AMD Ryzen 5 5600GT vs Intel Core i3-1220P Comparison

The Intel Core i3-1220P and AMD Ryzen 5 5600GT represent two very different approaches to the modern CPU, one designed for mobile efficiency and the other for desktop performance. The benchmark data in the database shows a clear pattern: the AMD Ryzen 5 5600GT wins the vast majority of head-to-head tests, while the Intel chip manages only two narrow victories. Both processors sit at the 74th percentile among all CPUs, indicating they occupy a similar overall performance tier, but the distribution of their strengths is highly uneven.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The most striking result in the head-to-head comparison is the consistency of the AMD Ryzen 5 5600GT's lead across the Cinebench suite. In Cinebench R15, R20, and R23, the Ryzen 5 5600GT beats the Intel Core i3-1220P by exactly 22.9% in both single-core and multi-core tests. The multi-core Cinebench R23 score of 17272 for the AMD chip against 13314 for the Intel chip is a substantial gap that will be felt in any heavily threaded workload. The single-core Cinebench R23 scores of 2438 versus 1879 reinforce that the AMD chip has a superior architecture for raw instruction throughput.

The PassMark suite shows an even wider divergence in certain workloads. The largest margin is in extended instructions, where the Ryzen 5 5600GT scores 18041 against the Intel chip's 10051, a 44.3% advantage. This suggests the AMD chip has a significantly stronger SIMD and vector processing capability. Data compression follows with a 30.3% lead for AMD (258882 versus 180528), and data encryption shows a 31.2% gap (15873 versus 10923). The find prime numbers test, which is highly sensitive to integer and branch performance, shows a 42.1% advantage for the Ryzen 5 5600GT, with scores of 57 versus 33.

Integer math and multithread performance also favor AMD substantially. The Ryzen 5 5600GT scores 69566 in integer math, a 23.1% lead over the Intel chip's 53507. In the PassMark multithread test, the AMD chip scores 20325 against 14481, a 28.8% gap. Physics simulation shows a 27.2% advantage for the Ryzen 5 5600GT (875 versus 637). Random string sorting has the smallest gap among the AMD wins, with a 20.4% lead (26188 versus 20846). Floating point math is the closest AMD victory at only 6.3%, with scores of 39817 versus 37294.

The Intel Core i3-1220P's only wins come in the PassMark single thread and singlethread tests. It scores 3362 in both, edging out the Ryzen 5 5600GT's 3348 by a tiny 0.4%. While this is a victory for Intel, the margin is negligible and will have no practical impact on real-world application performance. The data shows that the AMD chip wins 15 out of 17 head-to-head benchmarks, with its average lead across those wins being much larger than the 0.4% edge Intel can claim.

Where Each One Wins

The Intel Core i3-1220P is not without its merits, but its strengths are narrow. Its single-thread score of 3362 in the PassMark suite is marginally better than the Ryzen 5 5600GT's 3348. This is a purely theoretical advantage, as the 0.4% delta is well within run-to-run variance. The Intel chip's mobile market segment and 28W TDP suggest it is intended for thin-and-light laptops where power draw is a primary concern, even if the benchmark data does not show a performance advantage to accompany that efficiency.

The AMD Ryzen 5 5600GT wins in every other category that matters for a desktop user. Its multi-core Cinebench R23 score of 17272 places it far ahead of the Intel chip in rendering, video encoding, and compilation workloads. The 44.3% lead in extended instructions means the Ryzen 5 5600GT is the clear choice for scientific computing, cryptography, and any application that leverages advanced SIMD instructions. The 30.3% advantage in data compression and 31.2% in encryption makes it better suited for archival work, database operations, and secure communications.

For gaming, the Ryzen 5 5600GT's leads in physics (27.2%) and integer math (23.1%) are relevant, as these are common bottlenecks in game simulation and logic. The AMD chip also has the benefit of a desktop platform with an unlocked multiplier, allowing for overclocking to push performance even further. The Intel Core i3-1220P, with its locked multiplier and mobile BGA socket, does not offer this flexibility. The data clearly indicates that the Ryzen 5 5600GT is the higher-performance part across the board, with the Intel chip's only claim to fame being a negligible single-thread edge.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from fundamentally different design philosophies. The Intel Core i3-1220P is built on Intel's 10 nm process and uses the Alder Lake architecture, with a hybrid design that combines performance and efficiency cores. It has 10 cores and 12 threads, with a base clock of 1500 MHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. The CPU is paired with 12 MB of shared L3 cache and features Intel UHD Graphics 64EU as its integrated GPU. It supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory and uses the Intel BGA 1744 socket, which is soldered to the motherboard and not upgradeable.

The AMD Ryzen 5 5600GT is built on a 7 nm process at TSMC and uses the Zen 3 architecture with the Cezanne codename. It is a more traditional desktop part with 6 cores and 12 threads, but its higher base clock of 3.60 GHz and boost clock of 4.60 GHz more than compensate for the lower core count. The Ryzen 5 5600GT has 16 MB of L3 cache and a die size of 180 mm², containing 10,700 million transistors. It supports DDR4 memory with a dual-channel bus and a memory bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s. The integrated graphics are Radeon Vega 7, and the chip uses the AMD Socket AM4, which is a standard desktop socket that allows for CPU swaps.

The process node difference is significant. The 7 nm TSMC process used for the Ryzen 5 5600GT is more advanced than Intel's 10 nm node, which contributes to the AMD chip's higher clock speeds and better performance per watt. The AMD chip also has a higher TDP of 65W compared to the Intel chip's 28W, which reflects its desktop orientation. The Intel chip's PCIe Gen 4 support with 20 lanes is more modern than the AMD chip's PCIe Gen 3 with 16 lanes, but this does not translate into a benchmark advantage in the recorded data. The Ryzen 5 5600GT also has an unlocked multiplier, allowing users to overclock, while the Intel Core i3-1220P is locked in this regard.

Another notable difference is the release date. The Intel Core i3-1220P was released on February 22, 2022, while the AMD Ryzen 5 5600GT came later on January 7, 2024. The AMD chip has a launch MSRP of $140, which is a notable data point for those tracking market positioning. The Intel chip has no recorded launch MSRP in the database.

FAQ

Q: Which processor is faster in multi-core Cinebench R23?

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 5600GT is faster with a score of 17272 versus the Intel Core i3-1220P's 13314, a 22.9% lead.

Q: Does the Intel Core i3-1220P win any benchmarks?

A: Yes, it wins the PassMark single thread and singlethread tests with a score of 3362, which is 0.4% higher than the Ryzen 5 5600GT's 3348.

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

A: The largest gap is in PassMark extended instructions, where the AMD Ryzen 5 5600GT leads by 44.3% with a score of 18041 against 10051.

Q: How do the core counts compare?

A: The Intel Core i3-1220P has 10 cores and 12 threads, while the AMD Ryzen 5 5600GT has 6 cores and 12 threads. Despite fewer cores, the AMD chip wins most multi-threaded tests.

Q: What memory types do they support?

A: The Intel Core i3-1220P supports both DDR4 and DDR5, while the AMD Ryzen 5 5600GT supports only DDR4.

Q: Are both processors on the same performance percentile?

A: Yes, both the Intel Core i3-1220P and the AMD Ryzen 5 5600GT are at the 74th percentile among all CPUs.

The Verdict

The data presents a one-sided picture. The AMD Ryzen 5 5600GT is the superior processor in 15 of 17 head-to-head benchmarks, with its leads ranging from 6.3% in floating point math to 44.3% in extended instructions. The Intel Core i3-1220P wins only the PassMark single-thread test by a marginal 0.4%, a result that has no practical significance.

Users building a desktop system should choose the AMD Ryzen 5 5600GT based on the benchmark data. It offers higher multi-core performance in Cinebench R23, better memory bandwidth with its 51.2 GB/s support, and a larger 16 MB L3 cache. Its unlocked multiplier and desktop AM4 socket make it a more flexible platform for those who want to overclock or upgrade later. The Intel Core i3-1220P is a mobile part, and its only advantages are its lower TDP and support for DDR5 memory, but these do not translate into performance wins in the recorded benchmarks.

For mobile users, the Intel Core i3-1220P is the only choice between the two, as it is designed for the BGA 1744 socket and the mobile market segment. However, the data shows that even with its 10 cores, it cannot match the Ryzen 5 5600GT in almost any workload. The Ryzen 5 5600GT is the clear winner for anyone who prioritizes performance, while the Intel chip is a reasonable option only when the mobile form factor is a hard requirement.

Specification Differences

The Intel Core i3-1220P and AMD Ryzen 5 5600GT differ significantly in their core specifications. The Intel chip has 10 cores and 12 threads, while the AMD chip has 6 cores and 12 threads. The base clock of the Intel chip is 1500 MHz, which is much lower than the AMD chip's 3.60 GHz, and the boost clock is 4.40 GHz versus 4.60 GHz. The TDP also differs, with the Intel chip rated at 28W and the AMD chip at 65W.

The cache hierarchy is different. The Intel Core i3-1220P 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 5600GT has 64 KB of L1 per core, 512 KB of L2 per core, and 16 MB of L3 cache. The Intel chip uses the Intel BGA 1744 socket, while the AMD chip uses the AMD Socket AM4. The process nodes are 10 nm for Intel and 7 nm for AMD, with the latter produced by TSMC.

Memory support varies, with the Intel chip supporting both DDR4 and DDR5, while the AMD chip supports only DDR4. The memory bus is dual-channel for both, but the AMD chip has a specified memory bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s, while the Intel chip has no recorded bandwidth figure. PCIe support differs as well: the Intel chip supports Gen 4 with 20 lanes, and the AMD chip supports Gen 3 with 16 lanes. The integrated graphics are Intel UHD Graphics 64EU on the Intel chip and Radeon Vega 7 on the AMD chip. The AMD Ryzen 5 5600GT has an unlocked multiplier, while the Intel Core i3-1220P does not. The AMD chip has 10,700 million transistors on a 180 mm² die, while the Intel chip has no recorded transistor or die size data. The release dates are February 22, 2022 for Intel and January 7, 2024 for AMD. Only the AMD chip has a recorded launch MSRP of $140.