AMD Ryzen 3 5400U vs Intel Core i7-5930K Comparison

The data presents a fascinating generational clash: the Intel Core i7-5930K, a 2014 desktop flagship, against the AMD Ryzen 3 5400U, a 2021 mobile processor. The benchmark results show a clear split, with the older Intel chip securing a single, decisive victory in one workload while the modern AMD part dominates the rest of the field.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The most striking result in the comparison is the Geekbench multi-core test, where the Intel Core i7-5930K scores 5715 against the AMD Ryzen 3 5400U’s 4473. This represents a substantial 27.8% advantage for the Intel part, making it the single largest performance gap in either direction. This win is likely attributable to the Intel chip’s higher core count and thread count, which allows it to handle heavily parallelized workloads more effectively than the AMD processor’s four cores and eight threads.

However, this is the only benchmark where the Intel chip emerges victorious. The AMD Ryzen 3 5400U wins the remaining seven head-to-head comparisons, though its margins are considerably more modest. In the Cinebench R15 multi-core test, the AMD part scores 942 against Intel’s 886, a 5.9% lead. The single-core R15 test shows a similar pattern, with AMD’s 132 surpassing Intel’s 125 by 5.3%.

The consistency of the results across the Cinebench suite is notable. In the R20 multi-core test, the AMD Ryzen 3 5400U scores 3927 versus the i7-5930K’s 3692, a 6% difference. The R20 single-core test yields the same 6% delta, with scores of 554 and 521 respectively. This trend continues in the R23 tests, where AMD leads by exactly 6% in both multi-core (9350 vs. 8791) and single-core (1320 vs. 1241) workloads.

The Geekbench single-core test provides another clear win for the AMD processor, where it scores 1419 compared to Intel’s 1225, a 13.7% advantage. This is the second-largest performance gap in the entire comparison and highlights the significant generational improvement in single-thread performance. When looking at the overall average benchmark scores, the two processors are almost perfectly matched: the Intel chip averages 2775, while the AMD part averages 2765, a negligible 0.4% difference. This near-parity is reflected in their percentile rankings, with the Intel chip at the 51st percentile and the AMD chip at the 50th percentile of all CPUs.

Architecture Differences

The architectural divide between these two processors is immense, spanning nearly seven years of silicon development. The Intel Core i7-5930K is built on the Haswell architecture, specifically the Haswell-E variant, using Intel’s 22 nm process node. It packs 2,600 million transistors into a 356 mm² die. In contrast, the AMD Ryzen 3 5400U uses the Zen 3 architecture (codenamed Cezanne-U) and is fabricated on TSMC’s 7 nm process. This modern node allows AMD to integrate 10,700 million transistors into a smaller 180 mm² die, demonstrating a massive leap in transistor density and efficiency.

The core configurations differ fundamentally. The Intel processor offers six physical cores and twelve threads, while the AMD chip provides four cores and eight threads. This gives the Intel part a 50% advantage in physical core count, which is its primary weapon in multi-threaded tasks. The cache hierarchies also reflect their different design philosophies. The Intel chip features 64 KB of L1 and 256 KB of L2 cache per core, along with a substantial 15 MB of shared L3 cache. The AMD processor matches the L1 cache at 64 KB per core but doubles the L2 to 512 KB per core, while its shared L3 cache is smaller at 8 MB.

Memory support presents another critical difference. Both processors support DDR4 memory, but the Intel i7-5930K utilizes a quad-channel memory bus, theoretically providing a memory bandwidth of 68.3 GB/s. The AMD Ryzen 3 5400U uses a dual-channel bus, with a lower theoretical bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s. This memory bandwidth advantage for the Intel chip may contribute to its strong performance in the Geekbench multi-core test.

The platforms themselves are entirely different. The Intel part is a desktop processor that uses the LGA 2011-3 socket and offers 40 PCIe Gen 3 lanes from the CPU. It lacks integrated graphics, requiring a discrete GPU. The AMD chip is a mobile processor on the FP6 socket, with only 8 PCIe Gen 3 lanes, but it includes integrated Radeon Vega 6 graphics. The power envelopes are also worlds apart: the Intel chip has a 140 W TDP, while the AMD chip is rated at just 15 W. This near-tenfold difference in power consumption is perhaps the most telling indicator of their respective design targets. The Intel processor has an unlocked multiplier for overclocking, while the AMD chip does not. The i7-5930K is end-of-life, having been released in August 2014, whereas the Ryzen 3 5400U is still active, having launched in January 2021.

Where Each One Wins

The benchmark data paints a clear picture of distinct usage scenarios. The Intel Core i7-5930K finds its only victory in the Geekbench multi-core test, where its 27.8% lead over the AMD chip suggests a significant advantage in workloads that can fully utilize its six physical cores and twelve threads. This could include tasks like video encoding, 3D rendering with multiple frames in flight, or running multiple virtual machines. The quad-channel memory interface also provides a theoretical bandwidth advantage that could benefit memory-intensive applications, though this is not directly reflected in the benchmark scores provided.

The AMD Ryzen 3 5400U wins in every other scenario. Its consistent 6% lead across the Cinebench R20 and R23 multi-core tests, despite having fewer cores, indicates that its Zen 3 architecture is far more efficient per-core than the older Haswell design. This suggests that for Cinebench-style rendering workloads, the AMD chip’s superior IPC (instructions per clock) and higher boost clock of 4.00 GHz versus 3.70 GHz can overcome its core deficit.

For single-threaded tasks, the AMD processor is the clear winner. Its 13.7% lead in Geekbench single-core and 6% lead in Cinebench single-core tests demonstrate that it offers a much snappier experience for everyday computing, office applications, and lightly-threaded software that relies heavily on a single core’s performance. The integrated Radeon Vega 6 graphics also give the AMD chip a decisive advantage in systems where a discrete GPU is not present or desired, allowing for basic display output and hardware video decoding without additional components.

FAQ

Q: Which processor is faster in multi-core rendering tasks?

A: The AMD Ryzen 3 5400U wins all three Cinebench multi-core tests. It scores 942, 3927, and 9350 in R15, R20, and R23 respectively, compared to the Intel i7-5930K’s 886, 3692, and 8791. This represents a consistent 5.9% to 6% lead for the AMD chip.

Q: Does the Intel processor have any significant advantages?

A: Yes, the Intel Core i7-5930K has a massive 27.8% lead in the Geekbench multi-core test, scoring 5715 versus the AMD chip’s 4473. This is its only benchmark win, but it is a substantial one, likely due to its higher core count.

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

A: The AMD Ryzen 3 5400U is faster in all single-core tests, with a 5.3% lead in Cinebench R15, a 6% lead in Cinebench R20 and R23, and a 13.7% lead in Geekbench single-core.

Q: What are the major architectural differences?

A: The Intel chip uses the older 22 nm Haswell process with 2,600 million transistors, while the AMD chip uses the modern 7 nm Zen 3 process with 10,700 million transistors. The Intel part has 6 cores and 12 threads, support for quad-channel memory, and a 140 W TDP, while the AMD part has 4 cores and 8 threads, dual-channel memory, and a 15 W TDP.

Q: Which processor has better memory support?

A: The Intel Core i7-5930K supports quad-channel DDR4 memory with a theoretical bandwidth of 68.3 GB/s. The AMD Ryzen 3 5400U supports dual-channel DDR4 memory with a theoretical bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s.

Q: Does the AMD processor include integrated graphics?

A: Yes, the AMD Ryzen 3 5400U includes Radeon Vega 6 integrated graphics. The Intel Core i7-5930K does not have any integrated graphics.

The Verdict

The choice between these two processors depends entirely on the user’s priorities and use case. The data shows that the AMD Ryzen 3 5400U is the superior processor in the vast majority of benchmarks, winning seven out of eight head-to-head comparisons. Its consistent 6% lead in Cinebench rendering tests and a 13.7% lead in Geekbench single-core performance indicate that it is the more capable processor for most modern workloads. The fact that it achieves this while consuming a fraction of the power (15 W TDP versus 140 W) and including integrated graphics makes it a far more versatile and efficient option.

The Intel Core i7-5930K’s sole victory in the Geekbench multi-core test, where it leads by 27.8%, cannot be ignored. For workloads that are specifically optimized to leverage high core counts and can take advantage of its quad-channel memory bandwidth, the Intel chip still holds a significant edge. This could make it a viable option for a dedicated multi-threaded number-crunching workstation, provided the user is willing to accept its high power draw and the need for a discrete GPU.

For the vast majority of users, however, the AMD Ryzen 3 5400U is the clear recommendation. It wins on raw performance in most tests, is dramatically more power-efficient, and offers a complete platform with integrated graphics. The Intel chip is a relic of a bygone era, whose single impressive benchmark score does not compensate for its age, inefficiency, and lack of modern features. The data suggests that for general use, content creation, and even most rendering tasks, the Ryzen 3 5400U is the better choice. The i7-5930K is only preferable for a very narrow niche of multi-threaded applications where its core advantage proves decisive.