AMD Ryzen 3 7335U vs Intel Core i7-1260U Comparison

The AMD Ryzen 3 7335U and the Intel Core i7-1260U are both mobile chips, but they come at the same performance tier from opposite directions. The Ryzen 3 7335U is a compact Zen 3+ design with a 6 nm process and a locked-down four-core layout, while the Core i7-1260U spreads ten cores across Intel's 10 nm Alder Lake-U architecture at a much lower rated power figure. The recorded head-to-head data shows Intel winning 15 of 17 tests, yet the two AMD wins are substantial, including a 35.3% advantage in Cinebench R23 multi-core. Both chips sit in the 70th percentile against all CPUs in the database, so this is a fight over specialization, not raw class.

Where Each One Wins

The Core i7-1260U dominates the single-threaded and mixed workloads. It leads every single-core test in the data: Cinebench R15 single-core by 30.8%, Cinebench R20 single-core by 5.1%, Cinebench R23 single-core by 5.6%, and PassMark single-thread by 3.2%. That R15 gap is the largest single-test margin in the entire comparison and points to strong burst performance from its 4.70 GHz boost clock. Intel also sweeps the integer and floating-point math tests (7.4% and 22.8% ahead respectively), physics simulation (38.1% ahead), prime number computation (46.3% ahead), data compression, encryption, and string sorting. For everyday desktop work, web browsing, office applications, and anything that leans on one fast core or short bursts, the data clearly favors the i7-1260U.

The Ryzen 3 7335U wins exactly two tests, but they matter. It takes Cinebench R23 multi-core with 10703 points against 7912.5, a 35.3% lead, which is the single biggest margin either way in sustained rendering. It also wins PassMark extended instructions by 24.6%, indicating stronger SIMD-heavy throughput. If the workload is a long, sustained, all-core render or a compile that runs for many minutes rather than seconds, the recorded data says the AMD chip holds its clocks better.

The pattern is consistent: Intel wins short and bursty workloads, AMD wins sustained multi-core grinding. The R15 versus R23 split illustrates this directly. Intel leads multi-core in R15 by 10.4% and R20 by 5.1%, but flips to a 35.3% deficit in the longer R23 run.

Architecture Differences

These are fundamentally different designs. The Ryzen 3 7335U is the Rembrandt-R refresh of AMD's Zen 3+ architecture, fabricated on TSMC's 6 nm node, with a 208 mm² die. It has 4 cores and 8 threads, a 3.00 GHz base clock, and a 4.30 GHz boost, inside a 28 W TDP envelope on Socket FP7. Its cache hierarchy is 64 KB of L1 and 512 KB of L2 per core, with 8 MB of shared L3. Memory support is DDR5 only, dual-channel, with a recorded bandwidth of 76.8 GB/s, and ECC is supported. PCIe is Gen 4 with 20 CPU lanes, and the integrated GPU is a Radeon 660M.

The Core i7-1260U is Alder Lake-U, built on Intel's own 10 nm process, packaged on BGA 1781. It pairs 10 cores with 12 threads, a hybrid layout that explains its multi-thread results despite a very low 1100 MHz base clock. It boosts to 4.70 GHz under a 9 W TDP rating, which is far below AMD's 28 W. Per-core cache is larger, 80 KB of L1 and 1.25 MB of L2, with 12 MB of shared L3. It accepts both DDR4 and DDR5 on a dual-channel bus, lacks ECC support, and lists PCIe Gen 4 without a lane count. Graphics come courtesy of the Iris Xe 96EU. Intel's chip launched in February 2022; AMD's followed in January 2023.

Note the clock behavior implied by the numbers: AMD's higher base clock and higher TDP rating line up with its stronger sustained results, while Intel's higher boost clock and low base align with its burst-heavy wins.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

Working through the biggest margins for each side:

Intel's largest win is PassMark find prime numbers, 67 versus 36, a 46.3% gap. Next is Cinebench R15 single-core: 219.5 versus 152, Intel ahead by 30.8%. PassMark physics goes to Intel 1046 versus 647, a 38.1% margin. Floating point math lands at 31456 versus 24298, a 22.8% Intel lead. On the broader multi-threaded PassMark suite, Intel scores 14011 against 12592, 10.1% ahead, and it mirrors that with the R15 multi-core win, 1203 versus 1078, 10.4% ahead. R20 multi-core goes to Intel 4736 versus 4495, 5.1%.

AMD's wins are concentrated but decisive. Cinebench R23 multi-core: 10703 versus 7912.5, the Ryzen ahead by 35.3%. PassMark extended instructions: 10314 versus 8280, a 24.6% AMD lead. That is the full list of AMD victories across the 17 recorded tests.

The remaining tests are closer. PassMark single-thread is 3153 versus 3053, only 3.2% apart. Data encryption differs by 1.5%. R23 single-core is 5.6% in Intel's favor, and random string sorting 8.2%. Integer math sits at 7.4% for Intel.

The aggregate scores frame the matchup well. The Ryzen 3 7335U averages 16827, the i7-1260U averages 16320, so AMD is nominally ahead on average despite losing 15 of 17 individual tests, because its two wins are large enough to carry the mean. Both sit in the 70th percentile of all CPUs. AMD's nearest rivals include the Intel Core i3-12100E (within 0.2%), Core i5-1235U (0.3%), Core Ultra 5 115U (0.4%), and Ryzen 5 7235HS (0.4%), placing it in modern thin-and-light company. Intel's rival set is older: the Ryzen 5 4600H (0.1%), EPYC 7543P (0.5%), Core i5-10600KF (0.6%), and Core i7-10850H (0.7%).

FAQ

Q: Which chip is faster in single-core work?

A: The Core i7-1260U, in every recorded single-core test. It leads Cinebench R15 by 30.8%, R20 by 5.1%, R23 by 5.6%, and PassMark single-thread by 3.2%.

Q: Which one is better for long rendering jobs?

A: The Ryzen 3 7335U. It scores 10703 in Cinebench R23 multi-core versus 7912.5, a 35.3% lead in the longest sustained test in the dataset.

Q: How do their core counts compare?

A: The i7-1260U has 10 cores and 12 threads; the Ryzen 3 7335U has 4 cores and 8 threads.

Q: Which has the higher boost clock?

A: Intel, at 4.70 GHz versus AMD's 4.30 GHz. AMD's base clock is much higher, 3.00 GHz versus 1100 MHz.

Q: Do they support the same memory?

A: No. The Ryzen supports DDR5 only, with ECC and 76.8 GB/s recorded bandwidth. The i7-1260U supports both DDR4 and DDR5 but not ECC.

Q: Are they in the same performance class overall?

A: Yes. Both rank in the 70th percentile versus all CPUs, and their average benchmark scores differ by about 3% (16827 for AMD, 16320 for Intel).

The Verdict

Pick the Core i7-1260U if the machine is for general use. It wins 15 of 17 recorded tests, including every single-core benchmark, integer and floating-point math, physics, compression, encryption, and string sorting. Short bursts and responsive everyday work are its territory, and its hybrid core count of 10 cores and 12 threads gives it breadth across background tasks. Its 9 W TDP rating also suggests it can deliver this in tighter thermal envelopes.

Pick the Ryzen 3 7335U for sustained all-core work. The 35.3% Cinebench R23 multi-core win is too large to ignore, and the 24.6% extended instructions lead reinforces it. It also offers DDR5 with ECC, 76.8 GB/s of memory bandwidth, and 20 Gen 4 CPU PCIe lanes, which matters for storage-heavy configurations. The trade-off is a narrower core count and losses everywhere else.

For most buyers, the i7-1260U's consistency across the dataset makes it the safer pick. The Ryzen is the specialist's choice.

Specification Differences

| Field | AMD Ryzen 3 7335U | Intel Core i7-1260U |

|---|---|---|

| Cores | 4 | 10 |

| Threads | 8 | 12 |

| Base Clock | 3.00 GHz | 1100 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 4.30 GHz | 4.70 GHz |

| TDP | 28 W | 9 W |

| Socket | AMD Socket FP7 | Intel BGA 1781 |

| Architecture | Zen 3+ (Rembrandt-R) | Alder Lake (Alder Lake-U) |

| Process Node | 6 nm (TSMC) | 10 nm (Intel) |

| Die Size | 208 mm² | Not recorded |

| L1 Cache | 64 KB per core | 80 KB per core |

| L2 Cache | 512 KB per core | 1.25 MB per core |

| L3 Cache | 8 MB shared | 12 MB shared |

| Memory Support | DDR5 | DDR4, DDR5 |

| Memory Bandwidth | 76.8 GB/s | Not recorded |

| ECC Memory | Yes | No |

| PCIe | Gen 4, 20 CPU lanes | Gen 4 |

| Integrated Graphics | Radeon 660M | Iris Xe 96EU |

| Release Date | 2023-01-03 | 2022-02-22 |