AMD Ryzen 5 40 vs Intel Core i9-14901E Comparison

Architecture Differences

The AMD Ryzen 5 40 and Intel Core i9-14901E occupy opposite ends of the processor design spectrum. The Ryzen 5 40 is a 4-core, 8-thread mobile part built on TSMC's 6 nm process, using the Zen 2 architecture under the Mendocino codename. It measures 100 mm² and targets the low-power mobile segment, with a 15 W TDP. The Intel Core i9-14901E is an 8-core, 16-thread desktop processor fabricated on Intel's 10 nm node, using the Raptor Lake architecture (Raptor Lake Refresh generation). Its die size is 257 mm², and it carries a 65 W TDP.

The cache hierarchies diverge sharply. The Ryzen 5 40 provides 64 KB of L1 per core, 512 KB of L2 per core, and 4 MB of shared L3. The Core i9-14901E uses 80 KB of L1 per core, 2 MB of L2 per core, and 36 MB of shared L3. That L3 allocation is nine times larger on the Intel part, which directly benefits workloads with large working sets. The Intel chip also supports DDR4 and DDR5 memory in a dual-channel configuration, while the AMD part supports only LPDDR5, also dual-channel, with a measured memory bandwidth of 88.0 GB/s.

PCIe connectivity differs by generation and lane count. The Ryzen 5 40 exposes PCIe Gen 3 with 4 CPU-only lanes. The Core i9-14901E offers PCIe Gen 5 with 16 CPU-only lanes. ECC memory support is present on the Intel processor but absent on the AMD processor. Integrated graphics differ as well: the Ryzen 5 40 uses Radeon 610M, while the Core i9-14901E uses UHD Graphics 770. The socket platforms are incompatible: AMD Socket FT6 versus Intel Socket 1700.

The release dates are separated by over a year. The Core i9-14901E launched on 2024-06-30, while the Ryzen 5 40 appeared on 2025-09-30. Both remain in active production. Neither processor has an unlocked multiplier, so overclocking headroom is not a differentiator. The market segments are explicit: mobile for AMD, desktop for Intel.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark database records 15 head-to-head comparisons, and the Intel Core i9-14901E wins all 15. No test favors the AMD Ryzen 5 40. The magnitude of the Intel advantage varies by workload, from a 43.1% margin in single-threaded PassMark to an 89.4% gap in prime-number finding.

In Cinebench R23 multi-core, the Core i9-14901E scores 25,753 versus 4,841 for the Ryzen 5 40, a delta of -81.2%. That is the largest percentage deficit in the entire comparison. The single-core R23 result is less extreme but still substantial: 3,635 versus 1,150, a 68.4% gap. Cinebench R15 shows a similar pattern: multi-core 2,595 versus 790 (-69.6%), single-core 366 versus 165.5 (-54.8%).

PassMark tests reveal where the architectures differ most. Floating-point math is a clear separation point: 81,089 for Intel versus 15,194 for AMD, an 81.3% deficit for the Ryzen part. Integer math follows with 112,736 versus 31,598, a 72% gap. The physics test shows the largest relative difference after prime numbers: 3,041 versus 432, an 85.8% shortfall. Data compression shows 288,777 versus 141,533, a 51% gap, which is the narrowest multi-threaded margin in the dataset. Data encryption is 18,571 versus 6,646, a 64.2% difference.

Single-threaded PassMark results are the closest overall: 4,354 versus 2,477, a 43.1% gap. The extended instructions test shows 17,249 versus 6,437, a 62.7% difference. Random string sorting produces 39,138 versus 15,124, a 61.4% gap. Prime number finding is the most lopsided: 189 versus 20, an 89.4% deficit. The multithread PassMark score is 30,298 versus 9,341, a 69.2% difference.

These deltas align with the overall benchmark averages. The Ryzen 5 40 averages 15,882 across its benchmark suite, while the Core i9-14901E averages 37,911. The percentile ranks confirm the separation: the AMD part sits at the 70th percentile of all CPUs, the Intel part at the 86th percentile. The nearest rivals for the Ryzen 5 40 include the AMD EPYC 75F3 (15,859, +0.1%), Intel Core Ultra 5 134U (15,910, -0.2%), AMD EPYC 9354P (15,826, +0.4%), and AMD EPYC 9334 (15,940, -0.4%). For the Core i9-14901E, the closest competitors are the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 (37,904, 0%), AMD Ryzen 7 9700X (37,943, -0.1%), Intel Core 5 211E (37,829, +0.2%), and AMD Ryzen AI Embedded P132 (37,804, +0.3%). The Intel processor's average score is more than double that of the AMD part, and its nearest rivals are all within 0.3% of its average, indicating a tightly contested high-performance tier.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has more cores and threads?

A: The Intel Core i9-14901E has 8 cores and 16 threads. The AMD Ryzen 5 40 has 4 cores and 8 threads.

Q: What is the largest performance gap in the benchmark data?

A: The largest gap is in PassMark find prime numbers, where the Core i9-14901E scores 189 versus 20 for the Ryzen 5 40, a delta of -89.4%.

Q: How close is the single-threaded performance?

A: The closest result in the dataset is PassMark single-thread, where the Core i9-14901E scores 4,354 and the Ryzen 5 40 scores 2,477, a 43.1% gap. Cinebench R23 single-core shows a 68.4% gap, and R15 single-core shows a 54.8% gap.

Q: Does the AMD processor win any benchmark comparison?

A: No. The database records 15 head-to-head tests, and the Intel Core i9-14901E wins all 15.

Q: What are the memory support differences?

A: The Ryzen 5 40 supports LPDDR5 only, with dual-channel memory and 88.0 GB/s bandwidth. The Core i9-14901E supports both DDR4 and DDR5 in dual-channel mode, and its memory bandwidth is not listed in the database.

Q: How do the average benchmark scores compare?

A: The Core i9-14901E has an average benchmark score of 37,911, while the Ryzen 5 40 averages 15,882. The Intel part's average is roughly 2.4 times higher.

The Verdict

The benchmark data is unambiguous. The Intel Core i9-14901E outperforms the AMD Ryzen 5 40 in every recorded test, with margins ranging from 43.1% to 89.4%. The Intel part delivers 25,753 in Cinebench R23 multi-core versus 4,841, and 3,635 in single-core versus 1,150. Its PassMark multithread score of 30,298 dwarfs the 9,341 of the Ryzen 5 40.

The AMD Ryzen 5 40 is a 15 W mobile processor with a 4 MB L3 cache and PCIe Gen 3. The Intel Core i9-14901E is a 65 W desktop processor with a 36 MB L3 cache and PCIe Gen 5. The architectural differences explain the performance chasm: double the cores and threads, a larger cache, higher boost clock (5.60 GHz versus 4.30 GHz), and a more recent desktop design.

For workloads measured in this database, the Core i9-14901E is the clear choice. The Ryzen 5 40 sits at the 70th percentile of all CPUs, which is respectable for a low-power mobile part, but the Core i9-14901E sits at the 86th percentile and competes with processors like the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 and AMD Ryzen 7 9700X, both within 0.1% of its average score. The data does not support any scenario where the Ryzen 5 40 is preferable based on performance alone.

Specification Differences

| Specification | AMD Ryzen 5 40 | Intel Core i9-14901E |

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

| Cores | 4 | 8 |

| Threads | 8 | 16 |

| Base Clock | 2.80 GHz | 2.80 GHz |

| Boost Clock | 4.30 GHz | 5.60 GHz |

| TDP | 15 W | 65 W |

| Socket | AMD Socket FT6 | Intel Socket 1700 |

| Architecture | Zen 2 | Raptor Lake |

| Codename | Mendocino | Raptor Lake-R |

| Generation | Ryzen 5 (Zen 2 (Mendocino)) | Core i9 (Raptor Lake Refresh) |

| Process Node | 6 nm | 10 nm |

| Foundry | TSMC | Intel |

| Die Size | 100 mm² | 257 mm² |

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

| L2 Cache | 512 KB (per core) | 2 MB (per core) |

| L3 Cache | 4 MB (shared) | 36 MB (shared) |

| Memory Support | LPDDR5 | DDR4, DDR5 |

| Memory Bus | Dual-channel | Dual-channel |

| Memory Bandwidth | 88.0 GB/s | Not listed |

| ECC Memory | false | true |

| PCIe | Gen 3, 4 Lanes (CPU only) | Gen 5, 16 Lanes (CPU only) |

| Integrated Graphics | Radeon 610M | UHD Graphics 770 |

| Market Segment | Mobile | Desktop |

| Production Status | Active | Active |

| Release Date | 2025-09-30 | 2024-06-30 |

| Multiplier Unlocked | false | false |