AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 5355GE vs Intel Core i7-1260P Comparison

The AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 5355GE and Intel Core i7-1260P occupy different corners of the processor market: the former is a desktop part built on Zen 3, the latter a mobile chip based on Alder Lake. In the database's head-to-head tests, the Intel chip wins 16 of 17 comparisons, but the AMD chip takes the single most important rendering benchmark and posts a higher aggregate score. This analysis breaks down where each processor wins and what the numbers mean for real-world workloads.

Where Each One Wins

The Intel Core i7-1260P dominates the head-to-head benchmark suite, taking 16 of 17 recorded tests. Its wins span every category except one: Cinebench R23 multi-core, where the AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 5355GE posts a 10846 score against Intel's 9711, a delta of 11.7% in AMD's favor. That single victory is significant because Cinebench R23 multi-core is a widely used proxy for long-form rendering and content creation workloads. For users who spend most of their time in CPU-bound rendering tasks, the AMD chip is the faster option.

Everywhere else, the Intel part is ahead. The largest margins come in Passmark's find prime numbers test, where Intel scores 63 versus AMD's 31, a 50.8% advantage. Passmark physics follows with 1092 against 552, a 49.5% lead. Floating point math shows Intel at 42417 versus 24115, a 43.1% gap. These are compute-heavy, multi-threaded workloads that benefit from the Intel chip's 12 cores and 16 threads, compared to AMD's 4 cores and 8 threads. The Intel part also wins all three Cinebench single-core tests, with margins from 11.9% to 36.6%, and all Passmark integer, encryption, compression, and sorting tests.

The AMD chip's aggregate standing is nonetheless strong. Its average benchmark score across the database is 17482, slightly above Intel's 17007, and its percentile versus all CPUs is 71 versus Intel's 70. That suggests the AMD part performs well in tests not included in the head-to-head set, or that its scores are more consistent. But in the direct comparisons recorded here, the Intel Core i7-1260P is the clear winner.

The Verdict

The data points to a straightforward conclusion: if your primary workload is Cinebench R23 multi-core rendering, the AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 5355GE is the better choice. It beats the Intel chip by 11.7% in that specific test, and its overall average score is higher. For every other measured workload, the Intel Core i7-1260P is faster, often by substantial margins. The Intel part leads in single-core performance, multi-threaded math, physics simulation, data compression, encryption, and integer operations.

The market segments reinforce this split. The AMD chip is a desktop processor on Socket AM4, while the Intel chip is a mobile part on BGA 1744. If you are building a desktop system and need a low-power (35W TDP) processor with ECC memory support, the AMD part is the only one of the two that fits that socket and feature set. If you are selecting a processor for a laptop or a compact mobile device, the Intel chip is the only option, and it also happens to be faster in most tests. The Intel part's 28W TDP is lower than AMD's 35W, which is notable for mobile thermal budgets.

For users who prioritize raw performance across a broad range of tasks, the Intel Core i7-1260P is the clear pick. Its 12 cores, 16 threads, and 4.70 GHz boost clock give it a decisive edge in multi-threaded and single-threaded workloads alike. The AMD chip's single win in Cinebench R23 multi-core is real, but it does not offset the Intel part's dominance elsewhere. The verdict is simple: choose the AMD for that one rendering benchmark and for desktop compatibility with ECC; choose the Intel for everything else.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head results are lopsided, but the margins vary widely. The Intel Core i7-1260P's biggest win is in Passmark find prime numbers, where it scores 63 against AMD's 31, a 50.8% advantage. That test is highly sensitive to integer throughput and core count, and the Intel part's 12 cores deliver more than double the score. Passmark physics shows a similar pattern: Intel at 1092, AMD at 552, a 49.5% lead. Floating point math is another blowout, with Intel at 42417 versus AMD's 24115, a 43.1% gap.

In Cinebench, the Intel chip wins all but one test. Cinebench R15 multi-core sees Intel at 1626 against AMD's 1093, a 32.8% lead. R15 single-core is even more one-sided: 243 versus 154, a 36.6% margin. R20 multi-core gives Intel 5874 versus 4555, a 22.5% lead, and R20 single-core is 829 versus 643, a 22.4% gap. The only Cinebench test the AMD chip wins is R23 multi-core, where it scores 10846 against Intel's 9711, an 11.7% advantage. That result is notable because R23 is a more modern and demanding rendering workload, and the AMD part's Zen 3 architecture appears to scale better in that specific test.

Passmark's other tests also favor Intel. Data compression: Intel 182968, AMD 152885, a 16.4% lead. Data encryption: 11238 versus 9564, a 14.9% gap. Extended instructions: 10493 versus 10368, a narrow 1.2% lead. Integer math: 62316 versus 44665, a 28.3% margin. Multithread: 16775 versus 12761, a 23.9% lead. Random string sorting: 20586 versus 17255, a 16.2% gap. Single-thread: 3250 versus 3089, a 5% lead. The Intel part wins every one of these, with the smallest margin being the 1.2% in extended instructions, which is effectively a tie.

The aggregate picture is clear: the Intel Core i7-1260P is faster in 16 of 17 head-to-head tests, with an average delta of roughly 20% across its wins. The AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 5355GE's single win is a meaningful one, but it is an outlier in an otherwise Intel-dominated comparison.

FAQ

Q: Which CPU wins in Cinebench R23 multi-core?

A: The AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 5355GE wins, scoring 10846 against the Intel Core i7-1260P's 9711, a delta of 11.7% in AMD's favor.

Q: Which CPU has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 5355GE has an average benchmark score of 17482, while the Intel Core i7-1260P scores 17007. The AMD part also has a higher percentile versus all CPUs: 71 versus 70.

Q: Which CPU has more cores and threads?

A: The Intel Core i7-1260P has 12 cores and 16 threads, while the AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 5355GE has 4 cores and 8 threads.

Q: Which CPU supports ECC memory?

A: The AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 5355GE supports ECC memory, while the Intel Core i7-1260P does not.

Q: Which CPU is designed for desktop use?

A: The AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 5355GE is a desktop processor on Socket AM4, while the Intel Core i7-1260P is a mobile processor on BGA 1744.

Q: Which CPU has a higher boost clock?

A: The Intel Core i7-1260P has a boost clock of 4.70 GHz, compared to the AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 5355GE's 4.20 GHz.

Architecture Differences

The two processors are built on fundamentally different architectures. The AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 5355GE uses Zen 3, codenamed Cezanne, on a 7 nm process from TSMC. It packs 10,700 million transistors into a 180 mm² die. The Intel Core i7-1260P uses Alder Lake, codenamed Alder Lake-P, on Intel's 10 nm process, with a die size of 217 mm². Intel does not list a transistor count in the database.

Core counts differ sharply. The AMD chip has 4 cores and 8 threads, with a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.20 GHz. The Intel chip has 12 cores and 16 threads, with a base clock of 2.10 GHz and a boost clock of 4.70 GHz. The Intel part's higher boost clock and greater core count explain its dominance in multi-threaded and single-threaded tests, despite a lower base clock.

Cache hierarchies also diverge. The AMD chip has 64 KB of L1 cache per core, 512 KB of L2 per core, and 8 MB of L3 cache. The Intel chip has 80 KB of L1 per core, 1.25 MB of L2 per core, and 18 MB of shared L3 cache. The larger L3 cache on the Intel part likely contributes to its performance in data-heavy workloads like compression and encryption.

Memory support differs as well. The AMD chip supports DDR4 memory in a dual-channel configuration, with a memory bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s. The Intel chip supports both DDR4 and DDR5, also dual-channel, but the database does not list a bandwidth figure. ECC memory is supported on the AMD chip but not on the Intel chip. PCIe connectivity also differs: the AMD chip offers Gen 3 with 16 lanes (CPU only), while the Intel chip offers Gen 4 with 20 lanes (CPU only).

Integrated graphics are present on both. The AMD chip includes Radeon Vega 6, while the Intel chip has Iris Xe 96EU. The Intel part's integrated GPU is likely more capable, but the database does not provide comparative graphics benchmarks. The AMD chip is a desktop part with a 35W TDP, while the Intel chip is a mobile part with a 28W TDP. The AMD chip was released in September 2024, while the Intel chip was released in February 2022. Both are currently active in production.

These architectural differences explain the performance split. The Intel chip's higher core count, larger cache, and newer PCIe generation give it a broad advantage in most workloads. The AMD chip's Zen 3 architecture, despite fewer cores, manages to win the Cinebench R23 multi-core test, likely due to its higher per-core efficiency in that specific rendering workload. The choice between the two ultimately comes down to workload priorities and platform requirements.