AMD EPYC 9634 vs Intel Xeon 6740P Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data gives a clear picture: the AMD EPYC 9634 wins 14 of the 16 head-to-head benchmarks, with the Intel Xeon 6740P taking only two. The margins, however, vary significantly by workload type.

In Cinebench multi-core tests, the AMD part is consistently ahead by 22.6%. The R15 multi-core score is 9248 versus 7544, the R20 multi-core score is 38535 versus 31437, and the R23 multi-core score is 91752 versus 74851. The single-core Cinebench results follow the same pattern: R15 single-core shows 1305 versus 1065, and R20 single-core shows 5440 versus 4438, both at a 22.5% and 22.6% delta respectively. This is a uniform margin across the entire Cinebench suite, indicating a substantial architectural throughput advantage rather than a workload-specific quirk.

The PassMark integer math test delivers the largest single delta in the entire comparison. The EPYC 9634 scores 725356, while the Xeon 6740P scores 388500, a massive 86.7% advantage for AMD. Data encryption also shows a wide gap: 151943 versus 82028, a 85.2% delta. These two results alone suggest that the EPYC 9634 has a commanding lead in heavily parallel integer and cryptographic workloads. The data compression test shows a 45.5% delta (2236412 versus 1537129), and random string sorting shows a 49.2% delta (261134 versus 175015). Find prime numbers shows a 43.1% delta (1176 versus 822). All of these are substantial wins for the AMD processor.

The multi-threaded PassMark score is 107944 versus 88061, a 22.6% delta, which mirrors the Cinebench multi-core margin. Physics simulation in PassMark shows 12291 versus 9705, a 26.6% delta. Floating point math shows 353784 versus 296102, a 19.5% delta. Extended instructions show 137543 versus 116992, a 17.6% delta. These are all decisive, though less extreme than the integer and encryption results.

The Intel Xeon 6740P wins only the PassMark single-thread test, scoring 2975 versus 2924. The delta is a slim 1.7% in Intel's favor. This is the sole bright spot for the Intel part and represents its only measurable advantage in the entire dataset.

The average benchmark score reflects the overall dominance: the EPYC 9634 sits at 244274, while the Xeon 6740P sits at 176227. The EPYC 9634 ranks in the 99th percentile among all CPUs, while the Xeon 6740P ranks in the 98th percentile. The nearest rival data for the EPYC 9634 shows it is 2.5% ahead of the Intel Xeon 6747P, 2.9% behind the Intel Xeon 6980P, 8.5% behind the AMD EPYC 9684X, and 12.1% ahead of the AMD EPYC 9455P. The Xeon 6740P, meanwhile, is 2.1% ahead of the AMD EPYC 7763, 2.6% behind the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3995WX, 3.5% behind the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9975WX, and 5% ahead of the AMD EPYC 7C13.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from fundamentally different design philosophies. The AMD EPYC 9634 is part of the EPYC 9004 series, built on the Zen 4 architecture with the codename Genoa. It uses a 5 nm process node from TSMC and packs 78,840 million transistors across a die size of 12x 72 mm². The Intel Xeon 6740P is a Granite Rapids part, using the Granite Rapids-SP generation, also built on a 5 nm process node but from Intel's own foundry. Its die size is 2x 598 mm², and the transistor count is not recorded for this part.

Core counts differ dramatically. The EPYC 9634 has 84 cores and 168 threads, while the Xeon 6740P has 48 cores and 96 threads. This is a 36-core and 72-thread difference in favor of AMD. The cache hierarchy also diverges. The EPYC 9634 has 64 KB of L1 cache per core, 1 MB of L2 cache per core, and 384 MB of shared L3 cache. The Xeon 6740P has 112 KB of L1 cache per core, 2 MB of L2 cache per core, and 288 MB of shared L3 cache. Intel gives each core more private L1 and L2, but AMD provides substantially more total L3 cache (384 MB versus 288 MB).

Memory architecture is another major divider. Both support DDR5 and ECC memory, but the EPYC 9634 uses a twelve-channel memory bus with a bandwidth of 460.8 GB/s. The Xeon 6740P uses an eight-channel bus with a bandwidth of 409.6 GB/s. AMD has a higher theoretical memory bandwidth. PCIe connectivity also differs: the EPYC 9634 offers Gen 5 with 128 lanes (CPU only), while the Xeon 6740P offers Gen 5 with 88 lanes (CPU only). The AMD part has 40 more PCIe lanes.

Clock speeds are close but favor Intel slightly on boost. The EPYC 9634 has a base clock of 2.25 GHz and a boost clock of 3.70 GHz. The Xeon 6740P has a base clock of 2.10 GHz and a boost clock of 3.80 GHz. The power envelopes are similar: the EPYC 9634 has a TDP of 290, and the Xeon 6740P has a TDP of 270. The sockets are not interchangeable: AMD uses Socket SP5, Intel uses Socket 4710.

The release dates differ by over two years. The EPYC 9634 was released on 2022-11-09, while the Xeon 6740P was released on 2025-02-23. Both are currently marked as Active in production status. The Intel part lists integrated graphics as N/A, while the AMD part does not list integrated graphics at all. Neither processor has an unlocked multiplier.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD EPYC 9634 is the clear winner in every multi-threaded and heavily parallel workload recorded. The data shows it ahead by 22.6% in Cinebench multi-core tests, which reflects general multi-threaded rendering and compute performance. The PassMark multi-thread score confirms this at the same 22.6% delta. For integer math, the EPYC 9634 is 86.7% ahead, making it the stronger choice for database workloads, financial modeling, and any application that relies on rapid integer calculations. Data encryption is 85.2% ahead, which points to advantages in security-focused workloads, VPN gateways, and encrypted storage systems. Data compression is 45.5% ahead, and random string sorting is 49.2% ahead, both of which are common in data processing pipelines and log analysis. Prime number finding is 43.1% ahead, useful in cryptography and number theory applications.

The Intel Xeon 6740P wins only the PassMark single-thread test, by 1.7%. This indicates that in lightly threaded workloads, or applications where a single core's responsiveness matters most, the Intel part has a slight edge. This could matter in some legacy software that runs primarily on one core, or in certain interactive server tasks. The higher boost clock of 3.80 GHz versus 3.70 GHz likely contributes to this narrow win.

The broader picture is that the EPYC 9634 wins on raw throughput across the board, while the Xeon 6740P wins only on peak single-core performance. For any workload that can use more than a few cores, the AMD part is the stronger performer according to the recorded benchmarks.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ on nearly every major specification. The core count difference is 84 versus 48, and the thread count is 168 versus 96. The base clock is 2.25 GHz versus 2.10 GHz, and the boost clock is 3.70 GHz versus 3.80 GHz. The TDP is 290 for the EPYC 9634 and 270 for the Xeon 6740P. The socket is AMD Socket SP5 versus Intel Socket 4710.

The architecture is Zen 4 (Genoa) versus Granite Rapids. The process node is 5 nm in both cases, but the foundry differs: TSMC for AMD and Intel for Intel. The transistor count is 78,840 million for the AMD part, while the Intel part does not have a recorded transistor count. The die size is 12x 72 mm² for AMD and 2x 598 mm² for Intel.

Cache configuration differs in every level. L1 cache is 64 KB per core for AMD and 112 KB per core for Intel. L2 cache is 1 MB per core for AMD and 2 MB per core for Intel. L3 cache is 384 MB shared for AMD and 288 MB shared for Intel. Memory support is DDR5 for both, but the memory bus is twelve-channel for AMD and eight-channel for Intel. Memory bandwidth is 460.8 GB/s for AMD and 409.6 GB/s for Intel. PCIe is Gen 5 with 128 lanes for AMD and Gen 5 with 88 lanes for Intel.

The release date is 2022-11-09 for AMD and 2025-02-23 for Intel. The part number is 100-100000797 for AMD and SRV5R for Intel. The launch MSRP for the AMD EPYC 9634 is $10304. The launch MSRP for the Intel Xeon 6740P is $4650. The market segment is Server/Workstation for both, and both are Active in production. Both support ECC memory, and neither has an unlocked multiplier.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has more cores?

A: The AMD EPYC 9634 has 84 cores and 168 threads, while the Intel Xeon 6740P has 48 cores and 96 threads.

Q: What is the largest benchmark margin between the two?

A: The largest margin is in PassMark integer math, where the AMD EPYC 9634 scores 725356 versus 388500 for the Intel Xeon 6740P, a delta of 86.7% in favor of AMD.

Q: Does the Intel Xeon 6740P win any benchmark?

A: Yes, the Intel Xeon 6740P wins the PassMark single-thread test, scoring 2975 versus 2924 for the AMD EPYC 9634, a delta of 1.7% in Intel's favor.

Q: How do the memory bandwidths compare?

A: The AMD EPYC 9634 has a twelve-channel memory bus with 460.8 GB/s bandwidth, while the Intel Xeon 6740P has an eight-channel bus with 409.6 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: What is the difference in L3 cache size?

A: The AMD EPYC 9634 has 384 MB of shared L3 cache, while the Intel Xeon 6740P has 288 MB of shared L3 cache.

Q: Which processor has a higher boost clock?

A: The Intel Xeon 6740P has a higher boost clock at 3.80 GHz, compared to 3.70 GHz for the AMD EPYC 9634.

The Verdict

The benchmark data is unambiguous. The AMD EPYC 9634 is the superior processor for multi-threaded and parallel workloads. It wins 14 of 16 benchmarks, with margins ranging from 17.6% in extended instructions to 86.7% in integer math. Its 84 cores and 168 threads give it a massive throughput advantage over the 48-core Xeon 6740P, and this is reflected in every multi-core metric recorded. The 22.6% advantage in Cinebench multi-core and PassMark multi-thread scores indicates a consistent, architecture-wide performance lead. The 85.2% lead in data encryption and 86.7% lead in integer math make it the clear choice for compute-heavy server workloads such as database processing, cryptography, and scientific computing.

The Intel Xeon 6740P wins only the single-thread PassMark test by 1.7%. This makes it the better option for workloads that are strictly single-threaded and cannot take advantage of multiple cores. The higher boost clock of 3.80 GHz supports this narrow advantage. However, the Xeon 6740P also has a lower TDP of 270 versus 290, which could be relevant in power-constrained environments. Its smaller die size footprint per core and larger per-core L1 and L2 caches may also be beneficial in certain latency-sensitive scenarios.

For most server and workstation applications, the data points squarely to the AMD EPYC 9634. The 99th percentile ranking versus the 98th percentile for the Intel part confirms its top-tier status. The Intel Xeon 6740P is only recommended for users who prioritize the slight single-core edge and lower power envelope. Otherwise, the EPYC 9634 is the stronger performer across nearly every measurable dimension in this comparison.