AMD Ryzen 5 5500U vs Intel Core 7 160UL Comparison

The AMD Ryzen 5 5500U and Intel Core 7 160UL represent two distinct approaches to mobile and desktop processing, with the data revealing a clear split in workload preferences. The AMD chip, a Zen 2 based mobile part, dominates in data-heavy and encryption tasks, while the Intel part, a Raptor Lake based desktop chip, excels in single-threaded speed and specific computational workloads. Both processors sit at the 69th percentile among all CPUs in the database, indicating they deliver comparable overall performance despite their architectural differences. The recorded average benchmark scores are close, with the AMD Ryzen 5 5500U at 14589 and the Intel Core 7 160UL at 14232, a difference of roughly 2.5%. This near parity makes the choice heavily dependent on the specific application.

Where Each One Wins

The benchmark data shows a distinct division of labor. The AMD Ryzen 5 5500U is the clear victor in tasks that involve data manipulation and processing large blocks of information. Its most significant wins are in PassMark data compression, where it scores 174584 against Intel's 108953, a 60.2% advantage. This is a massive lead, suggesting the AMD chip handles archiving, file compression, and database workloads with far greater efficiency. Similarly, in PassMark data encryption, the AMD part scores 10405, which is 45.6% higher than the Intel's 7146. For extended instruction set workloads, the AMD Ryzen 5 5500U is even more dominant, scoring 10838 versus 5832, a lead of 85.8%. This indicates superior performance in tasks that leverage advanced CPU instructions like AES-NI and AVX, which are common in cryptography, scientific computing, and media encoding.

The AMD chip also wins in the PassMark multithread test, scoring 12831 against 11043, a 16.2% lead. This suggests that for general parallel workloads that do not rely on the highest possible single-thread speed, the AMD part has an edge. Furthermore, it wins in random string sorting with a score of 19035, which is 60.7% ahead of the Intel's 11843. The only narrow win for AMD in this category is in floating-point math, where it scores 26029 versus 25670, a marginal 1.4% lead, showing near-total parity in this area. In the older Cinebench R15 tests, the AMD Ryzen 5 5500U also wins decisively, taking the multicore test with 1247 points versus 946 (a 31.8% lead) and the single-core test with 177 versus 133 (a 33.1% lead). This suggests that the AMD architecture was better optimized for the legacy workload scaling represented by R15.

The Intel Core 7 160UL, conversely, is the winner in tasks that demand rapid, single-threaded execution and high clock speeds. Its most notable victory is in the PassMark single-thread test, where it scores 3391 versus the AMD's 2419, a 28.7% lead. This is a fundamental advantage for applications like web browsing, office productivity, and many games that rely on strong single-core performance. The Intel part also wins in PassMark physics with a score of 819, which is 34.9% higher than the AMD's 533, indicating superior performance in simulation and physics-based calculations. In integer math, the Intel chip scores 47515 against 45258, a 4.8% lead, showing an edge in general-purpose arithmetic. The most extreme win for Intel is in the PassMark find prime numbers test, where it scores 50 versus the AMD's 26, a 48% advantage, highlighting its efficiency in algorithmically simple, loop-based tasks.

In the more modern Cinebench R23 benchmark, the Intel Core 7 160UL shows its strength. It wins the multicore test with a score of 9386 against the AMD's 7186, a 23.4% lead. It also wins the single-core test with 1325 versus 1172, an 11.5% lead. This demonstrates that in the latest Cinebench version, Intel's newer architecture provides a significant performance boost in both parallel and single-threaded rendering workloads. The data shows a total of 8 benchmark wins for the AMD Ryzen 5 5500U and 7 wins for the Intel Core 7 160UL in the head-to-head comparison.

Architecture Differences

The two CPUs are built on fundamentally different foundations. The AMD Ryzen 5 5500U uses the Zen 2 architecture, codenamed Lucienne, and is manufactured on a 7 nm process by TSMC. This process node is smaller than the one used for the Intel part. The Intel Core 7 160UL uses the Raptor Lake architecture, codenamed Raptor Lake-PS, and is manufactured on a 10 nm process by Intel. The AMD chip has 6 cores and 12 threads, while the Intel chip has 10 cores and 12 threads. This means the Intel part has more physical cores but the same thread count, indicating a different core configuration. The AMD chip is based on a monolithic die design with 9,800 million transistors on a 156 mm² die. The Intel chip's transistor count and die size are not recorded in the database.

Cache configurations differ significantly. The AMD Ryzen 5 5500U has 64 KB of L1 cache per core, 512 KB of L2 cache per core, and 8 MB of shared L3 cache. The Intel Core 7 160UL has 80 KB of L1 cache per core, 1.25 MB of L2 cache per core, and 12 MB of shared L3 cache. The larger L2 and L3 caches on the Intel part likely contribute to its higher single-threaded scores and its performance in the Cinebench R23 multicore test. The AMD part is a mobile processor with a socket of AMD Socket FP6, while the Intel part is classified as a desktop processor with an Intel Socket 1700. The AMD chip supports only DDR4 memory, while the Intel chip supports both DDR4 and DDR5. The memory bus is dual-channel for both, but the AMD chip has a recorded memory bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s, while the Intel chip's memory bandwidth is not listed.

The integrated graphics also differ. The AMD Ryzen 5 5500U features Radeon Graphics with 448 shader processors (SP), while the Intel Core 7 160UL features Iris Xe Graphics with 96 execution units (EU). The PCIe support is another point of difference: the AMD chip offers PCIe Gen 3 with 12 lanes from the CPU, whereas the Intel chip offers PCIe Gen 4 with 8 lanes from the CPU. The release dates are far apart, with the AMD part being released in January 2021 and the Intel part in April 2024. Both have the same TDP of 15 watts and neither has an unlocked multiplier.

FAQ

Q: Which processor is faster in single-threaded tasks?

A: The Intel Core 7 160UL is faster in single-threaded tasks. In the PassMark single-thread test it scores 3391, which is 28.7% higher than the AMD Ryzen 5 5500U's score of 2419. It also wins the Cinebench R23 single-core test with 1325 versus 1172, an 11.5% lead.

Q: Which processor is better for data compression and encryption?

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 5500U is significantly better for these tasks. It leads by 60.2% in data compression and by 45.6% in data encryption, with scores of 174584 and 10405 respectively, compared to the Intel Core 7 160UL's 108953 and 7146.

Q: How do the two processors compare in overall average performance?

A: The average benchmark scores are very close. The AMD Ryzen 5 5500U has an average score of 14589, while the Intel Core 7 160UL has an average of 14232. This places both CPUs at the 69th percentile of all CPUs in the database.

Q: What is the difference in core counts and architecture?

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 5500U has 6 cores based on the Zen 2 architecture, while the Intel Core 7 160UL has 10 cores based on the Raptor Lake architecture. Both processors support 12 threads.

Q: Which chip has a larger cache?

A: The Intel Core 7 160UL has a larger cache overall. It has 80 KB of L1 cache per core, 1.25 MB of L2 cache per core, and 12 MB of shared L3 cache. The AMD Ryzen 5 5500U has 64 KB of L1 cache per core, 512 KB of L2 cache per core, and 8 MB of shared L3 cache.

Q: Which processor is more recent?

A: The Intel Core 7 160UL is more recent. It was released in April 2024, while the AMD Ryzen 5 5500U was released in January 2021.

Specification Differences

The recorded specifications show clear differences in the fundamental design of the two processors.

• Architecture: The AMD Ryzen 5 5500U is based on Zen 2 (Lucienne), while the Intel Core 7 160UL is based on Raptor Lake (Raptor Lake-PS).
• Process Node: The AMD chip is built on a 7 nm process, while the Intel chip is built on a 10 nm process.
• Cores: The AMD chip has 6 cores, while the Intel chip has 10 cores.
• Base Clock: The AMD chip has a base clock of 2.10 GHz, while the Intel chip has a base clock of 1.80 GHz.
• Boost Clock: The AMD chip has a boost clock of 4.00 GHz, while the Intel chip has a boost clock of 5.20 GHz.
• Socket: The AMD chip uses AMD Socket FP6, while the Intel chip uses Intel Socket 1700.
• L1 Cache: The AMD chip has 64 KB per core, while the Intel chip has 80 KB per core.
• L2 Cache: The AMD chip has 512 KB per core, while the Intel chip has 1.25 MB per core.
• L3 Cache: The AMD chip has 8 MB shared, while the Intel chip has 12 MB shared.
• Memory Support: The AMD chip supports DDR4, while the Intel chip supports DDR4 and DDR5.
• Memory Bandwidth: The AMD chip has a recorded bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s, while the Intel chip's bandwidth is not recorded.
• PCIe Support: The AMD chip offers Gen 3 with 12 lanes, while the Intel chip offers Gen 4 with 8 lanes.
• Integrated Graphics: The AMD chip has Radeon Graphics with 448 SP, while the Intel chip has Iris Xe Graphics with 96 EU.
• Market Segment: The AMD chip is for Mobile, while the Intel chip is for Desktop.
• Release Date: The AMD chip was released in January 2021, while the Intel chip was released in April 2024.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head benchmark data reveals a clear pattern of strengths. The AMD Ryzen 5 5500U's biggest wins are in tasks that process large datasets. In the PassMark extended instructions test, the AMD chip scores 10838, which is 85.8% higher than the Intel Core 7 160UL's 5832. This is the largest single delta in the comparison. Following that, the AMD chip shows a 60.7% lead in random string sorting (19035 vs 11843) and a 60.2% lead in data compression (174584 vs 108953). These results are consistent with the AMD chip's architecture being well-suited for memory-intensive and parallel data operations. In the older Cinebench R15 tests, the AMD chip also shows strong wins, leading by 31.8% in multicore (1247 vs 946) and by 33.1% in single-core (177 vs 133). The AMD chip also wins in data encryption, scoring 10405, which is 45.6% higher than the Intel's 7146. Its lead in PassMark multithread is 16.2% (12831 vs 11043), and it narrowly wins floating-point math by 1.4% (26029 vs 25670).

The Intel Core 7 160UL has its most significant wins in single-threaded and specific computational tasks. Its largest win is in the PassMark find prime numbers test, where it scores 50, a 48% lead over the AMD's 26. The Intel chip also shows a strong 34.9% lead in PassMark physics (819 vs 533) and a 28.7% lead in the PassMark single-thread test (3391 vs 2419). In the modern Cinebench R23 benchmark, the Intel chip leads by 23.4% in the multicore test (9386 vs 7186) and by 11.5% in the single-core test (1325 vs 1172). The Intel chip also wins in integer math, with a score of 47515 against the AMD's 45258, a 4.8% lead. The data shows that while the Intel chip wins fewer total tests (7 vs 8), its wins are concentrated in the most latency-sensitive and single-threaded workloads, while the AMD chip dominates in throughput-oriented tasks.