AMD Ryzen 3 5400U vs Intel Xeon E-2126G Comparison

FAQ

Q: Which processor has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The Intel Xeon E-2126G has an average benchmark score of 2842, while the AMD Ryzen 3 5400U scores 2765. The Intel part sits at the 51st percentile of all CPUs, and the AMD part at the 50th.

Q: How do the two parts compare in Cinebench R23 multi-core?

A: The AMD Ryzen 3 5400U wins with 9350 points versus 8891 for the Intel Xeon E-2126G, a 4.9% advantage. This is the largest Cinebench margin in the head-to-head results.

Q: Which processor has more physical cores?

A: The Intel Xeon E-2126G has 6 cores and 6 threads, whereas the AMD Ryzen 3 5400U has 4 cores but 8 threads. The AMD part relies on simultaneous multithreading to double its thread count.

Q: What is the power envelope difference?

A: The Intel Xeon E-2126G has a TDP of 80 watts, while the AMD Ryzen 3 5400U has a TDP of 15 watts. That is a 65-watt gap, reflecting the mobile versus workstation target.

Q: Does the Intel processor support ECC memory?

A: Yes, the Intel Xeon E-2126G supports ECC memory. The AMD Ryzen 3 5400U does not.

Q: Which processor has the higher memory bandwidth rating?

A: The AMD Ryzen 3 5400U is rated at 51.2 GB/s, which is higher than the Intel Xeon E-2126G at 42.7 GB/s, despite both using dual-channel DDR4.

Architecture Differences

The Intel Xeon E-2126G is built on Intel's Coffee Lake-S WS architecture, using a 14 nm process at Intel's foundry. The AMD Ryzen 3 5400U uses Zen 3 architecture on a 7 nm process from TSMC. The manufacturing node difference is significant: the AMD part is built on a smaller process, which contributes to its dramatically lower 15-watt TDP versus the Intel chip's 80-watt TDP.

The Intel Xeon E-2126G has 6 cores and 6 threads, meaning no hyperthreading support. The AMD Ryzen 3 5400U has 4 cores and 8 threads, using SMT to reach twice as many threads as cores. The Intel part has a larger shared L3 cache at 12 MB, while the AMD part has 8 MB of shared L3. Both have 64 KB of L1 per core, but the AMD part doubles the L2 cache per core: 512 KB versus 256 KB on the Intel side.

The Intel Xeon E-2126G is a server/workstation part with ECC memory support, while the AMD Ryzen 3 5400U is a mobile processor without ECC. The Intel chip uses Socket 1151 and supports 16 PCIe Gen 3 lanes from the CPU, whereas the AMD part uses Socket FP6 and supports only 8 PCIe Gen 3 lanes. The Intel part has a larger die at 154 mm² compared to the AMD's 180 mm², but the AMD chip integrates 10,700 million transistors versus no disclosed transistor count for Intel.

The integrated graphics differ as well: Intel uses HD Graphics P630, while AMD uses Radeon Vega 6. The Intel Xeon E-2126G was released in July 2018 and is now end-of-life, while the AMD Ryzen 3 5400U was released in January 2021 and remains active in production.

The Verdict

The data points to two very different use cases. The AMD Ryzen 3 5400U wins 6 of the 8 head-to-head benchmark comparisons, including all six Cinebench tests. It leads by 4.9% in Cinebench R15, R20, and R23 multi-core, and by 4.5% to 4.9% in single-core Cinebench tests. For anyone prioritizing Cinebench workloads, the AMD part is the clear choice, especially given its 15-watt TDP.

The Intel Xeon E-2126G wins the two Geekbench tests decisively. It leads by 28.4% in Geekbench multi-core and by 10.3% in Geekbench single-core. If Geekbench results are the primary metric, the Intel processor has a substantial advantage. The Intel part also offers ECC memory support, which the AMD chip lacks, making it the only option for ECC-requiring workloads.

The Intel Xeon E-2126G has 6 physical cores versus 4 on the AMD side, but the AMD part's 8 threads and higher Cinebench scores show that thread count alone does not determine performance. The Intel chip has a higher base clock (3.30 GHz versus 2.60 GHz) and boost clock (4.50 GHz versus 4.00 GHz), yet still loses in Cinebench. This suggests the AMD Zen 3 architecture delivers more instructions per clock in those tests.

For a mobile or low-power system, the AMD Ryzen 3 5400U is the sensible pick: it wins most benchmarks, consumes far less power, and is still in production. For a workstation requiring ECC memory and strong Geekbench performance, the Intel Xeon E-2126G is the only candidate, despite its higher power draw and end-of-life status.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ across nearly every specification field. The Intel Xeon E-2126G has 6 cores and 6 threads, while the AMD Ryzen 3 5400U has 4 cores and 8 threads. Base clocks are 3.30 GHz for Intel and 2.60 GHz for AMD; boost clocks are 4.50 GHz versus 4.00 GHz. TDP is 80 watts for Intel and 15 watts for AMD.

The sockets are incompatible: Intel Socket 1151 versus AMD Socket FP6. The architectures are Coffee Lake versus Zen 3, and the process nodes are 14 nm versus 7 nm. The Intel part is fabricated by Intel, the AMD part by TSMC. The AMD die is larger at 180 mm² versus 154 mm², and the AMD chip has 10,700 million transistors, while Intel does not disclose a transistor count.

Cache configurations differ: both have 64 KB L1 per core, but L2 is 256 KB per core on Intel and 512 KB per core on AMD. Shared L3 is 12 MB on Intel and 8 MB on AMD. Memory bandwidth is 42.7 GB/s on Intel versus 51.2 GB/s on AMD, though both support DDR4 in dual-channel mode. ECC memory is supported on Intel only. PCIe lanes are 16 on Intel versus 8 on AMD, both Gen 3. Integrated graphics are HD Graphics P630 on Intel and Radeon Vega 6 on AMD.

The market segments differ: Intel targets server/workstation, AMD targets mobile. Production status is end-of-life for Intel and active for AMD. Release dates are July 2018 for Intel and January 2021 for AMD. The Intel part has a launch MSRP of $255; the AMD part has no listed launch MSRP. Neither processor has an unlocked multiplier.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The AMD Ryzen 3 5400U dominates the Cinebench suite. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, AMD scores 942 against Intel's 896, a 4.9% lead. The single-core R15 test shows AMD at 132 versus Intel's 126, a 4.5% edge. In Cinebench R20 multi-core, AMD scores 3927 versus 3734, again 4.9% ahead. The R20 single-core test has AMD at 554 versus 527, another 4.9% margin. Cinebench R23 multi-core shows AMD at 9350 versus 8891, and R23 single-core has AMD at 1320 versus 1255, both 4.9% wins.

The consistency of these results is notable. Across six Cinebench tests, the AMD part wins every time, with margins ranging from 4.5% to 4.9%. This indicates that the Zen 3 architecture in the Ryzen 3 5400U is uniformly faster in Cinebench workloads, regardless of the Cinebench version or whether the test is single-threaded or multi-threaded.

The Intel Xeon E-2126G takes both Geekbench tests. In Geekbench multi-core, Intel scores 5743 versus AMD's 4473, a dominant 28.4% lead. In Geekbench single-core, Intel scores 1565 versus AMD's 1419, a 10.3% advantage. These are much larger margins than any Cinebench result, showing that the Intel architecture is particularly strong in Geekbench's workload mix.

The overall win count is 6 for AMD and 2 for Intel. The average benchmark scores reflect this: Intel's average of 2842 is only 2.8% higher than AMD's 2765, despite the large Geekbench multi-core gap. This is because Cinebench tests outnumber Geekbench tests in the benchmark set, and AMD's narrow Cinebench wins offset Intel's Geekbench dominance.

Looking at nearest rivals, the Intel Xeon E-2126G sits near the Intel Core i5-10600 (0.2% delta) and AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 5450U (0.5% delta), while the AMD Ryzen 3 5400U is nearly tied with the AMD Ryzen 3 4300GE (0.2% delta) and slightly behind the Intel Xeon D-1567 (0.2% delta). These comparisons place both processors in the same performance neighborhood, despite their architectural differences.