30% across most workloads, while the EPYC 7643P secures a single victory in data encryption. These results position the Intel chip at the 99th percentile among all CPUs in the database, while the AMD chip sits at the 98th percentile.

Where Each One Wins

The Intel Xeon 6741P is the dominant choice for compute-heavy and multi-threaded workloads. In Cinebench R23 multi-core, it scores 85,561 against 65,710 for the AMD EPYC 7643P, a 30.2% advantage. This pattern repeats across the entire Cinebench suite, with the Intel part leading by 30.2% in R15 multi-core (8,624 vs 6,623) and R20 multi-core (35,935 vs 27,598). Single-core Cinebench results tell the same story; the Xeon posts 12,079 in R23 single-core versus 9,276 for the EPYC, another 30.2% gap.

The Intel processor also dominates scientific and mathematical workloads. PassMark floating point math shows the Xeon at 358,423 versus 216,592 for the EPYC, a 65.5% lead. In prime number finding, the Intel part scores 1,242 versus 651, an 90.8% advantage. Extended instruction performance is the largest single gap in the dataset: the Xeon scores 142,682 against 67,398, a 111.7% difference. Physics simulation also heavily favors Intel, with 13,890 versus 8,002, a 73.6% lead.

The AMD EPYC 7643P wins only one benchmark in the dataset: PassMark data encryption. It scores 95,606 against 89,746 for the Intel part, a 6.1% advantage. This indicates the Zen 3 architecture retains a specific strength in cryptographic operations. Outside of that single test, the EPYC trails in integer math (390,775 vs 458,058, a 17.2% deficit), multithreaded performance (77,307 vs 100,660, a 30.2% deficit), and random string sorting (160,274 vs 177,322, a 10.6% deficit). The data compression benchmark shows the Intel part ahead by 37% (1,816,408 vs 1,326,051).

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from different manufacturing nodes and design eras. The Intel Xeon 6741P uses the Granite Rapids architecture on a 5 nm process fabricated by Intel, with a die size of 2x 598 mm². The AMD EPYC 7643P uses the Zen 3 architecture on a 7 nm process fabricated by TSMC, with a die size of 8x 81 mm² and 33,200 million transistors. These process and design differences help explain the substantial performance gap between the two.

Cache hierarchies differ significantly. The Intel part provides 112 KB of L1 cache per core, 2 MB of L2 per core, and a shared 288 MB L3 cache. The AMD part provides 64 KB of L1 per core, 512 KB of L2 per core, and a shared 256 MB L3 cache. The Intel processor offers more cache at every level, which contributes to its strong single-thread and multi-thread results.

Memory support is another major differentiator. The Xeon 6741P supports DDR5 memory over an eight-channel bus with a peak bandwidth of 409.6 GB/s. The EPYC 7643P supports DDR4 memory over an eight-channel bus with a peak bandwidth of 204.8 GB/s. The Intel platform delivers exactly double the theoretical memory bandwidth, a critical factor for memory-intensive server workloads.

PCIe connectivity also favors the Intel platform. The Xeon provides Gen 5 with 136 lanes from the CPU, while the EPYC provides Gen 4 with 128 lanes. Both support ECC memory. Clock speeds differ as well: the Intel part has a 2.50 GHz base clock and 3.80 GHz boost clock, while the AMD part runs at 2.30 GHz base and 3.60 GHz boost. The Intel chip carries a 300 W TDP versus 225 W for the AMD chip.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has more cores?

A: Both processors have 48 cores and 96 threads. The core and thread counts are identical.

Q: Does the AMD EPYC 7643P beat the Intel Xeon 6741P in any benchmark?

A: Yes. The EPYC 7643P wins the PassMark data encryption test with a score of 95,606 versus 89,746, a 6.1% advantage for AMD.

Q: How large is the Intel processor's lead in multi-core rendering?

A: In Cinebench R23 multi-core, the Xeon 6741P scores 85,561 against 65,710 for the EPYC 7643P, a 30.2% advantage. The same 30.2% delta appears in R15 and R20 multi-core tests.

Q: What memory technology does each processor support?

A: The Intel Xeon 6741P supports DDR5 memory with a peak bandwidth of 409.6 GB/s. The AMD EPYC 7643P supports DDR4 memory with a peak bandwidth of 204.8 GB/s.

Q: Which processor has more L3 cache?

A: The Intel Xeon 6741P has 288 MB of shared L3 cache. The AMD EPYC 7643P has 256 MB of shared L3 cache, so Intel has 32 MB more.

Q: What is the process node difference between these chips?

A: The Intel Xeon 6741P is built on Intel's 5 nm process. The AMD EPYC 7643P is built on TSMC's 7 nm process.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ in nearly every major specification category while sharing the same core and thread count. The Intel Xeon 6741P runs at a 2.50 GHz base clock and 3.80 GHz boost clock, while the AMD EPYC 7643P runs at 2.30 GHz base and 3.60 GHz boost. The Intel chip has a 300 W TDP, the AMD chip a 225 W TDP. The Xeon uses Intel Socket 4710, the EPYC uses AMD Socket SP3.

The cache hierarchy shows Intel advantages across the board: 112 KB L1 per core versus 64 KB, 2 MB L2 per core versus 512 KB, and 288 MB shared L3 versus 256 MB. Memory support differs by generation and bandwidth: the Intel part uses DDR5 at 409.6 GB/s, the AMD part uses DDR4 at 204.8 GB/s. PCIe support differs as well: the Intel part provides Gen 5 with 136 lanes, the AMD part provides Gen 4 with 128 lanes.

Manufacturing details separate the two as well. The Intel part uses a 5 nm process from Intel with a die size of 2x 598 mm². The AMD part uses a 7 nm process from TSMC with a die size of 8x 81 mm² and 33,200 million transistors. The Intel part launched on 2025-02-23 with a launch MSRP of $4421. The AMD part launched on 2023-09-04 with a launch MSRP of $2722. The Intel part number is SRVEY, the AMD part number is 100-000001285.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The most striking result in the dataset is the PassMark extended instructions benchmark. The Intel Xeon 6741P scores 142,682 against 67,398 for the AMD EPYC 7643P, a 111.7% advantage. This is the largest margin in any test and suggests the Intel architecture has a substantial advantage in vector and SIMD workloads.

The Cinebench suite shows remarkable consistency. Across R15, R20, and R23, both multi-core and single-core tests, the Intel part leads by exactly 30.2% in every instance. For multi-core, the scores are 8,624 vs 6,623 in R15, 35,935 vs 27,598 in R20, and 85,561 vs 65,710 in R23. For single-core, the scores are 1,217 vs 934 in R15, 5,073 vs 3,895 in R20, and 12,079 vs 9,276 in R23. This uniform 30.2% delta across rendering generations indicates a fundamental per-core performance advantage rather than a workload-specific quirk.

PassMark multithread performance mirrors the Cinebench results with a 30.2% Intel lead (100,660 vs 77,307). Single-thread PassMark shows a smaller but still substantial 20.3% Intel advantage (3,195 vs 2,655). Floating point math shows a 65.5% Intel lead (358,423 vs 216,592), while integer math shows a more modest 17.2% lead (458,058 vs 390,775). Prime number finding favors Intel by 90.8% (1,242 vs 651), and physics simulation favors Intel by 73.6% (13,890 vs 8,002).

Data compression favors the Intel part by 37% (1,816,408 vs 1,326,051). Random string sorting shows the smallest Intel win among PassMark tests at 10.6% (177,322 vs 160,274). The lone AMD victory comes in data encryption, where the EPYC 7643P scores 95,606 versus 89,746 for the Xeon, a 6.1% margin. This single result prevents a clean sweep and highlights that the Zen 3 architecture retains a cryptographic edge.

In the broader database context, the Intel Xeon 6741P sits at the 99th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 194,901. Its nearest rival is the AMD EPYC 9335, which trails by just 0.3% with an average score of 194,228. The AMD EPYC 7643P sits at the 98th percentile with an average score of 144,824; its nearest rival is the Intel Xeon w9-3575X, which is 0.3% behind, and the AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 9965, which is 0.6% ahead. The 50,077-point gap in average benchmark scores between the two processors in this comparison is larger than the entire margin between either chip and its closest rivals, confirming that these two parts occupy different performance tiers despite matching core counts.