AMD Ryzen 5 230 vs Intel Core 5 221TE Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data shows a decisive overall result: the AMD Ryzen 5 230 wins 16 of the 17 shared benchmark comparisons, while the Intel Core 5 221TE manages a single victory. The margin is not narrow. Across the entire head-to-head set, the Ryzen 5 230 dominates in both single-threaded and multi-threaded workloads, often by wide margins.

Starting with the Cinebench suite, the Ryzen 5 230 posts 1799 points in Cinebench R15 multi-core, which is 57.9% ahead of the Intel part's 1139 points. The same pattern holds in single-core, where the AMD chip scores 253 versus 160, a 58.1% advantage. Moving to Cinebench R20, the Ryzen 5 230 records 7499 multi-core and 1058 single-core, both 57.9% ahead of the Intel Core 5 221TE's 4748 and 670. In Cinebench R23, the Ryzen 5 230 delivers 17857 multi-core and 2521 single-core, with the Intel part trailing at 11305 and 1596, a 58% gap in both tests.

The Passmark results reinforce this trend, though the margins vary by workload. The largest single margin appears in Passmark single-thread, where the Ryzen 5 230 scores 3558 against the Intel chip's 1734, a 105.2% advantage. That is the biggest delta in the entire comparison. Passmark extended instructions shows a 61.8% lead for AMD, with 15618 versus 9655. Integer math follows at 59% ahead, 67257 versus 42303. Random string sorting shows a 53.7% gap, 26019 versus 16929. Data encryption is 48.2% ahead for the Ryzen 5 230, 13280 versus 8963. The multithread test shows a 45.9% lead, 19411 versus 13301. Data compression comes in at 39.5% ahead, 218588 versus 156682. Floating point math shows a 23.2% advantage, 38993 versus 31661. Even the closest Passmark win for AMD, find prime numbers, shows an 11.9% edge, 66 versus 59.

The single Intel victory is in Passmark physics, where the Core 5 221TE scores 977 against the Ryzen 5 230's 958. That is a 1.9% margin, the narrowest result in the entire set. It is the only benchmark where the Intel part leads, and the margin is small enough to be well within typical run-to-run variation for a physics simulation workload.

Looking at the overall average benchmark scores, the Ryzen 5 230 sits at 25782, which places it in the 78th percentile of all CPUs in the database. The Core 5 221TE averages 17860, good for the 71st percentile. The nearest rivals for the AMD part include the Intel Core i7-11700K at 25812 (0.1% higher), the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 5655GE at 25880 (0.4% higher), the AMD Ryzen 7 7730U at 25625 (0.6% lower), and the AMD Ryzen AI 5 340 at 25981 (0.8% higher). For the Intel part, its nearest rivals are the AMD Ryzen 5 3600XT at 17891 (0.2% higher), the Intel Core 5 120U at 17898 (0.2% higher), the Intel Core 7 350 at 17779 (0.5% lower), and the AMD Ryzen 5 1600 at 17994 (0.7% higher). The Ryzen 5 230's average is roughly 44% higher than the Core 5 221TE's average, a substantial gap that reflects the sweeping nature of its benchmark wins.

Where Each One Wins

The Ryzen 5 230 wins across nearly every workload category in the database. Its single-thread dominance, with a 105.2% lead in Passmark single-thread, indicates strong performance in lightly threaded applications, legacy software, and interactive tasks where one or two cores carry the load. The Cinebench single-core results, showing a 58% lead in R15, R20, and R23, corroborate this. The AMD part also leads in every multi-threaded Cinebench test by roughly 58%, suggesting that its six cores with twelve threads deliver more effective throughput than the Intel part's ten cores with sixteen threads in these rendering workloads.

The Passmark suite shows the Ryzen 5 230 winning in data compression, encryption, extended instructions, integer math, floating point math, random string sorting, and the multithread test. These wins span content creation, data processing, cryptographic workloads, and general compute. The only Intel win, Passmark physics, is a narrow 1.9% margin. Physics simulations often scale with specific instruction patterns and cache behavior, and here the Intel part's larger L3 cache may contribute to its slight edge. However, the margin is too small to suggest any meaningful overall advantage in physics-based workloads.

For the Intel Core 5 221TE, the data shows a single bright spot but no broader pattern of competitiveness. Its 10-core, 16-thread configuration does not translate into wins in the multi-threaded tests, where the Ryzen 5 230 leads by 45% to 58%. The Intel part's higher boost clock of 5.00 GHz does not help it in single-thread tests, where the Ryzen 5 230 leads by 58% to 105%. In short, the Intel part has no workload category where it consistently outperforms the AMD chip, aside from that single physics result.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from different design philosophies and manufacturing processes. The AMD Ryzen 5 230 uses the Zen 4 architecture, codenamed Hawk Point, built on a 4 nm process at TSMC. It integrates 25,000 million transistors on a 178 mm² die. The Intel Core 5 221TE uses the Bartlett Lake codename on a 10 nm process at Intel, with a die size of 215 mm² and no transistor count listed in the database.

Core and thread counts differ significantly. The Ryzen 5 230 has 6 cores and 12 threads, while the Core 5 221TE has 10 cores and 16 threads. Despite having fewer cores, the AMD part wins the multi-threaded benchmarks by wide margins, indicating that its Zen 4 cores deliver substantially higher per-core throughput. The base clocks also differ: the Ryzen 5 230 runs at 3.50 GHz base and boosts to 4.90 GHz, while the Intel part runs at 1.80 GHz base and boosts to 5.00 GHz. The Intel chip's higher boost clock does not overcome the AMD part's architectural efficiency in the recorded tests.

Cache hierarchies differ as well. The Ryzen 5 230 has 64 KB of L1 per core, 1 MB of L2 per core, and 16 MB of shared L3. The Core 5 221TE has 80 KB of L1 per core, 1.25 MB of L2 per core, and 24 MB of shared L3. The Intel part's larger L3 cache may help in the physics test where it wins, but it does not provide a general advantage across the broader benchmark set.

Memory support and platform features also diverge. The Ryzen 5 230 supports DDR5 memory on a dual-channel bus with 89.6 GB/s of bandwidth. The Core 5 221TE supports both DDR4 and DDR5 on a dual-channel bus with 76.8 GB/s of bandwidth. The AMD part also supports ECC memory, while the Intel part does not. PCIe connectivity differs: the Ryzen 5 230 uses Gen 4 with 20 lanes (CPU only), while the Core 5 221TE uses Gen 5 with 16 lanes (CPU only). The integrated graphics are the Radeon 760M on the AMD side and the UHD Graphics 730 on the Intel side.

The sockets are different: AMD Socket FP8 for the Ryzen 5 230, which is a mobile platform, and Intel Socket 1700 for the Core 5 221TE, which is a desktop platform. The market segments reflect this: the Ryzen 5 230 is listed as Mobile, while the Core 5 221TE is Desktop. The power envelopes also differ, with the Ryzen 5 230 rated at 28 W TDP and the Core 5 221TE rated at 45 W TDP. The AMD part delivers higher benchmark scores at a lower TDP, an efficiency advantage visible in the data.

The Verdict

The benchmark data points to a clear overall winner. The AMD Ryzen 5 230 wins 16 of 17 shared tests, with margins ranging from 11.9% to 105.2%. Its average benchmark score of 25782 sits at the 78th percentile of all CPUs, while the Intel Core 5 221TE averages 17860 at the 71st percentile. The Ryzen 5 230 is roughly 44% ahead in average score.

The single Intel win in Passmark physics, by 1.9%, does not offset the sweeping AMD advantage. The Ryzen 5 230 leads in every Cinebench test, every Passmark test except physics, and does so while running at a lower TDP (28 W versus 45 W). It uses half the cores (6 versus 10) but delivers higher multi-threaded scores, indicating far better per-core efficiency.

For workloads involving rendering, data compression, encryption, integer or floating point math, sorting, or general multithreaded tasks, the Ryzen 5 230 is the stronger part. The Core 5 221TE offers ECC memory support, a Gen 5 PCIe interface, and a larger L3 cache, but none of these features translate into benchmark wins in the recorded data. The Intel part's only advantage is the physics test, where it edges ahead by a small margin.

Users seeking the higher overall performance should select the Ryzen 5 230. Those with a specific workload that resembles the Passmark physics test might consider the Core 5 221TE, but the data shows that its wins are isolated and narrow.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 230 has an average benchmark score of 25782, compared to the Intel Core 5 221TE's 17860.

Q: What is the largest benchmark margin between the two?

A: The largest margin is in Passmark single-thread, where the AMD Ryzen 5 230 scores 3558 versus the Intel Core 5 221TE's 1734, a 105.2% advantage.

Q: How many benchmarks does each processor win?

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 230 wins 16 of 17 head-to-head benchmarks. The Intel Core 5 221TE wins 1.

Q: Does the Intel Core 5 221TE win any benchmark?

A: Yes, it wins Passmark physics with a score of 977 versus the AMD Ryzen 5 230's 958, a 1.9% margin.

Q: What are the core and thread counts for each processor?

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 230 has 6 cores and 12 threads. The Intel Core 5 221TE has 10 cores and 16 threads.

Q: What is the TDP difference between the two?

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 230 has a TDP of 28 W. The Intel Core 5 221TE has a TDP of 45 W.

Specification Differences

| Specification | AMD Ryzen 5 230 | Intel Core 5 221TE |

| --- | --- | --- |

| Cores | 6 | 10 |

| Threads | 12 | 16 |

| Base Clock | 3.50 GHz | 1.80 GHz |

| Boost Clock | 4.90 GHz | 5.00 GHz |

| TDP | 28 W | 45 W |

| Socket | AMD Socket FP8 | Intel Socket 1700 |

| Codename | Hawk Point | Bartlett Lake |

| Process Node | 4 nm | 10 nm |

| Foundry | TSMC | Intel |

| Transistors | 25,000 million | Not listed |

| Die Size | 178 mm² | 215 mm² |

| L1 Cache | 64 KB (per core) | 80 KB (per core) |

| L2 Cache | 1 MB (per core) | 1.25 MB (per core) |

| L3 Cache | 16 MB (shared) | 24 MB (shared) |

| Memory Support | DDR5 | DDR4, DDR5 |

| Memory Bandwidth | 89.6 GB/s | 76.8 GB/s |

| ECC Memory | No | Yes |

| PCIe | Gen 4, 20 Lanes (CPU only) | Gen 5, 16 Lanes (CPU only) |

| Integrated Graphics | Radeon 760M | UHD Graphics 730 |

| Market Segment | Mobile | Desktop |

| Release Date | 2025-01-05 | 2025-01-12 |

| Launch MSRP | Not listed | $232 |

| Part Number | 100-000001726 | SRVQS |