AMD Athlon PRO 3045B vs Intel Core i5-5250U Comparison

The AMD Athlon PRO 3045B and Intel Core i5-5250U are both 15-watt, dual-core mobile processors, but they take very different paths to similar overall performance. The recorded data shows the AMD chip winning the majority of benchmark comparisons, while the Intel chip pulls ahead in Geekbench tests. This split suggests that the right choice depends heavily on the specific workloads you prioritize.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Athlon PRO 3045B dominates the Cinebench suite, which is a strong indicator of sustained multi-threaded rendering performance. It wins all five Cinebench tests, including both multi-core and single-core variants across R15, R20, and R23. The margins are consistent, ranging from 13.0% to 13.4% over the Intel chip. This makes the AMD processor the clear pick for CPU-intensive rendering tasks, video encoding, or any workload that scales with threading and raw compute throughput.

The Intel Core i5-5250U, on the other hand, wins both Geekbench tests. The Geekbench multi-core advantage is substantial at 18.9% ahead, while the single-core lead is a more modest 7.2%. Geekbench is a broader system-level benchmark that exercises memory, cryptography, and integer and floating-point performance. The Intel chip’s wins here suggest it has an edge in general-purpose, everyday computing scenarios, despite losing in the more focused Cinebench rendering tests.

The overall benchmark score averages tell a nuanced story. The AMD processor has an average score of 872, while the Intel chip sits at 856, a difference of about 1.9% in favor of AMD. Both chips land in the 23rd percentile of all CPUs in the database, meaning they occupy the same performance tier overall. The AMD chip wins 5 of the 7 head-to-head comparisons, but the Intel chip’s Geekbench victories are significant enough to keep the overall averages close.

The Verdict

Pick the AMD Athlon PRO 3045B if your priority is rendering, compilation, or any workload that leans on sustained multi-core execution. The data shows it is consistently 13% or more ahead of the Intel chip in Cinebench R15, R20, and R23 multi-core tests. It also wins the single-core Cinebench tests by similar margins, so it is not merely a multi-threaded specialist. The AMD chip is the better choice for users who know their software uses Cinebench-like rendering engines.

Pick the Intel Core i5-5250U if your usage is more general-purpose, such as office productivity, web browsing, or light content creation. The Geekbench results favor Intel by 18.9% in multi-core and 7.2% in single-core. This suggests the Intel chip handles a wider variety of real-world tasks with more agility, even if it falls behind in pure rendering throughput. The Intel chip also offers a launch MSRP of $315, which can be stated as a point of reference, though the AMD chip has no recorded launch price.

For most users, the choice is about workload profile. The AMD chip wins more benchmarks and has a slightly higher average score, but the Intel chip wins the tests that measure broader system responsiveness. If you run Cinebench frequently, the AMD Athlon PRO 3045B is the clear winner. If you run Geekbench-style workloads, the Intel Core i5-5250U is the better fit.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The largest win for the AMD Athlon PRO 3045B comes in Cinebench R15 multi-core, where it scores 237 against the Intel chip’s 209, a 13.4% advantage. This pattern repeats in Cinebench R20 multi-core, with AMD scoring 988 versus 873, a 13.2% lead. Cinebench R23 multi-core shows AMD at 2354 versus 2079, again a 13.2% margin. These consistent deltas across multiple Cinebench generations indicate a stable architectural advantage in rendering workloads.

The single-core Cinebench results follow the same trend. In Cinebench R20 single-core, the AMD chip scores 139 against Intel’s 123, a 13% lead. Cinebench R23 single-core shows AMD at 332 versus 293, a 13.3% advantage. The fact that the AMD chip wins single-core Cinebench by the same margin as multi-core suggests its per-core efficiency in these tests is the driving factor, not just thread scaling.

The Intel Core i5-5250U strikes back decisively in Geekbench multi-core, scoring 1587 against AMD’s 1287, an 18.9% victory. This is the largest delta in the entire comparison, and it flips the overall narrative. Geekbench single-core also goes to Intel, with a score of 825 versus 766, a 7.2% lead. The Geekbench results are not marginal; they represent a real performance gap in that benchmark’s specific workload mix.

The overall average benchmark scores reflect this split. The AMD chip averages 872 across all tests, while the Intel chip averages 856. The AMD chip’s nearest rival is the Intel Atom C5315 with an average score of 871, a 0.1% difference, meaning the Athlon PRO 3045B performs essentially identically to that Atom part. The Intel chip’s nearest rival is the Intel Core i5-2500T with an average of 856, a 0% difference, showing it sits exactly at that performance level.

FAQ

Q: Which processor is faster in Cinebench R23 multi-core?

A: The AMD Athlon PRO 3045B scores 2354, which is 13.2% higher than the Intel Core i5-5250U’s score of 2079.

Q: Does the Intel Core i5-5250U win any benchmark?

A: Yes, it wins both Geekbench tests. It scores 1587 in multi-core versus AMD’s 1287, an 18.9% lead, and 825 in single-core versus AMD’s 766, a 7.2% lead.

Q: What is the average benchmark score difference between the two?

A: The AMD Athlon PRO 3045B has an average score of 872, while the Intel Core i5-5250U has an average of 856. The AMD chip is about 1.9% higher on average.

Q: How do the two chips compare in single-core performance?

A: It depends on the benchmark. In Cinebench R23 single-core, AMD wins with 332 versus 293, a 13.3% lead. In Geekbench single-core, Intel wins with 825 versus 766, a 7.2% lead.

Q: Are both chips in the same overall performance percentile?

A: Yes, both the AMD Athlon PRO 3045B and the Intel Core i5-5250U are in the 23rd percentile of all CPUs in the database.

Q: Which chip has a higher boost clock?

A: The AMD Athlon PRO 3045B has a boost clock of 3.20 GHz, while the Intel Core i5-5250U has a boost clock of 2.70 GHz.

Architecture Differences

The AMD Athlon PRO 3045B uses the Zen architecture on the Dali codename, built on a 14 nm process by GlobalFoundries. It has 3,500 million transistors on a 148 mm² die. The Intel Core i5-5250U uses the Broadwell architecture on the Broadwell-U codename, built on a 14 nm process by Intel. It has 1,900 million transistors on a 133 mm² die.

The cache configurations differ notably. The AMD chip has 96 KB of L1 cache per core and 512 KB of L2 cache per core, with 4 MB of shared L3 cache. The Intel chip has 64 KB of L1 cache per core and 256 KB of L2 cache per core, with 3 MB of shared L3 cache. The AMD chip offers more cache at every level, which may contribute to its Cinebench wins.

Memory support is another divergence. The AMD chip supports DDR4 memory with a dual-channel bus and 38.4 GB/s bandwidth, and it supports ECC memory. The Intel chip supports DDR3 memory with a dual-channel bus and 29.9 GB/s bandwidth, and it does not support ECC. The AMD chip’s newer memory standard and higher bandwidth could explain its better rendering performance.

The integrated graphics differ as well. The AMD chip uses Radeon Vega with 2 compute units, while the Intel chip uses Intel HD 6000. The production statuses are also different: the AMD chip is active, while the Intel chip is end-of-life. The Intel chip has a release date of February 2015 and a launch MSRP of $315, while the AMD chip has no recorded release date or launch MSRP.

Specification Differences

The base clocks are significantly different. The AMD Athlon PRO 3045B runs at 2.30 GHz base and boosts to 3.20 GHz. The Intel Core i5-5250U runs at 1600 MHz base and boosts to 2.70 GHz. The AMD chip has a much higher base clock, while the boost clock advantage is 0.50 GHz in favor of AMD.

Both chips have 2 cores and 4 threads, and both have a 15 W TDP. The sockets differ: the AMD chip uses AMD Socket FP5, while the Intel chip uses Intel BGA 1168. The PCIe support also differs: the AMD chip supports Gen 3 with 12 lanes, while the Intel chip supports Gen 2 with 12 lanes.

The memory support is a key differentiator. The AMD chip supports DDR4 with 38.4 GB/s bandwidth and ECC memory. The Intel chip supports DDR3 with 29.9 GB/s bandwidth and no ECC. The manufacturing details also differ, with AMD using GlobalFoundries and Intel using its own foundry. The transistor counts and die sizes are distinct, with AMD having more transistors and a larger die.