AMD Ryzen 5 4600HS vs Intel Core i7-10870H Comparison

The Intel Core i7-10870H and AMD Ryzen 5 4600HS are closely matched mobile processors, landing in the 54th percentile of all CPUs. Their average benchmark scores are nearly identical, with the Intel part posting 3446 and the AMD part posting 3444. However, the data shows a starkly different performance profile depending on the workload: AMD wins all six Cinebench tests by a narrow margin, while Intel wins both Geekbench tests, with a massive 43.3% lead in multi-core. This split suggests the two chips are optimized for different types of software, rather than one being universally superior.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The most decisive result in the head-to-head comparison is in Geekbench multi-core, where the Intel Core i7-10870H scores 7357 against the AMD Ryzen 5 4600HS’s 5135. That is a 43.3% advantage for Intel, a massive gap that reverses the expected outcome based on core counts. This result indicates that the Geekbench multi-core test is highly sensitive to the Intel chip’s 8 cores and 16 threads, outperforming the AMD’s 6 cores and 12 threads by a significant margin.

In Geekbench single-core, Intel also takes the lead, scoring 1443 versus 1293 for AMD. The 11.6% delta here shows that Intel’s 5.00 GHz boost clock provides a tangible advantage in this specific workload, even against AMD’s higher 3.00 GHz base clock. This is Intel’s only other win, but it is a meaningful one for lightly-threaded tasks.

The story flips entirely in Cinebench. Across all three versions (R15, R20, and R23), the AMD Ryzen 5 4600HS wins both multi-core and single-core tests. The margins are consistent, with AMD leading by 2.6% in R20 multi-core (5111 vs 4977), R23 multi-core (12171 vs 11852), and R15 multi-core (1226 vs 1194). The single-core deltas are similar: 2.9% in R15 (173 vs 168) and 2.6% in both R20 (721 vs 702) and R23 (1718 vs 1673). These results show that AMD’s Zen 2 architecture, despite having fewer cores, delivers better per-thread performance in Cinebench’s rendering engine.

The overall win count is 6 for AMD and 2 for Intel, but the magnitude of Intel’s Geekbench multi-core victory is nearly 17 times larger than any single Cinebench delta. This means that the average benchmark score of 3446 for Intel and 3444 for AMD masks the fact that these are not interchangeable processors. The data reveals that Intel dominates in synthetic multi-core scaling, while AMD wins consistently in rendering workloads.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The Intel Core i7-10870H has an average benchmark score of 3446, while the AMD Ryzen 5 4600HS scores 3444. The difference is 0.1%, placing them as near-identical rivals.

Q: How does the Intel chip perform in Geekbench multi-core compared to AMD?

A: The Intel Core i7-10870H scores 7357 in Geekbench multi-core, which is 43.3% higher than the AMD Ryzen 5 4600HS’s 5135. This is the largest performance gap in the head-to-head data.

Q: What are the Cinebench R23 results for both chips?

A: In Cinebench R23, the AMD Ryzen 5 4600HS scores 12171 multi-core and 1718 single-core. The Intel Core i7-10870H scores 11852 multi-core and 1673 single-core, with AMD leading by 2.6% in both tests.

Q: Which chip has more cores and threads?

A: The Intel Core i7-10870H has 8 cores and 16 threads. The AMD Ryzen 5 4600HS has 6 cores and 12 threads.

Q: What is the TDP difference between the two processors?

A: The Intel Core i7-10870H has a TDP of 45 watts, while the AMD Ryzen 5 4600HS has a TDP of 35 watts. The AMD chip consumes less power by specification.

Q: Do both processors support the same memory type?

A: Yes, both support DDR4 memory. The AMD Ryzen 5 4600HS specifies dual-channel memory with a bandwidth of 68.3 GB/s, while the Intel chip does not list a memory bus or bandwidth specification in the data.

Where Each One Wins

The Intel Core i7-10870H is the clear winner for workloads that scale with core count and thread count, as evidenced by its 43.3% lead in Geekbench multi-core. This makes it the stronger choice for heavily threaded productivity tasks that are optimized for high core counts, such as video encoding, software compilation, or 3D rendering in applications that rely on Geekbench-style scaling. Its 5.00 GHz boost clock also gives it a 11.6% edge in Geekbench single-core, making it suitable for lightly threaded applications that respond to raw clock speed, such as certain legacy software or spreadsheet calculations.

The AMD Ryzen 5 4600HS wins every Cinebench test, from R15 to R23, in both single and multi-core configurations. The consistent 2.6% to 2.9% margins suggest that AMD’s Zen 2 architecture is more efficient at executing Cinebench’s rendering instructions, despite having fewer cores and a lower boost clock of 4.00 GHz. This makes the AMD chip the better option for users running Cinebench-specific workloads, which often correlate with physical rendering tasks in Cinema 4D and similar software. The 35-watt TDP also positions it as a more power-efficient option for sustained rendering workloads in thin-and-light laptops.

Neither chip is a universal winner. The data supports Intel for Geekbench-optimized multi-threaded applications and AMD for Cinebench-based rendering. The choice depends entirely on the software stack, with the 43.3% Geekbench gap being the single most important deciding factor for users who prioritize that benchmark.

Specification Differences

The core and thread counts differ significantly: the Intel Core i7-10870H has 8 cores and 16 threads, while the AMD Ryzen 5 4600HS has 6 cores and 12 threads. Clock speeds also diverge, with Intel’s base clock at 2.20 GHz and boost at 5.00 GHz, versus AMD’s base clock of 3.00 GHz and boost of 4.00 GHz. The TDP ratings are 45 watts for Intel and 35 watts for AMD.

The cache layouts are different as well. Intel has 256 KB of L2 cache per core and 16 MB of shared L3 cache, while AMD has 512 KB of L2 per core and 8 MB of shared L3 cache. Both have 64 KB of L1 cache per core. The process node is a major differentiator: Intel uses 14 nm fabricated by Intel, while AMD uses 7 nm fabricated by TSMC. The AMD chip lists 9,800 million transistors on a 156 mm² die, while the Intel chip does not provide those details.

The sockets are incompatible: Intel uses Intel BGA 1440, while AMD uses AMD Socket FP6. PCIe support also differs, with Intel offering Gen 3 with 16 lanes (CPU only), while AMD lists Gen 3 without specifying lane count. The integrated graphics are different, with Intel featuring UHD Graphics and AMD featuring Radeon RX Vega 6. The AMD chip specifies dual-channel memory with 68.3 GB/s bandwidth, while Intel only lists DDR4 support without a bandwidth figure. Both have locked multipliers and do not support ECC memory.

Architecture Differences

The Intel Core i7-10870H is built on the Comet Lake architecture, specifically Comet Lake-H, using a 14 nm process from Intel’s own foundry. This is a mature node that prioritizes high clock speeds, reaching 5.00 GHz boost. The AMD Ryzen 5 4600HS uses the Zen 2 architecture, codenamed Renoir, fabricated on a 7 nm process by TSMC. The smaller node allows for a denser design, with 9,800 million transistors on a 156 mm² die, although the Intel chip does not disclose its transistor count or die size.

The core count difference stems from the architectural designs: Intel’s Comet Lake uses a monolithic die with 8 cores, while AMD’s Zen 2 Renoir uses a chiplet-like approach with 6 cores, but the data does not specify the exact die layout. Cache distribution is a key architectural difference, with Intel using a larger 16 MB shared L3 cache and a smaller 256 KB per-core L2, while AMD uses a smaller 8 MB shared L3 but a larger 512 KB per-core L2. This suggests AMD prioritizes per-core cache for latency-sensitive tasks, while Intel provides more shared cache for multi-core workloads.

The memory controller also differs, with AMD specifying dual-channel memory and a bandwidth of 68.3 GB/s, while Intel does not list a memory bus or bandwidth in the data. Both support DDR4, but AMD’s specification is more explicit. The integrated graphics are also architectural differentiators, with Intel’s UHD Graphics versus AMD’s Radeon RX Vega 6, though no benchmark data is provided for iGPU performance. The production status for both is active, with Intel releasing on 2020-09-16 and AMD releasing on 2020-01-05.

The Verdict

The data presents a clear split decision. The Intel Core i7-10870H is the pick for users whose applications resemble Geekbench multi-core, where it holds a 43.3% advantage over the AMD Ryzen 5 4600HS. This benchmark suggests Intel’s 8-core, 16-thread configuration with a 5.00 GHz boost clock is superior for tasks that scale well with high core counts and clock speeds, such as certain productivity suites and content creation tools that are not Cinebench-based. The 11.6% lead in Geekbench single-core also favors Intel for fast, single-threaded operations.

The AMD Ryzen 5 4600HS is the pick for rendering workloads, as it wins all six Cinebench tests with a consistent 2.6% to 2.9% margin. Its 6-core, 12-thread Zen 2 design on a 7 nm process delivers better per-thread performance in Cinebench, despite a lower 4.00 GHz boost clock. The 35-watt TDP also makes it a more efficient option for sustained rendering in portable chassis, though this is a specification difference rather than a benchmark result.

For a general user, the average benchmark scores are nearly identical (3446 vs 3444), meaning neither chip offers a blanket performance advantage. The decision should be driven by the specific software: choose Intel for Geekbench-style multi-threaded tasks, and choose AMD for Cinebench-based rendering. Given that the AMD chip wins 6 out of 8 head-to-head tests, it is the more consistent performer across the tested benchmarks, but the magnitude of Intel’s Geekbench multi-core victory cannot be ignored. The final call rests on which benchmark suite better represents the user’s primary workload.