AMD Ryzen 5 4600U vs Intel Xeon E3-1545M v5 Comparison

Where Each One Wins

The benchmark data splits cleanly along workload type, but with a notable asymmetry: the AMD Ryzen 5 4600U wins every recorded head-to-head comparison, while the Intel Xeon E3-1545M v5 does not win a single one. In the two directly comparable tests, Cinebench R15 multi-core and single-core, the AMD part leads by margins that are difficult to characterize as anything other than decisive. The multi-core result shows the 4600U scoring 1089 against the Xeon's 654, a 66.5% advantage. The single-core result is even more lopsided: 175.5 versus 92, a 90.8% gap.

The use-case split is therefore less about which processor wins which type of workload and more about the scale of the AMD advantage in each. For heavily threaded rendering tasks, the 4600U's six cores and twelve threads give it a structural edge over the Xeon's four cores and eight threads. For lightly threaded workloads, the 4600U's higher boost clock and newer architecture carry the day. The Xeon E3-1545M v5 does bring one legitimate differentiator: ECC memory support, which the Ryzen part lacks. That makes the Xeon the only choice for environments where memory error correction is mandatory, even though its raw compute scores are far lower.

The database's aggregate metrics reinforce this picture. The Xeon E3-1545M v5 posts a higher average benchmark score (1879) than the Ryzen 5 4600U (1832), but that figure draws on a different set of tests, including Cinebench R20 and R23 runs that have no equivalent on the AMD side. The Ryzen's percentile rank among all CPUs is 42, while the Xeon sits at 43, essentially equivalent in the overall distribution. The head-to-head data, however, is unambiguous: the 4600U wins both recorded comparisons.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from different design eras and different market intents. The AMD Ryzen 5 4600U is a Zen 2 part built on TSMC's 7 nm process, while the Intel Xeon E3-1545M v5 is a Skylake-H chip manufactured on Intel's 14 nm node. The transistor counts reflect the process gap dramatically. AMD integrates 9,800 million transistors on a die measuring 156 mm²; Intel packs 2,300 million on a 171 mm² die. The Zen 2 design uses 64 KB of L1 cache per core, identical to the Xeon, but the L2 split differs: 512 KB per core on the AMD part versus 256 KB per core on the Intel part. Both share 8 MB of L3 cache.

Core counts differ as well. The Ryzen 5 4600U provides six cores and twelve threads, a 50% core advantage over the Xeon's four cores and eight threads. Base clocks favor Intel on paper, 2.90 GHz versus 2.10 GHz, but the boost clocks reverse the order at the top end, where the AMD chip reaches 4.00 GHz against the Xeon's 3.80 GHz. TDP is another major divergence. The Ryzen is rated at 15 W, a mobile-class figure, while the Xeon is rated at 45 W, a thicker thermal envelope for server and workstation use.

Memory support paints the Xeon as the more flexible platform. It accepts both DDR3 and DDR4, while the Ryzen 5 4600U is limited to DDR4 and LPDDR4. Memory bandwidth clearly favors AMD at 51.2 GB/s, well above the Xeon's 34.1 GB/s. The Xeon alone supports ECC memory, a feature category entirely absent on the AMD part. Integrated graphics differ in brand and generation: the Ryzen carries Radeon RX Vega 6, while the Xeon includes Iris Pro Graphics P580. PCI Express support is Gen 3 on both, though the Xeon's listing specifies 16 lanes from the CPU. The socket and packaging are incompatible, AMD Socket FP6 on the AMD side and Intel BGA 1440 on the Intel side. Production status also differs, with the Ryzen 5 4600U listed as active and the Xeon E3-1545M v5 as end-of-life, which matters for long-term availability.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded head-to-head data contains only two tests, both Cinebench R15. The multi-core run is the closest comparison between the two, and it still goes overwhelmingly to AMD. The Ryzen 5 4600U scores 1089, and the Xeon E3-1545M v5 scores 654, a 66.5% lead for the AMD part. That margin is larger than the core count difference alone would suggest. Six cores versus four cores is a 50% core advantage, yet the performance gap is 66.5%, indicating that the Zen 2 cores are extracting more useful work per thread in addition to simply having more of them. The lower TDP of the AMD part makes this result particularly notable, as the 4600U delivers far more multi-threaded throughput while drawing one-third the thermal envelope of the Xeon.

The single-core test is the more striking result. The Ryzen 5 4600U scores 175.5, and the Xeon E3-1545M v5 scores 92, a 90.8% delta. This near-doubling of single-thread performance reflects both the architectural leap from Skylake to Zen 2 and the boost clock advantage. The Xeon's 3.80 GHz boost is not far from the AMD part's 4.00 GHz, so clock speed alone cannot explain the margin. The gap comes from instruction efficiency and IPC improvements that benefit the newer AMD design. A 90.8% single-core advantage in the same benchmark generation is the kind of result that typically signals a generational jump, and in the database's recorded measurements, it does exactly that.

The Xeon's additional Cinebench R20 and R23 scores exist in its own benchmark list, but there is no corresponding AMD equivalents in the head-to-head set to compare directly. Without those tests recorded for the Ryzen 5 4600U, the database's two-test comparison is the sum of available direct evidence. Both favor AMD by wide margins. The Xeon's nearest rivals in the database, meanwhile, are all Intel parts: the Intel Processor U300 at 1881 average, the Xeon E3-1558L v5 at 1882, the Xeon E3-1270L v4 at 1883, and the Xeon D-1531 at 1885. The Ryzen 5 4600U's nearest rivals include the Intel Core i5-8305G at 1831 and the AMD Athlon Gold PRO 3150G at 1836, a mix that places the 4600U near the same aggregate performance tier as the Xeon despite the head-to-head sweep.

The Verdict

The data supports a clear split by use case. For any workload where raw CPU throughput is the primary requirement, whether single-threaded or multi-threaded, the AMD Ryzen 5 4600U is the stronger choice. It wins both recorded head-to-head benchmarks, by 66.5% in multi-core and 90.8% in single-core. The six-core, twelve-thread design, the 7 nm Zen 2 architecture, and the 51.2 GB/s memory bandwidth all contribute to that result. The 4600U also operates within a 15 W TDP, making it suitable for thin-and-light mobile systems where cooling and battery life are constrained.

The Intel Xeon E3-1545M v5 should be selected only in specific circumstances. It is the sole part in this comparison with ECC memory support, which matters for server, workstation, or reliability-critical deployments where memory corruption is unacceptable. It also offers dual memory standards, DDR3 and DDR4, giving platform designers flexibility in memory sourcing. Its 45 W TDP and end-of-life production status make it a poor choice for new mobile or embedded designs, and its compute performance is well behind the AMD part in every recorded test. The Xeon's average benchmark score of 1879 is higher than the Ryzen's 1832, but that figure includes Cinebench R20 and R23 results that have no AMD counterpart in the database, so it does not reflect a direct performance advantage.

For the majority of buyers, the Ryzen 5 4600U is the obvious pick. It offers more cores, more threads, higher boost clocks, nearly double the single-core performance in the recorded test, and a far lower TDP. The Xeon E3-1545M v5 is a niche product for a niche requirement: ECC memory in a mobile or workstation form factor. If that requirement is absent, the data says the AMD part wins without qualification. If ECC is mandatory, the Xeon is the only option, regardless of its benchmark deficits.

FAQ

Q: Which processor is faster in multi-core workloads?

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 4600U is faster in the recorded Cinebench R15 multi-core test, scoring 1089 against the Intel Xeon E3-1545M v5's 654, a 66.5% advantage.

Q: How large is the single-core performance gap?

A: The Ryzen 5 4600U leads by 90.8% in Cinebench R15 single-core, scoring 175.5 versus 92 for the Xeon E3-1545M v5.

Q: Does the Xeon E3-1545M v5 have any unique features?

A: Yes, it supports ECC memory, which the Ryzen 5 4600U does not support. The Xeon also accepts both DDR3 and DDR4, while the Ryzen 5 4600U is limited to DDR4 and LPDDR4.

Q: How do their core and thread counts compare?

A: The Ryzen 5 4600U has six cores and twelve threads. The Xeon E3-1545M v5 has four cores and eight threads.

Q: What are the TDP differences?

A: The Ryzen 5 4600U is rated at 15 W, while the Xeon E3-1545M v5 is rated at 45 W.

Q: Which processor has higher memory bandwidth?**

A: The Ryzen 5 4600U has a memory bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s, compared to 34.1 GB/s for the Xeon E3-1545M v5.