AMD Ryzen 5 3600XT vs Intel Core i7-1255U Comparison

The AMD Ryzen 5 3600XT is the decisive winner in this comparison, taking 13 of 17 head-to-head benchmark matchups and often by massive margins, while the Intel Core i7-1255U counters with only four wins, all in single-thread or floating-point workloads. The Ryzen’s multi-core dominance is overwhelming, with its largest victory reaching 182.5% over the Intel part, making it the clear choice for any compute-heavy task despite the i7-1255U’s superior peak single-thread speed.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The most lopsided result in the entire dataset is in PassMark’s find prime numbers test, where the Ryzen 5 3600XT scores 113 versus the i7-1255U’s 40, a 182.5% advantage. This is not a close contest; the AMD part is more than twice as fast. The Cinebench multi-core results tell a similar story, with the Ryzen leading by 90.4% in Cinebench R23 (15776 vs 8285), 42.9% in R20 (6625 vs 4635), and 14.6% in R15 (1590 vs 1387). These are not marginal differences — the Ryzen consistently delivers near-double the multi-threaded rendering performance in the R23 test.

The Ryzen also dominates memory-sensitive and encryption workloads. In PassMark data compression, it scores 230645 versus 147320, a 56.6% lead. Data encryption shows a 57.7% gap (14608 vs 9262). Extended instructions favor the AMD part by 77.2% (14585 vs 8231), and random string sorting goes to the Ryzen by 47.4% (24960 vs 16934). Physics simulation is another strong area for AMD, with a 53.4% win (1210 vs 789). Even in integer math, where the i7-1255U is relatively strong, the Ryzen still wins by 6% (51416 vs 48498).

The Intel i7-1255U’s wins are concentrated in single-threaded and floating-point tests. Its best result is PassMark single-thread, where it scores 3192 against the Ryzen’s 2752, a 13.8% advantage. The same margin appears in the duplicate passmark_singlethread test. In PassMark floating-point math, the Intel part wins by 7.6% (32618 vs 30149). The final Intel victory is in Cinebench R15 single-core, where it scores 237.5 versus 224, a 5.7% edge. Notably, the Ryzen wins Cinebench R20 single-core by 43% (935 vs 654) and R23 single-core by 35.2% (2227 vs 1647), which contradicts the R15 single-core result and suggests the Intel part’s single-thread lead is inconsistent across test versions.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from fundamentally different design philosophies. The AMD Ryzen 5 3600XT is a desktop part built on TSMC’s 7 nm process, packing 3,800 million transistors into a 74 mm² die. It uses the Zen 2 architecture (codename Matisse 2) and features 6 cores with 12 threads. The Intel Core i7-1255U is a mobile processor on Intel’s 10 nm process, using the Alder Lake architecture (Alder Lake-U) with 10 cores and 12 threads. The Intel part’s hybrid core design explains its thread count matching the AMD despite having four more cores.

Cache configurations differ substantially. The Ryzen 5 3600XT provides 64 KB of L1 cache per core, 512 KB of L2 per core, and a large 32 MB shared L3 cache. The i7-1255U has 80 KB L1 per core, 1.25 MB L2 per core, but only 12 MB of shared L3. The Ryzen’s 32 MB L3 is nearly three times larger, which contributes to its strong performance in data-heavy workloads like compression and encryption. The Intel part’s higher per-core L2 (1.25 MB vs 512 KB) helps its single-thread responsiveness.

Clock speeds and power envelopes are starkly different. The Ryzen 5 3600XT has a base clock of 3.80 GHz and boost of 4.50 GHz, with a 95 W TDP. The i7-1255U has a 1700.00 MHz base clock, a 4.70 GHz boost, and a 15 W TDP. The Intel chip’s base clock is dramatically lower, reflecting its mobile efficiency focus, but its boost clock is 0.20 GHz higher. Memory support also diverges: the AMD part supports DDR4 only, while the Intel chip supports both DDR4 and DDR5, both dual-channel. The i7-1255U includes integrated Iris Xe 96EU graphics; the Ryzen has no integrated graphics. PCIe support is Gen 4 for both, with the Intel part specifying 20 lanes (CPU only). The Ryzen 5 3600XT has an unlocked multiplier; the i7-1255U does not.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Ryzen 5 3600XT is the clear winner for multi-threaded productivity, rendering, and data processing. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 15776 is nearly double the i7-1255U’s 8285, making it the obvious choice for video rendering, 3D modeling, or any workload that scales across cores. The 56.6% lead in data compression and 57.7% lead in encryption mean file archiving and disk encryption tasks will complete far faster on the AMD part. The 77.2% advantage in extended instructions and 182.5% lead in prime number finding indicates strong performance in scientific computing and mathematical workloads. The 53.4% physics win suggests better performance in simulation and physics-based applications. The 40.3% multi-thread lead (18562 vs 13234) confirms the Ryzen’s overall throughput advantage.

The Intel Core i7-1255U wins are narrower and more specialized. Its 13.8% single-thread lead in PassMark and 5.7% lead in Cinebench R15 single-core suggest it has an edge in lightly-threaded, latency-sensitive applications like spreadsheet calculations, web browsing, or basic office tasks. The 7.6% floating-point math win (32618 vs 30149) shows it handles certain numerical workloads better, which could benefit some scientific or engineering applications that rely heavily on floating-point operations. The i7-1255U’s integrated Iris Xe 96EU graphics make it the only option here for a system without a discrete GPU, though the benchmark data does not include graphics performance comparisons. For a thin-and-light laptop where battery life and low heat output matter, the 15 W TDP versus 95 W is a decisive practical advantage, even though the performance data favors AMD.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has a higher multi-core Cinebench R23 score?

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 3600XT scores 15776, which is 90.4% higher than the Intel Core i7-1255U’s 8285.

Q: Is the Intel Core i7-1255U faster in any benchmark?

A: Yes, it wins four tests: PassMark single-thread (3192 vs 2752, a 13.8% advantage), PassMark singlethread (same scores), PassMark floating-point math (32618 vs 30149, a 7.6% edge), and Cinebench R15 single-core (237.5 vs 224, a 5.7% lead).

Q: How many cores and threads does each CPU have?

A: The Ryzen 5 3600XT has 6 cores and 12 threads. The Core i7-1255U has 10 cores and 12 threads.

Q: What is the TDP difference between the two?

A: The Ryzen 5 3600XT has a 95 W TDP, while the Core i7-1255U has a 15 W TDP. This reflects the AMD part’s desktop design versus the Intel part’s mobile focus.

Q: Which CPU has more L3 cache?

A: The Ryzen 5 3600XT has 32 MB of shared L3 cache. The Core i7-1255U has 12 MB of shared L3 cache.

Q: Do both processors support PCIe Gen 4?

A: Yes, both list PCIe Gen 4 support. The Intel part specifies 20 lanes (CPU only), while the AMD part does not specify lane count in the data.

Specification Differences

| Specification | AMD Ryzen 5 3600XT | Intel Core i7-1255U |

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

| Cores | 6 | 10 |

| Base Clock | 3.80 GHz | 1700.00 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 4.50 GHz | 4.70 GHz |

| TDP | 95 W | 15 W |

| Socket | AMD Socket AM4 | Intel BGA 1744 |

| Architecture | Zen 2 | Alder Lake |

| Codename | Matisse 2 | Alder Lake-U |

| Process Node | 7 nm | 10 nm |

| Foundry | TSMC | Intel |

| Transistors | 3,800 million | Not specified |

| Die Size | 74 mm² | Not specified |

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

| L2 Cache | 512 KB (per core) | 1.25 MB (per core) |

| L3 Cache | 32 MB (shared) | 12 MB (shared) |

| Memory Support | DDR4 | DDR4, DDR5 |

| Memory Bandwidth | 51.2 GB/s | Not specified |

| Integrated Graphics | None | Iris Xe 96EU |

| Market Segment | Desktop | Mobile |

| Release Date | 2019-07-06 | 2022-02-22 |

| Launch MSRP | $249 | Not specified |

| Multiplier Unlocked | Yes | No |

| Part Number | 100-100000281 | SRLFP |

The Verdict

The data is unambiguous: for raw performance, the AMD Ryzen 5 3600XT is the superior processor in nearly every meaningful category. It wins 13 of 17 head-to-head benchmarks, including all multi-core tests, all data processing tests, and even most single-core tests despite the Intel part’s higher boost clock. The 90.4% lead in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 182.5% lead in prime number finding are not minor advantages; they represent a generational gap in compute capability. Any user whose workload involves rendering, compilation, data compression, encryption, or physics simulation should choose the Ryzen 5 3600XT without hesitation. Its 32 MB L3 cache and 51.2 GB/s memory bandwidth provide a substantial foundation for these tasks.

The Intel Core i7-1255U’s case rests entirely on its mobile design and narrow single-thread wins. The 13.8% PassMark single-thread advantage and 7.6% floating-point math win are real but limited in scope. The 15 W TDP versus 95 W makes it the only viable choice for a laptop or any power-constrained environment. Its integrated Iris Xe 96EU graphics mean a system built around it needs no discrete GPU, which the Ryzen cannot offer. For a user who prioritizes portability, battery life, and light office workloads, the i7-1255U is the practical selection. However, for anyone building a desktop system who values compute performance above all else, the Ryzen 5 3600XT’s benchmark results make it the definitive winner, with its $249 launch MSRP being the only price data available to consider. The Intel part’s lack of a launch MSRP in the data prevents a direct cost comparison, but the performance gap is so large that it overrides other considerations in most scenarios.