EPYC 7542 vs EPYC 7281

Primary details

Comparing EPYC 7281 and EPYC 7542 processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.

Place in the ranking	539	159
Place by popularity	not in top-100	not in top-100
Cost-effectiveness evaluation	5.00	5.44
Market segment	Server	Server
Series	AMD EPYC	AMD EPYC
Power efficiency	7.58	11.92
Architecture codename	Naples (2017−2018)	Zen 2 (2017−2020)
Release date	20 June 2017 (7 years ago)	7 August 2019 (5 years ago)
Launch price (MSRP)	$650	$3,400

Cost-effectiveness evaluation

Performance per price, higher is better.

EPYC 7542 has 9% better value for money than EPYC 7281.

Detailed specifications

EPYC 7281 and EPYC 7542 basic parameters such as 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	16 (Hexadeca-Core)	32 (Dotriaconta-Core)
Threads	32	64
Base clock speed	2.1 GHz	2.9 GHz
Boost clock speed	2.1 GHz	3.4 GHz
Multiplier	21	29
L1 cache	1.5 MB	2 MB
L2 cache	8 MB	16 MB
L3 cache	32 MB (shared)	128 MB (shared)
Chip lithography	14 nm	7 nm, 14 nm
Die size	213 mm2	192 mm2
Number of transistors	19200 Million	4,800 million
64 bit support	+	+
Windows 11 compatibility	-	+
Unlocked multiplier	+	+

Compatibility

Information on EPYC 7281 and EPYC 7542 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	2 (Multiprocessor)	2 (Multiprocessor)
Socket	TR4	SP3
Power consumption (TDP)	155 W, 170 Watt	225 Watt

Technologies and extensions

Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by EPYC 7281 and EPYC 7542. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.

AES-NI	+	+
AVX	+	+
Precision Boost 2	no data	+

Virtualization technologies

Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by EPYC 7281 and EPYC 7542 are enumerated here.

AMD-V

+

+

Memory specs

Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by EPYC 7281 and EPYC 7542. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.

Supported memory types	DDR4 Eight-channel	DDR4 Eight-channel
Maximum memory size	2 TiB	4 TiB
Max memory channels	8	8
Maximum memory bandwidth	170.671 GB/s	204.763 GB/s
ECC memory support	+	+

Peripherals

Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by EPYC 7281 and EPYC 7542.

PCIe version	3.0	no data
PCI Express lanes	128	no data

Synthetic benchmark performance

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. We are regularly improving our combining algorithms, but if you find some perceived inconsistencies, feel free to speak up in comments section, we usually fix problems quickly.

---

Pros & cons summary

---

Performance score	14.13	29.41
Recency	20 June 2017	7 August 2019
Physical cores	16	32
Threads	32	64
Chip lithography	14 nm	7 nm
Power consumption (TDP)	155 Watt	225 Watt

---

Should you still have questions on choice between EPYC 7281 and EPYC 7542, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.

Vote for your favorite

Do you think we are right or mistaken in our choice? Vote by clicking "Like" button near your favorite CPU.

---