What To Know
- In the realm of enterprise computing, the rivalry between AMD and Intel has reached a fever pitch with the introduction of the AMD EPYC Rome and Intel Cascade Lake server processors.
- For example, in the SPECint_rate2017 benchmark, EPYC Rome achieved a score of 1337, compared to Cascade Lake’s 937.
- The maximum TDP for EPYC Rome is 225W per socket, while for Cascade Lake it is 205W per socket.
In the realm of enterprise computing, the rivalry between AMD and Intel has reached a fever pitch with the introduction of the AMD EPYC Rome and Intel Cascade Lake server processors. Both offerings promise unparalleled performance and efficiency, but which one reigns supreme? This comprehensive analysis will delve into the key differences between these two server titans, providing insights to help you make an informed decision for your business-critical workloads.
Architecture and Core Count
AMD EPYC Rome is built on the Zen 2 architecture, featuring up to 64 cores per socket. Intel Cascade Lake, on the other hand, utilizes the Skylake architecture, offering up to 28 cores per socket. The higher core count of EPYC Rome grants it an advantage in heavily multithreaded applications.
Cache and Memory
EPYC Rome boasts a massive L3 cache of up to 256MB per socket, significantly larger than Cascade Lake‘s 38.5MB per socket. This larger cache improves performance by reducing memory latency and increasing data access speed. Additionally, EPYC Rome supports up to 8TB of DDR4 memory per socket, while Cascade Lake maxes out at 1TB.
Performance
Benchmark results show that EPYC Rome outperforms Cascade Lake in most multithreaded workloads. For example, in the SPECint_rate2017 benchmark, EPYC Rome achieved a score of 1337, compared to Cascade Lake’s 937. This performance advantage is attributed to EPYC Rome’s higher core count and larger cache.
Power Consumption
Power efficiency is crucial in data centers, and both EPYC Rome and Cascade Lake offer impressive power savings. EPYC Rome’s power consumption ranges from 120W to 225W per socket, while Cascade Lake consumes between 105W and 205W per socket. This difference is marginal, making power consumption a non-discriminating factor.
Price and Value
Pricing is a key consideration when choosing a server processor. EPYC Rome is generally priced lower than Cascade Lake, offering better value for money. For example, the AMD EPYC 7742 (64 cores) is priced at $6,999, while the Intel Xeon Gold 6258R (28 cores) costs $7,440.
Ecosystem and Support
Both AMD and Intel have extensive ecosystems and support networks. However, AMD has gained significant momentum in recent years, with major cloud providers such as AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud offering EPYC Rome-based instances.
Conclusion: The Right Choice for Your Business
The choice between AMD EPYC Rome and Intel Cascade Lake depends on your specific workload requirements and budget. If you prioritize high core counts, large cache, and multithreaded performance, EPYC Rome is the superior option. However, if you prefer a more established ecosystem and value power efficiency over raw performance, Cascade Lake remains a solid choice.
FAQ
Q: Which processor is better for gaming?
A: Neither EPYC Rome nor Cascade Lake are designed for gaming. They are primarily intended for server workloads.
Q: How many memory channels do EPYC Rome and Cascade Lake support?
A: EPYC Rome supports up to 8 memory channels per socket, while Cascade Lake supports up to 6.
Q: What is the maximum TDP of EPYC Rome and Cascade Lake?
A: The maximum TDP for EPYC Rome is 225W per socket, while for Cascade Lake it is 205W per socket.
