AMD Ryzen 3 8440U vs Intel Core i5-11400 Comparison

The Intel Core i5-2-11400, a Rocket Lake desktop chip, and the AMD Ryzen 3-1-8440U, a Zen 4 mobile chip. The database shows the 11400 winning 15 of 17 head-to-head tests, with the 8440U taking only 2 wins, both in PassMark single-thread tests. The Intel chip also holds a near-identical average benchmark score of 17067 against 16663 for the AMD part, within 2.4 percent. This is a comparison of two fundamentally different designs: a 6-core desktop processor with a 65 TDP against a 4-core mobile part with a 28 TDP, built for efficiency and portability.

Architecture Differences

The Intel Core i5-11400 is built on Rocket Lake architecture, a 14 nm process from Intel’s own foundry. It uses a large 276 mm² die, with 6 cores and 12 threads. The base clock is 2.60 GHz, boosting to 4.40 GHz. Cache is organized as 80 KB L1 per core, 512 KB L2 per core, and a shared 12 MB L3. It supports DDR4 memory over a dual-channel bus, with 51.2 GB/s of bandwidth. The integrated graphics are UHD Graphics 730. PCIe support is Gen 4 with 20 lanes from the CPU. The socket is Intel Socket 1200, and the part is marked as end-of-life, having launched in March 2021.

The AMD Ryzen 3 8440U is a Hawk Point mobile chip, using Zen 4 architecture on a 4 nm process from TSMC. The die is 137 mm², and the chip packs 20,900 million transistors. It has 4 cores and 8 threads, with a base clock of 3.00 GHz and a boost clock of 4.70 GHz. L1 cache is 64 KB per core, L2 is 1 MB per core, and L3 is 8 MB shared. Memory support is DDR5 over a dual-channel bus, delivering a much higher 89.6 GB/s of bandwidth. The integrated graphics are Radeon 740M. PCIe is Gen 4 with 14 lanes. The socket is AMD Socket FP7, and this chip is active in production, released in December 2023.

The process node difference is stark: 14 nm versus 4 nm. That explains the die size gap, 276 mm² versus 137 mm², and the transistor count, with the AMD part having 20,900 million on a smaller die. The Intel chip compensates with more cores and threads, 6 versus 4, and a larger L3 cache, 12 MB versus 8 MB. The AMD part has a higher boost clock, 4.70 GHz versus 4.40 GHz, and double the memory bandwidth, 89.6 GB/s versus 51.2 GB/s, thanks to DDR5 support. The Intel chip is also unlocked? No, the multiplier is locked on both parts. The Intel part launched at a price of $182, listed as launch MSRP.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has more cores and threads?

A: The Intel Core i5-11400 has 6 cores and 12 threads, while the AMD Ryzen 3 8440U has 4 cores and 8 threads. The Intel part also has a larger shared L3 cache, 12 MB versus 8 MB.

Q: Why does the AMD chip have a higher memory bandwidth?

A: The AMD Ryzen 3 8440U supports DDR5 memory, delivering 89.6 GB/s over a dual-channel bus. The Intel Core i5-11400 supports DDR4, which yields 51.2 GB/s. That is a 75 percent higher bandwidth figure for the AMD part.

Q: Which chip wins in single-thread performance?

A: The AMD Ryzen 3 8440U wins the PassMark single-thread test, scoring 3648 against the Intel’s 2990, a delta of negative 18 percent from Intel’s perspective. However, the Intel chip wins all Cinebench single-core tests, such as R23 at 1995 versus 1536.

Q: What is the average benchmark score difference?

A: The Intel Core i5-11400 has an average benchmark score of 17067, while the AMD Ryzen 3 8440U averages 16663. The Intel part sits at the 71st percentile among all CPUs, while the AMD part is at the 70th percentile.

Q: Are these chips from the same generation?

A: No. The Intel chip is from the Core 11th Gen, Rocket Lake, released in March 2021. The AMD chip is from the Ryzen 8000 series, Hawk Point, released in December 2023. The process nodes are 14 nm for Intel and 4 nm for AMD.

Q: Which processor is better for multi-threaded workloads?

A: The Intel Core i5-11400 dominates multi-threaded tests. In Cinebench R23 multicore, it scores 14132 versus 10884 for the AMD part, a 29.8 percent lead. PassMark multithread shows a similar gap, 16690 versus 12805, a 30.3 percent lead.

Where Each One Wins

The Intel Core i5-11400 is the clear winner for sustained multi-threaded work. The database shows it ahead in every Cinebench multicore test, every PassMark math and compute test, and all data processing tasks. It wins 15 of the 17 recorded head-to-head comparisons. The 6-core, 12-thread configuration provides a substantial advantage in rendering, compression, and encryption workloads. The data shows a 29.8 percent lead in Cinebench R20 multicore, a 41.5 percent lead in data compression, and a 53.7 percent lead in integer math. This is a desktop processor with a 65 TDP, designed for plugged-in performance.

The AMD Ryzen 3 8440U wins only in PassMark single-thread tests, scoring 3648 against 2990, an 18 percent advantage. That is a notable result, as it indicates better per-core efficiency in a specific workload, likely due to the higher boost clock of 4.70 GHz and the newer Zen 4 architecture. The chip also has a much lower TDP at 28, and a smaller die size at 137 mm², which points to efficiency for mobile use. The higher memory bandwidth, 89.6 GB/s, is a specification advantage, but no benchmark in the data directly measures memory-bound performance where that could shine. The AMD part also has a newer production status, being active, while the Intel part is end-of-life.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The Cinebench suite shows a consistent and decisive Intel advantage. In Cinebench R15 multicore, Intel scores 1424 against AMD’s 1097, a 29.8 percent delta. Single-core R15 shows 200 versus 154, a 29.9 percent win. Moving to R20, multicore is 5935 versus 4571, again 29.8 percent, and single-core is 837 versus 645, again 29.8 percent. R23 repeats the pattern: multicore 14132 versus 10884, a 29.8 percent lead, and single-core 1995 versus 1536, a 29.9 percent lead. The consistency across all three Cinebench versions is striking, indicating a stable performance gap in rendering workloads.

The PassMark suite reveals where the AMD chip can fight back. In PassMark single-thread, AMD scores 3648 against Intel’s 2990, a negative 18 percent delta for Intel. That is the largest win for the AMD part in the entire dataset. The other PassMark tests are all Intel wins, often by wide margins. Integer math shows 57601 versus 37468, a 53.7 percent lead. Floating point math shows 34004 versus 23017, a 47.7 percent lead. Extended instructions show 14901 versus 11059, a 34.7 percent lead. Data compression shows 206952 versus 146273, a 41.5 percent lead. Random string sorting shows 23974 versus 17725, a 35.3 percent lead.

The gap narrows in some tests but remains in Intel’s favor. Find prime numbers shows 49 versus 43, a 14 percent lead. Physics shows 793 versus 685, a 15.8 percent lead. Data encryption shows 10264 versus 8012, a 28.1 percent lead. PassMark multithread shows 16690 versus 12805, a 30.3 percent lead. The AMD chip’s single-thread win is real but isolated, and it does not translate into Cinebench single-core where Intel wins by nearly 30 percent.

Specification Differences

The core and thread counts differ: Intel has 6 cores and 12 threads, AMD has 4 cores and 8 threads. Base clocks are 2.60 GHz for Intel and 3.00 GHz for AMD. Boost clocks are 4.40 GHz for Intel and 4.70 GHz for AMD. TDP is 65 for Intel and 28 for AMD. The socket is Intel Socket 1200 versus AMD Socket FP7. Architecture is Rocket Lake versus Zen 4. Process node is 14 nm versus 4 nm. Die size is 276 mm² versus 137 mm². L1 cache is 80 KB per core versus 64 KB per core. L2 cache is 512 KB per core versus 1 MB per core. L3 cache is 12 MB shared versus 8 MB shared. Memory support is DDR4 versus DDR5. Memory bandwidth is 51.2 GB/s versus 89.6 GB/s. PCIe is Gen 4 with 20 lanes versus Gen 4 with 14 lanes. Integrated graphics are UHD Graphics 730 versus Radeon 740M. Production status is end-of-life versus active. Release dates are March 2021 versus December 2023.

The Verdict

The data is unambiguous on multi-threaded performance: the Intel Core i5-11400 is faster in every recorded multi-thread test, often by 30 percent or more. The 6-core, 12-thread design, combined with 12 MB of L3 cache, provides a substantial edge in rendering, compression, and compute workloads. The average benchmark score of 17067 versus 16663 confirms the overall lead, though it is small, within 2.4 percent. The Intel chip also wins all Cinebench single-core tests, so its single-thread deficit is limited to the specific PassMark single-thread test.

The AMD Ryzen 3 8440U has one clear win: PassMark single-thread, where it scores 3648 against 2990. That indicates strong per-core capability, likely from the higher boost clock and Zen 4 efficiency. The chip also has a much lower TDP, 28 versus 65, and a smaller die, 137 mm² versus 276 mm², which makes it suitable for mobile designs. The DDR5 memory support and 89.6 GB/s bandwidth are specification advantages, but no benchmark in the dataset shows a workload where those translate into a win.

Who should pick which? A user building a desktop with an Intel Socket 1200 motherboard, needing maximum multi-threaded throughput and a mature platform, should choose the Intel Core i5-11400. It is end-of-life, but the data shows it remains competitive. A user prioritizing a mobile, low-power chip with strong single-thread performance and newer memory support should choose the AMD Ryzen 3 8440U. The 8440U is the efficiency pick, the 11400 is the throughput pick. The recorded data favors Intel in overall performance, with the AMD chip winning only on the single PassMark single-thread metric.