AMD EPYC 9174F vs Intel Core i7-7700K Comparison

The Verdict

The data in this comparison is unambiguous. The AMD EPYC 9174F wins every single head-to-head benchmark recorded, taking all 8 tests with no wins for the Intel Core i7-7700K. The EPYC 9174F is a 16-core, 32-thread Zen 4 server processor built for massive parallel workloads, while the Core i7-7700K is a 4-core, 8-thread Kaby Lake desktop chip. There is no scenario in the recorded data where the Intel part comes out ahead.

The EPYC 9174F is the clear choice for anyone running heavily threaded, sustained compute tasks: rendering, scientific computing, virtualization, or database work. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 46489 is roughly 5.7 times the Core i7-7700K's 8189, and its Geekbench multi-core result of 17363 is about 3.2 times the Intel chip's 5395. The Core i7-7700K, meanwhile, is not competitive in any measured metric, including single-core performance, where the EPYC still leads by 45.1% in Geekbench single-core.

The Intel Core i7-7700K does have one structural advantage: a 91 W TDP versus the EPYC's 320 W, and it fits in the older, lower-power Intel Socket 1151 platform. But benchmark results indicate that power efficiency is the only territory where the older chip can claim superiority. For raw performance, the EPYC 9174F is the only rational pick.

Where Each One Wins

Based on the recorded head-to-head results, the AMD EPYC 9174F wins everywhere. It dominates multi-threaded workloads by enormous margins: 468% in Cinebench R15 multi-core, 467.8% in R20 multi-core, and 467.7% in R23 multi-core. These are not incremental gains; they represent a different performance class entirely.

The gap narrows somewhat in single-core tests, but the EPYC still leads. In Cinebench R23 single-core, the EPYC scores 6563 versus the Intel's 1156, a 467.7% advantage. In Geekbench single-core, the EPYC's 2244 beats the Intel's 1547 by 45.1%. That single-core result shows the Zen 4 architecture's strength: despite being a server chip with 16 cores, it still outruns a desktop chip in lightly threaded work.

The Intel Core i7-7700K has no benchmark wins in the database. Its only advantages are platform-level: lower TDP, DDR4 memory support instead of DDR5, no ECC requirement, and an integrated GPU (HD 630). For a user locked into an older Socket 1151 motherboard with DDR4, the i7-7700K remains functional, but the recorded data shows it loses every compute test.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from different eras and design philosophies. The AMD EPYC 9174F is part of the EPYC 9004 series, built on TSMC's 5 nm process with 52,560 million transistors across a multi-die design measuring 8x 72 mm². It uses the Zen 4 architecture, codenamed Genoa, and fits into AMD Socket SP5. The Intel Core i7-7700K is a Kaby Lake part on Intel's 14 nm process, a monolithic desktop chip with no listed transistor count or die size, fitting into Intel Socket 1151.

Core and cache configurations differ drastically. The EPYC 9174F has 16 cores and 32 threads, with 64 KB of L1 per core, 1 MB of L2 per core, and a massive 256 MB shared L3 cache. The Core i7-7700K has 4 cores and 8 threads, with 64 KB of L1 per core, 256 KB of L2 per core, and 8 MB of shared L3. That 256 MB L3 cache is a defining feature for server workloads, allowing far more data to reside on-die.

Memory support also diverges. The EPYC 9174F uses DDR5 with a twelve-channel memory bus and a memory bandwidth of 460.8 GB/s, plus ECC support. The Core i7-7700K uses DDR4 with a dual-channel bus and 38.4 GB/s bandwidth, with no ECC. The EPYC's memory bandwidth is roughly 12 times higher, which is critical for multi-threaded server tasks.

PCIe connectivity tells a similar story. The EPYC 9174F provides Gen 5 with 128 lanes (CPU only), while the Core i7-7700K provides Gen 3 with 16 lanes (CPU only). The EPYC also has an unlocked multiplier set to false, meaning it is not multiplier-unlocked, while the Core i7-7700K is multiplier-unlocked for overclocking. The EPYC's launch MSRP was $3850, and it targets the Server/Workstation market segment; the Core i7-7700K targets Desktop.

FAQ

Q: Which processor is faster in multi-core workloads?

A: The AMD EPYC 9174F wins every multi-core test. In Cinebench R23 multi-core, it scores 46489 versus the Intel Core i7-7700K's 8189, a 467.7% advantage. In Geekbench multi-core, it scores 17363 versus 5395, a 221.8% lead.

Q: Does the Intel Core i7-7700K win in single-core performance?

A: No. The EPYC 9174F wins all single-core tests too. In Cinebench R23 single-core, it scores 6563 versus 1156, and in Geekbench single-core, it scores 2244 versus 1547, a 45.1% difference.

Q: What are the core and thread counts?

A: The AMD EPYC 9174F has 16 cores and 32 threads. The Intel Core i7-7700K has 4 cores and 8 threads.

Q: How do their memory systems compare?

A: The EPYC 9174F supports DDR5 with a twelve-channel memory bus and 460.8 GB/s bandwidth, with ECC. The Core i7-7700K supports DDR4 with a dual-channel bus and 38.4 GB/s bandwidth, without ECC.

Q: Which processor has more cache?

A: The EPYC 9174F has 256 MB of shared L3 cache. The Core i7-7700K has 8 MB of shared L3 cache. Per-core L1 is the same at 64 KB, but L2 differs: 1 MB per core on the EPYC versus 256 KB per core on the Intel.

Q: Is the Core i7-7700K relevant for any workload?

A: The recorded benchmark data shows no workload where the Core i7-7700K wins. Its advantages are platform-level: a 91 W TDP versus 320 W, DDR4 support, no ECC requirement, and an integrated HD 630 GPU. It is also multiplier-unlocked for overclocking.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head table shows a total sweep for the AMD EPYC 9174F, with 8 wins and 0 losses. The margins are consistent and large.

In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the EPYC scores 4686 against the Intel's 825, a 468% delta. The single-core R15 result is similar: 661 versus 116, a 469.8% delta. These early tests set the pattern: the EPYC leads by roughly 4.7 times in every Cinebench test, regardless of core count or workload type.

Cinebench R20 repeats the pattern. Multi-core: 19525 versus 3439, a 467.8% delta. Single-core: 2756 versus 485, a 468.2% delta. Cinebench R23 follows with 46489 versus 8189 in multi-core (467.7%) and 6563 versus 1156 in single-core (467.7%).

Geekbench shows a slightly different shape. The multi-core test gives the EPYC 17363 versus 5395, a 221.8% lead, which is smaller than the Cinebench margins but still a dominant victory. The single-core Geekbench test is the closest result in the entire comparison: 2244 versus 1547, a 45.1% delta. That is the only test where the Intel chip gets within double-digit percentage territory, though it still loses.

The overall average benchmark score in the database puts the Core i7-7700K at 13291 and the EPYC 9174F at 12536, which seems to contradict the head-to-head results. That average includes additional PassMark tests recorded only for the Intel part, such as PassMark data compression (136852), data encryption (3343), extended instructions (8943), find prime numbers (31), floating point math (18741), integer math (30553), multithread (9627), physics (655), random string sorting (17208), and single thread (2708). These extra tests inflate the Intel's average score in the database, but they are not part of the shared head-to-head set, where the EPYC wins all 8 tests.

The percentile rankings are close: the EPYC sits at the 67th percentile of all CPUs, while the Core i7-7700K sits at the 68th percentile. The nearest rivals for the EPYC include the Intel Core i5-1230U (avg 12559, delta -0.2%), Intel Core i3-1215U (avg 12604, delta -0.5%), Intel Atom x7809C (avg 12607, delta -0.6%), and Intel Core i3-10105F (avg 12644, delta -0.9%). The Core i7-7700K's nearest rivals include the Intel Core i7-1250U (avg 13351, delta -0.4%), Intel Core i5-8500 (avg 13142, delta 1.1%), Intel Core i5-9500 (avg 13452, delta -1.2%), and Intel Core 3 N355 (avg 13492, delta -1.5%).

These percentile and rival figures reflect the database's broader scoring methodology, which mixes different test suites. But when the two processors are compared directly on the same 8 benchmarks, the result is a clean sweep. The EPYC 9174F is faster in every single test, with the smallest margin being 45.1% in Geekbench single-core and the largest being 469.8% in Cinebench R15 single-core. The Core i7-7700K, despite being a capable desktop processor from its era, cannot match the EPYC 9174F on any recorded metric.