AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 4450U vs Intel Core i5-8600 Comparison

The Intel Core i5-8600 and AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 4450U represent two very different philosophies in processor design: a 65W desktop part from 2018 built on Intel’s 14nm process, and a 15W mobile part from 2020 built on TSMC’s 7nm process. Despite the architectural chasm between them, benchmark results show a surprisingly narrow performance gap, with the older Intel chip winning every single head-to-head test by a margin of roughly 3%. The data shows a consistent pattern: the i5-8600 edges out the Ryzen 3 PRO 4450U across the entire Cinebench suite, but the Ryzen part’s efficiency and modern node give it a distinct identity that the raw scores do not fully capture. Both processors sit at the 48th percentile of all CPUs, indicating they occupy a similar mid-range performance tier, though their intended use cases diverge sharply.

Where Each One Wins

The Intel Core i5-8600 is the outright winner in every benchmark where the two are directly compared. It takes all six head-to-head tests, with margins ranging from 3.1% to 3.4% across multi-core and single-core workloads in Cinebench R15, R20, and R23. This makes it the clear choice for raw compute throughput in desktop scenarios where power draw is not the primary constraint. The i5-8600’s 6 cores and 6 threads, combined with a 4.30 GHz boost clock, give it a decisive edge in sustained multi-threaded workloads like video rendering or batch processing. In Cinebench R23 multi-core, the i5-8600 scores 8486 against the Ryzen’s 8230, a 3.1% advantage that holds steady across all multi-core tests. Single-core performance also favors Intel, with a 3.4% lead in R15 (120 vs 116) and a 3.2% lead in R23 (1198 vs 1161).

The AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 4450U, despite losing every head-to-head comparison, wins in a different arena: efficiency. Its 15W TDP is dramatically lower than the i5-8600’s 65W, making it the superior option for thin-and-light laptops where battery life and thermal management are paramount. The Ryzen’s 4 cores and 8 threads leverage simultaneous multithreading to close the gap in multi-core workloads, trailing by only 3.1% in Cinebench R20 multi-core (3456 vs 3564) despite having two fewer physical cores. The data shows the Ryzen part is also the only one of the two with a Geekbench result, scoring 3840 multi-core and 1181 single-core, suggesting it has been validated in a broader range of mobile workloads. For users prioritizing portability and sustained operation on battery, the Ryzen 3 PRO 4450U is the logical pick, even if it concedes raw performance to the Intel desktop chip.

Architecture Differences

The two processors are built on fundamentally different foundations. The Intel Core i5-8600 uses the Coffee Lake architecture, fabricated on Intel’s 14 nm process with a die size of 154 mm². It features 6 cores and 6 threads, with no hyper-threading, and a base clock of 3.10 GHz boosting to 4.30 GHz. The cache hierarchy includes 64 KB of L1 per core, 256 KB of L2 per core, and 9 MB of shared L3 cache. Memory support is DDR4 over a dual-channel bus with a theoretical bandwidth of 42.7 GB/s. The i5-8600 uses the Intel Socket 1151 and is a desktop part, now marked as end-of-life, with a launch MSRP of $213. Its integrated graphics are the UHD Graphics 630, and it offers PCIe Gen 3 with 16 lanes from the CPU.

The AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 4450U belongs to the 4000 series and uses the Zen 2 architecture, codenamed Renoir. It is built on TSMC’s 7 nm process with 9,800 million transistors on a 156 mm² die. The chip has 4 cores and 8 threads, enabling simultaneous multithreading that the Intel part lacks. Base clock is 2.40 GHz with a boost of 3.70 GHz, significantly lower than the i5-8600’s clocks but compensated by the more efficient architecture. Cache amounts differ notably: 64 KB L1 per core, 512 KB L2 per core (double the Intel’s), but only 4 MB of shared L3 cache, less than half of the i5-8600’s 9 MB. The Ryzen supports DDR4 on a dual-channel bus but with a much higher theoretical bandwidth of 68.3 GB/s. It uses the AMD Socket FP6, is a mobile part, and remains in active production. Its integrated graphics are the Radeon Graphics 320SP, and it provides PCIe Gen 3 without the lane count specified for the Intel chip. The Ryzen also has a higher transistor count by a substantial margin, though the die sizes are nearly identical (156 mm² vs 154 mm²), highlighting the density advantage of the 7 nm process.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head results are remarkably consistent, with the Intel Core i5-8600 winning every test by a narrow margin. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the i5-8600 scores 855 against the Ryzen’s 829, a 3.1% delta. The single-core R15 test shows the largest gap: 120 vs 116, a 3.4% advantage for Intel. This pattern repeats in Cinebench R20, where multi-core scores are 3564 vs 3456 (3.1% delta) and single-core scores are 503 vs 487 (3.3% delta). The most recent Cinebench R23 results continue the trend: multi-core at 8486 vs 8230 (3.1% delta) and single-core at 1198 vs 1161 (3.2% delta). Across all six benchmarks, the Intel part’s lead never exceeds 3.4% and never falls below 3.1%, indicating a stable and predictable performance advantage.

The Ryzen 3 PRO 4450U’s best showing is in multi-core workloads, where its 8 threads help it stay close despite having only 4 physical cores. The largest single-core gap is just 3.4% in R15, which is a modest difference in real-world terms. The data suggests that the i5-8600’s higher clock speeds (4.30 GHz boost vs 3.70 GHz boost) and larger L3 cache provide a consistent edge, but the Zen 2 architecture’s efficiency allows the Ryzen to punch above its weight class. Notably, the Ryzen’s average benchmark score is 2413, which is only 1.7% lower than the Intel’s 2454, and both chips sit at the 48th percentile of all CPUs. This indicates that the two processors perform in the same league, with the i5-8600 holding a slight but definitive advantage in every measured metric.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ across nearly every specification field. The most striking difference is TDP: the Intel Core i5-8600 draws 65W, while the AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 4450U draws just 15W. Core and thread counts also diverge, with the Intel offering 6 cores and 6 threads versus the AMD’s 4 cores and 8 threads. Clock speeds favor Intel, with a base of 3.10 GHz and boost of 4.30 GHz compared to AMD’s 2.40 GHz base and 3.70 GHz boost. Process technology is a major differentiator: Intel uses 14 nm from its own foundry, while AMD uses 7 nm from TSMC. Transistor counts are only specified for the AMD part at 9,800 million, while die sizes are nearly identical at 154 mm² for Intel and 156 mm² for AMD.

Cache configurations differ significantly. Both have 64 KB of L1 per core, but L2 cache is 256 KB per core on Intel versus 512 KB per core on AMD. L3 cache is 9 MB shared on Intel versus 4 MB shared on AMD. Memory bandwidth is substantially higher on the AMD part at 68.3 GB/s compared to Intel’s 42.7 GB/s, despite both using dual-channel DDR4. The sockets are incompatible: Intel Socket 1151 for the i5-8600 and AMD Socket FP6 for the Ryzen. Integrated graphics differ as well, with Intel’s UHD Graphics 630 versus AMD’s Radeon Graphics 320SP. The Intel part is a desktop segment chip, while the AMD is mobile. Production status also differs: Intel is end-of-life, while AMD is active. The Intel chip has a launch MSRP of $213, but the AMD has none listed. Both lack an unlocked multiplier.

FAQ

Q: Which processor wins in multi-core performance?

A: The Intel Core i5-8600 wins all three multi-core Cinebench tests. It scores 855 vs 829 in R15, 3564 vs 3456 in R20, and 8486 vs 8230 in R23, each a 3.1% advantage over the AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 4450U.

Q: How do the single-core scores compare?

A: The i5-8600 leads in every single-core test as well. The margins are 3.4% in R15 (120 vs 116), 3.3% in R20 (503 vs 487), and 3.2% in R23 (1198 vs 1161).

Q: What is the TDP difference between the two?

A: The Intel Core i5-8600 has a TDP of 65W, while the AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 4450U has a TDP of 15W. This makes the Ryzen far more suitable for battery-powered devices.

Q: Which chip has more cores and threads?

A: The Intel has 6 cores and 6 threads, while the AMD has 4 cores and 8 threads. The AMD compensates for fewer physical cores with simultaneous multithreading.

Q: How does the cache configuration differ?

A: Both have 64 KB of L1 per core. The Intel has 256 KB of L2 per core and 9 MB of shared L3, while the AMD has 512 KB of L2 per core and only 4 MB of shared L3.

Q: What are the process nodes for each processor?

A: The Intel Core i5-8600 is built on Intel’s 14 nm process, while the AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 4450U uses TSMC’s 7 nm process. The AMD die contains 9,800 million transistors.