AMD EPYC 7543 vs Intel Core i9-12900K

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CPU comparison with benchmarks

-VS-

CPU lineage

AMD EPYC 7543 or AMD EPYC 7543 – which processor offers superior performance? In this comparison, we examine disparities and assess which of these two CPUs outperforms the other. We delve into technical specifications and benchmark outcomes.
The AMD EPYC 7543 features 32 processor cores and has the capability to manage 64 threads concurrently.
It was released in Q1/2021 and belongs to the 3 generation of the AMD EPYC series.
To use the AMD EPYC 7543, you'll need a motherboard with a SP3 socket.
The Intel Core i9-12900K features 16 processor cores and has the capability to manage 24 threads concurrently.
It was released in Q4/2021 and belongs to the 12 generation of the Intel Core i9 series.
To use the Intel Core i9-12900K, you'll need a motherboard with a LGA 1700 socket.
AMD EPYC 7003 Group Intel Core i 12000
3 Generation 12
Desktop / Server Segment Desktop / Server
AMD EPYC 7543 Name Intel Core i9-12900K
AMD EPYC Family Intel Core i9
 
 

CPU Cores and Base Frequency

The AMD EPYC 7543 has 32 CPU cores and can calculate 64 threads in parallel.
The clock frequency of the AMD EPYC 7543 is 2.8 GHz
and turbo frequency for one core is 3.7 GHz.
The number of CPU cores greatly affects the speed of the processor and is an important performance indicator.
The Intel Core i9-12900K has 16 CPU cores and can calculate 24 threads in parallel.
The clock frequency of the A-Core is 3.2 GHz.
Processors with hybrid (big.LITTLE) architecture strike a balance between performance and power efficiency, making them ideal for mobile devices.
64 Threads 24
32x Zen 3 Cores None
None None 2.4 GHz
32 CPU Cores 16
normal Core architecture hybrid (big.LITTLE)
None None 8x Golden Cove
Yes Hyperthreading Yes
None None 3.2 GHz
None None 5.2 GHz
No Overclocking Yes
None None 8x Gracemont
None None 3.9 GHz
3.7 GHz Turbo Frequency (1 core) None
2.8 GHz Frequency None
 
 

Internal Graphics

The AMD EPYC 7543 does not have integrated graphics.
The Intel Core i9-12900K has integrated graphics, called iGPU for short.
Specifically, the Intel Core i9-12900K uses the Intel UHD Graphics 770, which has 256 texture shaders
and 32 execution units.
The iGPU uses the system's main memory as graphics memory and sits on the processor's die.
-- Shaders 256
-- Release date Q4/2021
-- Technology 10 nm
-- Direct X 12
0 bytes Max. GPU Memory 64.0 GB
-- Max. displays --
-- Execution units 32
-- GPU frequency 0.3 GHz
-- Generation 11
-- GPU (Turbo) 1.55 GHz
GPU name Intel UHD Graphics 770
 
 

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

-- AI specifications --
-- AI hardware --
 
 

Hardware codec support

A photo or video codec that is accelerated in hardware can greatly accelerate the working speed of a processor and extend the battery life of notebooks or smartphones when playing videos.
-- VP8 Decode / Encode
-- VC-1 Decode
-- JPEG Decode / Encode
-- AV1 Decode
-- h265 / HEVC (8 bit) Decode / Encode
-- AVC Decode / Encode
-- h264 Decode / Encode
-- VP9 Decode / Encode
-- h265 / HEVC (10 bit) Decode / Encode
 
 

Memory & PCIe

The processor supports a maximum memory capacity of 4.0 TB distributed across 8 memory channels. It offers a peak memory bandwidth of 204.8 GB/s. Both the type and quantity of memory can have a substantial impact on the overall system performance.
The processor supports a maximum memory capacity of 128.0 GB distributed across 2 memory channels. It offers a peak memory bandwidth of 76.8 GB/s. Both the type and quantity of memory can have a substantial impact on the overall system performance.
pci PCIe pci
Yes AES-NI Yes
DDR4-3200 Memory type DDR4-3200, DDR5-4800
Yes ECC Yes
4.0 TB Max. Memory 128.0 GB
8 Memory channels 2
204.8 GB/s Bandwidth 76.8 GB/s
 
 

Thermal Management

The processor has a thermal design power (TDP) of 225 W watts.
TDP indicates the cooling solution needed to effectively manage the processor's heat. It generally provides an approximate indication of the actual power consumption of the CPU itself.
The processor has a thermal design power (TDP) of 125 W watts.
None TDP (PL2) 241 W
240 W TDP up None
225 W TDP (PL1 / PBP) 125 W
-- Tjunction max 100 °C
 
 

Technical details

The AMD EPYC 7543 is manufactured using a 7 nm process.
A smaller manufacturing process indicates a more contemporary and energy-efficient CPU.
In total, this processor boasts a generous 256.0 MB cache.
A substantial cache can significantly enhance the processor's performance, particularly in scenarios like gaming.
The Intel Core i9-12900K is manufactured using a 10 nm process.
In total, this processor boasts a generous 30.0 MB cache.
Q1/2021 Release date Q4/2021
AMD-V, SVM Virtualization VT-x, VT-x EPT, VT-d
SSE4a, SSE4.1, SSE4.2, FMA3, AVX2 ISA extensions SSE4.1, SSE4.2, AVX2, AVX2+
7 nm Technology 10 nm
Chiplet Chip design Monolithic
3761 $ Release price 589 $
Milan (Zen 3) Architecture Alder Lake S
256.0 MB L3-Cache 30.0 MB
Windows 10, Linux Operating systems Windows 10, Linux, Windows 11
Technical data sheet Documents Technical data sheet
x86-64 (64 bit) Instruction set (ISA) x86-64 (64 bit)
-- Part Number BX8071512900K
SP3 Socket LGA 1700
0 bytes L2-Cache 14.0 MB
 
 

Benchmarks

Estimated results for PassMark CPU Mark

AMD EPYC 7543
32C 64T @ 2.8 GHz
56570
56570
Intel Core i9-12900K
16C 24T @ 3.2 GHz
40902
40902

V-Ray CPU-Render Benchmark

AMD EPYC 7543
32C 64T @ 2.8 GHz
32144
32144
Intel Core i9-12900K
16C 24T @ 3.2 GHz
17845
17845

Geekbench 5, 64bit (Multi-Core)

AMD EPYC 7543
32C 64T @ 2.8 GHz
29987
29987
Intel Core i9-12900K
16C 24T @ 3.2 GHz
17595
17595

Geekbench 6 (Multi-Core)

AMD EPYC 7543
32C 64T @ 2.8 GHz
18068
18068
Intel Core i9-12900K
16C 24T @ 3.2 GHz
16244
16244

Geekbench 6 (Single-Core)

Intel Core i9-12900K
16C 24T @ 3.2 GHz
2560
2560
AMD EPYC 7543
32C 64T @ 2.8 GHz
1708
1708

Geekbench 5, 64bit (Single-Core)

Intel Core i9-12900K
16C 24T @ 3.2 GHz
1990
1990
AMD EPYC 7543
32C 64T @ 2.8 GHz
1371
1371