AMD Ryzen 5 6600U vs Intel Core i5-13500H Comparison

The AMD Ryzen 5 6600U and Intel Core i5-13500H serve two different power envelopes, and the benchmark data reflects a clear performance hierarchy between them. The Intel part, with its 12 cores and 45W TDP, dominates every single head-to-head benchmark in the data set, while the AMD chip, a 6-core 15W part, sits in a lower performance class but also a different thermal profile. The data shows a decisive victory for Intel in raw throughput, but the Ryzen's efficiency-oriented design suggests it targets a different kind of laptop entirely.

The Verdict

The data is unambiguous: the Intel Core i5-13500H wins all 15 head-to-head comparisons against the AMD Ryzen 5 6600U. In multi-threaded workloads, the margin is substantial, with the Intel chip leading by 35% or more in several tests. The Intel Core i5-13500H is the clear choice for users who prioritize maximum performance in CPU-intensive tasks, such as video rendering, software compilation, or scientific computing, based on its 14081 score in Cinebench R23 multi-core versus the AMD's 9159.5.

The AMD Ryzen 5 6600U is the pick for systems where power efficiency is paramount. Its 15W TDP is one-third of the Intel's 45W TDP, and while its performance is lower, it is not drastically so in single-threaded tasks. The Ryzen 5 6600U trails by only 6.4% in Cinebench R15 single-core and 7.8% in PassMark single-thread, making it a viable option for everyday productivity where the Intel's extra multi-core power is not essential and battery life is a priority.

Neither chip is a clear overall winner; the decision hinges on the intended use case. The Intel Core i5-13500H belongs in performance-focused laptops, while the AMD Ryzen 5 6600U is better suited for thin-and-light designs where sustained performance under a low power budget is the goal. The data shows no overlap in their benchmark wins, meaning there is no workload in this dataset where the AMD chip comes out ahead.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from fundamentally different design philosophies. The AMD Ryzen 5 6600U is built on a 6 nm process at TSMC, using the Zen 3+ architecture with the Rembrandt codename. It features 6 cores and 12 threads, with a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.50 GHz. In contrast, the Intel Core i5-13500H uses a 10 nm process at Intel, based on the Raptor Lake architecture with the Raptor Lake-H codename. It has 12 cores and 16 threads, with a lower base clock of 2.60 GHz but a higher boost clock of 4.70 GHz.

The core count difference is the most significant architectural gap, with the Intel part offering double the physical cores. This explains its dominance in multi-threaded benchmarks. The cache hierarchy also differs substantially. The AMD chip has a 16 MB shared L3 cache, while the Intel chip offers 18 MB shared L3. Per-core L2 cache is also different, with AMD providing 512 KB per core and Intel providing 2 MB per core. The Intel's larger per-core L2 cache is a notable advantage for workloads that fit within that cache size.

Memory support is another differentiator. The AMD Ryzen 5 6600U supports DDR5 memory only, with a dual-channel bus and a memory bandwidth of 76.8 GB/s. The Intel Core i5-13500H is far more flexible, supporting DDR4, DDR5, LPDDR4, LPDDR4X, LPDDR5, and LPDDR5X, also over a dual-channel bus, though its memory bandwidth is not listed. The Intel chip also features PCIe Gen 5 with 8 lanes, whereas the AMD chip uses PCIe Gen 4 with 20 lanes, indicating different I/O priorities.

The integrated graphics differ as well. The AMD chip features the Radeon 660M, while the Intel chip has Iris Xe Graphics 80EU. The process node and foundry also set them apart, with AMD using a more advanced 6 nm TSMC process versus Intel's 10 nm process. Both chips are actively in production and are not multiplier-unlocked, meaning they are not intended for overclocking.

Where Each One Wins

Based on the benchmark data, the Intel Core i5-13500H wins in every category tested. This includes Cinebench multi-core and single-core tests, as well as all PassMark tests. The margins vary by workload, providing insight into where the Intel chip's advantages are most pronounced. The largest wins for Intel are in multi-core and physics-based workloads, where its 12 cores provide a massive advantage.

The AMD Ryzen 5 6600U does not win any benchmark, but its smaller losses in single-threaded tests suggest a different performance profile. For workloads that are not heavily multi-threaded, the AMD chip is closer to the Intel part. The data shows a 6.4% deficit in Cinebench R15 single-core, a 17.9% deficit in Cinebench R23 single-core, and a 7.8% deficit in PassMark single-thread. This implies that for basic tasks like web browsing, office applications, or light coding, the performance gap is much narrower than in multi-threaded scenarios.

The Intel chip's wins in data compression (20.9% ahead), data encryption (14.4% ahead), and integer math (15.1% ahead) are significant but not overwhelming. The largest gaps are in floating-point math (34.8% ahead), physics (36% ahead), and the Cinebench multi-core tests (35% or more ahead). These are classic multi-core workloads where the Intel's 12 cores versus the AMD's 6 cores make a decisive difference. The AMD chip's performance suggests it is best used in scenarios where the power draw is limited and the workload is light or single-threaded.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has more cores and threads?

A: The Intel Core i5-13500H has 12 cores and 16 threads, while the AMD Ryzen 5 6600U has 6 cores and 12 threads.

Q: What is the single-threaded performance difference between the two?

A: The Intel Core i5-13500H is ahead in all single-thread benchmarks, with a 6.4% lead in Cinebench R15 single-core and a 7.8% lead in PassMark single-thread.

Q: How much faster is the Intel chip in multi-core workloads?

A: The Intel Core i5-13500H leads by 35% in Cinebench R23 multi-core and by 35.2% in Cinebench R15 multi-core.

Q: Which processor has a lower power draw?

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 6600U has a TDP of 15W, while the Intel Core i5-13500H has a TDP of 45W.

Q: What memory types does each processor support?

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 6600U supports DDR5 only, while the Intel Core i5-13500H supports DDR4, DDR5, LPDDR4, LPDDR4X, LPDDR5, and LPDDR5X.

Q: Do these processors have integrated graphics?

A: Yes, the AMD Ryzen 5 6600U has Radeon 660M graphics, and the Intel Core i5-13500H has Iris Xe Graphics 80EU.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The Intel Core i5-13500H’s dominance is best illustrated in the Cinebench multi-core tests. In Cinebench R23 multi-core, the Intel chip scores 14081 versus the AMD's 9159.5, a delta of -35% for the AMD chip. The Cinebench R15 multi-core test shows a similar story, with Intel scoring 2304 against AMD's 1493, a 35.2% difference. These are the largest gaps in the dataset, highlighting the raw core count advantage.

In single-core workloads, the Intel chip still wins, but the margins are much smaller. The Cinebench R23 single-core test shows Intel at 1775 and AMD at 1456.5, a 17.9% lead. The Cinebench R15 single-core test is closer, with Intel at 249 and AMD at 233, only a 6.4% difference. The PassMark single-thread test shows Intel at 3397 and AMD at 3132, a 7.8% lead. This suggests that while the Intel chip has a higher boost clock of 4.70 GHz versus 4.50 GHz, the architectural differences in single-thread execution are not as pronounced.

The PassMark suite provides a broader view. In floating-point math, Intel scores 52123 versus AMD's 33991, a 34.8% lead. The physics test shows Intel at 1289 versus AMD's 825, a 36% lead. These are the second and third-largest wins for Intel. In integer math, Intel leads 72724 to 61723, a 15.1% margin. Data compression shows Intel at 254661 versus AMD's 201364, a 20.9% lead. Data encryption is a closer race, with Intel at 14938 and AMD at 12783, a 14.4% lead. Extended instructions show Intel at 14872 and AMD at 13356, a 10.2% lead. Random string sorting has Intel at 27955 and AMD at 21241, a 24% lead. The find prime numbers test shows Intel at 74 versus AMD's 51, a 31.1% lead. Finally, the PassMark multi-thread test has Intel at 21366 and AMD at 17026, a 20.3% lead.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ in nearly every key specification. The AMD Ryzen 5 6600U has 6 cores and 12 threads, while the Intel Core i5-13500H has 12 cores and 16 threads. The AMD chip has a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.50 GHz, while the Intel chip has a base clock of 2.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.70 GHz. The TDP is a major differentiator, with AMD at 15W and Intel at 45W.

The cache configurations differ significantly. AMD offers 64 KB of L1 cache per core, 512 KB of L2 per core, and 16 MB of shared L3. Intel offers 80 KB of L1 per core, 2 MB of L2 per core, and 18 MB of shared L3. The memory support is another clear distinction, with AMD supporting only DDR5 and Intel supporting a wide range of DDR4, DDR5, and LPDDR variants. The PCIe support also differs, with AMD using Gen 4 with 20 lanes and Intel using Gen 5 with 8 lanes.

The integrated graphics are different, with AMD featuring Radeon 660M and Intel featuring Iris Xe Graphics 80EU. The socket types are not compatible: AMD uses AMD Socket FP7, while Intel uses Intel BGA 1744. The process node and foundry are also different, with AMD using a 6 nm TSMC process and Intel using a 10 nm Intel process. The release date is only available for the Intel chip, which was released on 2023-01-03, while the AMD chip's release date is not listed. Both chips are actively in production, are not multiplier-unlocked, and do not support ECC memory. The part numbers are also unique: 100-000000536100-000000548 for AMD and SRMLGSRMHY for Intel.