AMD EPYC 9374F vs AMD Ryzen 5 1600 Comparison

The recorded data leaves no ambiguity: the AMD EPYC 9374F wins every head-to-head benchmark against the AMD Ryzen 5 1600, and by enormous margins. This is not a close comparison, it is a generational and segment mismatch. The Ryzen 5 1600 is a 2017 desktop part from the Zen era on Socket AM4, while the EPYC 9374F is a 2022 server processor built on Zen 4 for Socket SP5. The interesting story is not who wins, it is the scale of each gap and what each chip still represents in the database's percentile rankings, where the two land almost side by side at 72 and 71 respectively.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The EPYC 9374F sweeps all six shared tests, and the recorded deltas range from large to overwhelming.

The single-threaded gaps are the narrowest, yet still decisive. In Geekbench single-core the EPYC scores 2306 against the Ryzen's 1085, a 52.9 percent advantage. In Cinebench R15 single-core the margin widens to 85.2 percent, with 991 points versus 147. Cinebench R23 single-core tells the same story at a 90.7 percent gap: 9841 versus 915.

Multi-core results are even more lopsided, as expected given the core count disparity. Cinebench R23 multi-core shows the EPYC at 69707 points against 6468 for the Ryzen 5 1600, a 90.7 percent delta. Cinebench R15 multi-core lands at 83.9 percent in the EPYC's favor, 7026 versus 1129. Geekbench multi-core is the "closest" multi-threaded contest, and even there the EPYC delivers 18263 versus 5558, a 69.6 percent lead.

The database also carries results unique to each chip. The Ryzen 5 1600 has a broad Passmark suite: 12270 in multithread, 2066 in single thread, 41470 in integer math, 21402 in floating point math, 172053 in data compression, 11683 in data encryption, 6667 in extended instructions, 643 in physics, 20240 in string sorting, and 35 in prime finding. The EPYC adds Cinebench R20 results the Ryzen lacks: 29276 multi-core and 4133 single-core, both consistent with its dominant showing elsewhere.

Context from the percentile data reframes the sweep. Despite losing every direct test, the Ryzen 5 1600 sits at the 72nd percentile against all CPUs, marginally above the EPYC 9374F at the 71st. Each chip sits in a tight cluster of rivals: the Ryzen's average benchmark score of 17994 places it within a fraction of a percent of the Intel Core 5 320 (18023, a 0.2 percent gap), Intel Core 5 120U (17898), AMD Ryzen 5 3600XT (17891), and Intel Core 5 221TE (17860). The EPYC's average of 17693 is similarly bracketed by the Intel Core i7-1255U (17656), Intel Core i3-13100F (17653), Intel Core i3-14100T (17648), and AMD Ryzen 3 8300GE (17614), all within half a percent. The percentile model rewards the Ryzen's breadth of recorded results and single-thread efficiency relative to its class; the raw head-to-head data rewards the EPYC's sheer throughput.

Architecture Differences

These processors come from different worlds. The Ryzen 5 1600 is a Summit Ridge implementation of the original Zen architecture, fabricated on GlobalFoundries' 14 nm process, with 4,800 million transistors on a single 213 mm² die. The EPYC 9374F is Genoa, the Zen 4 generation, built by TSMC on a 5 nm process, with 52,560 million transistors spread across a chiplet layout described in the data as 8x 72 mm².

Core topology is the defining contrast. The Ryzen offers 6 cores and 12 threads; the EPYC offers 32 cores and 64 threads, more than five times the thread count. Clock behavior differs just as sharply: the Ryzen runs a 3.20 base and 3.60 boost, while the EPYC runs 3.85 base and 4.30 boost. The EPYC is faster per core and has vastly more cores, which is exactly what the benchmark sweep reflects.

Cache architecture reflects their eras. The Ryzen carries 96 KB of L1 per core and 512 KB of L2 per core, with 16 MB of shared L3. The EPYC carries 64 KB of L1 per core but 1 MB of L2 per core and a 256 MB shared L3, sixteen times the L3 capacity of the Ryzen.

Platform capabilities diverge completely. The Ryzen supports DDR4 on a dual-channel bus with 42.7 GB/s of bandwidth, plus PCIe Gen 3 with 16 CPU lanes. The EPYC supports DDR5 on a twelve-channel bus with 460.8 GB/s of bandwidth, more than ten times as much, plus PCIe Gen 5 with 128 CPU lanes. Both support ECC memory, and neither has integrated graphics.

Power and market positioning differ accordingly. The Ryzen is a 65 W desktop part on Socket AM4 with an unlocked multiplier and a launch MSRP of $219. The EPYC is a 320 W server and workstation part on Socket SP5 with a locked multiplier and a launch MSRP of $4850. Both remain listed as Active in production status.

The Verdict

The data supports one conclusion: for any workload measured here, the EPYC 9374F is the stronger processor, in every case by at least half and in the heaviest multi-core rendering tests by roughly nine tenths. Nobody choosing purely on performance picks the Ryzen 5 1600.

The Ryzen's case is qualitative. It belongs to the desktop segment, uses the AM4 socket, carries an unlocked multiplier, and fits a 65 W envelope, all of which matter for desktop builds in ways raw scores do not capture. Its 72nd percentile standing, above the EPYC's 71, shows the database's class-relative model still rates it strongly. The EPYC's case is a server platform: twelve-channel DDR5, 128 Gen 5 lanes, SP5. Choosing between them is really choosing between a desktop platform and a server platform, and the benchmarks simply quantify what that gap costs.

FAQ

Q: Does the Ryzen 5 1600 win any benchmark against the EPYC 9374F?

A: No. The EPYC wins all six head-to-head tests, with deltas ranging from 52.9 percent in Geekbench single-core to 90.7 percent in both Cinebench R23 categories.

Q: How big is the single-core gap?

A: The EPYC scores 2306 versus 1085 in Geekbench single-core (a 52.9 percent lead) and 991 versus 147 in Cinebench R15 single-core (85.2 percent).

Q: How big is the multi-core gap?

A: Enormous. Cinebench R23 multi-core is 69707 versus 6468, a 90.7 percent delta, and Geekbench multi-core is 18263 versus 5558, a 69.6 percent delta.

Q: Which CPU ranks higher in the database percentiles?

A: The Ryzen 5 1600, narrowly: 72 versus 71. Its average benchmark score of 17994 also edges the EPYC's 17693.

Q: Do both processors support ECC memory?

A: Yes, both list ECC support. Neither has integrated graphics.

Q: Can either processor be overclocked?

A: The Ryzen 5 1600 has an unlocked multiplier. The EPYC 9374F does not.

Where Each One Wins

The EPYC 9374F wins every measured workload category: single-core integer and floating rendering in Cinebench R15 and R23, multi-core rendering in the same suites, and both Geekbench tracks. Within that sweep, its strongest suits are sustained heavy multi-threaded rendering (90.7 percent in R23 multi-core) and per-core throughput (90.7 percent in R23 single-core, 85.2 percent in R15 single-core). Its platform strengths, twelve-channel DDR5 at 460.8 GB/s and 128 PCIe Gen 5 lanes, align with server and workstation deployment.

The Ryzen 5 1600 wins nothing on the scoreboard, but the data still sketches its niche. Its Passmark coverage (12270 multithread, 2066 single thread) and its position among rivals like the Ryzen 5 3600XT and Intel Core 5 320 describe a capable mainstream desktop processor of its generation. Its 65 W envelope, AM4 socket, DDR4 dual-channel support, and unlocked multiplier define where it belongs: general desktop computing, not head-to-head server contention.

Specification Differences

• Cores/Threads: 6 cores, 12 threads (Ryzen 5 1600) versus 32 cores, 64 threads (EPYC 9374F)
• Clocks: 3.20 base / 3.60 boost versus 3.85 base / 4.30 boost
• TDP: 65 W versus 320 W
• Socket: AMD Socket AM4 versus AMD Socket SP5
• Architecture/Codename: Zen (Summit Ridge) versus Zen 4 (Genoa)
• Process/Foundry: 14 nm GlobalFoundries versus 5 nm TSMC
• Transistors/Die: 4,800 million on one 213 mm² die versus 52,560 million on 8x 72 mm²
• Cache: 96 KB L1 and 512 KB L2 per core with 16 MB shared L3 versus 64 KB L1 and 1 MB L2 per core with 256 MB shared L3
• Memory: DDR4 dual-channel at 42.7 GB/s versus DDR5 twelve-channel at 460.8 GB/s
• PCIe: Gen 3, 16 CPU lanes versus Gen 5, 128 CPU lanes
• Segment: Desktop versus Server/Workstation
• Release: 2017-04-10 versus 2022-11-09
• Launch MSRP: $219 versus $4850
• Multiplier: Unlocked versus locked
• Part Number: YD1600BBM6IAEYD1600BBAEBOX versus 100-100000792