AMD Ryzen 5 2500U vs Intel Core i3-4360 Comparison

# Intel Core i3-4360 vs AMD Ryzen 5 2500U

These two processors occupy nearly identical positions in the aggregate benchmark standings, but they achieve that parity through completely different means. The Intel Core i3-4360 is a 2014 desktop chip built on 22 nm Haswell silicon, while the AMD Ryzen 5 2500U is a 2017 mobile processor using 14 nm Zen architecture. Both land at the 29th percentile among all CPUs, and their average benchmark scores are separated by only three points — 1061 for the Intel versus 1058 for the AMD. That near-tie masks a lopsided head-to-head result: in the only directly comparable benchmark, the AMD Ryzen 5 2500U wins decisively with a 609 score against the Intel's 310, a 49.1% advantage. The story here is not about which chip is faster overall — it is about why the benchmark data shows such a split between aggregate parity and dominant single-test performance.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Ryzen 5 2500U wins the only head-to-head benchmark available in the data. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the AMD scores 609 while the Intel manages just 310, a delta of 49.1%. That is not a marginal victory; it is a near-doubling of the Intel's output. The Ryzen's advantage stems from having twice the cores and twice the threads — 4 cores and 8 threads versus the i3-4360's 2 cores and 4 threads. For multi-threaded workloads that scale with core count, the AMD is the clear choice.

The Intel Core i3-4360, however, does not win any benchmark in this comparison. Its wins are entirely absent — the data shows zero benchmark wins for the Intel part. That does not mean it is without merit; its single-core Cinebench R20 score of 182 and R23 score of 435 are competitive for its era, but against the Ryzen 5 2500U, the available benchmarks show no category where the Intel pulls ahead.

The real split is architectural: the AMD is a mobile chip with a 15 W TDP designed for power-efficient multi-threading, while the Intel is a 54 W desktop part built for consistent dual-core performance. The benchmark data reflects this — the AMD wins where thread count matters, and the Intel's strengths would appear in single-threaded tests, though none are shared in the head-to-head set.

Architecture Differences

The two chips come from different manufacturing eras and design philosophies. The Intel Core i3-4360 uses the Haswell architecture on a 22 nm process node fabricated by Intel. It contains 1,400 million transistors on a 177 mm² die. The AMD Ryzen 5 2500U uses the Zen architecture (codenamed Raven Ridge) on a 14 nm process from GlobalFoundries, packing 4,950 million transistors onto a 210 mm² die. The AMD has more than three times the transistor count and a larger die, despite being a lower-power mobile part.

Core and thread counts differ sharply: the Intel offers 2 cores and 4 threads, while the AMD doubles that to 4 cores and 8 threads. Cache hierarchies also diverge. The Intel has 64 KB of L1 cache per core, 256 KB of L2 per core, and 4 MB of shared L3. The AMD has 96 KB of L1 per core, 512 KB of L2 per core, and the same 4 MB of shared L3. The AMD's larger per-core caches give it more room for data locality, though the total L3 is identical.

Memory support separates the two as well. The Intel uses DDR3 with a dual-channel memory bus, while the AMD uses DDR4 with a dual-channel bus and a rated memory bandwidth of 38.4 GB/s. The Intel has no listed memory bandwidth figure. The AMD also has a PCIe Gen 3 interface with 8 lanes (CPU only), while the Intel has PCIe Gen 3 with no lane count specified. Both lack ECC memory support.

The integrated graphics differ: the Intel pairs with Intel HD 4600, while the AMD includes Radeon Vega 8. Clock speeds tell a nuanced story — the Intel has a base clock of 3.70 GHz with no boost clock, meaning it runs at a fixed frequency. The AMD has a 2000 MHz base clock that boosts to 3.60 GHz, giving it a much lower idle baseline but a similar maximum. The Intel's TDP of 54 W versus the AMD's 15 W highlights their different market segments: desktop versus mobile. The AMD is also still in active production, while the Intel's production status is not listed.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The single head-to-head benchmark available is Cinebench R15 multi-core, and it is a rout. The AMD Ryzen 5 2500U scores 609, the Intel Core i3-4360 scores 310, and the winning margin is 49.1%. That means the AMD delivers roughly double the multi-threaded rendering performance in this test. The result aligns with the core-count disparity — the AMD's 4 cores and 8 threads allow it to process more render tiles simultaneously than the Intel's 2 cores and 4 threads.

Beyond that shared test, each chip has its own benchmark portfolio that cannot be directly compared. The Intel has Cinebench R20 scores of 1294 multi-core and 182 single-core, plus Cinebench R23 scores of 3082 multi-core and 435 single-core. The AMD has Geekbench scores of 2635 multi-core and 851 single-core, plus a Cinebench R15 single-core score of 137. These are different tests with different scales, so they cannot be used to declare a winner. However, the AMD's Geekbench single-core score of 851 against its own multi-core of 2635 suggests a scaling factor of about 3.1 across 4 cores, which is reasonable for a mobile Zen part.

The Intel's average benchmark score of 1061 is nearly identical to the AMD's 1058, and both sit at the 29th percentile. Their nearest rivals reinforce this parity: the Intel's closest competitor is the AMD Opteron 4376 HE with an identical 1061 score (0% delta), followed by the Intel Core i5-4570TE at 1062 (-0.1%) and the AMD FX-8320E at 1059 (+0.2%). The AMD Ryzen 5 2500U's nearest rival is the Intel Core i3-4350 at 1058 (0% delta), with the Intel Core i7-2760QM at 1057 (+0.1%) and the Intel Pentium G4600 at 1056 (+0.2%). Both chips are clustered within a seven-point range of each other and their rivals, making their aggregate performance essentially indistinguishable.

The Verdict

The data points to a simple conclusion: choose the AMD Ryzen 5 2500U for multi-threaded workloads. The Cinebench R15 multi-core result is unambiguous — the AMD beats the Intel by 49.1%, and it does so while consuming only 15 W versus the Intel's 54 W. That efficiency gap, combined with the active production status and DDR4 memory support, makes the AMD the more future-proof option for anyone running threaded applications.

The Intel Core i3-4360 has no benchmark wins in this comparison, but its fixed 3.70 GHz clock and desktop-class 54 W TDP suggest it may hold its own in lightly threaded tasks where consistent frequency matters more than core count. The data does not include a shared single-core test, so that remains speculative. For users whose workloads are predominantly single-threaded and who already have DDR3 platforms, the Intel could still be serviceable — but the benchmark evidence for its superiority is absent.

For anyone building a system today, the Ryzen 5 2500U is the data-backed pick. It wins the only direct comparison, offers twice the threads, supports faster DDR4 memory with a rated 38.4 GB/s bandwidth, and includes Radeon Vega 8 graphics versus the older Intel HD 4600. The Intel's sole advantage is its higher base clock and desktop form factor, but neither translates into a measured win in the available data.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has a higher multi-core Cinebench R15 score?

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 2500U scores 609 versus the Intel Core i3-4360's 310, a 49.1% advantage for the AMD.

Q: How do their average benchmark scores compare?

A: The Intel Core i3-4360 has an average benchmark score of 1061, while the AMD Ryzen 5 2500U scores 1058 — a difference of just three points, with both sitting at the 29th percentile.

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

A: The Intel Core i3-4360 has 2 cores and 4 threads. The AMD Ryzen 5 2500U has 4 cores and 8 threads.

Q: Which processor supports faster memory?

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 2500U supports DDR4 with a rated memory bandwidth of 38.4 GB/s. The Intel Core i3-4360 supports DDR3 with no listed bandwidth figure.

Q: What is the TDP difference between the two?

A: The Intel Core i3-4360 has a TDP of 54 W, while the AMD Ryzen 5 2500U has a TDP of 15 W — a 39 W difference in favor of the AMD's power efficiency.

Q: Are there any benchmark tests where the Intel wins?

A: No. The head-to-head data shows zero wins for the Intel Core i3-4360 and one win for the AMD Ryzen 5 2500U in Cinebench R15 multi-core.