AMD Ryzen 7 8840HX vs Intel Xeon 6517P Comparison

The Intel Xeon 6517P and AMD Ryzen 7 8840HX occupy the same performance percentile (94th vs 94th), yet they are fundamentally different processors. The data shows a clear split: the Xeon dominates in nearly every multithreaded and compute-heavy workload, while the Ryzen counters with a decisive single-threaded victory. With an average benchmark score of 72,350 for the Xeon against 71,797 for the Ryzen, the overall gap is a razor-thin 0.8%, but the distribution of wins tells a story of two distinct design philosophies. This analysis breaks down the benchmark results, architectural choices, and the specific use cases each chip serves.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The Intel Xeon 6517P wins 11 of the 13 head-to-head comparisons, and the margin of victory is often enormous. In Cinebench R23 multicore, the Xeon scores 42,352 against the Ryzen’s 25,265, a 67.6% advantage. That gap reflects the Xeon’s 16 cores and 32 threads versus the Ryzen’s 12 cores and 24 threads, but the delta is larger than the core count alone suggests. The single-core Cinebench R23 result is even more lopsided: the Xeon posts 5,979 versus 1,857, a staggering 222% lead. This is a massive outlier in the data, suggesting the Ryzen’s single-core score may be constrained by thermal or power limits in its mobile form factor, despite its higher boost clock.

The PassMark suite reinforces the Xeon’s dominance in computational throughput. Floating-point math shows the Xeon at 127,497 versus 86,747, a 47% lead. Extended instructions favor the Xeon by 42.1% (51,891 vs 36,527), and data compression sees a 31.6% gap (653,338 vs 496,427). Physics simulation is nearly double: the Xeon scores 4,452 against 2,185, a 103.8% advantage. Integer math is closer but still decisive, with the Xeon ahead by 11% (162,671 vs 146,506). Find prime numbers shows a modest 10.2% edge (335 vs 304), and random string sorting is 16.4% faster on the Xeon (67,480 vs 57,971). Data encryption is the narrowest win, just 8.2% (32,385 vs 29,919).

The Ryzen 7 8840HX takes the only two wins in single-threaded PassMark tests. In passmark_single_thread, the Ryzen scores 3,958 against the Xeon’s 3,311, a 16.3% advantage. The identical result for passmark_singlethread confirms this is consistent. This is the Xeon’s only clear weakness: its 4.20 GHz boost clock is well below the Ryzen’s 5.10 GHz, and in lightly threaded PassMark tasks, that clock advantage wins out. The multithread PassMark score still favors the Xeon, 49,786 vs 41,732 (19.3%), showing that even in mixed workloads, the Xeon’s extra cores overcome the Ryzen’s per-thread speed.

Looking at the nearestRivals data, both chips sit within 1.4% of each other and of the Intel Xeon 6724P. The 6517P is 0.1% behind the 6724P and 0.8% ahead of the Ryzen. The Ryzen is 0.2% behind the Intel Core Ultra 7 265KF and 0.6% ahead of the Xeon Platinum 8270. These deltas are negligible in aggregate, but the head-to-head numbers show the Xeon’s wins are rarely close, while the Ryzen’s single win is significant in its direction.

Architecture Differences

The Xeon 6517P is built on Intel’s Granite Rapids architecture, specifically the Xeon 6 generation for server/workstation. It uses a 5 nm process node fabricated by Intel. The Ryzen 7 8840HX is Zen 4 under the Dragon Range codename, part of AMD’s 8000 series, also on a 5 nm node but fabricated by TSMC. Both chips share the same process size, but the transistor counts diverge sharply: the Ryzen packs 13,140 million transistors across two 71 mm² dies, while the Xeon’s transistor count and die size are not listed in the data.

Cache hierarchies differ significantly. The Xeon provides 112 KB L1 and 2 MB L2 per core, with 72 MB of shared L3. The Ryzen offers 64 KB L1 and 1 MB L2 per core, with 64 MB of shared L3. The Xeon’s larger per-core L1 and L2 caches are notable, especially since it runs more cores. The Xeon’s L3 is 12.5% larger in absolute terms, which helps in data-heavy server workloads.

Memory subsystems are a major differentiator. The Xeon supports DDR5 over an eight-channel bus with 409.6 GB/s of bandwidth. The Ryzen also supports DDR5 but over a dual-channel bus, yielding 83.2 GB/s—a fivefold difference in theoretical bandwidth. Both support ECC memory? No: the Xeon has ECC enabled, while the Ryzen does not. PCIe lanes also favor the Xeon: 88 Gen 5 lanes versus the Ryzen’s 28 Gen 5 lanes. The Xeon has no integrated graphics, while the Ryzen includes a Radeon 610M iGPU.

Power and thermals are starkly different. The Xeon has a 190 W TDP, while the Ryzen is rated at just 55 W—a 135 W gap. This explains the Ryzen’s mobile form factor and the Xeon’s server/workstation positioning. The Xeon is not multiplier-unlocked, whereas the Ryzen is unlocked. Sockets reflect this: the Xeon uses Intel Socket 4710, and the Ryzen uses AMD Socket FL1. The Xeon was released on 2025-02-23, and the Ryzen on 2025-04-22, about two months later.

FAQ

Q: Which CPU has a higher boost clock, and does it matter for benchmarks?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 8840HX boosts to 5.10 GHz, versus 4.20 GHz for the Intel Xeon 6517P. This contributes to the Ryzen’s 16.3% win in passmark_single_thread (3,958 vs 3,311), but the Xeon still wins in Cinebench R23 single-core by 222% (5,979 vs 1,857), suggesting the clock advantage is not enough to overcome other architectural differences.

Q: How much faster is the Xeon in multi-core rendering?

A: In Cinebench R23 multicore, the Xeon scores 42,352, which is 67.6% higher than the Ryzen’s 25,265. This is the largest multicore delta in the head-to-head data.

Q: Is the Ryzen 7 8840HX more power-efficient given its lower TDP?

A: The data shows the Ryzen has a 55 W TDP versus 190 W for the Xeon, a 135 W difference. The Ryzen’s average benchmark score of 71,797 is only 0.8% lower than the Xeon’s 72,350, so it delivers comparable aggregate performance at a fraction of the power draw.

Q: Which CPU supports ECC memory?

A: Only the Intel Xeon 6517P supports ECC memory. The AMD Ryzen 7 8840HX does not, which is a key consideration for server/workstation reliability.

Q: What is the memory bandwidth difference?

A: The Xeon has an eight-channel memory bus with 409.6 GB/s of bandwidth, while the Ryzen has a dual-channel bus with 83.2 GB/s. This fivefold gap (409.6 vs 83.2) is a major reason the Xeon excels in data compression (31.6% faster) and floating-point math (47% faster).

Q: Which CPU has a higher PassMark single-thread score?

A: The Ryzen wins passmark_single_thread with 3,958 versus 3,311 for the Xeon, a 16.3% advantage. This is the Ryzen’s only benchmark win besides the identical singlethread test.

The Verdict

The data points to a clear choice for different buyers. The Intel Xeon 6517P is the superior processor for multithreaded workloads that scale with core count and memory bandwidth. It wins 11 of 13 head-to-head benchmarks, with leads ranging from 8.2% in encryption to 222% in Cinebench R23 single-core. Its 16 cores, 32 threads, 72 MB L3 cache, and 409.6 GB/s memory bandwidth make it the pick for server/workstation tasks like physics simulation (103.8% faster), floating-point math (47% faster), and data compression (31.6% faster). The 190 W TDP and eight-channel memory are appropriate for a platform designed for sustained compute.

The AMD Ryzen 7 8840HX is the better choice for single-threaded responsiveness and power-constrained environments. Its 16.3% lead in PassMark single-thread (3,958 vs 3,311) shows a per-core speed advantage, and its 55 W TDP is a fraction of the Xeon’s 190 W. The Ryzen also includes integrated Radeon 610M graphics, which the Xeon lacks, and is multiplier-unlocked for overclocking. Its 12 cores and 24 threads still deliver a 94th percentile ranking, matching the Xeon’s percentile, but the Xeon’s aggregate score is 0.8% higher.

For a mobile workstation or a compact system where power and single-thread speed matter, the Ryzen 7 8840HX fits. For a rack server or a workstation that must chew through parallel workloads, the Xeon 6517P is the obvious winner. The launch MSRP for the Xeon is $1195, while the Ryzen has no listed launch MSRP. Neither chip is a wrong choice; they simply target different extremes of the same performance band.

Specification Differences

| Specification | Intel Xeon 6517P | AMD Ryzen 7 8840HX |

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

| Cores | 16 | 12 |

| Threads | 32 | 24 |

| Base clock | 3.20 GHz | 2.90 GHz |

| Boost clock | 4.20 GHz | 5.10 GHz |

| TDP | 190 W | 55 W |

| Socket | Intel Socket 4710 | AMD Socket FL1 |

| Architecture | Granite Rapids | Zen 4 (Dragon Range) |

| Generation | Xeon 6 (Granite Rapids-SP) | Ryzen 7 (Zen 4) |

| Foundry | Intel | TSMC |

| Transistors | Not listed | 13,140 million |

| Die size | Not listed | 2x 71 mm² |

| L1 cache (per core) | 112 KB | 64 KB |

| L2 cache (per core) | 2 MB | 1 MB |

| L3 cache (shared) | 72 MB | 64 MB |

| Memory bus | Eight-channel | Dual-channel |

| Memory bandwidth | 409.6 GB/s | 83.2 GB/s |

| ECC memory | Yes | No |

| PCIe lanes | Gen 5, 88 Lanes | Gen 5, 28 Lanes |

| Integrated graphics | N/A | Radeon 610M |

| Multiplier unlocked | No | Yes |

| Part number | SRVU4 | 100-000001850 |

| Launch MSRP | $1195 | Not listed |