AMD Ryzen 3 3250U vs Intel Core i5-4288U Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data shows a split result between the Intel Core i5-4288U and the AMD Ryzen 3 3250U, with each taking wins in different workload types. The Intel part claims three benchmark victories, while the AMD part takes two, but the margins tell a more nuanced story than the raw win count suggests.

In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the AMD Ryzen 3 3250U delivers a score of 353 against the Intel Core i5-4288U's 225, a 36.3% advantage for the AMD chip. This is the largest single-core or multi-core deficit for the Intel processor in the entire head-to-head set. The Ryzen 3's lead in this older rendering workload is substantial, indicating a clear throughput advantage in that specific test.

However, the picture flips dramatically in Cinebench R23 multi-core. Here the Intel Core i5-4288U scores 2237, while the AMD Ryzen 3 3250U manages 2010, giving Intel an 11.3% win. This is a notable reversal from the R15 result, showing that the two chips respond very differently to the newer rendering workload. The Intel part also wins Geekbench multi-core with 1745 versus 1467, a 19% margin, and Geekbench single-core with 896 versus 722, a 24.1% margin.

The single-core Cinebench R23 result is where the AMD chip dominates most decisively. The Ryzen 3 3250U scores 776, which is 59.4% ahead of the Intel Core i5-4288U's 315. This is by far the largest delta in either direction across all tested workloads. The Intel part's single-core score in this test is remarkably low relative to the AMD competitor, suggesting a significant architectural disadvantage in that specific benchmark.

Looking at the overall averages, the Intel Core i5-4288U has an average benchmark score of 927, placing it at the 25th percentile of all CPUs in the database. The AMD Ryzen 3 3250U averages 908, at the 24th percentile. These are nearly identical overall standings, with the Intel part holding a marginal edge in aggregate despite losing two of the five direct comparisons.

The nearest rivals for the Intel chip include the Intel Core i3-4350T at 926 (0.1% delta), the Intel Core i7-870 at 928 (minus 0.1%), the Intel Celeron G6900TE at 925 (0.3%), and the Intel Core i7-4600U at 931 (minus 0.5%). For the AMD chip, the closest competitors are the Intel Core i3-4330T at 908 (0% delta), the Intel Core i3-10110Y at 908 (0%), the AMD PRO A12-9800E at 910 (minus 0.3%), and the AMD A10-7860K at 904 (0.4%). Both processors sit in a very crowded performance band, where a few points separate them from several comparable parts.

FAQ

Q: Which processor wins more head-to-head benchmarks?

A: The Intel Core i5-4288U wins three of the five recorded head-to-head tests, while the AMD Ryzen 3 3250U wins two.

Q: What is the largest performance gap in either direction?

A: The largest gap is in Cinebench R23 single-core, where the AMD Ryzen 3 3250U scores 776 versus the Intel Core i5-4288U's 315, a 59.4% advantage for AMD.

Q: How do the two compare in Geekbench multi-core?

A: The Intel Core i5-4288U leads with a score of 1745, which is 19% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 3 3250U's 1467.

Q: Are the overall average scores similar?

A: Yes, the Intel Core i5-4288U has an average benchmark score of 927, while the AMD Ryzen 3 3250U averages 908, a difference of under 2%.

Q: Which chip has a higher boost clock?

A: The AMD Ryzen 3 3250U has a boost clock of 3.50 GHz, compared to the Intel Core i5-4288U's 3.10 GHz.

Q: What is the production status of each processor?

A: The AMD Ryzen 3 3250U is listed as Active in production, while the Intel Core i5-4288U has no production status recorded in the database.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Ryzen 3 3250U is the stronger performer in Cinebench R15 multi-core and Cinebench R23 single-core. The R15 result, a 36.3% lead, suggests the AMD chip handles legacy rendering workloads with noticeably higher throughput. The R23 single-core result, a 59.4% lead, indicates that the Ryzen 3 has a substantial advantage in lightly threaded, modern rendering tasks. This makes the AMD part a better choice for applications that rely on single-core performance or use older render engines similar to R15.

The Intel Core i5-4288U wins in Cinebench R23 multi-core, Geekbench multi-core, and Geekbench single-core. The 11.3% lead in R23 multi-core is particularly interesting because it reverses the R15 outcome, showing that the Intel chip scales better in the newer rendering test. The Geekbench results are more decisive: a 19% lead in multi-core and a 24.1% lead in single-core. These wins indicate that the Intel part is stronger in general-purpose computing tasks as measured by Geekbench, covering both single-threaded and multi-threaded scenarios.

For users prioritizing current-generation rendering workloads that are multi-threaded, the Intel Core i5-4288U appears to have the edge based on the R23 multi-core result. For users prioritizing single-threaded rendering or legacy multi-core rendering, the AMD Ryzen 3 3250U aligns better with the recorded scores. In everyday mixed workloads, the Geekbench results point toward the Intel chip, but the overall average scores are so close that the difference may be marginal in practice.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ in several core specifications. The Intel Core i5-4288U has a base clock of 2.60 GHz and a boost clock of 3.10 GHz, while the AMD Ryzen 3 3250U has the same 2.60 GHz base clock but a higher 3.50 GHz boost clock. The thermal design power differs significantly: the Intel part is rated at 28 W, while the AMD part is rated at 15 W.

The sockets are different, with the Intel chip using Intel BGA 1168 and the AMD chip using AMD Socket FP5. Memory support also diverges: the Intel part supports DDR3, while the AMD part supports DDR4. The AMD chip has a dual-channel memory bus and a recorded memory bandwidth of 38.4 GB/s, whereas the Intel chip has no memory bus or bandwidth figures listed. The AMD processor also lists PCIe Gen 3 support, while no PCIe information is recorded for the Intel chip.

The integrated graphics differ as well: the Intel Core i5-4288U uses Intel HD 5100, while the AMD Ryzen 3 3250U uses Radeon Vega 3. Both processors have 2 cores and 4 threads, and neither has an unlocked multiplier. The release dates are far apart: the Intel chip was released on June 3, 2013, while the AMD chip was released on January 5, 2020. The part numbers are SR189 for Intel and YM3250C4T2OFG for AMD.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap between these two processors is substantial. The Intel Core i5-4288U is built on the Haswell architecture, using a 22 nm process node manufactured by Intel. The AMD Ryzen 3 3250U uses the Zen architecture under the Dali codename, built on a 14 nm process node by GlobalFoundries. The Intel part belongs to the Core i5 (Haswell) generation, while the AMD part belongs to the Ryzen 3 (Zen (Raven Ridge)) generation.

Transistor counts differ greatly: the Intel chip has 1,400 million transistors on a die size of 118 mm², while the AMD chip has 3,500 million transistors on a 148 mm² die. The cache hierarchies are also different. The Intel part has 64 KB of L1 cache per core, 256 KB of L2 cache per core, and 3 MB of shared L3 cache. The AMD part has 96 KB of L1 cache per core, 512 KB of L2 cache per core, and 4 MB of shared L3 cache.

The AMD Ryzen 3 3250U belongs to the 3000 series, whereas the Intel Core i5-4288U has no series designation recorded. Neither chip supports ECC memory. The foundry differs as well: Intel fabricates its own chip, while AMD relies on GlobalFoundries. These architectural differences help explain the benchmark outcomes: the newer Zen design with more cache and higher boost clock delivers strong single-core results in Cinebench R23, while the older Haswell design still manages to outperform in Geekbench and the newer multi-core rendering test.