AMD EPYC 7742 vs Intel Core Ultra 5 115U Comparison

The Intel Core Ultra 5 115U and AMD EPYC 7742 occupy opposite ends of the computing spectrum, yet both land at the 70th percentile in the global CPU benchmark distribution. The Core Ultra 5 115U is a 15W mobile processor aimed at thin-and-light laptops, while the EPYC 7742 is a 225W server chip built for heavy multi-threaded workloads. The data shows a stark performance chasm: the EPYC 7742 wins all six head-to-head benchmark comparisons, with deltas ranging from -81.5% to -81.6% in favor of the AMD part. However, the Core Ultra 5 115U brings integrated graphics and a much lower power envelope, making it the sensible choice for portable systems. The EPYC 7742 is the clear pick for servers, workstations, or any task that scales across 128 threads.

The Verdict

Choose the AMD EPYC 7742 if your workload is heavily parallelized and you need maximum throughput. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 58,769 is roughly 5.4 times higher than the Intel Core Ultra 5 115U’s 10,855, and its R20 multi-core result of 24,682 dwarfs the Intel part’s 4,559. The EPYC 7742 also wins single-core tests decisively, posting 8,296 in Cinebench R23 single-core versus 1,532 for the Core Ultra 5 115U, a gap of about 81.5%. This processor is built for server racks and workstation towers where the 225W TDP is acceptable and eight-channel memory bandwidth is a necessity.

Pick the Intel Core Ultra 5 115U if you prioritize portability, low power consumption, and integrated graphics. Its 15W TDP is a fraction of the EPYC 7742’s, and it includes Arc Xe-LPG 48EU graphics, which the AMD chip lacks entirely. The Core Ultra 5 115U also supports DDR5 memory, while the EPYC 7742 is limited to DDR4. For everyday productivity, light content creation, or media consumption on a laptop, the Intel part is the practical choice. Its average benchmark score of 16,753 is close to the EPYC 7742’s 16,998, meaning that in mixed single-threaded tasks, the gap narrows considerably.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from different architectural lineages. The Intel Core Ultra 5 115U uses the Meteor Lake architecture, built on Intel’s 7 nm process node, and is part of the Core Ultra Series 1. It features 8 cores and 10 threads, with a base clock of 1500 MHz and a boost clock of 4.20 GHz. The cache hierarchy includes 112 KB of L1 per core, 2 MB of L2 per core, and 10 MB of shared L3 cache. It supports dual-channel DDR5 memory (depending on the motherboard) with a memory bandwidth of 89.6 GB/s, and it lacks ECC memory support. The processor uses Intel BGA 2049 socket and has 12 PCIe Gen 4 lanes from the CPU.

The AMD EPYC 7742 is based on the Zen 2 architecture, codenamed Rome, and belongs to the EPYC 7002 series. It packs 64 cores and 128 threads, with a base clock of 2.25 GHz and a boost clock of 3.40 GHz. The chip is fabricated by TSMC on a 7 nm process, with 3,800 million transistors and a die size of 74 mm². Its cache configuration includes 96 KB of L1 per core, 512 KB of L2 per core, and 256 MB of shared L3 cache—25.6 times more L3 than the Intel part. The EPYC 7742 supports eight-channel DDR4 memory with a bandwidth of 204.8 GB/s, which is roughly 2.3 times higher than the Intel’s, and it has ECC memory support. It uses AMD Socket SP3 and offers PCIe Gen 4 connectivity.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has more cores and threads?

A: The AMD EPYC 7742 has 64 cores and 128 threads, while the Intel Core Ultra 5 115U has 8 cores and 10 threads.

Q: What is the difference in L3 cache capacity?

A: The EPYC 7742 has 256 MB of shared L3 cache, whereas the Core Ultra 5 115U has 10 MB of shared L3 cache.

Q: Which chip supports ECC memory?

A: The AMD EPYC 7742 supports ECC memory, but the Intel Core Ultra 5 115U does not.

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

A: The EPYC 7742 scores 8,296, while the Core Ultra 5 115U scores 1,532. The AMD part leads by 81.5%.

Q: Does the Intel chip have integrated graphics?

A: Yes, the Core Ultra 5 115U includes Arc Xe-LPG 48EU graphics, while the EPYC 7742 has no integrated graphics.

Q: What memory types do they support?

A: The Intel part supports DDR5 (depending on motherboard), while the AMD part supports DDR4.

Specification Differences

The table below highlights only the fields where the two processors differ.

| Specification | Intel Core Ultra 5 115U | AMD EPYC 7742 |

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

| Cores | 8 | 64 |

| Threads | 10 | 128 |

| Base Clock | 1500 MHz | 2.25 GHz |

| Boost Clock | 4.20 GHz | 3.40 GHz |

| TDP | 15W | 225W |

| Socket | Intel BGA 2049 | AMD Socket SP3 |

| Architecture | Meteor Lake | Zen 2 |

| Codename | Meteor Lake | Rome |

| Process Node | 7 nm (Intel) | 7 nm (TSMC) |

| Transistors | Not specified | 3,800 million |

| Die Size | Not specified | 74 mm² |

| L1 Cache | 112 KB per core | 96 KB per core |

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

| L3 Cache | 10 MB shared | 256 MB shared |

| Memory Support | DDR5 (depends on motherboard) | DDR4 |

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

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

| ECC Memory | No | Yes |

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

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

| Market Segment | Mobile | Server/Workstation |

| Release Date | 2023-12-13 | 2019-08-06 |

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark data is unambiguous. The AMD EPYC 7742 wins all six head-to-head Cinebench tests. In multi-core tests, the EPYC 7742 scores 5,923 in Cinebench R15, 24,682 in R20, and 58,769 in R23. The Intel Core Ultra 5 115U achieves 1,094, 4,559, and 10,855 on the same tests. That translates to a consistent -81.5% delta for the Intel part across all multi-core benchmarks, meaning the EPYC 7742 delivers approximately 5.4 times the multi-core performance.

Single-core results tell a similar story. The EPYC 7742 posts 836 in Cinebench R15 single-core, 3,484 in R20 single-core, and 8,296 in R23 single-core. The Core Ultra 5 115U scores 154, 643, and 1,532 in those tests, respectively, with deltas of -81.5% or -81.6%. Even in a single-threaded workload, the EPYC 7742 is over five times faster. This is notable because the Intel chip’s boost clock of 4.20 GHz is higher than the EPYC’s 3.40 GHz, yet the AMD part still wins handily, likely due to architectural efficiency per clock in these specific tests.

The average benchmark scores reflect a narrower overall gap. The EPYC 7742 has an average benchmark score of 16,998, while the Core Ultra 5 115U scores 16,753, a difference of roughly 1.5%. However, this average is skewed by the Intel part’s PassMark results, which include data compression (141,945), encryption (8,606), floating point math (30,538), integer math (41,043), and multithread (13,024). The EPYC 7742 does not have those PassMark scores in the data, so direct comparison on those workloads is not possible from the fact pack.

Where Each One Wins

The EPYC 7742 wins every benchmark where both processors were tested. Its multi-core advantage is enormous, making it the obvious choice for rendering, scientific computing, virtualization, or any workload that can use 64 cores and 128 threads. The 256 MB of L3 cache and eight-channel memory bandwidth (204.8 GB/s) support data-heavy server tasks. ECC memory support is another differentiator for reliability-critical environments. The EPYC 7742 also wins single-core benchmarks, which is surprising given its lower boost clock, but the data shows it is faster in Cinebench R15, R20, and R23 single-core tests by a wide margin.

The Core Ultra 5 115U wins in scenarios that don’t show up in the head-to-head benchmark list. It has integrated graphics (Arc Xe-LPG 48EU), which the EPYC 7742 lacks entirely, so any system requiring on-chip display output must use the Intel part. Its 15W TDP makes it suitable for fanless or low-power laptops, while the EPYC 7742’s 225W TDP requires substantial cooling and power delivery. The Intel chip also supports DDR5 memory (depending on the motherboard), whereas the EPYC is limited to DDR4. For mobile users who need basic compute and graphics in a compact form factor, the Core Ultra 5 115U is the only viable option. The data also shows the Intel part’s PassMark single-thread score of 3,057, which is competitive for everyday tasks, even if it trails in Cinebench. In short, the EPYC 7742 dominates raw compute, while the Core Ultra 5 115U wins on integration, power efficiency, and portability.