AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 5355GE vs Intel Core i5-1240U Comparison

The Intel Core i5-1240U and the AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 5355GE make for an unusual comparison: a low-power mobile chip pitted against a desktop part with a much higher power budget. The recorded data shows the Intel processor winning 12 of 17 head-to-head benchmarks despite a TDP of just 9 watts against the AMD part's 35 watts, which raises immediate questions about how each design spends its thermal headroom. Yet the Ryzen 3 PRO 5355GE takes the single most demanding sustained workload in the database, suggesting the gap is more nuanced than the win count implies.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The raw win tally favors the i5-1240U, 12 wins to 5, but the distribution of those wins tells a more interesting story. On the single-threaded side, the Intel chip is consistently ahead: 226 versus 154 in Cinebench R15 single-core (a 46.8 percent gap), 707 versus 643 in R20 single-core, 1559 versus 1531 in R23 single-core, and 3239 versus 3089 in PassMark single-thread. The R15 single-core result is the starkest divergence in the entire dataset, and it points to the Alder Lake design's stronger per-thread throughput when a workload hits its performance cores.

The multicore picture splits sharply by test generation. The i5-1240U leads in the older Cinebench R15 multicore (1242 to 1093, 13.6 percent) and R20 multicore (5013 to 4555, 10.1 percent). Then the trend reverses in Cinebench R23 multicore, where the Ryzen 3 PRO 5355GE posts 10846 against 7902, a 27.1 percent victory. Why would the same chips swap positions between R20 and R23? The database does not answer directly, but the pattern is consistent with a sustained, longer-running render favoring the desktop part's higher power envelope, while shorter bursts let the 10-core Intel design sprint ahead.

PassMark results fragment further. The i5-1240U dominates physics (981 to 552, 77.7 percent), find prime numbers (63 to 31, 103.2 percent), and floating point math (29726 to 24115, 23.3 percent). The Ryzen 3 PRO 5355GE counters in extended instructions (10368 to 7932, 23.5 percent), data compression (152885 to 143102), data encryption (9564 to 8964), and string sorting (17255 to 15996). Integer math is effectively a tie at 44968 versus 44665, a 0.7 percent difference. Overall multithread goes to Intel, 13406 to 12761.

Notably, the average benchmark scores nearly cancel out: 16957 for the i5-1240U and 17482 for the Ryzen 3 PRO 5355GE. The two land in adjacent percentiles against all CPUs in the database, 70 versus 71, meaning both deliver comparable aggregate performance by very different routes.

Architecture Differences

These are fundamentally different philosophies packaged into similar performance brackets. The i5-1240U is an Alder Lake-U mobile processor built on Intel's 10 nm process, with 10 cores and 12 threads arranged in a hybrid layout, a 1100 MHz base clock, and a 4.40 GHz boost. The Ryzen 3 PRO 5355GE is a Zen 3 (Cezanne) desktop processor on TSMC's 7 nm node, with 4 cores and 8 threads, a 3.60 GHz base, and a 4.20 GHz boost. Fewer, more uniformly fast cores on a denser node, versus more threads at a much lower power draw.

Cache configurations also diverge. Intel fits 80 KB of L1 and 1.25 MB of L2 per core with a shared 12 MB L3. AMD specifies 64 KB of L1 and 512 KB of L2 per core with 8 MB of L3, but records concrete physical details the Intel entry lacks: 10,700 million transistors on a 180 mm² die.

Platform support differs in ways that shape system design. The i5-1240U supports both DDR4 and DDR5 over a dual-channel bus, carries PCIe Gen 4, and integrates Iris Xe 80EU graphics. The Ryzen 3 PRO 5355GE supports DDR4 only, with dual-channel memory and 51.2 GB/s of stated bandwidth, PCIe Gen 3 with 16 CPU lanes, and Radeon Vega 6 graphics. Crucially, the AMD part offers ECC memory support, which the Intel chip does not. Sockets differ entirely: Intel BGA 1781 (soldered mobile packaging) versus AMD Socket AM4 (socketed desktop). Neither part has an unlocked multiplier.

FAQ

Q: Which CPU is faster overall in the recorded benchmarks?

A: The i5-1240U wins 12 of 17 head-to-head tests and leads PassMark multithread 13406 to 12761, but the Ryzen 3 PRO 5355GE holds a higher average benchmark score, 17482 versus 16957, largely on the strength of its Cinebench R23 multicore win. The data shows a near draw in aggregate terms.

Q: Which one wins in Cinebench R23 multicore, and by how much?

A: The Ryzen 3 PRO 5355GE, scoring 10846 versus 7902 for the i5-1240U, a 27.1 percent margin. It is the only Cinebench multicore test the AMD part wins.

Q: Which chip is stronger for single-threaded workloads?

A: The i5-1240U, in every recorded single-core test. Its largest advantage is Cinebench R15 single-core, 226 to 154, a 46.8 percent gap; its smallest is R23 single-core at 1.8 percent.

Q: Which processor uses less power?

A: The i5-1240U, with a TDP of 9 watts versus 35 watts for the Ryzen 3 PRO 5355GE. It is a mobile part (Intel BGA 1781) while the AMD chip is a desktop part on Socket AM4.

Q: Does either CPU support ECC memory?

A: Yes, the Ryzen 3 PRO 5355GE supports ECC. The i5-1240U does not.

Q: How do they compare against other CPUs in the database?

A: Both sit in essentially the same neighborhood: the i5-1240U ranks in the 70th percentile with rivals such as the Intel Core i7-1260P (avgScore 17007, within 0.3 percent) and AMD Ryzen 5 7235HS (16902, 0.3 percent), while the Ryzen 3 PRO 5355GE sits in the 71st percentile near the AMD Ryzen 5 4600G (17507, 0.1 percent) and Intel Core 7 150U (17395, 0.5 percent).

Specification Differences

• Cores/threads: 10 cores, 12 threads (i5-1240U) versus 4 cores, 8 threads (Ryzen 3 PRO 5355GE)
• Base/boost clocks: 1100 MHz base, 4.40 GHz boost (Intel) versus 3.60 GHz base, 4.20 GHz boost (AMD)
• TDP: 9 watts versus 35 watts
• Process node: Intel 10 nm versus TSMC 7 nm
• Architecture: Alder Lake (Alder Lake-U) versus Zen 3 (Cezanne)
• Cache: 80 KB L1 and 1.25 MB L2 per core, 12 MB shared L3 (Intel) versus 64 KB L1 and 512 KB L2 per core, 8 MB L3 (AMD)
• Memory: DDR4 and DDR5 (Intel) versus DDR4 only (AMD); AMD states 51.2 GB/s bandwidth, Intel's figure is not recorded
• ECC: No (Intel) versus yes (AMD)
• PCIe: Gen 4 (Intel) versus Gen 3, 16 CPU lanes (AMD)
• Graphics: Iris Xe 80EU versus Radeon Vega 6
• Socket: Intel BGA 1781 versus AMD Socket AM4
• Market segment: Mobile versus Desktop
• Die data: the AMD part records 10,700 million transistors and a 180 mm² die; the Intel entry records neither

Both are active production parts with dual-channel memory buses, locked multipliers, and no recorded launch MSRP.

The Verdict

The data supports the i5-1240U for anyone prioritizing single-thread responsiveness, per-burst throughput, and low power draw: it wins every recorded single-core test, sweeps older Cinebench multicore runs, and posts large PassMark leads in physics, prime finding, and floating point, all within a 9-watt envelope on a soldered mobile platform. It also brings the newer platform features: DDR5 support and PCIe Gen 4.

The Ryzen 3 PRO 5355GE earns its place through sustained throughput and platform assurances. Its 27.1 percent Cinebench R23 multicore win indicates better behavior under long, heavily threaded loads, and it is the only one of the two with ECC memory support, a meaningful differentiator for workstation or stability-critical builds. Its socketed AM4 packaging contrasts with Intel's soldered BGA 1781, which matters for serviceability even though neither chip can be overclocked.

Because the average scores are nearly identical (16957 versus 17482) and the percentiles differ by a single point, the choice hinges less on raw capability and more on workload shape and platform requirements.

Where Each One Wins

Pick the i5-1240U for:

• Single-threaded applications: a clean sweep of single-core tests, headlined by the 46.8 percent R15 single-core lead
• Bursty, physics-heavy, or floating-point workloads: 77.7 percent ahead in PassMark physics, 23.3 percent in floating point math, 103.2 percent in prime number search
• General multithreaded utility: 13406 to 12761 in PassMark multithread
• Power-constrained and compact mobile systems: 9-watt TDP, dual DDR4/DDR5 support, PCIe Gen 4, Iris Xe 80EU graphics

Pick the Ryzen 3 PRO 5355GE for:

• Sustained multicore rendering: 10846 versus 7902 in Cinebench R23 multicore, a 27.1 percent margin
• SIMD and instruction-set-heavy code: 23.5 percent ahead in PassMark extended instructions
• Data-handling tasks: wins data compression, data encryption, and string sorting
• Desktop builds needing ECC memory, a socketed AM4 platform, or the higher 3.60 GHz base clock for consistent all-core loading