AMD EPYC 9454 vs Intel Xeon D-1746TER Comparison

The Intel Xeon D-1746TER and AMD EPYC 9454 are both server processors, but they target very different workloads. The Xeon D is a compact, low-power Ice Lake-D chip, while the EPYC 9454 is a massive Zen 4 Genoa part with nearly five times the cores. In head-to-head Cinebench testing, the EPYC 9454 wins every single test by a wide margin, but the Xeon D's lower power envelope and memory flexibility give it a distinct role. This analysis breaks down where each processor wins, their architectural differences, and the benchmark data that separates them.

Where Each One Wins

The recorded head-to-head data shows the AMD EPYC 9454 winning all six Cinebench tests, with a consistent 81.9% advantage over the Intel Xeon D-1746TER. That means the Xeon D does not win any of the compared benchmarks. However, the Xeon D's 67 W TDP versus the EPYC's 290 W TDP makes it suitable for power-constrained deployments. The Xeon D also supports DDR4 memory, which may be an advantage in existing infrastructure, while the EPYC requires DDR5. The Xeon D's triple-channel memory bus and 64.0 GB/s bandwidth are far lower than the EPYC's twelve-channel and 460.8 GB/s, but for lighter workloads, the lower power draw could be the deciding factor. In short, the EPYC 9454 is the performance king, while the Xeon D-1746TER is the efficiency pick.

The database includes Passmark results for the Xeon D, but not for the EPYC, so the head-to-head comparison relies on Cinebench. The Xeon D's Passmark single-thread score is 1785, and its multithread score is 15660, but these are not compared to the EPYC. The Xeon D's 67 W TDP and BGA 2227 socket suggest a compact, embedded design, while the EPYC's 290 W TDP and SP5 socket target rack-mounted servers. The Xeon D's DDR4 support may ease migration from older platforms, while the EPYC's DDR5 and twelve-channel bandwidth are built for high-throughput computing. For workloads that prioritize density and power efficiency over raw compute, the Xeon D has a clear role; for anything that demands maximum performance, the EPYC is the obvious choice.

Architecture Differences

The Intel Xeon D-1746TER is built on Intel's 10 nm process, while the AMD EPYC 9454 uses TSMC's 5 nm node. The Xeon D features 10 cores and 20 threads, with a base clock of 2.00 GHz and a boost of 3.10 GHz. The EPYC 9454 packs 48 cores and 96 threads, with a base of 2.75 GHz and a boost of 3.80 GHz. Cache hierarchies differ significantly: the Xeon D has 80 KB of L1 per core, 1.25 MB of L2 per core, and 15 MB of shared L3. The EPYC has 64 KB L1, 1 MB L2, and 256 MB of shared L3. The EPYC's 256 MB L3 cache is more than 17 times larger than the Xeon D's 15 MB, which helps with data-heavy workloads.

Memory support is another major split: the Xeon D uses DDR4 with a triple-channel bus and 64.0 GB/s bandwidth, while the EPYC uses DDR5 with a twelve-channel bus and 460.8 GB/s. PCIe connectivity also differs: the Xeon D offers Gen 4 with 16 lanes, while the EPYC offers Gen 5 with 128 lanes. The EPYC's transistor count is 52,560 million, and its die size is 8x 72 mm²; the Xeon D does not have these figures in the database. The EPYC uses the AMD Socket SP5, while the Xeon D uses Intel BGA 2227. The EPYC was released on 2022-11-09, about nine months after the Xeon D's 2022-02-23 release. The EPYC's multi-chiplet design, reflected in its die size, contrasts with the Xeon D's monolithic approach, which contributes to the latter's lower power draw.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has more cores?

A: The AMD EPYC 9454 has 48 cores and 96 threads, while the Intel Xeon D-1746TER has 10 cores and 20 threads.

Q: What is the difference in L3 cache?

A: The EPYC 9454 has 256 MB of shared L3 cache, while the Xeon D-1746TER has 15 MB.

Q: Which supports faster memory?

A: The EPYC 9454 supports DDR5 with a twelve-channel memory bus and 460.8 GB/s bandwidth, while the Xeon D-1746TER uses DDR4 with triple-channel and 64.0 GB/s.

Q: How do their boost clocks compare?

A: The EPYC 9454 boosts to 3.80 GHz, while the Xeon D-1746TER boosts to 3.10 GHz.

Q: What is the TDP difference?

A: The Xeon D-1746TER has a 67 W TDP, while the EPYC 9454 has a 290 W TDP.

Q: Which has a higher single-core Cinebench R23 score?

A: The EPYC 9454 scores 10358, while the Xeon D-1746TER scores 1879.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ in nearly every specification. The table below lists the key differences.

| Specification | Intel Xeon D-1746TER | AMD EPYC 9454 |

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

| Cores | 10 | 48 |

| Threads | 20 | 96 |

| Base Clock | 2.00 GHz | 2.75 GHz |

| Boost Clock | 3.10 GHz | 3.80 GHz |

| TDP | 67 W | 290 W |

| Socket | Intel BGA 2227 | AMD Socket SP5 |

| Architecture | Ice Lake | Zen 4 |

| Process Node | 10 nm | 5 nm |

| Foundry | Intel | TSMC |

| L1 Cache | 80 KB (per core) | 64 KB (per core) |

| L2 Cache | 1.25 MB (per core) | 1 MB (per core) |

| L3 Cache | 15 MB (shared) | 256 MB (shared) |

| Memory Support | DDR4 | DDR5 |

| Memory Bus | Triple-channel | Twelve-channel |

| Memory Bandwidth | 64.0 GB/s | 460.8 GB/s |

| PCIe | Gen 4, 16 Lanes | Gen 5, 128 Lanes |

| Release Date | 2022-02-23 | 2022-11-09 |

| Part Number | SRM1B | 100-100000478 |

| Launch MSRP | $1069 | $5225 |

The EPYC also has transistor and die size data: 52,560 million transistors and a die size of 8x 72 mm². The Xeon D does not have these figures in the database. The memory bandwidth difference is particularly stark: the EPYC's 460.8 GB/s is more than seven times the Xeon D's 64.0 GB/s, reflecting its twelve-channel design. The PCIe lane count also favors the EPYC, with 128 Gen 5 lanes versus the Xeon D's 16 Gen 4 lanes, making the EPYC far more suitable for high-speed I/O expansion.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head benchmark results are unambiguous. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the EPYC 9454 scores 7396 against the Xeon D's 1341, a deficit of 81.9% for the Intel part. The single-core test shows the same margin: 1044 versus 189. Moving to Cinebench R20, the EPYC scores 30817 in multi-core and 4350 in single-core, while the Xeon D manages 5590 and 789. In Cinebench R23, the EPYC reaches 73375 multi-core and 10358 single-core, compared to the Xeon D's 13311 and 1879. The consistent 81.9% delta across all six tests indicates a fundamental performance gap, not a workload-specific anomaly. The EPYC's advantage comes from its 48 cores, higher clocks, and larger cache.

The database also records average benchmark scores for each processor. The Xeon D's average is 21635, placing it near the AMD Ryzen 7 4800H (21749, -0.5%) and AMD Ryzen 5 5600X (21771, -0.6%). The EPYC 9454's average is 21223, near the Intel Core Ultra 7 155U (21174, 0.2%) and AMD Ryzen 5 7530U (21133, 0.4%). Both CPUs sit at the 75th percentile of all CPUs in the database. This context shows that while the EPYC dominates the Xeon in direct comparison, both are mid-to-high performers in their own right. The EPYC's single-core R23 score of 10358 is more than five times the Xeon's 1879, and its multi-core score of 73375 is over five times the Xeon's 13311. These ratios hold across all Cinebench versions, reinforcing the conclusion that the EPYC 9454 is in a different performance class.