AMD EPYC 7D12 vs Intel Core i7-3770 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark data paints a picture of overwhelming dominance by the AMD EPYC 7D12 across every single recorded test. In the Cinebench R15 multicore test, the EPYC 7D12 scores 3675 against the Intel Core i7-3770's 549, a delta of 569.4%. The single-core result is nearly identical in proportional terms: 518 versus 77, a 572.7% advantage for the AMD part. What is striking is that the gap does not shrink when moving to newer rendering workloads. In Cinebench R20 multicore, the EPYC 7D12 posts 15315 while the i7-3770 manages 2289, again a 569.1% difference. The R20 single-core test shows 2162 versus 322, a 571.4% margin.

Cinebench R23 multicore continues the trend with 36465 against 5450, a 569.1% delta, while the R23 single-core score of 5148 versus 769 represents a 569.4% advantage. Every head-to-head benchmark, all six of them, goes to the AMD EPYC 7D12. The consistency of the percentage gaps, hovering near 570% regardless of test generation or thread count, suggests that the performance ratio between these two processors is a fundamental property of their design rather than a workload-specific artifact.

The nearest rival data for the EPYC 7D12 shows its average benchmark score of 10547 sits within 0.1% of the Intel Core i7-4790 (10556), 0.3% ahead of the AMD EPYC 7502P (10512), 1.7% ahead of the Intel Xeon W-3175X (10369), and 1.9% ahead of the Intel Xeon Gold 6338N (10347). These are tight margins among modern server and high-end desktop parts, which makes the 569% gaps against the i7-3770 all the more telling. The i7-3770, by contrast, has an average benchmark score of 9706, sitting 0.2% behind the Intel Core i5-1035G1 (9684), 1.9% behind the AMD EPYC 7402P (9529), 2% behind the Intel Core 3 N350 (9903), and 2.2% ahead of the Intel Core i7-7700HQ (9493). Both processors occupy the 66th percentile among all CPUs, yet their raw scores are separated by a massive gulf. The i7-3770 is competitive with much newer low-power and mobile parts, while the EPYC 7D12 trades blows with enterprise silicon released years later.

FAQ

Q: Which processor wins the Cinebench R23 multicore test?

A: The AMD EPYC 7D12 wins decisively with a score of 36465 versus 5450 for the Intel Core i7-3770, a 569.1% advantage.

Q: Does the Intel Core i7-3770 win any of the recorded head-to-head benchmarks?

A: No. The data shows zero wins for the i7-3770 across all six Cinebench tests, while the EPYC 7D12 takes all six.

Q: How does the single-core performance compare?

A: The EPYC 7D12 leads in every single-core test. In Cinebench R23 single-core it scores 5148 against 769, a 569.4% margin, and in R15 single-core it scores 518 versus 77, a 572.7% margin.

Q: What percentile do these CPUs occupy relative to all CPUs in the database?

A: Both are recorded at the 66th percentile, despite the EPYC 7D12 having a far higher average benchmark score of 10547 compared to 9706 for the i7-3770.

Q: Does the i7-3770 have any benchmark results outside Cinebench?

A: Yes, the database includes Geekbench and PassMark results for the i7-3770, but no head-to-head comparisons exist for those tests against the EPYC 7D12. The i7-3770 scores 816 in Geekbench single-core and 2705 in Geekbench multicore, plus various PassMark scores including 2073 in single-thread and 6414 in multithread.

Q: How close is the EPYC 7D12 to its nearest rivals?

A: The EPYC 7D12's average score of 10547 is 0.1% behind the Intel Core i7-4790, 0.3% ahead of the AMD EPYC 7502P, 1.7% ahead of the Intel Xeon W-3175X, and 1.9% ahead of the Intel Xeon Gold 6338N.

Architecture Differences

The AMD EPYC 7D12 is built on TSMC's 7 nm process node and uses the Zen 2 architecture under the codename Rome. It packs 32 cores and 64 threads, with a base clock of 1100.00 MHz and a boost clock of 3.00 GHz. The transistor count is listed at 15,200 million spread across a die size of 4x 74 mm². The cache hierarchy includes 64 KB of L1 per core, 512 KB of L2 per core, and 32 MB of L3 per die, totaling 128 MB of L3. It supports DDR4 memory over an eight-channel bus with a theoretical bandwidth of 204.8 GB/s, and ECC memory is supported. The PCIe interface is Gen 4 with 128 lanes from the CPU. The TDP is 85 watts and it uses the AMD Socket SP3. The production status is active, and it was released in April 2020.

The Intel Core i7-3770, by contrast, is built on Intel's 22 nm process and uses the Ivy Bridge architecture. It has 4 cores and 8 threads, with a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 3.90 GHz. The transistor count is 1,400 million on a single 160 mm² die. Cache amounts are 64 KB of L1 per core, 256 KB of L2 per core, and 8 MB of shared L3. It supports DDR3 memory over a dual-channel bus with 25.6 GB/s bandwidth, and ECC memory is not supported. The PCIe interface is Gen 3 with 16 lanes. It includes integrated Intel HD 4000 graphics, uses the Intel Socket 1155, has a TDP of 77 watts, and its production status is end-of-life. It was released in April 2012.

The architectural gap is enormous. The EPYC 7D12 has eight times the cores and eight times the threads of the i7-3770. Its L3 cache is 16 times larger at 128 MB versus 8 MB. Its memory bandwidth is eight times higher at 204.8 GB/s versus 25.6 GB/s. The process node advantage, 7 nm versus 22 nm, explains part of the density difference, but the fundamental design goals are different: the EPYC 7D12 is a server/workstation part engineered for massive parallel throughput, while the i7-3770 is a desktop processor from a different era. The socket, memory generation, PCIe generation, and integrated graphics all differ, and the i7-3770's lack of ECC support and its dual-channel memory controller further separate it from the EPYC's enterprise feature set.

The Verdict

The data is unambiguous. The AMD EPYC 7D12 outperforms the Intel Core i7-3770 by roughly 569% across every Cinebench test, both single-core and multi-core. There is no workload in the recorded data where the i7-3770 comes close. The EPYC 7D12 is a 32-core, 64-thread Zen 2 server processor with 128 MB of L3 cache, eight-channel DDR4 memory, and 128 PCIe Gen 4 lanes. The i7-3770 is a 4-core, 8-thread Ivy Bridge desktop chip with 8 MB of L3, dual-channel DDR3, and 16 PCIe Gen 3 lanes. The architectural differences translate directly into the benchmark results.

However, the verdict is not solely about raw performance. Both CPUs sit at the 66th percentile in the database, which reflects their respective market positions. The i7-3770, despite being end-of-life and released in 2012, still matches the average score of far newer low-power parts like the Intel Core 3 N350 and Intel Core i5-1035G1. The EPYC 7D12, meanwhile, is within a few percent of the Intel Core i7-4790, AMD EPYC 7502P, Intel Xeon W-3175X, and Intel Xeon Gold 6338N. For workloads that fit within the i7-3770's capabilities, such as light desktop tasks, its lower core count and older architecture might suffice, but the benchmark record shows no scenario where it beats the EPYC 7D12. The EPYC 7D12 is the clear choice for any workload that can use its threads, its memory bandwidth, or its PCIe lanes, which is the entire purpose of a server processor. The i7-3770 is the choice only for legacy systems, where its socket, DDR3 support, and integrated graphics may be the deciding factors, not performance.

Specification Differences

| Specification | AMD EPYC 7D12 | Intel Core i7-3770 |

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

| Cores | 32 | 4 |

| Threads | 64 | 8 |

| Base Clock | 1100.00 MHz | 3.40 GHz |

| Boost Clock | 3.00 GHz | 3.90 GHz |

| TDP | 85 W | 77 W |

| Socket | AMD Socket SP3 | Intel Socket 1155 |

| Architecture | Zen 2 | Ivy Bridge |

| Process Node | 7 nm | 22 nm |

| Foundry | TSMC | Intel |

| Transistors | 15,200 million | 1,400 million |

| Die Size | 4x 74 mm² | 160 mm² |

| L2 Cache | 512 KB (per core) | 256 KB (per core) |

| L3 Cache | 32 MB (per die), 128 MB total | 8 MB (shared) |

| Memory Support | DDR4 | DDR3 |

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

| Memory Bandwidth | 204.8 GB/s | 25.6 GB/s |

| ECC Memory | Yes | No |

| PCIe | Gen 4, 128 Lanes | Gen 3, 16 Lanes |

| Integrated Graphics | None | Intel HD 4000 |

| Market Segment | Server/Workstation | Desktop |

| Production Status | Active | End-of-life |

| Release Date | 2020-04-13 | 2012-04-28 |

| Part Number | 100-000000044 | SR0PK |

The i7-3770 has a launch MSRP of $278, while the EPYC 7D12 has no recorded launch MSRP in the database.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD EPYC 7D12 wins in every recorded benchmark category. Its six wins in the head-to-head comparison cover both single-core and multi-core Cinebench workloads across R15, R20, and R23 versions. The machine-level consistency of the win margin, always near 570%, means the EPYC 7D12 is not just faster in threaded workloads; it is also faster in single-threaded rendering, likely due to its newer Zen 2 architecture and higher IPC despite a lower boost clock of 3.00 GHz versus the i7-3770's 3.90 GHz. The EPYC 7D12 also wins on every architectural specification that affects performance at scale: more cores, more threads, more cache, wider memory bus, higher memory bandwidth, more PCIe lanes, and a newer process node.

The Intel Core i7-3770 wins in no benchmark comparisons, but the specification table reveals where it retains a practical advantage. Its boost clock of 3.90 GHz is higher than the EPYC 7D12's 3.00 GHz, though this does not translate into a single-core benchmark victory. Its 77 W TDP is lower than the EPYC 7D12's 85 W, making it a more power-frugal part in absolute terms, though the EPYC 7D12 delivers vastly more performance per watt given the core count. The i7-3770 has integrated graphics, which the EPYC 7D12 lacks entirely, so systems built around the i7-3770 do not require a discrete GPU for basic display output. It uses the Intel Socket 1155 and DDR3 memory, which are legacy platforms that may be relevant for upgrades of older systems. The i7-3770's production status is end-of-life, meaning it is no longer actively manufactured, whereas the EPYC 7D12 remains active. For a user constrained to a legacy DDR3 platform or requiring integrated graphics, the i7-3770 has a role, but for any performance-sensitive workload, the EPYC 7D12 is the only choice supported by the recorded data.