AMD EPYC 73F3 vs Intel Core i9-7980XE

Processor comparisons   25-03-2021
   For example you can't decide which CPU to buy, you can make a choice after reading the detailed tests AMD EPYC 73F3 vs Intel Core i9-7980XE and decide which is better for games or normal use for machine learning, rendering, streaming, programming, video editing. Here is all information from real video editing and streaming tests or many benchmarks. A step-by-step analysis of all the technical characteristics, to make it easier to read, is summarized in the table.
   From the comparison video, you can get the results of joint testing in software tests such as GeekBench 6, 5.2, RealBench, PCMark 10, 3DMark, Blender, Handbrake, VeraCrypt, Dolphin Emulator, UserBenchmark, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), Blender, AIDA64, Gears 5, MATLAB, SuperPi, 7zip, DaVinci Resolve Studio, Prime95, WPrime, Furmark, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, PassMark.
   And how good the CPUs are in games:

World of Warcraft: Shadowlands
Watch Dogs Legion
DOOM: Eternal
Valheim
Fallout 76
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and Warzone
Overwatch
Red Dead Redemption 2
Last Man Standing
Fortnite
Rainbow Six Siege
Grand Theft Auto V
Halo Infinite
Death Stranding
Apex Legends
Assassin's Creed Valhalla
Borderlands 3
Valorant
Cyberpunk 2077

After looking at the data these benchmarks and videos, you already be able to understand which CPU is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i9-7980XE or AMD EPYC 73F3.

Summary benchmark results

As a percentage of the maximum value based on a sample from the entire base of all processors
Processor Benchmark

EPYC 73F3

62%

Core i9-7980XE

58%

This shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, EPYC 73F3 is 6% better than Core i9-7980XE. The data source is several popular tests. Detailed information can be found below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

EPYC 73F3

62%

Core i9-7980XE

60%

For the maximum in this test, the results of the most powerful processor in the site database are taken. And it is clear that this is a server processor, on which no one will run games. Because the cost of this processor reaches several tens of thousands of dollars. And if it seems to you that the selected CPU has a small game result, look at the FPS that it produces in real games in the final table below.
List of less popular games in which processors were compared: Microsoft Flight Simulator, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Metro Exodus, Horizon Zero Dawn, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Battlefield V, Control, Monster Hunter World, DOTA 2A, Ghostrunner, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), Half-Life: Alyx, League of Legends (LOL), Hitman 3, NBA 2K20, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Forza Horizon 4.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	109.5	107.0
Valorant	124.4	121.6
Cyberpunk 2077	69.7	68.1
Apex Legends	116.9	114.3
Call of Duty Warzone	93.3	91.2
Overwatch	100.8	98.5
Red Dead Redemption 2	85.8	83.9
DOOM Eternal	62.2	60.8
Warzone	97.0	94.9
Assassin's Creed	104.5	102.2
Valheim	103.3	100.9

The numbers in this table indicate the maximum FPS that was received on the device with the corresponding processor. Depending on the configuration of the computer (RAM size and Video Card) and graphics quality settings (Ultra, Medium, Normal), the results may differ quite significantly. We recommend that you better study the results of the Cinebench, GeekBench and Passmark becnmarks.
The computers participating in the comparing not only were the equipped with different video cards and different amounts of RAM. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: 4K, 2K or FullHD. So the game benchmark data is approximate. But all video cards met the average system requirements of games. You will get more accurate information about how powerful the processor will be in games, if you compare it in one assembly with the video card that is installed in your computer.

Power consumption

EPYC 73F3

15%

Core i9-7980XE

23%

To make a finishing choice on which processor is better, you should also consider the generation of its core. The newer the processor generation, the better its performance in games and benchmarks, as well as its energy efficiency. In this case the Core i9-7980XE is more energy efficient than the EPYC 73F3 as it consumes less power: 240W vs. 165W. Power consumption is especially important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, you must know its TDP. It is necessary to calculate so that the TDP data specified in the cooler specification is greater than the TDP of the compared processor.

Software benchmarks

If you want to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for video rendering or video editing, programming, streaming, machine learning, then first of all you need to pay attention to the performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, the CPU turns on all cores and threads that it has to the maximum to achieve maximum efficiency. You will learn this data from the benchmark tables below. Before using the data from these tests, be sure to check whether the software you are going to use on your computer supports multi-threaded mode. Because there are still many programs that use only one core to run, and all the benefit of multi-core mode are unused.
Cinebench 23, 20 an 15
The results of this benchmark show Single-threaded and Multi-threaded CPU performance

	AMD EPYC 73F3	Intel Core i9-7980XE
Cinbench 15 Single-core	125	184
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	5148	3455
Cinbench 20 Single-core	234	446
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	10911	7671
Cinbench 23 Single-core	577	1281
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	28372	28196

Passmark
This popular benchmark displays Multi-threaded and Single-threaded processor performance

	AMD EPYC 73F3	Intel Core i9-7980XE
Single-Core	1297	2490
Multi-Core	41617	29612

GeekBench 6, 5.2
This benchmark shows Multi-threaded and Single-threaded processor performance

	AMD EPYC 73F3	Intel Core i9-7980XE
Single-Core	1147	1158
Multi-Core	21059	18658

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the most useful will be the the possibility of overclocking it and release date of the processor. The later the processor is released, the longer it will last in your computer. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system later. The same benefits from the presence of overclocking. If the processor can be overclocked, increasing its performance, then it will continue to maintain maximum FPS in new games. The economy are obvious! Accordingly, you do not need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer.

	AMD EPYC 73F3	Intel Core i9-7980XE
Announcement date	March 15, 2021	April 01, 2017
Type	Server	Desktop
Socket	SP3	FCLGA2066
Core name	Milan	Skylake
Architecture	Zen 3	x86
Generation	3	9
Turbo Frequency	4 MHz	4.2 MHz
Frequency	3.5 MHz	2.6 MHz
Cores	16	18
Threads	32	36
Bus rate		8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	7 nm	14 nm
Transistors count	54000 millions	7800 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	240 W	165 W
Memory type	DDR4	DDR4-2666
Max. Memory		128 Gb
Memory Frequency	3200
Memory bandwidth	204.8 GB/s	85 GB/s
L1 cache
L2 cache
L3 cache	256MB	24.75 MB
Overclocking	No	Yes
Supports ECC	No	No
Part number	100-000000321 100-100000321WOF

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Here EPYC 73F3 is 25% better than Core i9-7980XE in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i9-7980XE has 2 more core than EPYC 73F3. Also keep in mind that high CPU frequency affects battery life through power consumption (relevant for laptops).

Result:
The number of parameters for which AMD EPYC 73F3 is better: 22
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i9-7980XE is better: 14
However, it should be understood that the summary data in the article above do not mean that taking them into account you should completely trust a simple quantitative comparison. Better to watch the testing video and read the opinion of real owners of AMD EPYC 73F3 and Intel Core i9-7980XE before making a selection which of the CPUs to buy for gaming.

AMD EPYC 73F3 - all data

• Cinebench r15 score
• Cinebench r20 score
• Cinebench r23 score
• GeekBench 6, 5.2 score

• AMD EPYC 73F3 specs and review.

• Intel Core i9-7980XE specs and review.