AMD Ryzen 5 4600U vs Intel Core i5-7600 Comparison

The Intel Core i5-7600 and AMD Ryzen 5 4600U occupy a peculiar space in the benchmark database: their average scores are nearly identical, yet their performance profiles could hardly be more different. The Core i5-7600 averages 1844 points across all tests, while the Ryzen 5 4600U averages 1832 points, a margin of just 0.7%. Both CPUs sit at the 42nd percentile among all processors, placing them in the same performance tier for general workloads. The head-to-head benchmark suite, however, tells a story of decisive victories for the AMD part. The Ryzen 5 4600U wins all four direct comparisons, with the most dramatic gap appearing in multi-threaded rendering tests. The data shows a desktop processor built for consistent single-thread performance facing a mobile processor that leverages additional cores and a newer architecture to dominate threaded workloads.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The most lopsided result in the head-to-head suite is the Cinebench R15 multicore test. The AMD Ryzen 5 4600U scores 1089 points, while the Intel Core i5-7600 manages only 563 points. That is a 48.3% deficit for the Intel part, a massive gap that underscores the difference between 6 cores with 12 threads and 4 cores with 4 threads. The Ryzen’s advantage in this test is roughly double the Intel chip’s entire score, a clear indication that heavily threaded applications will favor the AMD processor without question.

The Cinebench R15 singlecore test is even more lopsided in percentage terms. The Ryzen 5 4600U posts 175.5 points compared to 79 points for the Core i5-7600, a 55% difference. This result is surprising given that the Intel chip has a higher boost clock of 4.10 GHz versus 4.00 GHz for the AMD part. The Ryzen’s Zen 2 architecture, built on a 7 nm process, delivers superior instructions-per-clock efficiency, allowing it to win single-threaded performance despite the clock speed disadvantage. This is not a marginal win; it is a decisive architectural victory.

Geekbench multicore results follow a similar pattern, though with a narrower margin. The Ryzen 5 4600U scores 4715 points, while the Core i5-7600 scores 3704 points, a 21.4% difference. This test includes a mix of integer and floating-point workloads, and the Ryzen’s additional cores and threads provide a substantial but not overwhelming advantage. The Core i5-7600’s 4 cores are clearly outmatched, but the gap is less extreme than in Cinebench R15 multicore, suggesting that Geekbench’s workload distribution favors the Intel chip’s higher clock speeds somewhat.

The closest contest is Geekbench singlecore, where the AMD Ryzen 5 4600U edges out the Intel Core i5-7600 by a razor-thin 0.2% margin. The scores are 1347 points for the Ryzen and 1344 points for the Intel part. This result is effectively a tie, falling within normal benchmark variance. The data indicates that in purely single-threaded, non-rendering workloads, these two processors are indistinguishable. The Core i5-7600’s higher boost clock of 4.10 GHz nearly compensates for the architectural efficiency of Zen 2, but the Ryzen still comes out ahead by a hair.

When comparing average scores, the Intel Core i5-7600’s 1844 average is 0.7% higher than the Ryzen 5 4600U’s 1832, according to the nearestRivals data. This is because the Intel part has Cinebench R20 and R23 results in its benchmark set, which are not present for the AMD part. The Ryzen 5 4600U’s benchmark list only includes Cinebench R15 and Geekbench tests, so the average is calculated over a different mix of workloads. This discrepancy highlights the importance of looking at individual test scores rather than relying on aggregate figures alone.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The Intel Core i5-7600 has an average benchmark score of 1844, while the AMD Ryzen 5 4600U has an average benchmark score of 1832. The Intel part leads by 0.7% in this aggregate measure.

Q: How many benchmark wins does each processor have in the head-to-head suite?

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 4600U wins all 4 head-to-head benchmarks. The Intel Core i5-7600 has 0 wins in the direct comparison tests.

Q: What is the largest performance gap between the two processors?

A: The largest gap is in Cinebench R15 singlecore, where the AMD Ryzen 5 4600U scores 175.5 points versus 79 points for the Intel Core i5-7600, a 55% difference.

Q: Are these processors comparable in single-threaded Geekbench performance?

A: Yes, the Geekbench singlecore scores are 1347 for the AMD Ryzen 5 4600U and 1344 for the Intel Core i5-7600, a difference of just 0.2%. This is effectively a statistical tie.

Q: What is the difference in cores and threads between the two?

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 4600U has 6 cores and 12 threads, while the Intel Core i5-7600 has 4 cores and 4 threads.

Q: Which processor has a higher boost clock?

A: The Intel Core i5-7600 has a boost clock of 4.10 GHz, while the AMD Ryzen 5 4600U has a boost clock of 4.00 GHz.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Ryzen 5 4600U is the clear winner for any workload that scales with core count or thread count. Its Cinebench R15 multicore score of 1089 points is nearly double the Intel Core i5-7600’s 563 points, a 48.3% advantage. This translates directly to video rendering, 3D modeling, compilation, and other heavily parallel tasks. The Ryzen’s 6 cores and 12 threads provide a level of multitasking capability that the Intel part cannot match. The Geekbench multicore result of 4715 versus 3704, a 21.4% gap, reinforces this pattern for mixed integer and floating-point workloads. If the task involves multiple simultaneous threads, the Ryzen 5 4600U is the only rational choice.

The AMD Ryzen 5 4600U also wins in single-threaded rendering tests. Its Cinebench R15 singlecore score of 175.5 points versus 79 points for the Intel part, a 55% difference, shows that even when the workload is limited to one thread, the Zen 2 architecture delivers superior performance. This is notable because the Intel Core i5-7600 has a higher boost clock of 4.10 GHz compared to 4.00 GHz for the AMD part. The Ryzen’s architectural efficiency overcomes the clock speed deficit. For users who care about responsiveness in lightly threaded applications, the Ryzen still leads, though the margin narrows significantly in Geekbench singlecore where the difference is just 0.2%.

The Intel Core i5-7600’s case for victory rests on its higher boost clock and its desktop platform advantages, but the benchmark data does not support any workload where it wins outright. The Geekbench singlecore result of 1344 points versus 1347 points is the closest the Intel part comes to a win, and it still loses. The Intel chip does have a higher base clock of 3.50 GHz versus 2.10 GHz for the AMD part, which could translate to better performance in short, bursty workloads that do not sustain boost clocks. However, no benchmark in the provided data set confirms this advantage. The Intel Core i5-7600 is competitive in single-threaded Geekbench performance, but that is the extent of its relevance in this comparison.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ in nearly every core specification. The AMD Ryzen 5 4600U has 6 cores and 12 threads, while the Intel Core i5-7600 has 4 cores and 4 threads. The base clock of the Intel part is 3.50 GHz, substantially higher than the AMD part’s 2.10 GHz. The boost clocks are closer, with the Intel part reaching 4.10 GHz and the AMD part reaching 4.00 GHz. The thermal design power (TDP) is a major differentiator: the Intel Core i5-7600 is rated at 65 watts, while the AMD Ryzen 5 4600U is rated at 15 watts. This reflects the Intel part’s desktop market segment versus the AMD part’s mobile segment.

The sockets are incompatible. The Intel Core i5-7600 uses Intel Socket 1151, while the AMD Ryzen 5 4600U uses AMD Socket FP6. The cache hierarchy also differs. Both have 64 KB of L1 cache per core, but the Intel part has 256 KB of L2 cache per core, while the AMD part has 512 KB of L2 cache per core. The L3 cache is 6 MB shared for the Intel part and 8 MB shared for the AMD part. Memory support is similar in that both support DDR4, but the AMD part adds LPDDR4 support. The memory bandwidth is 38.4 GB/s for the Intel part and 51.2 GB/s for the AMD part. PCIe support is Gen 3 for both, but the Intel part specifies 16 lanes (CPU only), while the AMD part does not specify a lane count.

The integrated graphics differ: the Intel Core i5-7600 uses HD 630, while the AMD Ryzen 5 4600U uses Radeon RX Vega 6. The release dates are also different, with the Intel part releasing in 2017-01-02 and the AMD part releasing in 2020-01-05. Neither processor has an unlocked multiplier. The part numbers are SR334 for the Intel part and 100-000000105 for the AMD part.

Architecture Differences

The architectural divide between these two processors is substantial. The Intel Core i5-7600 is built on Kaby Lake architecture, which uses a 14 nm process node manufactured by Intel. The AMD Ryzen 5 4600U is built on Zen 2 architecture, codenamed Renoir, using a 7 nm process node manufactured by TSMC. This process size difference is significant, as the 7 nm node allows for much higher transistor density. The AMD part has 9,800 million transistors on a 156 mm² die, while the Intel part does not have transistor count or die size data listed. The smaller process node contributes to the AMD part’s dramatically lower TDP of 15 watts versus 65 watts.

The core architecture itself is fundamentally different. Kaby Lake is a refinement of Intel’s Skylake architecture, which uses a synchronous multi-threading approach that provides 2 threads per core. The Intel Core i5-7600, however, does not support hyper-threading, so it has 4 cores and 4 threads. Zen 2 is a chiplet-based design that uses a 7 nm process for the compute die. The Ryzen 5 4600U has 6 cores and 12 threads, utilizing simultaneous multi-threading to double the thread count. The L2 cache is doubled per core on the AMD part, 512 KB versus 256 KB, and the L3 cache is larger at 8 MB versus 6 MB.

The memory bandwidth difference of 51.2 GB/s for the AMD part versus 38.4 GB/s for the Intel part is another architectural consequence. The AMD part supports both DDR4 and LPDDR4 memory, while the Intel part only supports DDR4. The integrated graphics also differ architecturally: HD 630 is based on Intel’s Gen9 graphics architecture, while Radeon RX Vega 6 is based on AMD’s Vega architecture. The manufacturing foundry difference is notable as well, with Intel fabricating its own chip on a 14 nm process and TSMC fabricating the AMD chip on a 7 nm process. These architectural differences explain why the AMD part wins the single-threaded Cinebench R15 test by 55% despite having a lower boost clock, and why it dominates multi-threaded workloads by such wide margins.