AMD Ryzen 5 4600H vs Intel Core Ultra 5 134U Comparison

The AMD Ryzen 5 4600H and Intel Core Ultra 5 134U are both active mobile processors, but the benchmark data reveals two distinct performance personalities. The Ryzen 5 4600H dominates in heavily threaded workloads, leveraging its 6 cores and 12 threads, while the Core Ultra 5 134U counters with superior single-thread performance and efficiency in specific math tasks. The data shows a near-even split in benchmark wins, with the Intel chip taking 8 of 15 head-to-head tests, but the AMD chip winning the most significant multi-threaded comparisons by large margins.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The most decisive victories for the AMD Ryzen 5 4600H come in multi-threaded rendering and data processing tests. In Cinebench R23 multi-core, the Ryzen scores 8072 against the Intel’s 5572, a 44.9% advantage. The gap widens in Cinebench R15 multi-core, where the AMD scores 1425 versus 894, a 59.4% lead. These are substantial margins that indicate the Ryzen 5 4600H is far better suited for sustained, all-core workloads like video rendering or 3D modeling.

The Intel Core Ultra 5 134U, however, establishes a clear lead in single-threaded tests. In Cinebench R23 single-core, it scores 1576 against the AMD’s 1142.5, a 27.5% advantage. PassMark single-thread shows a similar story: Intel scores 3063 versus AMD’s 2418, a 21.1% lead. This is a crucial distinction for applications that rely on per-core performance, such as older games or lightly threaded productivity tools.

Data compression and encryption heavily favor the AMD chip. PassMark data compression shows a 61.9% win for AMD (202030 vs 124771), while data encryption shows a 51.3% win (12217 vs 8077). The most extreme difference is in PassMark extended instructions, where the AMD leads by 84.8% (12942 vs 7002). These results point to the Ryzen 5 4600H being significantly faster at handling compressed archives, encrypted data, and complex instruction sets.

The Intel chip fights back in several PassMark math tests. PassMark floating point math goes to Intel by 17% (32425 vs 26909), and PassMark integer math goes to Intel by 10.9% (51306 vs 45698). PassMark physics also favors Intel, with a score of 883 versus AMD’s 629, a 28.8% advantage. Interestingly, PassMark find prime numbers shows the Intel chip doubling the AMD score (56 vs 28), a 50% margin. These wins are notable but come in narrower bands than the AMD’s multi-core victories.

The overall multi-threaded PassMark score still favors the AMD, with 14228 versus 12464, a 14.2% win. This confirms that despite Intel’s math-specific wins, the Ryzen 5 4600H retains the edge in general parallel processing.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Ryzen 5 4600H is the clear winner for multi-threaded, throughput-heavy tasks. The Cinebench R23 and R15 multi-core scores, combined with the massive wins in data compression, encryption, and extended instructions, make it the choice for video encoding, 3D rendering, batch file processing, and any workload that can utilize all 12 threads. Its PassMark multithread score of 14228 reinforces this position.

The Intel Core Ultra 5 134U is the winner for single-threaded responsiveness and specific math operations. Its superior Cinebench R23 single-core score (1576 vs 1142.5) and PassMark single-thread score (3063 vs 2418) suggest it will feel snappier in everyday use, application launching, and web browsing. The wins in floating point math, integer math, physics, and prime number finding indicate it has an edge in scientific calculations, financial modeling, or any workload that does not scale perfectly across many cores.

The choice depends on the primary use case. A system that runs heavy parallel jobs will benefit from the Ryzen 5 4600H. A system that prioritizes quick single-threaded response and efficient math processing will favor the Core Ultra 5 134U.

FAQ

Q: Which processor is faster in multi-core Cinebench R23?

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 4600H is significantly faster, scoring 8072 versus the Intel Core Ultra 5 134U’s 5572, a 44.9% advantage.

Q: Does the Intel Core Ultra 5 134U win any single-threaded tests?

A: Yes, it wins decisively. In Cinebench R23 single-core, it scores 1576 versus the AMD’s 1142.5, a 27.5% lead. It also wins PassMark single-thread with 3063 versus 2418.

Q: How do the two compare in data compression?

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 4600H dominates, scoring 202030 in PassMark data compression versus the Intel’s 124771, a 61.9% victory.

Q: Which processor has a higher PassMark multithread score?

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 4600H has the higher score at 14228, compared to the Intel Core Ultra 5 134U’s 12464, a 14.2% difference.

Q: In which math-specific tests does the Intel chip outperform?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 134U wins PassMark floating point math (32425 vs 26909), integer math (51306 vs 45698), physics (883 vs 629), and find prime numbers (56 vs 28).

Q: What is the average benchmark score difference?

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 4600H has an average benchmark score of 16341, while the Intel Core Ultra 5 134U has 15910. The AMD chip is 2.7% higher.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ significantly in core configuration and power envelope. The AMD Ryzen 5 4600H has 6 cores and 12 threads, while the Intel Core Ultra 5 134U has 12 cores and 14 threads. The Intel part has more cores but fewer threads per core, reflecting a hybrid architecture. The AMD has a base clock of 3.00 GHz and a boost clock of 4.00 GHz, whereas the Intel has a base clock of 700.00 MHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. The thermal design power (TDP) is vastly different: the AMD is rated at 45 watts, while the Intel is rated at just 9 watts.

The sockets are different, with the AMD using AMD Socket FP6 and the Intel using Intel BGA 2551. Memory support differs as well, with the AMD supporting DDR4 and the Intel supporting DDR5 (dependent on motherboard). The AMD has a memory bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s, while this figure is not specified for the Intel. PCIe support is also different: the AMD uses Gen 3, while the Intel uses Gen 4 with 8 lanes (CPU only). The integrated graphics differ, with the AMD featuring Radeon RX Vega 6 and the Intel featuring Arc Xe-LPG 64EU.

Architecture Differences

The AMD Ryzen 5 4600H is built on the Zen 2 architecture (codename Renoir) using a 7 nm process from TSMC. It has 9,800 million transistors on a 156 mm² die. Its cache consists of 64 KB of L1 per core, 512 KB of L2 per core, and 8 MB of shared L3 cache. It is part of the 4000 series and was released on 2020-01-05.

The Intel Core Ultra 5 134U is built on the Meteor Lake architecture using a 7 nm process from Intel. It is part of the Core Ultra Series 1. Its cache configuration is larger, with 112 KB of L1 per core, 2 MB of L2 per core, and 12 MB of shared L3 cache. Transistor count and die size are not specified for the Intel part. The Intel chip was released on 2023-12-13.

These architectural differences explain the performance profiles. The AMD’s Zen 2 design with fewer, more powerful cores favors multi-threaded scaling. The Intel’s Meteor Lake design, with its higher boost clock and larger cache, favors single-thread and burst performance. The Intel part’s much lower TDP of 9 watts, versus AMD’s 45 watts, indicates a fundamentally different design goal focused on power efficiency.

The Verdict

The data clearly indicates that the AMD Ryzen 5 4600H is the superior processor for multi-threaded, compute-heavy workloads. Its 44.9% lead in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 59.4% lead in Cinebench R15 multi-core are decisive. Anyone running video rendering, 3D modeling, or heavy data processing should choose the AMD.

The Intel Core Ultra 5 134U is the better choice for single-threaded performance and power efficiency. Its 27.5% lead in Cinebench R23 single-core and 21.1% lead in PassMark single-thread make it ideal for everyday tasks, office productivity, and applications that favor high clock speeds. Its 9-watt TDP is a massive advantage for fanless or ultra-portable designs.

The final choice hinges on the workload. For raw parallel processing power, the AMD Ryzen 5 4600H wins. For efficient, responsive single-threaded operation, the Intel Core Ultra 5 134U is the pick. The benchmark results show a trade-off, not a total victory for either side.