CPU Comparison

The Intel Core 3 100U and AMD Ryzen 5 40 are both 15 W mobile processors aimed at thin-and-light laptops, but benchmark data reveals two very different design philosophies. The Intel chip, built on Raptor Lake, offers six cores and a high 4.70 GHz boost clock, while the AMD part, based on the Mendocino Zen 2 architecture, counters with a higher base clock and a more efficient 6 nm process. Across 15 head-to-head benchmark tests, the Intel Core 3 100U takes a dominant 13 wins, with the AMD Ryzen 5 40 securing only two, yet the AMD chip still holds its own in specific single-threaded and compression workloads. The data shows that these are not interchangeable parts; each has a distinct performance profile that suits different tasks.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has more cores and threads?

A: The Intel Core 3 100U has 6 cores and 8 threads, while the AMD Ryzen 5 40 has 4 cores and 8 threads. This gives the Intel part a two-core advantage in multi-threaded workloads.

Q: What is the biggest performance gap between the two in the benchmark data?

A: The largest delta is in Cinebench R23 multi-core, where the Intel Core 3 100U scores 10624 versus the AMD Ryzen 5 40's 4841, a massive 119.5% advantage for Intel. The second-largest gap is in PassMark physics, with Intel leading 876 to 432, a 102.8% delta.

Q: Does the AMD Ryzen 5 40 win any benchmarks?

A: Yes, the AMD Ryzen 5 40 wins two tests: Cinebench R15 single-core (165.5 vs 150, a 9.4% lead) and PassMark data compression (141533 vs 136497, a 3.6% lead).

Q: How do the two compare in terms of average benchmark score?

A: The Intel Core 3 100U has an average benchmark score of 16148, while the AMD Ryzen 5 40 scores 15882. Both processors fall in the 70th percentile of all CPUs according to the available data.

Q: What are the key architectural differences?

A: The Intel Core 3 100U uses Raptor Lake architecture on a 10 nm process from Intel, while the AMD Ryzen 5 40 uses Zen 2 (Mendocino) on a 6 nm process from TSMC. The Intel chip also has a larger L3 cache (10 MB shared) compared to AMD's 4 MB shared.

Q: Which processor supports faster PCIe lanes?

A: The Intel Core 3 100U supports PCIe Gen 4 with 8 lanes (CPU only), whereas the AMD Ryzen 5 40 supports PCIe Gen 3 with 4 lanes (CPU only). This indicates a potential bandwidth advantage for the Intel part in compatible systems.

Where Each One Wins

The benchmark results paint a clear picture of distinct use-case strengths. The Intel Core 3 100U is the clear winner for compute-heavy, multi-threaded tasks. Its 119.5% lead in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 102.8% lead in PassMark physics demonstrate a substantial advantage in rendering, simulation, and other workloads that scale with core count and cache. The Intel chip also dominates in floating-point math (86.4% ahead) and integer math (25.3% ahead), making it the better choice for scientific computing, video encoding, and complex data analysis. For general productivity and everyday responsiveness, the Intel part's 41.5% lead in PassMark single-thread and 30.3% lead in Cinebench R23 single-core indicate snappier application launches and smoother single-threaded performance in most software.

The AMD Ryzen 5 40, despite its fewer cores, finds its niche in two specific areas. Its win in Cinebench R15 single-core (165.5 vs 150) suggests that in certain legacy or lightly-threaded applications, it can match or exceed the Intel chip's per-core performance. More notably, its win in PassMark data compression (141533 vs 136497) indicates an efficiency in handling compressible data streams, which could benefit file archiving tools and certain database operations. However, this is a narrow edge; the AMD chip's performance is otherwise consistently lower across the board, particularly in multi-threaded scenarios where the Intel part's two extra cores provide a decisive lead. For users prioritizing raw multi-core muscle, the Intel Core 3 100U is the obvious pick; for those with workloads specifically involving data compression, the AMD Ryzen 5 40 offers a small but measurable advantage.

Architecture Differences

The architectural divide between these two processors is significant, reflecting different design goals from Intel and AMD. The Intel Core 3 100U is built on Raptor Lake, a hybrid architecture using a 10 nm process from Intel's own foundry. It features 6 cores and 8 threads, with a base clock of 1.20 GHz and a boost clock of 4.70 GHz. The cache hierarchy includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 1.25 MB of L2 per core, and a 10 MB shared L3 cache. This larger cache and higher boost clock are likely contributors to its strong single-threaded and multi-threaded benchmark scores.

The AMD Ryzen 5 40, in contrast, uses the Zen 2 architecture under the Mendocino codename, manufactured on a more advanced 6 nm process by TSMC. It has 4 cores and 8 threads, with a higher base clock of 2.80 GHz but a lower boost clock of 4.30 GHz. Its cache is smaller across the board: 64 KB of L1 per core, 512 KB of L2 per core, and only 4 MB of shared L3. The die size is listed at 100 mm². The AMD chip also features a different memory interface, supporting LPDDR5 with a memory bandwidth of 88.0 GB/s, while the Intel part supports both DDR4 and DDR5 in a dual-channel configuration. The PCIe support also differs, with Intel offering Gen 4 with 8 lanes and AMD offering Gen 3 with 4 lanes. These differences in process node, core count, and cache size help explain the performance gaps seen in the benchmarks.

Specification Differences

When comparing the specifications directly, the Intel Core 3 100U and AMD Ryzen 5 40 differ in nearly every key area. The Intel part has 6 cores and 8 threads, while the AMD part has 4 cores and 8 threads. The base clocks are starkly different: the Intel chip runs at 1.20 GHz, while the AMD chip runs at 2.80 GHz. Conversely, the boost clocks are 4.70 GHz for Intel and 4.30 GHz for AMD. Both have a TDP of 15 W, but they use different sockets: Intel BGA 1744 for the Intel chip and AMD Socket FT6 for the AMD chip.

The cache configurations are also distinct. The Intel Core 3 100U offers 80 KB of L1 per core, 1.25 MB of L2 per core, and 10 MB of shared L3. The AMD Ryzen 5 40 offers 64 KB of L1 per core, 512 KB of L2 per core, and only 4 MB of shared L3. Memory support differs as well: the Intel chip supports DDR4 and DDR5 in a dual-channel configuration, while the AMD chip supports LPDDR5 with a listed memory bandwidth of 88.0 GB/s. The integrated graphics are different, with Intel featuring UHD Graphics 64EU and AMD featuring Radeon 610M. The PCIe support is also divergent: Intel offers Gen 4 with 8 lanes (CPU only), while AMD offers Gen 3 with 4 lanes (CPU only). The process node and foundry are different as well, with Intel on 10 nm and AMD on 6 nm from TSMC. The Intel part has a launch MSRP of $426, and it was released in 2024, while the AMD part has no listed launch MSRP and a release date slated for late 2025.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head benchmark data shows a lopsided contest in favor of the Intel Core 3 100U, which wins 13 of the 15 tests. The most dramatic win is in Cinebench R23 multi-core, where the Intel chip scores 10624 against AMD's 4841, a 119.5% delta. This is the single largest performance gap in the dataset, showing that the Intel part's two extra cores and larger L3 cache provide a massive advantage in heavily threaded rendering workloads. The PassMark physics test follows a similar pattern, with Intel scoring 876 versus AMD's 432, a 102.8% lead, indicating a strong advantage in physics simulations and gaming-related calculations.

The Intel part also dominates in math and encryption tasks. In PassMark floating-point math, Intel scores 28322 against AMD's 15194, an 86.4% delta, while in PassMark find prime numbers, Intel leads 52 to 20, a 160% advantage. PassMark single-thread performance shows Intel ahead with 3506 versus 2477, a 41.5% lead, and PassMark multithread shows Intel at 12522 versus AMD's 9341, a 34.1% advantage. The Intel chip also wins in PassMark data encryption (8128 vs 6646, 22.3% delta) and PassMark extended instructions (7894 vs 6437, 22.6% delta). Even in the closest Intel wins, such as PassMark random string sorting (15191 vs 15124, a 0.4% delta), the Intel part edges ahead, though only marginally.

The AMD Ryzen 5 40's two wins are narrow but noteworthy. In Cinebench R15 single-core, AMD scores 165.5 against Intel's 150, a 9.4% lead, suggesting that in this specific legacy benchmark, the AMD chip's higher base clock of 2.80 GHz helps it outperform Intel's lower base clock of 1.20 GHz. In PassMark data compression, AMD scores 141533 against Intel's 136497, a 3.6% delta, indicating a slight efficiency edge in compressing data. However, these wins are isolated. The Intel Core 3 100U's wins are often by wide margins, particularly in multi-core and math-intensive tests, while the AMD chip's victories are slim. The data strongly suggests that for most workloads, the Intel Core 3 100U is the more capable processor, with the AMD Ryzen 5 40 only matching or exceeding it in a few specific, single-threaded or compression-based scenarios.