AMD Ryzen 5 40 vs Intel Core i7-1260U Comparison

The Intel Core i7-1260U and AMD Ryzen 5 40 are both mobile processors targeting thin-and-light laptops, yet the benchmark data reveals they are not in the same performance class. The Intel part wins every single head-to-head comparison in the FACT PACK, a clean sweep of 15 wins against zero for AMD. This is not a case of one chip being slightly better in some tasks and weaker in others; it is a consistent, often dramatic, performance advantage for Intel across every measured workload.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The most striking divergence appears in multi-core rendering workloads. In Cinebench R23 multi-core, the Intel Core i7-1260U scores 7912.5 versus the AMD Ryzen 5 40’s 4841, a delta of 63.4%. The older Cinebench R15 multi-core test shows a similar story, with Intel leading 1203 to 790, a 52.3% advantage. This pattern suggests the Intel chip’s additional cores and threads (10 cores/12 threads vs. 4 cores/8 threads) translate directly into substantial multi-threaded throughput gains.

Single-core performance also favors Intel, though the margin is narrower. In Cinebench R23 single-core, Intel’s 1601 score beats AMD’s 1150 by 39.2%. The R15 single-core test shows a 32.6% lead (219.5 vs. 165.5). While not as lopsided as the multi-core results, this still indicates a significant per-thread performance gap, which is interesting given that the AMD chip has a higher base clock (2.80 GHz vs. 1.10 GHz) and a boost clock that is not far behind (4.30 GHz vs. 4.70 GHz).

The PassMark suite reinforces Intel’s dominance, particularly in math-heavy tasks. The floating-point math test shows Intel scoring 31456 against AMD’s 15194, a 107% delta. Prime number finding is even more extreme, with Intel at 67 and AMD at 20, a 235% difference. Physics simulation also heavily favors Intel, with a 142.1% delta (1046 vs. 432). These results point to a fundamental difference in execution capability that goes beyond simple clock speed or core count.

In more memory and I/O-bound tasks, the gap narrows considerably. PassMark data compression shows Intel only 7.5% ahead (152217 vs. 141533), and random string sorting is a close 10.6% margin (16726 vs. 15124). Data encryption sees Intel lead by 42.6% (9480 vs. 6646), while integer math is 45.2% in Intel’s favor (45887 vs. 31598). The multi-threaded PassMark score shows a 50% delta (14011 vs. 9341), and extended instructions are 28.6% ahead for Intel (8280 vs. 6437). Single-threaded PassMark results show a 27.3% lead for Intel (3153 vs. 2477).

The Verdict

The data is unambiguous: the Intel Core i7-1260U is the superior processor in every benchmark recorded. Its average benchmark score of 16320 places it at the 70th percentile of all CPUs, and it sits near the AMD Ryzen 5 4600H (16341, -0.1%) and Intel Core i5-10600KF (16228, 0.6%). The AMD Ryzen 5 40’s average score of 15882 also places it at the 70th percentile, but its nearest rivals include the Intel Core Ultra 5 134U (15910, -0.2%) and AMD EPYC 75F3 (15859, 0.1%). Both chips occupy the same percentile tier, but the Intel chip does so with a clear internal advantage in the head-to-head data.

For a user choosing between these two based purely on the benchmark results, the Intel Core i7-1260U is the only logical pick for any performance-sensitive workload. The AMD Ryzen 5 40 does not win a single test, so there is no scenario in these benchmarks where it offers a performance benefit. The data suggests that while both are entry-level mobile parts, the Intel chip provides a dramatically better baseline for compute tasks, from rendering and physics to encryption and integer math.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from different design philosophies and process nodes. The Intel Core i7-1260U is built on a 10 nm process at Intel’s foundry, using the Alder Lake architecture (codename Alder Lake-U). It features 10 cores and 12 threads, which implies a hybrid design of performance and efficiency cores, though the FACT PACK does not detail the exact core mix. Its cache hierarchy includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 1.25 MB of L2 per core, and 12 MB of shared L3 cache.

The AMD Ryzen 5 40 uses the Zen 2 architecture with the codename Mendocino, manufactured by TSMC on a 6 nm process. It is a more compact design with a die size of 100 mm². It has 4 cores and 8 threads, with 64 KB of L1 per core, 512 KB of L2 per core, and only 4 MB of shared L3 cache. This smaller cache allocation likely contributes to its weaker performance in certain tests, though the core count difference is the more obvious factor.

Memory support diverges significantly. The Intel chip supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory with a dual-channel bus, while the AMD chip supports only LPDDR5 with a dual-channel bus, offering a memory bandwidth of 88.0 GB/s. The Intel chip does not list a memory bandwidth figure in the FACT PACK. PCIe support also differs: Intel has Gen 4, while AMD has Gen 3 with only 4 lanes (CPU only). The integrated graphics differ as well, with Intel offering Iris Xe 96EU and AMD providing Radeon 610M. Neither chip supports ECC memory.

FAQ

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

A: The Intel Core i7-1260U scores 7912.5, which is 63.4% higher than the AMD Ryzen 5 40’s 4841.

Q: Is the AMD Ryzen 5 40 ever faster than the Intel Core i7-1260U in any tested benchmark?

A: No. In the 15 head-to-head benchmarks recorded, the Intel Core i7-1260U wins all of them, with the AMD Ryzen 5 40 winning zero.

Q: How do their single-threaded PassMark scores compare?

A: The Intel Core i7-1260U scores 3153, which is 27.3% higher than the AMD Ryzen 5 40’s 2477.

Q: What is the most significant performance gap between the two?

A: The largest delta is in the PassMark find prime numbers test, where the Intel chip scores 67 against AMD’s 20, a 235% difference.

Q: Do both processors support ECC memory?

A: No, neither the Intel Core i7-1260U nor the AMD Ryzen 5 40 supports ECC memory.

Q: Which processor has a larger L3 cache?

A: The Intel Core i7-1260U has 12 MB of shared L3 cache, while the AMD Ryzen 5 40 has only 4 MB of shared L3 cache.

Where Each One Wins

Based strictly on the benchmark data, the Intel Core i7-1260U wins in every category, but the magnitude of the wins suggests different use cases where the gap is more or less relevant. For heavy multi-threaded workloads like 3D rendering, video encoding, or physics simulations, the Intel chip is in a different league. Its 63.4% lead in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 142.1% lead in PassMark physics make it the clear choice for any task that can utilize many cores.

For single-threaded responsiveness in everyday applications like web browsing or office productivity, the Intel chip still leads, but the 27.3% to 39.2% margins are less overwhelming. The data suggests the AMD chip is not competitive even here, but the relative gap is smaller. In memory-sensitive tasks like data compression and random string sorting, the difference is modest (7.5% and 10.6% respectively), implying that the AMD chip’s performance is less far behind when the workload is less compute-bound.

The AMD Ryzen 5 40’s only potential advantage, according to the data, is its lower power consumption. It has a TDP of 15 watts, while the Intel chip has a TDP of only 9 watts. This means the Intel chip actually consumes less power, which is counterintuitive given its performance lead. The AMD chip also has a higher base clock (2.80 GHz vs. 1.10 GHz), but this does not translate into a performance benefit in any test.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ in almost every major specification. The Intel Core i7-1260U has 10 cores and 12 threads, while the AMD Ryzen 5 40 has 4 cores and 8 threads. The Intel chip’s base clock is 1.10 GHz, boosting to 4.70 GHz, whereas the AMD chip has a base of 2.80 GHz and a boost of 4.30 GHz. The Intel chip has a lower TDP of 9 watts compared to AMD’s 15 watts.

The process nodes are different: Intel uses 10 nm at its own foundry, while AMD uses 6 nm at TSMC. The socket differs (Intel BGA 1781 vs. AMD Socket FT6), and the architectures are distinct (Alder Lake vs. Zen 2). Cache sizes are not shared: Intel has 80 KB L1, 1.25 MB L2, and 12 MB L3 per core, while AMD has 64 KB L1, 512 KB L2, and 4 MB L3 per core. The AMD chip has a listed die size of 100 mm², while the Intel chip’s die size is not provided.

Memory support is a key differentiator. Intel supports DDR4 and DDR5, while AMD supports only LPDDR5. Both use a dual-channel bus, but AMD lists a memory bandwidth of 88.0 GB/s, while Intel does not. PCIe support is Gen 4 for Intel and Gen 3 with 4 lanes (CPU only) for AMD. The integrated GPUs are different (Iris Xe 96EU vs. Radeon 610M), and neither chip has an unlocked multiplier. The release dates are far apart, with Intel launching on 2022-02-22 and AMD on 2025-09-30.