What To Know
- AMD’s EPYC Rome and Milan processors have been making waves in the industry, offering impressive performance and value for money.
- Milan exhibits a notable increase in memory bandwidth, with an average improvement of 25% over Rome.
- Rome provides a balance of performance and value, while Milan delivers exceptional performance and efficiency.
The battle for data center supremacy continues to heat up, with AMD and Intel vying for market share with their latest server processor offerings. AMD’s EPYC Rome and Milan processors have been making waves in the industry, offering impressive performance and value for money. In this blog post, we will delve into a comprehensive comparison of AMD EPYC Rome vs. Milan, exploring their key features, performance benchmarks, and suitability for various data center workloads.
Key Features: AMD EPYC Rome vs. Milan
Rome (2nd Gen EPYC)
- Launched in 2019
- Up to 64 cores and 128 threads
- Zen 2 microarchitecture
- 7nm process technology
- PCIe 4.0 support
- Up to 256GB of DDR4 memory per socket
Milan (3rd Gen EPYC)
- Launched in 2021
- Up to 64 cores and 128 threads
- Zen 3 microarchitecture
- 7nm+ process technology
- PCIe 4.0 and PCIe 5.0 support
- Up to 512GB of DDR4 or DDR5 memory per socket
Performance Benchmarks: AMD EPYC Rome vs. Milan
To assess the performance differences between Rome and Milan, we will examine benchmarks from various industry-standard tests.
SPECint_rate2017
This benchmark measures integer performance. Milan outperforms Rome by an average of 15% across different core counts.
SPECfp_rate2017
This benchmark measures floating-point performance. Milan again shows a significant advantage over Rome, with an average performance improvement of 20%.
STREAM Triad
This benchmark measures memory bandwidth and performance. Milan exhibits a notable increase in memory bandwidth, with an average improvement of 25% over Rome.
Suitability for Data Center Workloads
The choice between Rome and Milan depends on the specific workload requirements.
Rome (2nd Gen EPYC)
- Suitable for workloads that require high core counts and memory capacity, such as database management systems and virtualized environments.
- Ideal for cost-sensitive deployments where performance is not the top priority.
Milan (3rd Gen EPYC)
- Ideal for workloads that demand maximum performance, such as high-performance computing, artificial intelligence, and data analytics.
- Recommended for deployments where memory bandwidth and I/O capabilities are critical.
Power Consumption and Efficiency
Milan offers improved power efficiency compared to Rome. With its 7nm+ process technology and architectural enhancements, Milan can deliver similar performance while consuming less power. This translates into lower operating costs and reduced environmental impact.
Pricing and Availability
AMD EPYC Rome processors are available in a wide range of configurations and price points. Milan processors, being the newer generation, are typically more expensive than Rome processors with comparable specifications.
Takeaways: AMD EPYC Rome vs. Milan
Both AMD EPYC Rome and Milan processors offer compelling options for data center deployments. Rome provides a balance of performance and value, while Milan delivers exceptional performance and efficiency. The choice between the two depends on the specific workload requirements, budget constraints, and future growth plans.
Common Questions and Answers
Q1. Which processor is better for database management systems?
Both Rome and Milan are suitable for database management systems. However, Milan’s higher memory bandwidth and core performance make it the preferred choice for demanding database workloads.
Q2. What is the main difference between Rome and Milan?
The primary difference lies in the microarchitecture and process technology. Milan utilizes Zen 3 and 7nm+, while Rome uses Zen 2 and 7nm. This results in performance and efficiency improvements for Milan.
Q3. Is Milan compatible with older motherboards?
No, Milan processors require a newer socket and motherboard that supports PCIe 4.0 and PCIe 5.0.
