AMD EPYC 9224 vs AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 7945 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark data records a clean sweep: the AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 7945 wins all six Cinebench tests against the AMD EPYC 9224. The margins are consistent, ranging from 3.1% to 3.3% across every workload. This is a notable result because the EPYC 9224 has twice the core count, yet the Ryzen 9 PRO 7945 still leads in every measured scenario.

The largest edge for the Ryzen 9 PRO 7945 comes in Cinebench R15 single-core, where it scores 564 against the EPYC 9224's 546, a 3.3% advantage. The multi-core R15 test shows a 3.1% lead, with scores of 3996 versus 3874. In Cinebench R20, the Ryzen 9 PRO 7945 posts 16654 multi-core and 2351 single-core, while the EPYC 9224 records 16144 and 2278 respectively, both 3.2% gaps. The R23 results mirror this pattern: 39653 versus 38439 in multi-core and 5598 versus 5426 in single-core, again a 3.2% difference.

The most striking interpretation is that the Ryzen 9 PRO 7945, with 12 cores and 24 threads, beats a 24-core, 48-thread EPYC processor in multi-threaded Cinebench tests. The data shows the Ryzen part winning by roughly 1200 to 1300 points in R23 multi-core, which suggests clock speed and per-core efficiency are dominating raw core count in these workloads. The EPYC 9224's base clock of 2.50 GHz and boost clock of 3.70 GHz are far below the Ryzen 9 PRO 7945's 3.70 GHz base and 5.40 GHz boost, and the benchmark results reflect that gap.

Looking at broader database averages, the Ryzen 9 PRO 7945 has an average benchmark score of 11469, placing it in the 67th percentile of all CPUs. The EPYC 9224 averages 11118, in the 66th percentile. The Ryzen 9 PRO 7945's nearest rivals include the Intel Xeon Gold 6342 at 11574 (-0.9% delta), the AMD EPYC 73F3 at 11334 (+1.2%), the AMD EPYC 7402 at 11312 (+1.4%), and the Intel Core i5-1145G7 at 11279 (+1.7%). For the EPYC 9224, the closest comparisons are the AMD EPYC 7542 at 11152 (-0.3%), the Intel Core i7-6700 at 11074 (+0.4%), the AMD Ryzen 5 3500U at 11176 (-0.5%), and the Intel Xeon Gold 6336Y at 11191 (-0.6%). Both processors sit in a similar performance band relative to the broader database, but the Ryzen 9 PRO 7945 has the higher raw average.

Architecture Differences

Both processors are built on AMD's Zen 4 architecture and use TSMC's 5 nm process node, but they are fundamentally different designs. The Ryzen 9 PRO 7945 comes from the Ryzen 9 (Zen 4 Raphael) generation, while the EPYC 9224 belongs to the EPYC (Zen 4 Genoa) generation. The Ryzen 9 PRO 7945 uses a dual-chiplet design with two 71 mm² dies, totaling 13,140 million transistors. The EPYC 9224 uses four 72 mm² dies, totaling 26,280 million transistors, exactly double the transistor count.

The cache layouts are identical in structure: both have 64 KB of L1 per core, 1 MB of L2 per core, and 64 MB of shared L3. However, the core counts differ significantly. The Ryzen 9 PRO 7945 has 12 cores and 24 threads, while the EPYC 9224 has 24 cores and 48 threads. This means the EPYC 9224's 64 MB of L3 is shared across twice as many cores.

Memory architecture is where the two diverge sharply. The Ryzen 9 PRO 7945 supports DDR5 memory through a dual-channel bus with a recorded memory bandwidth of 83.2 GB/s. The EPYC 9224 also supports DDR5 but through a twelve-channel bus, delivering 460.8 GB/s of memory bandwidth, more than 5.5 times the Ryzen part. Both support ECC memory.

PCIe capabilities also differ substantially. The Ryzen 9 PRO 7945 has Gen 5 with 24 lanes (CPU only), while the EPYC 9224 has Gen 5 with 128 lanes (CPU only). The EPYC 9224 offers more than five times the PCIe lanes, which reflects its server-oriented design. The Ryzen 9 PRO 7945 includes integrated Radeon Graphics, while the EPYC 9224 has no integrated graphics. The Ryzen 9 PRO 7945 uses AMD Socket AM5, while the EPYC 9224 uses AMD Socket SP5. The EPYC 9224 has a launch MSRP of $1825; the Ryzen 9 PRO 7945 has no launch MSRP recorded in the database.

Power specifications are also far apart: the Ryzen 9 PRO 7945 has a TDP of 65, while the EPYC 9224 has a TDP of 200. The Ryzen 9 PRO 7945 was released on June 12, 2023, while the EPYC 9224 was released on November 9, 2022, making the EPYC part roughly seven months older. Both are listed as Active in production status, and neither has an unlocked multiplier.

Where Each One Wins

The Ryzen 9 PRO 7945 wins every benchmark in the head-to-head comparison, so the use-case split is based on the nature of those wins and the architectural advantages. For single-threaded and lightly threaded workloads, the Ryzen 9 PRO 7945 is clearly superior. Its boost clock of 5.40 GHz, compared to the EPYC 9224's 3.70 GHz, explains why it leads by 3.2% to 3.3% in all single-core Cinebench tests. Workloads that depend on per-core speed, such as interactive applications, compilation tasks with low parallelism, or software that is not optimized for many cores, would favor the Ryzen part.

The multi-core results are more surprising. Despite having half the cores, the Ryzen 9 PRO 7945 leads in every multi-core Cinebench test by 3.1% to 3.2%. This suggests that for Cinebench specifically, the higher clock speeds and per-core efficiency of the Ryzen 9 PRO 7945 outweigh the EPYC 9224's additional 12 cores. However, the EPYC 9224's architectural advantages point to workloads where it would win despite losing these benchmarks. The twelve-channel memory bus with 460.8 GB/s bandwidth is a massive advantage for memory-bound server workloads, database operations, virtualization, and large-scale data processing. The 128 PCIe Gen 5 lanes versus 24 lanes means the EPYC 9224 can support far more I/O devices, storage controllers, and network cards, making it the appropriate choice for dense server deployments.

The EPYC 9224's 24 cores and 48 threads also matter for workloads that scale beyond what Cinebench measures. While the Ryzen 9 PRO 7945 wins in this specific benchmark suite, the EPYC 9224 offers double the core count for applications that can use every thread effectively. The Ryzen 9 PRO 7945's integrated Radeon Graphics is a practical advantage for systems that need display output without a discrete GPU, which is not possible on the EPYC 9224. The Ryzen part's 65 TDP also indicates a much lower power envelope, which is relevant for dense workstation deployments where thermal and power constraints are tight.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 7945 has an average benchmark score of 11469, while the AMD EPYC 9224 has an average of 11118. The Ryzen part also sits at the 67th percentile of all CPUs, versus the 66th percentile for the EPYC.

Q: Does the EPYC 9224 ever beat the Ryzen 9 PRO 7945 in the recorded Cinebench tests?

A: No. The Ryzen 9 PRO 7945 wins all six head-to-head Cinebench tests, with deltas ranging from 3.1% to 3.3% in its favor.

Q: What explains the Ryzen 9 PRO 7945's multi-core win despite having fewer cores?

A: The Ryzen 9 PRO 7945 has a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz, compared to the EPYC 9224's 2.50 GHz base and 3.70 GHz boost. The data indicates that in Cinebench, the Ryzen part's higher clocks and per-core efficiency overcome the EPYC's 24-core versus 12-core advantage.

Q: Which processor supports more memory bandwidth?

A: The AMD EPYC 9224 supports 460.8 GB/s through a twelve-channel DDR5 memory bus. The AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 7945 supports 83.2 GB/s through a dual-channel DDR5 bus, which is about 5.5 times less.

Q: Do both processors support ECC memory?

A: Yes, both the AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 7945 and the AMD EPYC 9224 have ECC memory support recorded in the database.

Q: Which processor has integrated graphics?

A: The AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 7945 includes Radeon Graphics. The AMD EPYC 9224 has no integrated graphics.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ in nearly every major specification category. The Ryzen 9 PRO 7945 has 12 cores and 24 threads, while the EPYC 9224 has 24 cores and 48 threads. Base clocks are 3.70 GHz versus 2.50 GHz, and boost clocks are 5.40 GHz versus 3.70 GHz. TDP is 65 for the Ryzen part and 200 for the EPYC part. The Ryzen 9 PRO 7945 uses AMD Socket AM5, while the EPYC 9224 uses AMD Socket SP5. The Ryzen part has a dual-chiplet design with 2x 71 mm² dies and 13,140 million transistors; the EPYC part has four 72 mm² dies and 26,280 million transistors.

Memory support differs: both use DDR5, but the Ryzen 9 PRO 7945 has a dual-channel bus with 83.2 GB/s bandwidth, while the EPYC 9224 has a twelve-channel bus with 460.8 GB/s. PCIe lanes are 24 Gen 5 lanes for the Ryzen part and 128 Gen 5 lanes for the EPYC. The Ryzen 9 PRO 7945 has integrated Radeon Graphics; the EPYC 9224 has none. The EPYC 9224 has a launch MSRP of $1825, while the Ryzen 9 PRO 7945 has no launch MSRP recorded. Release dates are June 12, 2023 for the Ryzen part and November 9, 2022 for the EPYC. The codenames differ (Raphael versus Genoa), as do the generations (Ryzen 9 Zen 4 Raphael versus EPYC Zen 4 Genoa). The part numbers are 100-000000598 for the Ryzen 9 PRO 7945 and 100-100000939 for the EPYC 9224.

The Verdict

The benchmark data clearly favors the AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 7945 for Cinebench workloads. It wins every head-to-head test, has a higher average benchmark score (11469 versus 11118), and achieves this with half the core count and a fraction of the TDP. For users whose primary concern is per-core performance, clock speed, or power efficiency, the Ryzen 9 PRO 7945 is the better pick based on the recorded measurements.

However, the EPYC 9224 is not without its own strengths. The twelve-channel memory bus delivering 460.8 GB/s, the 128 PCIe Gen 5 lanes, and the 24-core, 48-thread configuration make it the appropriate choice for server environments that require massive memory bandwidth, extensive I/O connectivity, or high thread counts beyond what Cinebench captures. The Ryzen 9 PRO 7945's 83.2 GB/s memory bandwidth and 24 PCIe lanes are limiting factors for such deployments.

The verdict depends on the workload. For workstation-class tasks, development, and applications that favor high clocks and modest core counts, the Ryzen 9 PRO 7945 is supported by the data. For enterprise server roles that demand memory bandwidth, I/O scalability, and double the core count, the EPYC 9224's architecture is better suited, even though it loses this particular benchmark suite. The Ryzen 9 PRO 7945 also offers integrated Radeon Graphics, which is a practical advantage for systems without a discrete GPU. Both processors are active in production, Zen 4 based, and use TSMC's 5 nm process, so the choice comes down to platform needs rather than architectural generation.