AMD EPYC 7773X vs Intel Core i5-13420H Comparison

The Verdict

The AMD EPYC 7773X and Intel Core i5-13420H are not competitors in any practical sense. The database places the EPYC 7773X at the 73rd percentile of all CPUs, while the Core i5-13420H sits at the 72nd percentile. That near-identical percentile ranking is misleading, however, because the two processors serve completely different market segments. The EPYC 7773X is a Server/Workstation part with 64 cores and 128 threads, while the Core i5-13420H is a Mobile processor with 8 cores and 12 threads. The head-to-head benchmark data shows the EPYC winning all six recorded comparisons, with deltas ranging from 350.2% to 600.5%. Anyone building a server or heavy workstation should pick the EPYC 7773X. Anyone assembling a laptop or compact mobile system should pick the Core i5-13420H, simply because the EPYC does not exist in that form factor. The data does not support any scenario where the Intel part outperforms the AMD part in raw compute.

FAQ

Q: Which CPU has more cores and threads?

A: The AMD EPYC 7773X has 64 cores and 128 threads. The Intel Core i5-13420H has 8 cores and 12 threads.

Q: How large is the L3 cache difference?

A: The EPYC 7773X features 768 MB of shared L3 cache, while the Core i5-13420H has 12 MB of shared L3 cache.

Q: Does the Intel Core i5-13420H include integrated graphics?

A: Yes, it includes Iris Xe Graphics 80EU. The AMD EPYC 7773X has no integrated graphics listed in the database.

Q: What memory types does each CPU support?

A: The EPYC 7773X supports DDR4 with an eight-channel memory bus and 204.8 GB/s bandwidth. The Core i5-13420H supports both DDR4 and DDR5 with a dual-channel memory bus; no bandwidth figure is recorded.

Q: Which CPU supports ECC memory?

A: The AMD EPYC 7773X supports ECC memory. The Intel Core i5-13420H does not.

Q: What are the release dates?

A: The EPYC 7773X was released on 2022-03-21. The Core i5-13420H was released on 2023-01-03.

Architecture Differences

The AMD EPYC 7773X is built on the Zen 3 architecture under the Milan-X codename, part of the EPYC 7003 series. It uses a 7 nm process from TSMC, with 33,200 million transistors spread across 8 dies, each 81 mm². The Intel Core i5-13420H uses Raptor Lake architecture under the Raptor Lake-H codename, part of Core 13th Gen. Intel fabricates this chip on a 10 nm process at its own foundry. No transistor count or die size is recorded for the Intel part.

Cache hierarchies differ substantially. The EPYC 7773X allocates 64 KB of L1 and 512 KB of L2 per core, with a massive 768 MB shared L3 cache. The Core i5-13420H allocates 80 KB of L1 and 2 MB of L2 per core, with a 12 MB shared L3 cache. The EPYC's L3 advantage is enormous, 64 times larger, which directly benefits workloads that repeatedly access large datasets.

Memory architecture also diverges. The EPYC uses DDR4 with an eight-channel memory bus, delivering 204.8 GB/s of bandwidth. The Core i5-13420H uses a dual-channel bus and supports both DDR4 and DDR5, though no bandwidth number is recorded. ECC memory support exists only on the AMD side, which matters for data integrity in server environments. The EPYC also provides PCIe Gen 4 with 128 lanes, while the Intel part provides PCIe Gen 5 with only 8 lanes. That lane count difference is critical for expansion: the EPYC can host many GPUs, NVMe drives, or network cards, while the Core i5 is limited to a handful of devices.

The Intel part includes integrated graphics, specifically Iris Xe Graphics 80EU, which the EPYC lacks. For mobile systems, that integrated GPU handles display output and light acceleration. The EPYC assumes a discrete GPU or a BMC for display. The EPYC also uses a larger socket, AMD Socket SP3, versus Intel BGA 1744 for the mobile chip. Both processors have locked multipliers, so neither supports user overclocking.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ in nearly every specification field. The EPYC 7773X has 64 cores versus 8 cores on the Core i5-13420H, and 128 threads versus 12. Base clocks are close: 2.20 GHz for the EPYC and 2.10 GHz for the Intel. Boost clocks favor Intel, 4.60 GHz versus 3.50 GHz. TDP differs massively: 280 W for the EPYC, 45 W for the Core i5. That 235 W gap explains the cooling and power delivery requirements.

Sockets are incompatible: AMD Socket SP3 versus Intel BGA 1744. Process nodes differ: 7 nm TSMC for AMD, 10 nm Intel for Intel. The EPYC uses 33,200 million transistors across 8x 81 mm² dies; no comparable figures exist for the Intel chip. L1 cache per core is 64 KB on AMD and 80 KB on Intel. L2 cache per core is 512 KB on AMD and 2 MB on Intel. L3 cache is 768 MB shared on AMD and 12 MB shared on Intel.

Memory support: EPYC uses DDR4 only, while Intel supports DDR4 and DDR5. Memory bus width differs: eight-channel for AMD, dual-channel for Intel. Memory bandwidth is recorded only for AMD at 204.8 GB/s. ECC support is present on AMD, absent on Intel. PCIe generation and lanes differ: Gen 4 with 128 lanes for AMD, Gen 5 with 8 lanes for Intel. Integrated graphics exist only on Intel. Market segments differ: Server/Workstation for AMD, Mobile for Intel. Release dates differ by roughly nine months, with AMD launching first.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head data contains six Cinebench comparisons, and the AMD EPYC 7773X wins all of them. The smallest margin appears in Cinebench R15 multicore, where the EPYC scores 7825 against the Intel's 1738, a 350.2% advantage. The single-core R15 test shows the EPYC at 1104 versus 238, a 363.9% lead. Moving to R20, the multicore gap widens: 32608 versus 6013, a 442.3% delta. The R20 single-core test shows 4603 versus 848, a 442.8% delta.

The largest margins appear in Cinebench R23. The multicore test shows the EPYC scoring 77639 versus the Core i5's 11084, a 600.5% difference. The R23 single-core test records 10960 versus 1689, a 548.9% difference. These percentages are striking because they show the EPYC dominating even in single-threaded workloads, which typically favor higher boost clocks. The Intel part boosts to 4.60 GHz, but the EPYC's Zen 3 core design plus its massive cache still delivers more than five times the single-core score in R23.

The database also records individual benchmark scores beyond the head-to-head list. The EPYC shows Cinebench R15 multicore at 7825, R20 multicore at 32608, and R23 multicore at 77639. The Intel part shows R15 multicore at 1738, R20 multicore at 6013, and R23 multicore at 11084. Geekbench scores exist only for the EPYC: 15554 multicore and 1536 single-core. The Intel part has no Geekbench records but includes PassMark and 3DMark results. For example, the Core i5 scores 5518 in 3DMark 16-thread, 1871 in 2-thread, 3357 in 4-thread, 4614 in 8-thread, 5587 in max-thread, and 948 in single-thread. PassMark results for the Intel part include 209450 in data compression, 11559 in data encryption, 12897 in extended instructions, 52 in find prime numbers, 42806 in floating point math, 58156 in integer math, 17475 in multithread, 1012 in physics, 22045 in random string sorting, and 3396 in single-thread.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD EPYC 7773X wins every recorded compute benchmark in the head-to-head set. Its 64 cores and 128 threads make it the clear choice for heavily parallel workloads such as server virtualization, large-scale database processing, scientific computing, and compilation tasks that scale across many threads. The 768 MB L3 cache provides a massive advantage for workloads with large working sets, reducing memory traffic and improving hit rates. The eight-channel DDR4 memory bus at 204.8 GB/s supports high-bandwidth data movement, and 128 PCIe Gen 4 lanes allow extensive expansion. ECC memory support adds reliability for long-running server tasks. The 73rd percentile overall ranking, while modest, reflects that this is a specialized server part, not a general-purpose desktop chip.

The Intel Core i5-13420H wins in scenarios where the EPYC cannot participate. As a mobile processor on Intel BGA 1744 with a 45 W TDP, it fits in laptops and compact systems. Its integrated Iris Xe Graphics 80EU provides display output and basic acceleration, something the EPYC lacks entirely. The support for DDR4 and DDR5 gives system designers flexibility. The higher boost clock of 4.60 GHz helps single-threaded responsiveness in everyday applications, though the recorded Cinebench single-core scores do not show it beating the EPYC. The 72nd percentile overall ranking places it near the EPYC in aggregate, but that is because its benchmark mix includes many mobile-specific tests like 3DMark and PassMark, which the EPYC does not have recorded.

The data does not show any benchmark where the Core i5-13420H beats the EPYC 7773X. The Intel part wins only in the practical sense of being the only option for mobile form factors. A builder choosing between these two parts should base the decision on the physical system. If the target is a server or workstation with SP3 socket support and 280 W cooling, the EPYC 7773X is the only sensible pick. If the target is a laptop or small mobile device, the Core i5-13420H is the only viable option. There is no overlap in use cases, and the benchmark data reflects that: the EPYC dominates every measured compute task, while the Intel part offers portability and integrated graphics that the EPYC cannot provide.