AMD Ryzen 3 2200GE vs Intel Core i7-3720QM Comparison

The AMD Ryzen 3 2200GE and the Intel Core i7-3720QM make for an unusual matchup: a modern low-power desktop silicon against a mobile flagship from a much earlier era. The recorded data shows the two chips landing in nearly the same overall performance band, with average benchmark scores of 1444 for the Ryzen 3 2200GE and 1421 for the Intel Core i7-3720QM, yet the story underneath that near-tie is one of consistent, if modest, dominance by the AMD part in every shared test.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head record is unambiguous. The Ryzen 3 2200GE wins all six shared Cinebench contests, and by remarkably similar margins.

In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the 2200GE scores 503 against 475 for the i7-3720QM, a 5.9 percent advantage. Single-core R15 goes to AMD as well, 71 to 66, which is a 7.6 percent gap and the largest lead in the entire dataset. That single-core result is worth pausing on: both chips share an identical 3.60 boost clock on paper, so the entire difference comes down to per-clock efficiency of the underlying architectures rather than raw frequency.

Cinebench R20 follows the same pattern. Multi-core: 2097 versus 1981, a 5.9 percent win for the 2200GE. Single-core: 296 versus 279, 6.1 percent in AMD's favor. Cinebench R23 tightens the spread slightly but changes nothing structurally: 4993 versus 4718 in multi-core (5.8 percent) and 705 versus 666 in single-core (5.9 percent).

There is a curious wrinkle here. The i7-3720QM has 8 threads to the 2200GE's 4, yet it never converts that logical-core advantage into a win. Does SMT simply not scale well enough in these rendering workloads on this older architecture, or is the deficit per-thread too large to overcome? The data suggests the latter: with single-core gaps of roughly 6 to 8 percent across all three Cinebench generations, the Ivy Bridge chip starts each test already behind, and its extra threads only narrow the multi-core gap, never closing it.

The i7-3720QM does have two Geekbench results recorded, 2457 multi-core and 726 single-core, but the 2200GE has no Geekbench entries in the database, so no direct comparison is possible there. Notably, that Geekbench single-core figure of 726 sits above the 2200GE's Cinebench R23 single-core score of 705, though the two tests are not comparable to each other.

In percentile terms the two are nearly indistinguishable across the full database: the 2200GE sits at the 38th percentile versus all CPUs, the i7-3720QM at the 37th. Both are mid-pack parts by modern standards.

The Verdict

Based strictly on the recorded data, the Ryzen 3 2200GE is the stronger performer in every directly comparable test. It wins six of six shared benchmarks by 5.8 to 7.6 percent, despite having half the thread count of its rival.

Who should pick which? A buyer whose decision rests on rendering throughput or per-core responsiveness should take the 2200GE, full stop. The i7-3720QM's case rests on a different axis: its database neighbors include the Intel Core i7-2700K and Intel Core i7-3820, both desktop Sandy Bridge-era flagships, which speaks to the tier of performance it delivered in its day at an average score of 1421, essentially level with the 2200GE's 1444.

The 2200GE's nearest rivals in the database are a diverse set: the Intel Xeon E3-1505L v5 (average 1446, 0.1 percent ahead), the AMD Opteron 6378 (1447, 0.2 percent ahead), the Intel Core i5-7300HQ (1448, 0.3 percent ahead), and the AMD Ryzen 5 2400G (1439, 0.4 percent behind). In other words, the 2200GE performs in the same band as these mixed desktop, mobile, and server parts, and the i7-3720QM does the same against its own neighbor set.

Architecture Differences

The two chips come from different worlds. The 2200GE is AMD's Zen architecture, codename Raven Ridge, fabricated on a 14 nm process at GlobalFoundries. The i7-3720QM is Intel's Ivy Bridge architecture on a 22 nm Intel process. Both are quad-core designs, but the 2200GE runs 4 threads while the i7-3720QM runs 8 via SMT.

Cache hierarchies diverge notably. The 2200GE carries 96 KB of L1 and 512 KB of L2 per core, with a shared 4 MB L3. The i7-3720QM has smaller per-core allocations, 64 KB L1 and 256 KB L2, but a larger shared 6 MB L3. One could ask whether Ivy Bridge's extra L3 capacity partially explains why its multi-core deficit is slightly smaller than its single-core deficit; the data cannot confirm causation, but the pattern is consistent with a design leaning harder on shared cache.

The transistor counts and die sizes reflect the era gap: the 2200GE packs 4,950 million transistors on a 210 mm² die, while the i7-3720QM has 1,400 million transistors on 160 mm². The integrated graphics differ too: Radeon Vega 8 on the AMD part versus Intel HD 4000 on the Intel part, though the database contains no graphics benchmark scores for either.

One more architectural point: the 2200GE has an unlocked multiplier, the i7-3720QM does not.

Specification Differences

The fields where these two chips diverge:

• Threads: 4 (2200GE) versus 8 (i7-3720QM)
• Base clock: 3.20 GHz (2200GE) versus 2.60 GHz (i7-3720QM); both boost to 3.60 GHz
• TDP: 35 W (2200GE) versus 45 W (i7-3720QM)
• Socket: AMD Socket AM4 (2200GE) versus Intel BGA 1224, a soldered mobile package (i7-3720QM)
• Memory support: DDR4 (2200GE); not recorded for the i7-3720QM, but both use dual-channel buses, and the 2200GE has a recorded bandwidth of 46.9 GB/s
• PCIe: Gen 3, 8 lanes from the CPU (2200GE); not recorded for the i7-3720QM
• Cache: larger L1 and L2 per core on AMD, larger shared L3 on Intel
• Release date: the 2200GE launched on April 18, 2018; the i7-3720QM on April 28, 2012
• Market segment: Desktop (2200GE) versus Mobile (i7-3720QM)
• Production status: the 2200GE is listed as Active; no status is recorded for the i7-3720QM
• Integrated graphics: Radeon Vega 8 versus Intel HD 4000
• Multiplier: unlocked (2200GE) versus locked (i7-3720QM)
• Foundry and node: GlobalFoundries 14 nm versus Intel 22 nm

Neither part supports ECC memory, and no launch MSRP is recorded for either.

FAQ

Q: Which CPU is faster overall?

A: The Ryzen 3 2200GE. It won all six shared Cinebench benchmarks, with advantages ranging from 5.8 to 7.6 percent.

Q: Does the i7-3720QM's extra threads help it win anything?

A: No. Despite having 8 threads versus 4, it loses every recorded head-to-head test, including all three multi-core runs.

Q: How close are the two in database-wide standing?

A: Very close: the 2200GE sits at the 38th percentile versus all CPUs, the i7-3720QM at the 37th.

Q: Which chip has the higher clock speeds?

A: Both boost to 3.60 GHz, but the 2200GE has the higher base clock at 3.20 GHz versus 2.60 GHz for the i7-3720QM.

Q: Which CPU is more power efficient on paper?

A: The 2200GE is rated at 35 W TDP versus 45 W for the i7-3720QM, and it delivers better benchmark scores at that lower rating.

Q: Can either CPU be overclocked?

A: The 2200GE has an unlocked multiplier. The i7-3720QM's multiplier is locked.

Where Each One Wins

Ryzen 3 2200GE wins: every directly comparable workload in the database. Rendering multi-core (5.8 to 5.9 percent ahead across R15, R20, and R23), rendering single-core (6.1 to 7.6 percent ahead), plus the qualitative edges of a lower 35 W TDP, an unlocked multiplier, a socketed AM4 package versus the i7-3720QM's soldered BGA 1224, DDR4 support, recorded PCIe Gen 3 connectivity, and active production status. For anyone choosing between these two on performance or platform flexibility, the data points squarely at the 2200GE.

i7-3720QM wins: nothing in the shared benchmark set. Its appeal is contextual rather than measurable here: it fits a mobile platform with a 45 W envelope, carries 8 threads for workloads that scale beyond four physical cores, holds a larger 6 MB shared L3, and its database peers (the Core i7-2700K and Core i7-3820 among them) indicate it performed at desktop-flagship-adjacent levels for its generation. Its Geekbench results (2457 multi-core, 726 single-core) also give it coverage in a test suite where the 2200GE has no recorded entries, a small but real gap in the comparative record.