Computer Forum
AMD EPYC 8005 Sorano (Image © AMD)
Architecture and Specifications of the Flagship Model
The Sorano family utilizes the Zen 5 architecture and offers a range of core counts from 8 to 84. The flagship model, the EPYC 8635P, features 84 cores and 168 threads with a base clock frequency of 1.6 GHz and 384 MB of L3 cache. The thermal design power (TDP) of the series scales depending on the SKU, ranging from 95 W for entry-level models up to 225 W for the 8635P. Across the entire 8005 series, AMD has implemented support for six channels of DDR5-6400 ECC memory, enabling a total capacity of up to 3 TB. The processors also offer 96 PCIe Gen 5 lanes and full AVX-512 support to handle modern data throughput requirements.
AMD EPYC 8005 Sorano Effizienz (Image © AMD)
Performance Benchmarks and Efficiency
Compared to the previous EPYC 8004 Siena generation, the 8005 series delivers 40% higher integer performance and 9.5% higher efficiency per watt.
| Specification / Metric | AMD EPYC 8635P (“Zen 5”) | Intel Xeon 6 6776P-B (Granite Rapids-D) | NVIDIA Grace™ CPU Superchip (Arm Neoverse™ N2) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Performance per watt | 24,408 overall ssj_ops/watt | 21,433 overall ssj_ops/watt | 13,218 overall ssj_ops/watt |
| Max core count | 84 “Zen 5” cores – 168 threads | 72 performance cores – 144 threads | 144 Arm cores – 144 threads (no SMT) |
| Max TDP | 225 watts | 325 watts | 500 watts |
| Instruction set | x86 with AVX 512 | x86 with AVX 512 | ARMv9-A, Neon SVE2 (4x128-bit SIMD) |
| Memory | Up to 3 TB 6 channels of DDR5-6400, ECC |
Up to 2.25 TB 8 channels of DDR5-6400, ECC |
Up to 960 GB LPDDR5X on-package, ECC |
| I/O | 96 PCIe Gen 5 lanes 8 PCIe Gen 3 lanes |
32 PCIe Gen 5 lanes 16 PCIe Gen 4 lanes |
128 PCIe Gen 5 lanes in single-socket configuration |
Compared to competing hardware, AMD notes that the 84-core EPYC 8635P offers more than twice as many cores as the Intel Xeon 6716P-B, with a slightly lower TDP of 225 W. This configuration results in a 91% increase in integer performance. Additionally, compared to the 72-core Xeon 6776P-B in single-socket configurations, the 8005 series offers a 48% advantage in integer performance per CPU-watt per dollar.
The EPYC 8005 series was designed for specific enterprise environments, particularly software-defined storage and dense edge deployments. These workloads typically require high core density, significant I/O bandwidth, and strict energy efficiency, rather than peak single-thread clock speeds.
EPYC 8005 Specifications
| CPU Name | CPU Cores | Threads | Max. Boost Clock | Base Clock | L3 Cache | Standard TDP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AMD EPYC™ 8635P | 84 | 168 | Up to 4.5 GHz | 1.6 GHz | 384 MB | 225W |
| AMD EPYC™ 8535P | 64 | 128 | Up to 4.5 GHz | 2 GHz | 256 MB | 210W |
| AMD EPYC™ 8435P | 48 | 96 | Up to 4.5 GHz | 2.45 GHz | 256 MB | 200W |
| AMD EPYC™ 8325P | 32 | 64 | Up to 4.5 GHz | 2.7 GHz | 256 MB | 175W |
| AMD EPYC™ 8225P | 24 | 48 | Up to 4.5 GHz | 2.95 GHz | 128 MB | 160W |
| AMD EPYC™ 8125P | 16 | 32 | Up to 4.5 GHz | 2.65 GHz | 128 MB | 125W |
| AMD EPYC™ 8025P | 8 | 16 | Up to 4.5 GHz | 2.9 GHz | 64 MB | 95W |
AMD EPYC 8005 Sorano Features (Image © AMD)
EPYC 8005 Prices and Availability
The series consists of seven models, with prices based on list prices for 1,000 units. The entry-level 8-core EPYC 8025P processor costs the equivalent of €456, while the 16-core EPYC 8125P is listed at €628. Options with a high core count include the 64-core EPYC 8535P processor for €4,740 and the 84-core flagship EPYC 8635P for €4,999.
