AMD EPYC 9005 Vs Intel Xeon 6: Next-Gen Server Processors

AMD EPYC 9005 Vs Intel Xeon 6

AMD EPYC 9005

Core Design & Architecture:

  • Core Architecture of AMD EPYC 9005 “Turin”: Zen 5 (up to 128 cores) and Zen 5c (up to 192 cores).
  • Maximum number of threads: 384.
  • Zen 5 on TSMC 4nm and Zen 5c on TSMC 3nm are the process nodes.
  • Compatible with earlier Genoa/Bergamo platforms, socket: SP5
  • Supported Memory: up to 9TB, 12-channel DDR5-6400
  • PCIe: PCIe 5.0 with 160 lanes.
  • CXL 1.0 (Types 1, 2, 3) is supported.
  • Range of TDP: 125W to 500W

Intel Xeon 6

Fundamental Architecture:

  • Up to 288 E-cores in the Sierra Forest (Crestmont)
  • Redwood Cove Granite Rapids: Up to 128 P-cores
  • Node of Process: Intel 3
  • LGA 4710 and LGA 7529 sockets
  • Supported Memory: up to 6TB, 12-channel DDR5-6400
  • PCIe: PCIe 5.0 (Granite Rapids-AP) has up to 136 lanes.
  • Support for CXL: CXL 2.0
  • TDP Range: Granite Rapids-AP up to 500W

Benchmarks and Performance

AMD EPYC 9005

  • Outstanding performance is provided by the EPYC 9965 (192-core), particularly when multi-threaded workloads are involved.
  • According to benchmarks, a dual 128-core EPYC 9755 configuration outperforms Intel’s dual Xeon 6980P by about 40% across a range of tests.
  • The performance of twin Xeon 6980P combinations is frequently equal to or better than that of single EPYC 9755 or 9965 CPUs.

The Intel Xeon 6

  • Sierra Forest: With up to 288 E-cores, it is optimized for high-density, multi-threaded tasks.
  • Granite Rapids: With up to 128 P-cores, it is made for high-performance computation.
  • Despite being competitive, Intel’s products typically perform worse than AMD’s EPYC 9005 series in terms of efficiency and performance.

Also Read About AMD EPYC vs Intel Xeon: Performance, Price Comparison

Benchmark TestAMD EPYC 9005Intel Xeon 6
Double-Precision AVX-512 (FMA)EPYC 9755: 26.3 TFlops; EPYC 9965: 32.8 TFlopsDual Xeon 6980P: 23.6 TFlops
3D Rendering (Blender)Outperforms Xeon 6980P in parallel workloadsTrails behind EPYC 9005 in similar workloads
Memory BandwidthHigher due to 12-channel DDR5-6400 supportSlightly lower with up to 12-channel DDR5-6400
Power EfficiencyBetter performance per watt, especially in Zen 5cLess efficient at higher core counts

AMD EPYC 9005: Benefits and Drawbacks

Benefits

  • Increased Core Count: Excellent for large parallel tasks, Zen 5c variants have up to 192 cores and 384 threads.
  • Better Performance per Watt: High throughput and power efficiency are two features that AMD’s Zen 5 and Zen 5c are designed to maximize.
  • Additional PCIe 5.0 Lanes: Perfect for I/O-intensive applications (NVMe, GPUs, networking), it provides up to 160 PCIe 5.0 lanes.
  • Memory Capacity and Bandwidth: Supports the industry-leading 12-channel DDR5-6400 and up to 9TB of memory per socket.
  • Scalable Compatibility of Sockets: Upgrades are made easier by the SP5 socket’s compatibility with the Genoa and Bergamo platforms.
  • Superior Protection (Infinity Guard); Hardware-level memory and virtual machine encryption are provided by features like SEV, SME, and SNP.
  • Economical at High-End: Performs better than the Intel Xeon 6980P while costing less or the same.

Drawbacks

  • Platform Prices May Be Expensive: Need a top-tier motherboard with cooling and strong VRMs for variants with 128–192 cores.
  • Limited Edition CXL: Some memory pooling choices are limited since Intel Xeon 6 supports CXL 2.0 while still using CXL 1.x.
  • Higher Flagship Power Consumption: 192-core machines require sophisticated cooling and a PSU because they can achieve TDPs of up to 500W.
  • Lag in Software Optimization: It’s possible that some business applications still prefer Intel’s architecture or need to be adjusted for AMD’s high core counts.

Intel Xeon 6 Benefits and Drawbacks

Benefits

  • Adaptable Core Architecture:
    • Sierra Forest: For workloads with a high density, up to 288 E-cores are available.
    • Granite Rapids: For demanding computations, up to 128 P-cores are available.
  • Support for CXL 2.0: Makes memory sharing and pooling possible, which is excellent for memory-bound and AI/ML applications.
  • Robust Security Stack: Includes multi-key memory encryption, TME, and SGX, which are trusted in many data centers.
  • Maturity of the Software Ecosystem: Wide compatibility and optimization in financial services, corporate, and HPC software.
  • E-core Option with Low Power Consumption: In web-scale installations, Sierra Forest’s effective cores contribute to lower power usage.

Drawbacks

  • Reduced Socket Performance: Even twin Xeon configurations frequently perform worse than single EPYC 9755/9965 in benchmarks.
  • Reduced PCIe Lanes: Has 136 PCIe 5.0 lanes available, less than AMD’s 160 lanes.
  • Reduced Maximum Memory Capacity: In contrast to AMD’s 9TB, it supports up to 6TB per socket.
  • Expensive at the highest level: Compared to comparable AMD EPYC CPUs, flagship variants (such as the Xeon 6980P) can be more costly.
  • Complicated Transition of Sockets: Introduces new sockets (LGA 4710 & 7529), which necessitate a complete platform upgrade.

AMD EPYC 9005 Vs Intel Xeon 6 Price

Processor ModelCoresThreadsPrice (USD)
AMD EPYC 9015816$527
AMD EPYC 9755128256$12,984
AMD EPYC 9965192384$14,813
Intel Xeon 6980P128256$17,800
Intel Xeon 6780E96192$11,350

Security Features

AMD EPYC 9005

  • The Infinity Guard Suite: By encrypting virtual machines, Secure Encrypted Virtualization (SEV) improves security in multi-tenant settings.
  • System memory is encrypted using Secure Memory Encryption (SME) to prevent unwanted access.

Intel Xeon 6

  • Software Guard Extensions (SGX): Offers separate spaces for private information and code.
  • To protect against physical threats, all memory is encrypted using total memory encryption (TME).

AMD EPYC 9005 Vs Intel Xeon 6 Specs

SpecificationAMD EPYC 9005Intel Xeon 6
Max Cores / Threads192 / 384288 E-cores or 128 P-cores
PCIe Support160 lanes PCIe 5.0Up to 136 lanes PCIe 5.0
Memory CapacityUp to 9TB DDR5-6400Up to 6TB DDR5-6400
Socket ReuseYes (SP5)No (new LGA 4710 / 7529)
SecuritySEV, SME, SNPSGX, TME, MKTME
CXL SupportCXL 1.1CXL 2.0
Software OptimizationGrowing support, some legacy gapsMore mature, widely adopted
Performance LeadershipSuperior in single/dual-socket workloadsCompetitive, but lags in top-tier benchmarks
Power EfficiencyExcellent in Zen 5c modelsE-cores in Sierra Forest good for density

In conclusion

When compared to Intel’s Xeon 6 family, AMD’s EPYC 9005 series especially the high-core-count variants like the 9965 offers better performance and efficiency. AMD establishes itself as a major player in the server CPU industry with its cutting-edge security features, increased core densities, and affordable prices.

With their unique E-core and P-core architectures, Intel’s Xeon 6 processors are designed to handle certain workloads and provide strong security features. However, AMD’s most recent products now have a considerable advantage in terms of raw performance and pricing.

agarapuramesh
agarapurameshhttps://govindhtech.com
Agarapu Ramesh was founder of the Govindhtech and Computer Hardware enthusiast. He interested in writing Technews articles. Working as an Editor of Govindhtech for one Year and previously working as a Computer Assembling Technician in G Traders from 2018 in India. His Education Qualification MSc.
RELATED ARTICLES

Page Content

Recent Posts

Index