AMD Ryzen 5 40 vs Intel Core Ultra 5 134U Comparison

The Intel Core Ultra 5 134U and AMD Ryzen 5 40 are both mobile processors aimed at thin-and-light laptops, but they approach the job from completely different angles. The Intel chip leans on a high core count and a modern architecture, while the AMD part counters with efficiency and specific workload strengths. The benchmark data shows that this is not a close contest overall, with the Intel chip winning 13 out of 15 head-to-head tests, but the two AMD victories highlight where a different design philosophy can pay off.

Where Each One Wins

The Intel Core Ultra 5 134U is the decisive winner in almost every compute-heavy task. Its 12 cores and 14 threads give it a massive structural advantage over the AMD Ryzen 5 40's 4 cores and 8 threads. This shows up most obviously in multi-threaded workloads: the Intel part leads the Cinebench R23 multi-core test by 15.1% and the PassMark multi-thread test by 33.4%. The gap widens dramatically in floating-point math, where Intel leads by 113.4%, and in prime number finding, where it leads by 180%. For anyone running code compilation, 3D rendering, or scientific simulations, the Intel chip is the obvious pick from this data.

The AMD Ryzen 5 40 wins in exactly two areas, and both are telling. It beats the Intel part in PassMark data compression by 11.8% (141533 vs 124771) and in random string sorting by 9.4% (15124 vs 13702). These are memory-latency-sensitive and cache-efficiency tests. The AMD chip's smaller 4 MB L3 cache appears to be organized in a way that benefits these specific access patterns, or its memory controller handles them better. This makes the AMD part a reasonable choice for workloads like file archiving, database operations, or certain text-processing pipelines where data compression and sorting dominate.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 134U has an average benchmark score of 15910, while the AMD Ryzen 5 40 scores 15882. The difference is only 0.2% in favor of Intel, placing both at the 70th percentile of all CPUs.

Q: How much faster is the Intel chip in single-core performance?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 134U leads the Cinebench R23 single-core test by 37% (1576 vs 1150) and the PassMark single-thread test by 23.7% (3063 vs 2477). The Cinebench R15 single-core gap is even larger at 33.5%.

Q: Does the AMD processor win any benchmark tests?

A: Yes, the AMD Ryzen 5 40 wins two tests. It scores 141533 in PassMark data compression versus Intel's 124771, and 15124 in random string sorting versus Intel's 13702.

Q: What is the TDP difference between the two?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 134U has a TDP of 9 watts, while the AMD Ryzen 5 40 has a TDP of 15 watts. Despite the lower power envelope, Intel wins the majority of performance tests.

Q: Which chip has more cores and threads?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 134U has 12 cores and 14 threads. The AMD Ryzen 5 40 has only 4 cores and 8 threads.

Q: What are the release dates for these processors?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 134U was released on December 13, 2023. The AMD Ryzen 5 40 has a later release date of September 30, 2025.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The largest win for the Intel Core Ultra 5 134U comes in the PassMark find prime numbers test, where it scores 56 against the AMD chip's 20, a 180% advantage. This is a pure integer throughput test that heavily rewards core count and per-core efficiency. A similar pattern appears in floating-point math, where Intel scores 32425 versus 15194, a 113.4% lead. The Intel part's advantage in physics calculations is nearly identical at 104.4% (883 vs 432). These three tests alone show that the Intel chip is in a different performance class for mathematical and physics-heavy workloads.

The Cinebench results reinforce this picture. In Cinebench R23 multi-core, Intel scores 5572 versus AMD's 4841, a 15.1% lead. The single-core version of the same test shows a much larger gap: Intel scores 1576 versus AMD's 1150, a 37% difference. This suggests the Intel architecture has a significant per-core efficiency advantage, not just a core-count advantage. The Cinebench R15 results follow the same trend, with Intel leading multi-core by 13.2% and single-core by 33.5%.

The AMD Ryzen 5 40's wins are narrower but real. In data compression, AMD scores 141533 versus Intel's 124771, an 11.8% lead. In random string sorting, AMD scores 15124 versus Intel's 13702, a 9.4% lead. These are the only two tests where AMD comes out ahead, but they are common enough in real-world productivity workloads that they prevent the AMD chip from being a complete write-off.

Other notable Intel wins include data encryption (21.5% lead), integer math (62.4% lead), and the PassMark multi-thread test (33.4% lead). The Intel chip also wins the extended instructions test by 8.8%, which covers SIMD and other specialized instruction set usage.

Specification Differences

The most obvious difference is core count: the Intel Core Ultra 5 134U has 12 cores and 14 threads, while the AMD Ryzen 5 40 has 4 cores and 8 threads. This is a 3x difference in core count and a 1.75x difference in thread count. The base clocks also differ significantly, with Intel running at 700 MHz and AMD at 2.80 GHz. Boost clocks are closer, with Intel at 4.40 GHz and AMD at 4.30 GHz.

The TDP figures are reversed from what you might expect given the core counts. The Intel chip is rated at 9 watts, while the AMD chip is rated at 15 watts. This means the Intel chip delivers its superior performance while drawing less power, according to the specifications. The sockets are different as well: Intel uses BGA 2551, while AMD uses Socket FT6.

Cache configurations are very different. The Intel chip has 112 KB of L1 cache per core, 2 MB of L2 per core, and 12 MB of shared L3 cache. The AMD chip has 64 KB of L1 per core, 512 KB of L2 per core, and only 4 MB of shared L3. The Intel chip's larger L2 and L3 caches likely contribute to its big leads in integer math and floating-point tests.

Memory support also differs. The Intel chip supports DDR5 with the speed depending on the motherboard, while the AMD chip supports LPDDR5 with a stated memory bandwidth of 88.0 GB/s. Both use dual-channel memory buses. PCIe support is another differentiator: Intel offers Gen 4 with 8 lanes (CPU only), while AMD offers Gen 3 with 4 lanes (CPU only).

The integrated graphics differ as well. Intel uses Arc Xe-LPG with 64 execution units, while AMD uses Radeon 610M. The Intel part has a launch MSRP of $332; the AMD part has no launch MSRP listed.

Architecture Differences

The Intel Core Ultra 5 134U is built on Meteor Lake architecture, fabricated on Intel's 7 nm process. It belongs to the Core Ultra Series 1 generation. The AMD Ryzen 5 40 uses Zen 2 architecture under the codename Mendocino, fabricated on TSMC's 6 nm process. The die size for the AMD part is listed at 100 mm²; no die size is available for the Intel part.

The process node difference is minor (7 nm vs 6 nm), but the architectural philosophies are very different. Meteor Lake is a newer design that uses a hybrid core arrangement to balance performance and efficiency, which helps explain how the Intel chip achieves a 9-watt TDP while offering 12 cores. The Zen 2 architecture inside the AMD part is older but proven, and its 4-core design with a 15-watt TDP suggests it was built for cost-sensitive designs rather than maximum throughput.

The cache hierarchies reflect these design goals. Intel's 12 MB L3 cache is 3x larger than AMD's 4 MB, and Intel's per-core L2 cache is 4x larger (2 MB vs 512 KB). These cache differences are the most likely explanation for Intel's dominance in cache-sensitive benchmarks like floating-point math and integer math. The AMD chip's wins in data compression and random string sorting suggest that its smaller cache is somehow better optimized for those access patterns, or that its memory controller handles those workloads more efficiently.

Both chips have integrated graphics and do not support ECC memory. Neither has an unlocked multiplier. The Intel part is produced by Intel, while the AMD part is produced by TSMC. The AMD part has a later release date by nearly two years.

The Verdict

The data is unambiguous: the Intel Core Ultra 5 134U is the stronger processor for almost every workload. It wins 13 of 15 head-to-head benchmarks, including every Cinebench test, every PassMark math test, and the multi-thread test. The margins are often huge, reaching 180% in prime number finding and 113.4% in floating-point math. For anyone who needs CPU horsepower for rendering, compiling, simulation, or heavy multitasking, the Intel chip is the clear choice from this dataset.

The AMD Ryzen 5 40 has a narrow but legitimate niche. Its wins in data compression and random string sorting suggest it could be the better pick for specific productivity workflows that rely heavily on those operations. If your primary workload is file compression, log processing, or database indexing, the AMD chip's 11.8% and 9.4% leads in those areas might matter more than its losses everywhere else. The AMD chip also has a later release date and a 6 nm process, which may appeal to buyers looking for a more recent platform.

The Intel chip's lower TDP of 9 watts versus AMD's 15 watts is a significant advantage in thin-and-light laptops where thermal headroom is scarce. The Intel chip delivers more performance while consuming less power, which should translate to better battery life or thinner chassis designs. The AMD chip's higher base clock of 2.80 GHz versus Intel's 700 MHz is misleading, as the Intel boost clock of 4.40 GHz is higher than AMD's 4.30 GHz.

For most buyers, the Intel Core Ultra 5 134U is the superior choice. It wins more tests, wins by larger margins, uses less power, and has a larger cache. The AMD Ryzen 5 40 is only worth considering if your specific workload is dominated by data compression and sorting, where it holds a real advantage. Even then, the overall benchmark average is nearly identical, with Intel leading by just 0.2%. The decision comes down to whether you value the Intel chip's overwhelming multi-core dominance or the AMD chip's targeted wins in two specific productivity tasks.