AMD Ryzen 5 40 vs AMD Ryzen AI 5 430 Comparison

The AMD Ryzen 5 40 and the AMD Ryzen AI 5 430 are both mobile processors from AMD, but the benchmark data positions them in different performance tiers despite sharing a core and thread count. The Ryzen AI 5 430 wins every single recorded head-to-head benchmark, 15 out of 15, with no wins for the Ryzen 5 40. The average benchmark score for the Ryzen AI 5 430 is 19617, compared to 15882 for the Ryzen 5 40, a gap that places the newer chip in the 73rd percentile of all CPUs versus the 70th percentile for the older model. The data suggests these are not competing equals but rather a clear generational step, with the Ryzen AI 5 430 delivering substantially higher performance across every measured workload.

The Verdict

The benchmark database indicates a decisive advantage for the AMD Ryzen AI 5 430. In every one of the 15 head-to-head tests, from Cinebench rendering to PassMark math and encryption workloads, the Ryzen AI 5 430 posted the higher score. The largest deficit for the Ryzen 5 40 appears in PassMark prime number finding, where it scores 20 versus 44, a 54.5% gap. The smallest gap is in random string sorting, where the Ryzen 5 40 scores 15124 against 16623, a 9% difference. No workload favors the Ryzen 5 40, making it the clear choice only for systems where the lower power draw is prioritized, as its TDP is 15 watts versus 28 watts for the Ryzen AI 5 430.

The Ryzen AI 5 430 also sits in a higher performance neighborhood according to the database. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 5 5500 with an average score of 19593 and a delta of 0.1%, the Intel Core i5-12500 at 19668 with a delta of -0.3%, and the Intel Core i5-11600KF at 19723 with a delta of -0.5%. The Ryzen 5 40, by contrast, is surrounded by server-class chips like the AMD EPYC 75F3 at 15859 and the AMD EPYC 9354P at 15826, with the Intel Core Ultra 5 134U at 15910. This comparison shows the Ryzen 5 40 delivering average performance comparable to enterprise processors, while the Ryzen AI 5 430 aligns with mainstream desktop chips from prior generations.

For a buyer, the data supports choosing the Ryzen AI 5 430 for any performance-sensitive mobile workload. The Ryzen 5 40 only makes sense in a scenario where the 15 watt TDP is a hard constraint and the performance penalty is acceptable, since its boost clock reaches 4.30 GHz versus 4.50 GHz for the other chip, but the benchmark scores reveal a much larger performance gap than the clock difference alone.

Where Each One Wins

The Ryzen 5 40 does not win any benchmark category in the recorded data. The Ryzen AI 5 430 dominates all 15 tests, which include Cinebench R15 and R23 in both single-core and multi-core modes, plus a suite of PassMark tests covering integer math, floating point math, encryption, compression, physics, extended instructions, prime number finding, and random string sorting. The Ryzen AI 5 430 also wins the aggregate multithread and single-thread PassMark scores.

The closest contest is PassMark random string sorting, where the Ryzen 5 40 scores 15124 and the Ryzen AI 5 430 scores 16623, a 9% delta. This indicates that memory access patterns and sorting algorithms narrow the gap, but the newer chip still maintains an edge. The largest win for the Ryzen AI 5 430 is in PassMark prime number finding, where it doubles the score from 20 to 44, a 54.5% improvement. This workload often depends on integer division and branch prediction, suggesting the Zen 5 architecture in the Ryzen AI 5 430 handles these operations far more efficiently than the Zen 2 architecture in the Ryzen 5 40.

In multi-core Cinebench R23, the Ryzen AI 5 430 scores 8130 versus 4841, a 40.5% advantage. In single-core R23, it scores 1797 versus 1150, a 36% advantage. These results show that the Ryzen AI 5 430 is faster both per-thread and in aggregate, meaning applications that are lightly threaded and those that scale across all cores both benefit. The Ryzen 5 40, with its lower base clock of 2.80 GHz, cannot match the sustained throughput of the Ryzen AI 5 430, which has a base clock of 2.00 GHz but a higher boost of 4.50 GHz and a newer process node.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from different architectural generations. The Ryzen 5 40 is based on Zen 2 with the codename Mendocino, built on a 6 nm process at TSMC. The Ryzen AI 5 430 uses a Zen 5 / Zen 5c hybrid design under the codename Gorgon Point, fabricated on a 4 nm process, also at TSMC. This process shrink from 6 nm to 4 nm is a key factor in the performance gap, allowing the newer chip to deliver higher clock speeds and better efficiency per watt.

The cache hierarchies also differ. The Ryzen 5 40 has 64 KB of L1 cache per core, 512 KB of L2 per core, and 4 MB of shared L3. The Ryzen AI 5 430 has 80 KB of L1 per core, 1 MB of L2 per core, and 4 MB of L3 total. The larger L1 and L2 caches on the Ryzen AI 5 430 contribute to its higher single-thread scores, particularly in workloads with small working sets that fit in cache. The L3 capacity is the same at 4 MB, but the per-core L2 doubling from 512 KB to 1 MB reduces reliance on the shared L3.

Memory support differs as well. The Ryzen 5 40 supports LPDDR5 memory with a dual-channel bus and 88.0 GB/s bandwidth. The Ryzen AI 5 430 supports both DDR5 and LPDDR5X, also dual-channel, with 89.6 GB/s bandwidth. The slight bandwidth increase of 1.6 GB/s is minor, but the newer memory types and the architecture’s memory controller improvements help in bandwidth-sensitive tasks like data compression and encryption, where the Ryzen AI 5 430 leads by 10.9% and 12.4% respectively.

The Ryzen 5 40 uses AMD Socket FT6, while the Ryzen AI 5 430 uses AMD Socket FP8. PCIe support also differs: the older chip has Gen 3 with 4 lanes (CPU only), while the newer one has Gen 4 with 14 lanes (CPU only). This means the Ryzen AI 5 430 offers both more PCIe bandwidth and more lanes for connecting peripherals, a significant advantage for systems needing faster storage or external devices. ECC memory support is present on the Ryzen AI 5 430 but absent on the Ryzen 5 40, and the integrated graphics differ: Radeon 610M for the Ryzen 5 40 versus Radeon 840M for the Ryzen AI 5 430.

FAQ

Q: Does the Ryzen AI 5 430 win every benchmark?

A: Yes. The head-to-head data shows 15 wins for the Ryzen AI 5 430 and 0 wins for the Ryzen 5 40 across all recorded tests.

Q: What is the biggest performance gap between the two?

A: The largest delta is in PassMark find prime numbers, where the Ryzen 5 40 scores 20 and the Ryzen AI 5 430 scores 44, a 54.5% difference.

Q: How do the average benchmark scores compare?

A: The Ryzen 5 40 has an average benchmark score of 15882, while the Ryzen AI 5 430 has an average of 19617, a difference of 3735 points.

Q: Do both processors have the same core and thread count?

A: Yes, both have 4 cores and 8 threads.

Q: Which processor has a higher boost clock?

A: The Ryzen AI 5 430 has a boost clock of 4.50 GHz, while the Ryzen 5 40 boosts to 4.30 GHz.

Q: Is there any workload where the Ryzen 5 40 comes close?

A: The closest result is PassMark random string sorting, where the Ryzen 5 40 scores 15124 versus 16623, a 9% gap, still a win for the Ryzen AI 5 430.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The Cinebench suite shows the most dramatic multi-core difference. In Cinebench R23 multi-core, the Ryzen AI 5 430 scores 8130 against 4841 for the Ryzen 5 40, a 40.5% advantage. In R15 multi-core, the scores are 1195 versus 790, a 33.9% delta. These multi-core results indicate that the newer architecture scales better with all threads active, likely due to the 4 nm process allowing higher sustained clocks and the larger L2 cache reducing memory stalls.

Single-core performance follows a similar pattern. In Cinebench R23 single-core, the Ryzen AI 5 430 scores 1797 versus 1150, a 36% delta. In R15 single-core, it scores 269 versus 165.5, a 38.5% delta. These numbers show that even a single thread on the Ryzen AI 5 430 outperforms the Ryzen 5 40 by over a third, which matters for applications that rely on one primary thread such as many productivity tools and older games.

The PassMark integer math test shows a 20.3% advantage for the Ryzen AI 5 430, scoring 39637 versus 31598. Floating point math shows a larger gap: 27193 versus 15194, a 44.1% delta. The extended instructions test, which exercises SIMD and specialized instruction sets, shows a 43.8% advantage with scores of 11455 versus 6437. These results indicate the Zen 5 architecture in the Ryzen AI 5 430 has significantly improved execution units for both integer and floating point operations.

Data compression and encryption workloads show smaller but still clear wins. Compression scores 158912 versus 141533, a 10.9% delta, while encryption scores 7591 versus 6646, a 12.4% delta. These workloads depend on memory bandwidth and cache efficiency, and the Ryzen AI 5 430’s slightly higher bandwidth of 89.6 GB/s versus 88.0 GB/s, combined with larger L1 and L2 caches, explains the edge. The physics test, often used in gaming simulations, shows 726 versus 432, a 40.5% delta, aligning with the multi-core Cinebench results.

The multithread PassMark score is 13320 versus 9341, a 29.9% delta, while the single-thread score is 3683 versus 2477, a 32.7% delta. Prime number finding, which is sensitive to branch prediction and integer division, shows the largest relative gap at 54.5%. Random string sorting is the closest test at 9%, suggesting that the memory subsystem differences are less impactful in this workload than in others.

Specification Differences

The two CPUs differ in nearly every specification field. The Ryzen 5 40 has a base clock of 2.80 GHz and a boost clock of 4.30 GHz, while the Ryzen AI 5 430 has a base clock of 2.00 GHz and a boost clock of 4.50 GHz. The lower base clock on the newer chip is paired with a higher boost clock, and the benchmark data confirms the boost clock is more relevant for sustained performance. TDP differs significantly: 15 watts for the Ryzen 5 40 versus 28 watts for the Ryzen AI 5 430, meaning the newer chip consumes more power but delivers substantially higher scores.

The process node is 6 nm for the Ryzen 5 40 and 4 nm for the Ryzen AI 5 430, both fabricated by TSMC. The die size is recorded as 100 mm² for the Ryzen 5 40, with no die size listed for the Ryzen AI 5 430. The socket changes from AMD Socket FT6 to AMD Socket FP8, and the part number is unknown for the Ryzen 5 40 but listed as 100-000001787 for the Ryzen AI 5 430.

Cache specifications show the Ryzen 5 40 with 64 KB L1 per core, 512 KB L2 per core, and 4 MB shared L3. The Ryzen AI 5 430 has 80 KB L1 per core, 1 MB L2 per core, and 4 MB L3. Memory support goes from LPDDR5 only to DDR5 and LPDDR5X, with bandwidth increasing from 88.0 GB/s to 89.6 GB/s. ECC memory is supported only on the Ryzen AI 5 430. PCIe improves from Gen 3 with 4 lanes to Gen 4 with 14 lanes, both CPU only. The integrated graphics differ as well, with Radeon 610M on the Ryzen 5 40 and Radeon 840M on the Ryzen AI 5 430. Neither processor has an unlocked multiplier, and both are listed as Active in production status.