EPYC 7261 vs i7-990X EE
Aggregate performance score
EPYC 7261 outperforms Core i7-990X EE by an impressive 69% based on our aggregate benchmark results.
Contents
Primary details
Comparing processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.
| Place in the ranking | 1672 | 1273 |
| Place by popularity | not in top-100 | not in top-100 |
| Market segment | Desktop processor | Server |
| Series | Core i7 (Desktop) | AMD EPYC |
| Power efficiency | 1.23 | 1.58 |
| Designer | Intel | AMD |
| Manufacturer | no data | GlobalFoundries |
| Architecture codename | Gulftown (2010−2011) | Naples (2017−2018) |
| Release date | no data | 14 June 2018 (7 years ago) |
Detailed specifications
Basic parameters of Core i7-990X EE and EPYC 7261: number of cores, number of threads, base frequency and turbo boost clock, lithography, cache size and multiplier lock state. These parameters indirectly say of CPU speed, though for more precise assessment you have to consider their test results.
| Physical cores | 6 (Hexa-Core) | 8 (Octa-Core) |
| Threads | 12 | 16 |
| Base clock speed | no data | 2.5 GHz |
| Boost clock speed | 3.73 GHz | 2.9 GHz |
| Bus rate | 6400 MHz | no data |
| Multiplier | no data | 25 |
| L1 cache | no data | 96K (per core) |
| L2 cache | no data | 512K (per core) |
| L3 cache | no data | 32 MB (shared) |
| Chip lithography | 32 nm | 14 nm |
| Die size | no data | 213 mm2 |
| Maximum case temperature (TCase) | no data | 81 °C |
| Number of transistors | no data | 4,800 million |
| 64 bit support | + | + |
| Windows 11 compatibility | - | - |
| Unlocked multiplier | - | + |
Compatibility
Information on Core i7-990X EE and EPYC 7261 compatibility with other computer components: motherboard (look for socket type), power supply unit (look for power consumption) etc. Useful when planning a future computer configuration or upgrading an existing one. Note that power consumption of some processors can well exceed their nominal TDP, even without overclocking. Some can even double their declared thermals given that the motherboard allows to tune the CPU power parameters.
| Number of CPUs in a configuration | no data | 2 (Multiprocessor) |
| Socket | LGA-1366 | SP3 |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 130 Watt | 170 Watt |
Technologies and extensions
Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Core i7-990X EE and EPYC 7261. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.
| AES-NI | - | + |
| AVX | - | + |
Virtualization technologies
Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Core i7-990X EE and EPYC 7261 are enumerated here.
| AMD-V | - | + |
Memory specs
Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Core i7-990X EE and EPYC 7261. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.
| Supported memory types | no data | DDR4-2666 |
| Maximum memory size | no data | 2 TiB |
| Max memory channels | no data | 8 |
| Maximum memory bandwidth | no data | 170.671 GB/s |
| ECC memory support | - | + |
Peripherals
Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Core i7-990X EE and EPYC 7261.
| PCIe version | no data | 3.0 |
| PCI Express lanes | no data | 128 |
Synthetic benchmarks
Various benchmark results of the processors in comparison. Overall score is measured in points in 0-100 range, higher is better.
Combined synthetic benchmark score
This is our combined benchmark performance rating.
Passmark
Passmark CPU Mark is a widespread benchmark, consisting of 8 different types of workload, including integer and floating point math, extended instructions, compression, encryption and physics calculation. There is also one separate single-threaded scenario measuring single-core performance. Other than that, Passmark measures multi-core performance.
Pros & cons summary
| Performance score | 3.78 | 6.37 |
| Physical cores | 6 | 8 |
| Threads | 12 | 16 |
| Chip lithography | 32 nm | 14 nm |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 130 Watt | 170 Watt |
i7-990X EE has 31% lower power consumption.
EPYC 7261, on the other hand, has a 69% higher aggregate performance score, 33% more physical cores and 33% more threads, and a 129% more advanced lithography process.
The AMD EPYC 7261 is our recommended choice as it beats the Intel Core i7-990X EE in performance tests.
Note that Core i7-990X EE is a desktop processor while EPYC 7261 is a server/workstation one.
Other comparisons
We've compiled a selection of CPU comparisons, ranging from closely matched processors to other comparisons that may be of interest.
