AMD Ryzen 3 7440U vs AMD Ryzen 3 8440U Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The two processors split their benchmark wins almost cleanly down the middle, but the margins tell a more interesting story than the raw win count. The 7440U takes 11 of the 17 recorded comparisons, while the 8440U secures 6. However, several of the 8440U's victories are decisive, and one is enormous.

Starting with the traditional CPU workloads, the 7440U holds a consistent but narrow edge across every Cinebench iteration. In Cinebench R23 multi-core, the 7440U scores 11042 against 10884 for the 8440U, a 1.5% advantage. Single-core R23 shows the same pattern: 1558 versus 1536, a 1.4% gap. The R15 and R20 runs mirror this, with the 7440U leading by 1.4% in both R15 multi-core (1112 vs 1097) and R20 multi-core (4637 vs 4571). These are tight margins, well within the kind of run-to-run variance a laptop chassis might introduce, but the direction is consistent: the older part edges ahead in every Cinebench test.

The PassMark suite reveals where the 8440U actually pulls ahead. The single-thread score is a blowout: 3648 for the 8440U versus 2614 for the 7440U, a 28.3% difference. That is the single largest delta in the entire comparison, and it flips the expected narrative. Floating point math also favors the 8440U heavily, with 23017 against 20291, an 11.8% lead. Extended instructions go to the 8440U by 6.4% (11059 vs 10356), and integer math is a modest 1.9% win for the 8440U (37468 vs 36758). Prime number finding is close, with the 8440U ahead by 7% (43 vs 40).

The 7440U's wins are concentrated in memory-heavy and physics-oriented tasks. PassMark physics is the standout: 939 versus 685, a 37.1% advantage for the 7440U. Random string sorting goes to the 7440U by 21.2% (21479 vs 17725). Data encryption shows a 15% lead for the 7440U (9215 vs 8012), and data compression is 5.1% better (153689 vs 146273). The multi-thread PassMark score favors the 7440U by a slim 1.5% (12991 vs 12805).

The average benchmark scores reflect these splits. The 7440U sits at 15682, while the 8440U posts 16663. That higher average is driven almost entirely by the single-thread and floating-point wins. The 7440U's percentile ranking is 69, and the 8440U sits at 70, so both are essentially in the same tier of the overall CPU population.

Architecture Differences

Both chips are built on the same fundamental design: Zen 4 architecture, a 4 nm TSMC process, 4 cores, 8 threads, and a 28 W TDP. They share the same die size of 137 mm² and the same transistor count of 20,900 million. The cache layout is identical: 64 KB of L1 per core, 1 MB of L2 per core, and 8 MB of shared L3. Both support DDR5 memory over a dual-channel bus with 89.6 GB/s of bandwidth, and both use Gen 4 PCIe with 14 lanes from the CPU.

The differences are in the details. The 7440U belongs to the 7000 series and uses the Phoenix2 codename, while the 8440U is an 8000 series part with the Hawk Point codename. Both are listed as Zen 4 in the generation field, but the 8440U's generation string explicitly labels it as Zen 4 (Hawk Point), whereas the 7440U is Zen 4 (Phoenix). The socket is the same: AMD Socket FP7.

The most consequential architectural difference is ECC memory support. The 7440U supports ECC memory, while the 8440U does not. For a mobile chip, this matters little to most buyers, but it is a real specification change. The integrated graphics are the same Radeon 740M on both parts. Both are locked multipliers, both are active production parts, and both use the same FP7r2 and FP7 part number variants.

Release timing differs by about seven months. The 7440U launched on 2023-05-02, and the 8440U followed on 2023-12-05. Neither has a recorded launch MSRP in the database.

Where Each One Wins

The 7440U is the pick for anyone whose workload stresses the memory subsystem, physics simulation, or data compression and encryption. The 37.1% physics advantage is not a small margin; it suggests the 7440U handles collision detection and rigid body calculations notably better. The 21.2% random string sorting win points to strong cache and memory latency behavior, and the 15% encryption lead indicates better throughput on cryptographic tasks. For multi-threaded rendering in Cinebench, the 7440U is consistently ahead, albeit by only 1.4% to 1.5%. If your daily driver involves archiving files, encrypting data, or running physics-based simulations, the 7440U is the safer choice.

The 8440U wins clearly on single-thread responsiveness. The 28.3% lead in PassMark single-thread is the kind of gap you feel in everyday use: application launches, UI interaction, and lightly threaded legacy software. The 11.8% floating point advantage makes it the better option for numerical code that is not heavily parallelized, such as spreadsheet calculations or certain audio processing tasks. The 6.4% extended instructions win suggests better handling of newer SIMD workloads. For integer math, the 8440U is only 1.9% ahead, so this is not a decisive factor.

The overall average score favors the 8440U (16663 vs 15682), which means if you are looking at aggregate performance across a broad mix of tasks, the 8440U comes out ahead. But the 7440U's wins in physics and compression are substantial enough that workload-specific selection matters more than the average.

The Verdict

Choose the AMD Ryzen 3 7440U if your tasks are multi-threaded, memory-bound, or involve data security. The Cinebench multi-core wins are small but real, and the physics, compression, encryption, and string sorting results are decisive. The 37.1% physics lead and the 21.2% string sorting lead are not noise; they point to a part that handles certain memory access patterns better. The 7440U also carries ECC memory support, which is a hard requirement for some users.

Choose the AMD Ryzen 3 8440U if you value single-thread performance and floating point throughput above all else. The 28.3% single-thread lead is the dominant factor in its favor, and the 11.8% floating point win strengthens that case. For a general-purpose laptop where most applications are lightly threaded and the occasional heavy task is floating-point heavy, the 8440U will feel snappier. The higher average benchmark score (16663 vs 15682) also gives it the edge in a mixed workload scenario.

Neither part is a clear winner across the board. The 7440U wins more individual tests, but the 8440U wins the tests that matter most for perceived speed. The percentile rankings (69 vs 70) confirm that both sit in the same performance class. Let the specific application mix be the deciding factor.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has the higher single-thread score?

A: The AMD Ryzen 3 8440U, with a PassMark single-thread score of 3648 versus 2614 for the 7440U, a 28.3% difference.

Q: Does the 7440U support ECC memory?

A: Yes, the 7440U lists ECC memory support as true. The 8440U lists it as false.

Q: Which chip has the better multi-core Cinebench R23 result?

A: The 7440U scores 11042 in Cinebench R23 multi-core, while the 8440U scores 10884, a 1.5% advantage for the 7440U.

Q: Are the core counts and cache sizes identical?

A: Yes, both have 4 cores, 8 threads, 64 KB L1 per core, 1 MB L2 per core, and 8 MB shared L3.

Q: What is the biggest single benchmark margin between the two?

A: The PassMark physics test, where the 7440U scores 939 versus 685 for the 8440U, a 37.1% lead.

Q: Which part has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The 8440U, with an average of 16663, compared to 15682 for the 7440U.

Specification Differences

| Field | AMD Ryzen 3 7440U | AMD Ryzen 3 8440U |

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

| Series | 7000 series | 8000 series |

| Codename | Phoenix2 | Hawk Point |

| Generation | Ryzen 3 (Zen 4 (Phoenix)) | Ryzen 3 (Zen 4 (Hawk Point)) |

| ECC Memory | True | False |

| Release Date | 2023-05-02 | 2023-12-05 |

| Part Number | 100-000001068 (FP7r2), 100-000001071 (FP7) | 100-000001325 (FP7r2), 100-000001332 (FP7) |

All other recorded specifications are identical: 4 cores, 8 threads, 3.00 GHz base clock, 4.70 GHz boost clock, 28 W TDP, AMD Socket FP7, Zen 4 architecture, 4 nm process, TSMC foundry, 20,900 million transistors, 137 mm² die size, 64 KB L1 per core, 1 MB L2 per core, 8 MB shared L3, DDR5 memory support, dual-channel memory bus, 89.6 GB/s memory bandwidth, Gen 4 PCIe with 14 lanes, Radeon 740M integrated graphics, mobile market segment, active production status, locked multiplier, and no recorded launch MSRP.