AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G vs Intel Core i7-9700F Comparison

The Intel Core i7-9700F and AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G are two desktop processors that, despite vastly different core counts and architectures, land within a hair of each other in aggregate benchmark scores. The Intel part, a Coffee Lake Refresh design, brings eight physical cores, while the AMD part, a Zen 3 Cezanne chip, brings a much higher clock speed and newer process node. The data reveals a fascinating split: the Ryzen 3 PRO dominates the Cinebench suite, while the Core i7 takes a commanding lead in Geekbench’s multi-core test. This makes the choice between them highly dependent on the specific workload, rather than a simple matter of core count or thread count.

Where Each One Wins

The benchmark results create a clear dichotomy in workload suitability. The AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G is the outright winner in every single Cinebench test, which is a rendering and 3D modeling workload. Its lead is consistent, hovering around 4.7% to 4.8% across R15, R20, and R23, in both single-core and multi-core runs. This suggests that for users whose primary tasks are heavily threaded, short-burst rendering jobs or even single-threaded tasks that rely on IPC, the Ryzen part is the stronger contender.

In contrast, the Intel Core i7-9700F finds its single victory in the Geekbench multi-core test, where it outperforms the Ryzen by a massive 26.7%. Geekbench’s multi-core test is known for scaling well with physical core counts, and the i7-9700F’s eight full cores give it a structural advantage that the Ryzen’s four cores cannot overcome, even with simultaneous multithreading. This points to the Intel chip being the better choice for applications that are specifically optimized for a high number of physical cores and are less sensitive to per-core memory bandwidth or IPC.

The single-core picture is also telling. The Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G wins the Geekbench single-core test by 16.8%, and it also wins all three Cinebench single-core tests by roughly 4.7% to 4.8%. This dominance in single-threaded performance is a direct result of its higher base clock and the architectural efficiency of Zen 3. For everyday responsiveness, legacy software, and lightly threaded games, the AMD part is clearly the better performer according to the data.

Architecture Differences

The fundamental differences between these two chips explain the benchmark results. The Intel Core i7-9700F is built on Intel’s 14 nm process and uses the Coffee Lake architecture. It is a monolithic die with a size of 180.3 mm². It features 8 cores and 8 threads, with a base clock of 3.00 GHz and a boost clock of 4.70 GHz. It has 12 MB of shared L3 cache, with 256 KB of L2 cache per core. It supports dual-channel DDR4 memory with a bandwidth of 42.7 GB/s, but does not support ECC memory. The chip is a desktop part on the Intel Socket 1151 platform and is now end-of-life.

The AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G is a completely different design. It is built on TSMC’s 7 nm process, which is a significant node advantage. It uses the Zen 3 architecture (Cezanne codename) and packs 10,700 million transistors into a die size of 180 mm². Despite the larger transistor count, the chip only has 4 cores and 8 threads. However, those cores run at a much higher base clock of 4.00 GHz, though the boost clock is lower at 4.20 GHz. The cache hierarchy is different as well, with 512 KB of L2 per core and 8 MB of L3 cache. It features a higher memory bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s and, notably, supports ECC memory, which the Intel chip does not. It also includes integrated Radeon Vega 6 graphics, a feature entirely absent from the i7-9700F. The AMD part is on the AM4 socket and is still an active production part.

The core count versus clock speed trade-off is stark. The Intel chip relies on brute force with 8 physical cores, while the AMD chip relies on efficiency and higher per-core clocks. The difference in L3 cache size (12 MB vs 8 MB) is interesting, as the Intel chip has more, but the AMD chip’s faster memory bus might compensate. The presence of ECC support and integrated graphics on the AMD part makes it a more versatile platform option for certain professional or compact builds.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head data shows a consistent pattern in Cinebench with a single, large outlier in Geekbench. The AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G wins the Cinebench R15 multi-core test with a score of 1181 against the Intel’s 1126, a delta of -4.7%. In the R15 single-core test, the AMD wins again, 166 to 158, a delta of -4.8%. This pattern holds for R20, where the AMD part scores 4924 multi-core to the Intel’s 4693, and 695 single-core to the Intel’s 662, both deltas at -4.7%. The R23 results continue the trend, with the AMD part scoring 11724 multi-core versus 11176, and 1655 single-core versus 1577, again a -4.7% delta.

The Geekbench results break the pattern dramatically. In the Geekbench multi-core test, the Intel Core i7-9700F wins decisively with a score of 6807 against the AMD’s 5373, a delta of 26.7% in favor of Intel. This is a huge margin and shows that the Intel chip’s eight cores are far more effective in this specific workload. However, in the Geekbench single-core test, the AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G takes back the lead with a score of 1813 against 1509, a delta of -16.8% in favor of AMD. This means the AMD chip is 16.8% faster in this test.

These numbers suggest that the Cinebench tests are more sensitive to the overall throughput of the CPU, where the AMD chip’s higher clocks and IPC give it a slight edge even with fewer cores. The Geekbench multi-core test, however, seems to reward physical cores more heavily, allowing the Intel chip to leverage its 8-core design for a massive win. The Geekbench single-core test, like the Cinebench single-core tests, shows the AMD chip’s superior per-core performance, but the margin is much larger.

FAQ

Q: Which processor is faster in single-core performance?

A: The AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G is faster in every single-core benchmark recorded. It wins Cinebench R15 (166 vs 158), R20 (695 vs 662), R23 (1655 vs 1577), and Geekbench (1813 vs 1509) against the Intel Core i7-9700F.

Q: The Intel chip has 8 cores and the AMD has 4. Why does AMD win multi-core Cinebench?

A: Despite having half the cores, the AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G wins all Cinebench multi-core tests by about 4.7%. This indicates that its higher base clock (4.00 GHz vs 3.00 GHz) and more efficient Zen 3 architecture provide enough per-core strength to overcome the core count disadvantage in this specific workload.

Q: Is there any test where the Intel Core i7-9700F wins?

A: Yes. The Intel Core i7-9700F wins the Geekbench multi-core test by a significant margin, scoring 6807 compared to the AMD’s 5373, a 26.7% advantage. This shows a workload where the eight physical cores are a major asset.

Q: What are the memory support differences?

A: Both processors support dual-channel DDR4 memory. However, the AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G supports ECC memory, while the Intel Core i7-9700F does not. The AMD part also has a higher rated memory bandwidth at 51.2 GB/s compared to the Intel’s 42.7 GB/s.

Q: Which processor has integrated graphics?

A: The AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G includes integrated Radeon Vega 6 graphics. The Intel Core i7-9700F does not have any integrated graphics, as indicated by the “F” in its name.

Q: How do these processors compare to their closest rivals in aggregate score?

A: The Intel Core i7-9700F has an average benchmark score of 3464, placing it 0.1% ahead of the Intel Xeon E-2186G and 0.2% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 7730U. The AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G has an average score of 3441, which is statistically tied with the Intel Core i7-5960X (0% delta) and 0.1% behind the AMD Ryzen 5 4600HS.

The Verdict

The data dictates a clear choice based on workload. For users running applications that are heavily reliant on single-threaded performance or the specific type of multi-threaded rendering that Cinebench represents, the AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G is the superior part. Its consistent 4.7% lead in all Cinebench tests and a 16.8% lead in Geekbench single-core makes it the stronger pick for general productivity, legacy software, and tasks where per-core speed is paramount. The higher memory bandwidth and ECC support also make it a more robust platform choice for certain professional environments.

For users whose primary applications are optimized for a high number of physical cores, the Intel Core i7-9700F is the clear winner. The 26.7% advantage in Geekbench multi-core is a massive margin and indicates that the eight-core design provides a large benefit in that specific scenario. The Intel part is also the better choice if the workload is known to scale linearly with core count, as its 8 cores provide a structural advantage that the 4-core AMD part cannot match, regardless of clock speed. The choice is not about which is the better processor overall, but which is better for the specific computational profile of the user’s software.

Specification Differences

| Specification | Intel Core i7-9700F | AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G |

| :--- | :--- | :--- |

| Cores | 8 | 4 |

| Threads | 8 | 8 |

| Base Clock | 3.00 GHz | 4.00 GHz |

| Boost Clock | 4.70 GHz | 4.20 GHz |

| Architecture | Coffee Lake | Zen 3 |

| Process Node | 14 nm | 7 nm |

| Foundry | Intel | TSMC |

| Transistors | Not specified | 10,700 million |

| Die Size | 180.3 mm² | 180 mm² |

| L2 Cache | 256 KB (per core) | 512 KB (per core) |

| L3 Cache | 12 MB (shared) | 8 MB |

| Memory Bandwidth | 42.7 GB/s | 51.2 GB/s |

| ECC Memory | No | Yes |

| Integrated Graphics | None | Radeon Vega 6 |

| Socket | Intel Socket 1151 | AMD Socket AM4 |

| Production Status | End-of-life | Active |

| Launch MSRP | $333 | Not specified |