AMD Ryzen 5 5560U vs Intel Core i7-8700B Comparison

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Ryzen 5 5560U and Intel Core i7-8700B split their benchmark victories in a way that maps cleanly onto workload type. The AMD part wins four of the six recorded head-to-head tests, while the Intel part takes two. That raw win count, however, hides a more interesting pattern: the Intel chip's two wins are in the latest Cinebench versions, while AMD dominates older Cinebench releases and both Geekbench tests.

Looking at the data, the Ryzen 5 5560U is the clear winner in Geekbench multicore (6922 vs 5936, a 16.6% advantage) and Geekbench singlecore (1642 vs 1443, a 13.8% advantage). It also crushes the Intel part in Cinebench R15, both multicore (1280 vs 1005, a 27.4% edge) and singlecore (202 vs 141, a 43.3% edge). The Intel Core i7-8700B, conversely, takes Cinebench R23 multicore (9977 vs 7667, a 23.2% lead) and Cinebench R23 singlecore (1408 vs 1260, a 10.5% lead).

The implication is that the AMD processor is better suited to the older rendering workloads and general-purpose compute as measured by Geekbench, while the Intel part shows a distinct advantage in the newer, more demanding Cinebench R23 test suite. This is not a simple "one is faster" story. The data suggests the Ryzen excels in lighter, latency-sensitive tasks and in the Geekbench mixed workload, whereas the Intel chip pulls ahead when the renderer scales with sustained multi-threaded load and newer instruction paths.

For a mobile part, the Ryzen's wins in the older Cinebench R15 tests are notable because those tests are less sensitive to power delivery and thermal headroom. The Intel desktop chip, with its 65 W TDP, can sustain higher clocks in a desktop context, which likely explains its R23 dominance. The Ryzen, at 15 W, wins where the workload is shorter or less power-hungry.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from different design eras and philosophies. The AMD Ryzen 5 5560U uses the Zen 3 architecture on a 7 nm process from TSMC, with the codename Cezanne-U. The Intel Core i7-8700B uses the older Coffee Lake architecture on a 14 nm process from Intel. The process node difference is significant: 7 nm vs 14 nm, which affects transistor density and power efficiency, though the AMD part packs more transistors (10,700 million vs no figure recorded for Intel) on a larger die (180 mm² vs 154 mm²).

Both have six cores and twelve threads, but their cache layouts diverge. The AMD chip offers 512 KB of L2 cache per core and 8 MB of shared L3 cache. The Intel chip has half the L2 per core at 256 KB, but a larger 12 MB shared L3 cache. The L1 cache is identical at 64 KB per core. This cache difference matters: Intel's larger L3 pool helps in workloads that reuse data across cores, while AMD's larger L2 per core can speed up per-thread access patterns.

Memory support is DDR4 for both, and both use a dual-channel bus. The AMD part records a higher theoretical memory bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s versus 42.7 GB/s for Intel. AMD also supports ECC memory, which Intel does not. PCIe connectivity differs: the Ryzen has 8 Gen 3 lanes (CPU only), while the Intel chip has 16 Gen 3 lanes. This makes the Intel part more flexible for add-in cards or multiple NVMe drives, though both are limited to Gen 3.

Integrated graphics are another split. AMD uses Radeon Vega 6, while Intel uses UHD Graphics 630. Neither is a gaming powerhouse, but the AMD solution is generally considered more capable in the absence of a discrete GPU. The Ryzen is a mobile part on AMD Socket FP6, while the Intel chip is a desktop part on Intel BGA 1440. The TDP gap is huge: 15 W for AMD versus 65 W for Intel. That alone explains many benchmark differences, as the Intel part can draw over four times the power.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The largest single-test margin in the entire comparison belongs to the AMD Ryzen 5 5560U in Cinebench R15 singlecore, where it scores 202 against the Intel's 141, a 43.3% lead. That is a massive gap for a single-threaded test, and it suggests the Zen 3 architecture's per-core efficiency at low power is far ahead of Coffee Lake's older design. In Cinebench R15 multicore, AMD again wins by 27.4% (1280 vs 1005), showing that even with equal core counts, the Ryzen's efficiency translates into a decisive advantage in this older renderer.

Geekbench results continue AMD's favor. The multicore score of 6922 versus 5936 gives AMD a 16.6% lead, and the singlecore score of 1642 versus 1443 yields a 13.8% advantage. These are not small margins; they represent a consistent pattern of AMD superiority in the mixed integer and floating-point workloads that Geekbench measures.

The Intel Core i7-8700B's wins are concentrated in Cinebench R23. In the multicore test, Intel scores 9977 against AMD's 7667, a 23.2% lead. This is the single largest absolute score difference in the dataset, with over 2,300 points separating them. In R23 singlecore, Intel leads 1408 to 1260, a 10.5% margin. The R23 suite is newer and more demanding than R15, and it appears to reward the Intel chip's higher sustained clock speeds (4.60 GHz boost versus 4.00 GHz for AMD) and larger L3 cache.

The data shows a clear trade-off: AMD wins the older tests by large margins, Intel wins the newer tests by smaller or larger margins depending on the core count. The average benchmark scores put AMD slightly ahead overall (3162 vs 3086), but the percentile rankings are nearly identical (53rd vs 52nd percentile among all CPUs). This means both chips sit in the same performance tier globally, but they achieve it through very different workload profiles.

The Verdict

The recorded data points to a straightforward choice based on workload and platform. For a mobile, low-power system where efficiency matters, the AMD Ryzen 5 5560U is the stronger pick. It wins the majority of benchmarks, delivers a 43.3% singlecore advantage in Cinebench R15, and does so with a 15 W TDP. The Geekbench results, both multicore and singlecore, also favor AMD by double-digit percentages. Anyone running older rendering engines, general productivity, or mixed compute tasks should prefer the Ryzen.

For a desktop system with power to spare, the Intel Core i7-8700B has a compelling case in the newest rendering workloads. Its Cinebench R23 multicore score of 9977 is 23.2% ahead of AMD, and the singlecore lead is 10.5%. The 65 W TDP is not a concern in a desktop chassis, and the 16 PCIe lanes offer more expansion headroom. The Intel part also has a larger 12 MB L3 cache, which may help in cache-sensitive server-like tasks.

The database's nearest rivals for each chip reinforce their positioning. The Ryzen 5 5560U sits within 0.3% of the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5850U and the Intel Xeon E5-2650 v4, indicating it trades blows with higher-tier parts. The Intel Core i7-8700B is within 0.3% of the AMD Ryzen 5 5625U, a direct competitor, and matches the Intel Xeon W-2133. Neither chip is a clear outlier in its class; both are middle-of-the-pack performers.

Ultimately, the verdict is workload-dependent. AMD wins where efficiency and older tests matter. Intel wins where sustained newer multi-threaded rendering matters. Given that the Ryzen wins four of six tests and has a higher average benchmark score, the data slightly favors AMD for general-purpose use, but the Intel chip's R23 dominance should not be ignored for modern renderers.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has the higher single-core score in Geekbench?

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 5560U scores 1642 in Geekbench singlecore, which is 13.8% higher than the Intel Core i7-8700B's 1443.

Q: How large is the AMD's win in Cinebench R15 multicore?

A: The Ryzen 5 5560U scores 1280 versus the Intel's 1005, giving AMD a 27.4% lead in that test.

Q: What explains the Intel's Cinebench R23 multicore advantage?

A: The Intel Core i7-8700B scores 9977 against AMD's 7667, a 23.2% margin. The Intel part has a 65 W TDP and a 4.60 GHz boost clock, while the AMD chip is capped at 15 W and 4.00 GHz.

Q: Do both chips have the same core and thread counts?

A: Yes, both have six cores and twelve threads, according to the database.

Q: Which chip supports ECC memory?

A: Only the AMD Ryzen 5 5560U supports ECC memory. The Intel Core i7-8700B does not list ECC support.

Q: How many benchmark wins does each chip have in the head-to-head comparison?

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 5560U wins four tests, and the Intel Core i7-8700B wins two tests.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ in nearly every physical and electrical specification except core count, thread count, L1 cache size, and memory type. The AMD Ryzen 5 5560U has a base clock of 2.30 GHz and a boost clock of 4.00 GHz, while the Intel Core i7-8700B runs at 3.20 GHz base and 4.60 GHz boost. The TDPs are 15 W for AMD and 65 W for Intel, a four-fold difference.

The process node is 7 nm for AMD (TSMC foundry) versus 14 nm for Intel (Intel foundry). AMD uses the Zen 3 architecture with the Cezanne-U codename, while Intel uses Coffee Lake. The AMD chip has 10,700 million transistors on a 180 mm² die; Intel's transistor count is not recorded, but its die size is 154 mm².

Cache configurations differ: AMD has 512 KB L2 per core and 8 MB shared L3, while Intel has 256 KB L2 per core and 12 MB shared L3. L1 is identical at 64 KB per core. Memory bandwidth is higher for AMD at 51.2 GB/s versus Intel's 42.7 GB/s. PCIe lanes differ: AMD has 8 Gen 3 lanes (CPU only), Intel has 16 Gen 3 lanes. Integrated graphics are Radeon Vega 6 for AMD and UHD Graphics 630 for Intel.

Sockets are distinct: AMD Socket FP6 for mobile, Intel BGA 1440 for desktop. The AMD part is in active production and was released on 2021-01-11, while the Intel part is end-of-life and was released on 2018-04-02. The Intel chip carries a launch MSRP of $303 and a part number of SRCX2; the AMD chip has no recorded MSRP or part number. Neither chip has an unlocked multiplier. The AMD chip's market segment is Mobile, and the Intel chip's is Desktop.