Core i7-11700B
VS
EPYC 7281

Core i7-11700B vs EPYC 7281

Intel

Core i7-11700B

8 Cores16 Thrd65 WWMax: 4.8 GHz2021
VS
AMD

EPYC 7281

16 Cores32 Thrd155 WWMax: 2.7 GHz2017

Performance Spectrum - CPU

About PassMark

PassMark CPU Mark evaluates processor speed through complex mathematical computations. It provides a reliable metric to compare multi-core performance, where higher scores indicate faster processing for multitasking, gaming, and heavy workloads.

Value Upgrade Path

This is the official ChipVERSUS Value Rating, comparing raw performance (PassMark) per dollar. Components placed above yours deliver better value for money.

MSRP is the manufacturer's suggested retail price.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.

Performance Per Dollar Core i7-11700B

#73
Core i9-13950HX
MSRP: $590|Avg: $199
104%
#82
Core i7-11700B
MSRP: $323|Avg: $311
100%
#83
Core i7-13700HX
MSRP: $485|Avg: N/A
99%
#86
Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 370
MSRP: $500|Avg: $500
98%
#96
Ryzen AI Max PRO 380
MSRP: $400|Avg: $400
92%
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar EPYC 7281

#1
Xeon Platinum 8454H
MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A
577%
#1
Core i9-9990XE
MSRP: $2000|Avg: N/A
4%
#2
Xeon W-11855M
MSRP: $450|Avg: $200
11%
#3
Xeon W-11955M
MSRP: $623|Avg: $450
10%
#4
Xeon W-11865MLE
MSRP: $467|Avg: $350
9%
#5
Xeon W-11865MRE
MSRP: $600|Avg: $600
9%
#6
Xeon Gold 6240R
MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A
109%
#9
EPYC 7281
MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A
100%
#10
Xeon 6337P
MSRP: $60|Avg: $5
97%
#15
EPYC 9174F
MSRP: $194|Avg: $30
75%
#16
EPYC 7302
MSRP: $978|Avg: $109
74%
#21
Xeon Platinum 8260M
MSRP: $7705|Avg: N/A
68%
#22
Xeon Platinum 8268
MSRP: $6302|Avg: N/A
68%
#24
Xeon Gold 6130H
MSRP: $1894|Avg: N/A
66%
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Use Case Distinction: This is a comparison between a Professional Workstation processor ($0) and a Consumer Desktop CPU. The EPYC 7281 is engineered for massive parallel workloads (rendering, scientific simulations), offering significantly higher core counts.
InsightCore i7-11700BEPYC 7281
Gaming
Superior gaming performance
Lower gaming performance
Workstation
Weaker in multi-core tasks
Better multi-core power
Price
⚠️ Higher cost ($311)
More affordable ($0)
Longevity
✨ Modern (Tiger Lake-H (2021) / 10 nm SuperFin)
✨ Modern (Naples (2017−2018) / 14 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Core i7-11700B ($311), however, is optimized for mixed workloads and gaming. For most users, it offers superior single-thread performance and responsiveness at a fraction of the cost ($311 less, Infinity% cheaper), making it the better choice for daily use and gaming.
InsightCore i7-11700BEPYC 7281
Cost Efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost
⚠️ Higher cost ($311)
More affordable ($0)

Performance Check

Paired with RTX 4090

To accurately isolate CPU performance, all benchmarks below use an NVIDIA RTX 4090 as the reference GPU. This eliminates GPU-side bottlenecks and highlights pure processing throughput differences between the CPUs.

Note: Real-world results may vary based on your actual GPU. CPU performance impact is more visible in processing-intensive titles and high-refresh-rate gaming scenarios.

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-11700B and EPYC 7281

Intel

Core i7-11700B

The Core i7-11700B is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 11 May 2021 (4 years ago). It is based on the Tiger Lake-H (2021) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 3.2 GHz, with boost up to 4.8 GHz. L3 cache: 24 MB (total). L2 cache: 1.25 MB (per core). Built on 10 nm SuperFin process technology. Socket: FCBGA1787. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: Up to 3200 MT/s. Passmark benchmark score: 21,581 points. Launch price was $299.

AMD

EPYC 7281

The EPYC 7281 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 29 June 2017 (8 years ago). It is based on the Naples (2017−2018) architecture. It features 16 cores and 32 threads. Base frequency is 2.1 GHz, with boost up to 2.7 GHz. L3 cache: 32 MB (total). L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: TR4. Thermal design power (TDP): 170 Watt. Memory support: DDR4 Eight-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 21,621 points. Launch price was $650.

Processing Power

The Core i7-11700B packs 8 cores / 16 threads, while the EPYC 7281 offers 16 cores / 32 threads — the EPYC 7281 has 8 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.8 GHz on the Core i7-11700B versus 2.7 GHz on the EPYC 7281 — a 56% clock advantage for the Core i7-11700B (base: 3.2 GHz vs 2.1 GHz). The Core i7-11700B uses the Tiger Lake-H (2021) architecture (10 nm SuperFin), while the EPYC 7281 uses Naples (2017−2018) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-11700B scores 21,581 against the EPYC 7281's 21,621 — a 0.2% lead for the EPYC 7281. L3 cache: 24 MB (total) on the Core i7-11700B vs 32 MB (total) on the EPYC 7281.

FeatureCore i7-11700BEPYC 7281
Cores / Threads
8 / 16
16 / 32+100%
Boost Clock
4.8 GHz+78%
2.7 GHz
Base Clock
3.2 GHz+52%
2.1 GHz
L3 Cache
24 MB (total)
32 MB (total)+33%
L2 Cache
1.25 MB (per core)+150%
512K (per core)
Process
10 nm SuperFin-29%
14 nm
Architecture
Tiger Lake-H (2021)
Naples (2017−2018)
PassMark
21,581
21,621
Cinebench R23 Multi
10,287
Geekbench 6 Single
2,265
Geekbench 6 Multi
10,050
🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i7-11700B uses the FCBGA1787 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the EPYC 7281 uses TR4 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

FeatureCore i7-11700BEPYC 7281
Socket
FCBGA1787
TR4
PCIe Generation
PCIe 4.0
PCIe 4.0
Max RAM Speed
DDR4-3200
Max RAM Capacity
128 GB
RAM Channels
2
ECC Support
PCIe Lanes
20
🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: VT-x, VT-d (Core i7-11700B) / not specified (EPYC 7281). The Core i7-11700B includes integrated graphics (Intel UHD Graphics 750), while the EPYC 7281 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i7-11700B targets Desktop.

FeatureCore i7-11700BEPYC 7281
Integrated GPU
Yes
IGPU Model
Intel UHD Graphics 750
Unlocked
No
AVX-512
Yes
Virtualization
VT-x, VT-d
Target Use
Desktop