AMD EPYC 4545P: 16 Zen 5 Cores @ 65 Watts For Low-Power / Energy Efficient Servers
Across more than 200 benchmarks carried out the AMD EPYC 4545P was typically performing just behind the EPYC 4004 16-core processors (EPYC 4564P and EPYC 4584PX) that are at much higher TDPs. The EPYC 4565P and EPYC 4585PX processors easily deliver the best performance for those wanting the ultimate raw performance out of a low-cost Linux server. Where the AMD EPYC 4545P becomes an outstanding choice is for those concerned about power efficiency with this 16-core 65-Watt TDP processor typically delivering an outstanding finish compared to the other processors in its performance-per-Watt.
When taking the geometric mean of every single raw performance benchmark carried out on these affordable server CPUs, the AMD EPYC 4545P was delivering 88% the performance of the EPYC 4565P 16-core processor while having a 65 Watt TDP compared to 170 Watt. The EPYC 4545P was at 84% the performance of the EPYC 4585PX flagship with its 3D V-Cache. On a geo mean basis the EPYC 4545P wound up slightly ahead of the 120 Watt EPYC 4584PX and 170 Watt EPYC 4564P processors, thanks in part to the very strong AVX-512 performance of Zen 5 as well as being able to leveraging DDR5-5600 memory rather than DDR5-5200.
The CPU power consumption over the entire duration of 20~24 hours of benchmarking run on each server processor put the EPYC 4545P at a 72 Watt average and a peak of 91 Watts. That's slightly above the default 65 Watt TDP rating but inline with the EPYC 4345P with its 65 Watt TDP too and the prior generation 65 Watt processors. The AMD EPYC 4545P was consuming less power still than the Intel Xeon 6369P with a 88 Watt average and 220 Watt peak.
With the AMD EPYC 4545P able to deliver 88% the performance of the EPYC 4565P on average while consuming just half the CPU power consumption on average is phenomenal. This is the first 16-core x86_64 65 Watt TDP (or even 72~85 Watt) processor from AMD or Intel and makes it a very unique CPU for those pursuing a low-cost server deployment, passively-cooled rugged system / edge computing PC, or just a very power lean platform that is still able to deliver very capable performance. The Zen 5 cores with AVX-512 keep the door open to running many more demanding workloads on the EPYC 4545P while being far better off than other low-power processors.
The AMD EPYC 4545P is a grand slam for those concerned about power efficiency in low-cost server platforms: sixteen Zen 5 cores at such a low TDP opens it up to many interesting applications from edge computing and AI inferencing to more mundane uses like simply having an extremely power efficient SOHO server or affordable web hosting platform. The strong performance relative to the higher TDP processors and the best performance-per-Watt this generation is rounded out by the competitive pricing of the EPYC 4005 series: a $549 USD list price. This sixteen core low-power processor isn't commanding any premium putting it as just a halo product and is priced better still than the Xeon 6369P flagship. As of writing this review, I am able to find the EPYC 4545P in-stock at NewEgg for a slightly-above-list price of $579 while finding the Xeon 6369P in-stock for half the cores and twice the power consumption is north of $600.
The AMD EPYC 4545P is at the pinnacle of power efficiency for this generation of cost effective server processors. Intel can't come remotely close with their Xeon 6300 (and older Xeon E) offerings while the EPYC 4545P nicely complements the EPYC 4565P and EPYC 4585PX for those putting power efficiency above raw performance while still expecting solid performance and value. And regardless of the EPYC 4005 processor, the Linux support is in good shape.
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