AMD Ryzen 5 5500 vs Intel Core Ultra 7 165U Comparison

FAQ

Q: Which processor has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 7 165U has a higher average benchmark score of 20249, compared to 19593 for the AMD Ryzen 5 5500. The Intel part also sits at the 74th percentile versus the AMD chip's 73rd percentile.

Q: How big is the gap in Cinebench R23 multi-core performance?

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 5500 scores 16429 in Cinebench R23 multi-core, while the Intel Core Ultra 7 165U scores 10226. That is a 60.7% advantage for the AMD processor, the largest multi-core win in the head-to-head data.

Q: In which tests does the Intel Core Ultra 7 165U win?

A: The Intel chip wins in five benchmark tests: passmark_find_prime_numbers (66 vs 56, a 15.2% lead), passmark_floating_point_math (40775 vs 36815, a 9.7% lead), passmark_physics (1141 vs 896, a 21.5% lead), and both passmark_single_thread and passmark_singlethread (3357 vs 3058, an 8.9% lead).

Q: Which processor has more cores and threads?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 7 165U has 12 cores and 14 threads, while the AMD Ryzen 5 5500 has 6 cores and 12 threads.

Q: What is the memory bandwidth difference?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 7 165U has a memory bandwidth of 89.6 GB/s, while the AMD Ryzen 5 5500 has 51.2 GB/s. Both use dual-channel memory buses.

Q: Do both processors support ECC memory?

A: No, neither the AMD Ryzen 5 5500 nor the Intel Core Ultra 7 165U supports ECC memory.

Architecture Differences

The AMD Ryzen 5 5500 is built on the Zen 3 architecture with the Cezanne codename, manufactured by TSMC on a 7 nm process. It uses the AMD Socket AM4 platform and belongs to the 5000 series. The die measures 180 mm² and contains 10,700 million transistors. This is a desktop-class part with a 65 W TDP.

The Intel Core Ultra 7 165U uses the Meteor Lake architecture, also on a 7 nm process, but fabricated by Intel rather than TSMC. It is a mobile processor with a 15 W TDP, housed in Intel BGA 2049. It belongs to the Core Ultra Series 1 generation. The database does not list transistor count or die size for this chip.

Cache layouts differ substantially. The AMD processor has 64 KB of L1 per core, 512 KB of L2 per core, and 16 MB of L3. The Intel chip has 112 KB of L1 per core, 2 MB of L2 per core, and 12 MB of shared L3. The AMD part's L3 is larger overall, but the Intel part has more L2 per core.

The Intel processor integrates Arc Xe-LPG 64EU graphics, while the AMD Ryzen 5 5500 has no integrated graphics listed. Memory support also differs: the AMD chip uses DDR4, while the Intel chip supports DDR5, with the note that support depends on the motherboard. PCIe capability diverges as well, with AMD at Gen 3 and Intel at Gen 4 with 12 lanes (CPU only).

The AMD chip has an unlocked multiplier, making it overclockable, whereas the Intel chip is locked. The AMD part is a desktop processor, the Intel part is mobile. The AMD Ryzen 5 5500 launched in April 2022 with a launch MSRP of $159. The Intel Core Ultra 7 165U launched in December 2023 with a launch MSRP of $448.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head data contains 19 benchmark comparisons. The AMD Ryzen 5 5500 wins 14 of them, while the Intel Core Ultra 7 165U wins 5. The margin of victory varies widely by workload.

The biggest win for AMD comes in Cinebench R23 multi-core. The Ryzen 5 5500 scores 16429 versus 10226 for the Intel chip, a 60.7% lead. That is a decisive result for heavily threaded rendering workloads. Cinebench R20 multi-core shows a similar pattern, with AMD ahead 6900 to 5943, a 16.1% margin. Cinebench R15 multi-core is closer, with AMD ahead 1656 to 1605, just 3.2%.

Single-core Cinebench results also favor AMD. In Cinebench R23 single-core, the Ryzen 5 5500 scores 2319 versus 1662, a 39.5% advantage. Cinebench R20 single-core shows a 16% lead (973 vs 839), and Cinebench R15 single-core is nearly tied at 233 vs 231, a 0.9% lead for AMD.

Geekbench results favor AMD as well. Multi-core is 7976 vs 7329, an 8.8% lead. Single-core is 1730 vs 1450, a 19.3% lead.

PassMark tests split more evenly. AMD wins data compression by 30.5% (245533 vs 188105), data encryption by 24.8% (14851 vs 11896), extended instructions by 62.5% (17236 vs 10610), integer math by 12.5% (65001 vs 57785), multithread by 13% (19330 vs 17101), and random string sorting by 16.5% (24757 vs 21258).

The Intel chip takes the remaining PassMark tests. Floating point math goes to Intel at 40775 vs 36815, a 9.7% margin. Physics shows a 21.5% lead for Intel (1141 vs 896). Prime number finding favors Intel at 66 vs 56, a 15.2% advantage. Single-thread performance goes to Intel at 3357 vs 3058, an 8.9% lead, recorded in both passmark_single_thread and passmark_singlethread.

Benchmark results indicate the AMD chip dominates multi-core throughput in most tests, with the Intel part countering in specific workloads like physics simulation, floating point math, prime number calculation, and single-threaded PassMark tasks.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ across nearly every specification category in the database. The AMD Ryzen 5 5500 has 6 cores and 12 threads, while the Intel Core Ultra 7 165U has 12 cores and 14 threads. Base clocks are listed differently: the AMD part has a base clock of 3.60 GHz, while the Intel part's base clock is listed as 1700.00 MHz. Boost clocks are 4.20 GHz for AMD and 4.90 GHz for Intel.

TDP is a major split. The AMD desktop chip is rated at 65 W, while the Intel mobile chip is rated at 15 W. Sockets differ completely: AMD Socket AM4 versus Intel BGA 2049. The AMD part has an unlocked multiplier; the Intel part does not.

Cache specifications diverge. AMD has 64 KB L1 per core, 512 KB L2 per core, and 16 MB L3. Intel has 112 KB L1 per core, 2 MB L2 per core, and 12 MB shared L3. The AMD chip uses DDR4 memory, while the Intel chip uses DDR5 depending on the motherboard. Memory bandwidth is 51.2 GB/s for AMD and 89.6 GB/s for Intel.

PCIe support differs: AMD is Gen 3, while Intel is Gen 4 with 12 lanes (CPU only). The AMD processor has no integrated graphics listed, while the Intel processor includes Arc Xe-LPG 64EU graphics. Market segments are desktop for AMD and mobile for Intel. The AMD part has a launch MSRP of $159, while the Intel part has a launch MSRP of $448.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Ryzen 5 5500 is the clear choice for multi-threaded compute workloads. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 16429 stands 60.7% above the Intel chip, and its Cinebench R20 multi-core lead is 16.1%. Data compression and encryption also favor AMD strongly, with leads of 30.5% and 24.8% respectively. Extended instructions show a 62.5% advantage, making the AMD part well suited for code that uses modern instruction sets. Integer math, multithread performance, and random string sorting all favor AMD as well.

The Intel Core Ultra 7 165U wins in a narrower set of scenarios, but those wins are meaningful. Physics simulation shows a 21.5% lead for Intel, and floating point math is 9.7% ahead. Prime number finding favors Intel by 15.2%. Single-threaded PassMark performance is also Intel's, at 3357 vs 3058, an 8.9% margin.

The use-case split follows the benchmark pattern. For rendering, video encoding, data compression, encryption, and general productivity that scales across cores, the AMD Ryzen 5 5500 delivers substantially higher throughput. The Intel part, with its lower 15 W TDP and integrated Arc graphics, suits mobile platforms where power efficiency and built-in display output matter. Its wins in physics and floating point math suggest an edge in simulation-style workloads, while its PassMark single-thread lead indicates faster response in lightly threaded tasks.

The average benchmark scores tell a nuanced story. The Intel chip has a higher average score at 20249 versus 19593, and it sits at the 74th percentile compared to AMD's 73rd. Yet the AMD processor wins 14 of 19 head-to-head tests. This reflects the Intel chip's strength in a few specific benchmarks, particularly floating point math, physics, and single-thread PassMark tests, which lift its average despite losing most comparisons.

Nearest rival data places each chip in context. The AMD Ryzen 5 5500 sits within 0.7% of the Intel Core i5-11600KF, 0.4% of the Intel Core i5-12500, and 0.5% of the Intel Core i7-10700F. The Intel Core Ultra 7 165U is effectively tied with the Intel Core i7-9700K at a 0.1% delta, 0.6% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 3 30, and within 0.8% of the AMD EPYC 9454P. These figures show both processors landing in a similar performance band overall, despite their contrasting architectural approaches and market segments.