AMD Ryzen 5 4500U vs Intel Xeon E3-1240 v5 Comparison

AMD Ryzen 5 4500U and Intel Xeon E3-1240 v5 occupy opposite ends of the computing spectrum: one is a 15-watt mobile processor built for thin-and-light laptops, the other an 80-watt server/workstation part from Intel’s Skylake generation. The data shows a clear split in their benchmark behavior, with the AMD chip winning three of four head-to-head tests while the Intel chip takes the one that matters most for sustained multi-threaded work in newer rendering loads. Their average benchmark scores are nearly identical — 2035 for the Ryzen against 2030 for the Xeon — and both sit at the 45th percentile of all CPUs, but the way they achieve those scores could not be more different.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Ryzen 5 4500U dominates in single-threaded workloads and in the older Cinebench R15 multi-core test. Its score of 174 in Cinebench R15 single-core is 75.8% higher than the Xeon’s 99, and its 892 in R15 multi-core beats the Xeon’s 707 by 26.2%. These are not marginal differences; they indicate a processor that responds more quickly to lightly threaded tasks and to rendering workloads that scale well with a higher per-core clock.

The Intel Xeon E3-1240 v5 wins only one head-to-head test, but it is a decisive one. In Cinebench R23 multi-core, the Xeon scores 7020 against the Ryzen’s 5920, a 15.7% advantage. This is the modern rendering benchmark, and the Xeon’s four cores with eight threads — combined with a 3.50 GHz base clock and 3.90 GHz boost — prove more effective in this sustained, heavily threaded workload than the Ryzen’s six cores with six threads boosting to 4.00 GHz. The Xeon’s win here indicates that its older architecture still holds up in prolonged multi-threaded rendering, likely due to Hyper-Threading allowing better utilization of each physical core.

For single-core performance in the newest Cinebench R23, the Ryzen wins again with 1152 against 991, a 16.2% margin. The Ryzen also holds a 51.2 GB/s memory bandwidth advantage over the Xeon’s 34.1 GB/s, which can benefit memory-sensitive applications. The data suggests a use-case split: the AMD chip for responsiveness and lighter workloads, the Intel chip for sustained multi-threaded rendering in a desktop or server context.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from different architectural eras and design philosophies. The AMD Ryzen 5 4500U is built on TSMC’s 7 nm process with Zen 2 architecture under the Renoir codename, packing 9,800 million transistors into a 156 mm² die. The Intel Xeon E3-1240 v5 uses Intel’s 14 nm process with Skylake architecture (Skylake-DT), with 1,750 million transistors on a 122 mm² die. The transistor density difference is stark: the AMD chip fits more than five times as many transistors into a 28% larger die area.

Core and thread counts differ significantly. The Ryzen offers six cores and six threads — no simultaneous multi-threading — while the Xeon offers four cores and eight threads with Hyper-Threading. The Ryzen’s base clock of 2.30 GHz is substantially lower than the Xeon’s 3.50 GHz, but the Ryzen boosts to 4.00 GHz, slightly higher than the Xeon’s 3.90 GHz. This explains the single-core results: the Ryzen’s higher boost clock and newer architecture give it a clear edge in lightly threaded tasks.

Cache layouts are similar in L3 size — both have 8 MB shared L3 — but differ in L2. The Ryzen has 512 KB per core, while the Xeon has 256 KB per core. Power consumption is a major differentiator: the Ryzen is rated at 15 W TDP, the Xeon at 80 W. The Ryzen is a mobile part on AMD Socket FP6, while the Xeon is a server/workstation part on Intel Socket 1151. The Ryzen includes integrated Radeon Graphics with 384 shader processors; the Xeon has no integrated graphics. Memory support also diverges: the Ryzen supports DDR4 and LPDDR4 with dual-channel 51.2 GB/s bandwidth, while the Xeon supports DDR3 and DDR4 with dual-channel 34.1 GB/s bandwidth. The Xeon supports ECC memory; the Ryzen does not. The Xeon offers 16 PCIe Gen 3 lanes versus 12 on the Ryzen. The Ryzen was released in January 2020 and remains active, while the Xeon was released in October 2015 and is end-of-life.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The largest single win belongs to the AMD Ryzen 5 4500U in Cinebench R15 single-core, where it scores 174 against the Xeon’s 99. That 75.8% delta is the most dramatic gap in the dataset. The Ryzen’s advantage here is likely due to its 4.00 GHz boost clock combined with the efficiency of the Zen 2 architecture, which allows it to scale up a single core to its maximum frequency while the Xeon’s older Skylake design struggles to match that per-thread performance.

In Cinebench R23 single-core, the Ryzen repeats its victory, scoring 1152 against the Xeon’s 991. The 16.2% margin is smaller than in R15, but it still shows a consistent single-thread advantage for the AMD part. This consistency across R15 and R23 indicates that the Ryzen’s architectural efficiency is not a fluke of one benchmark version; it holds up across generations of the Cinebench suite.

The Cinebench R15 multi-core test goes to the Ryzen as well, with 892 against 707, a 26.2% margin. With six physical cores versus the Xeon’s four, the Ryzen’s two extra cores more than offset the Xeon’s Hyper-Threading advantage in this older test. The R15 multi-core workload apparently scales well with raw core count, favoring the AMD chip.

The sole Intel win is in Cinebench R23 multi-core, where the Xeon scores 7020 against the Ryzen’s 5920. This is a 15.7% reversal from the R15 result. The R23 workload is more demanding and better optimized for multi-threaded execution, and here the Xeon’s four cores with eight threads outperform the Ryzen’s six cores with six threads. The Xeon’s higher base clock of 3.50 GHz versus 2.30 GHz likely plays a role, as sustained multi-threaded workloads may not allow the Ryzen to maintain its 4.00 GHz boost across all six cores, given its 15 W TDP constraint. The Xeon’s 80 W TDP allows it to run all cores at higher sustained frequencies, which shows in this benchmark.

The Verdict

The data points to a clear recommendation for each use case. The AMD Ryzen 5 4500U is the stronger choice for single-threaded performance and for workloads that benefit from its six physical cores in older rendering tests. Its 75.8% lead in Cinebench R15 single-core and 26.2% lead in R15 multi-core make it the obvious pick for general productivity, light content creation, and any task that responds to high per-core clock speeds. The Ryzen’s integrated graphics and 51.2 GB/s memory bandwidth also suggest it can handle a wider range of tasks without a dedicated GPU.

The Intel Xeon E3-1240 v5 is the better processor for modern multi-threaded rendering. Its 15.7% lead in Cinebench R23 multi-core over the Ryzen shows that its combination of four cores, eight threads, and 3.50 GHz base clock delivers superior sustained throughput in the latest Cinebench version. For workstation workloads that run long rendering jobs, the Xeon’s performance in R23 multi-core is the deciding factor. Additionally, the Xeon supports ECC memory, which is a requirement for many server and reliability-focused applications, while the Ryzen does not. The Xeon also offers 16 PCIe Gen 3 lanes versus 12 on the Ryzen, which may benefit users with multiple expansion cards.

Neither chip is a universal winner. The Ryzen wins three of four head-to-head tests, but the one it loses is the most representative of modern multi-threaded rendering. The Xeon’s end-of-life status and 80 W TDP make it a less attractive option for new designs, but its R23 multi-core performance cannot be ignored. The Ryzen’s active production status and 15 W TDP make it suitable for mobile systems where power efficiency is paramount.

FAQ

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

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 4500U scores 1152, which is 16.2% higher than the Intel Xeon E3-1240 v5’s 991.

Q: How much faster is the AMD Ryzen 5 4500U in Cinebench R15 multi-core?

A: The Ryzen scores 892 against the Xeon’s 707, a 26.2% advantage.

Q: Does the Intel Xeon E3-1240 v5 win any benchmark in the head-to-head comparison?

A: Yes, it wins Cinebench R23 multi-core with a score of 7020, which is 15.7% higher than the Ryzen’s 5920.

Q: Do both processors have the same amount of L3 cache?

A: Yes, both have 8 MB of shared L3 cache, though the Ryzen has 512 KB L2 per core while the Xeon has 256 KB L2 per core.

Q: Which processor supports ECC memory?

A: The Intel Xeon E3-1240 v5 supports ECC memory, while the AMD Ryzen 5 4500U does not.

Q: What are the core and thread counts for each processor?

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 4500U has 6 cores and 6 threads, while the Intel Xeon E3-1240 v5 has 4 cores and 8 threads.

Specification Differences

| Specification | AMD Ryzen 5 4500U | Intel Xeon E3-1240 v5 |

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

| Cores | 6 | 4 |

| Threads | 6 | 8 |

| Base Clock | 2.30 GHz | 3.50 GHz |

| Boost Clock | 4.00 GHz | 3.90 GHz |

| TDP | 15 W | 80 W |

| Socket | AMD Socket FP6 | Intel Socket 1151 |

| Architecture | Zen 2 | Skylake |

| Process Node | 7 nm | 14 nm |

| Foundry | TSMC | Intel |

| Transistors | 9,800 million | 1,750 million |

| Die Size | 156 mm² | 122 mm² |

| L2 Cache | 512 KB (per core) | 256 KB (per core) |

| L3 Cache | 8 MB (shared) | 8 MB (shared) |

| Memory Support | DDR4, LPDDR4 | DDR3, DDR4 |

| Memory Bandwidth | 51.2 GB/s | 34.1 GB/s |

| ECC Memory | No | Yes |

| PCIe | Gen 3, 12 Lanes (CPU only) | Gen 3, 16 Lanes (CPU only) |

| Integrated Graphics | Radeon Graphics 384SP | None |

| Market Segment | Mobile | Server/Workstation |

| Production Status | Active | End-of-life |

| Release Date | 2020-01-05 | 2015-10-18 |

| Launch MSRP | N/A | $282 |