AMD Ryzen 5 7235HS vs Intel Core i5-12450H Comparison

# FAQ

Q: Which processor has more cores and threads?

A: The Intel Core i5-12450H has 8 cores and 12 threads, while the AMD Ryzen 5 7235HS has 4 cores and 8 threads. The Intel part also has a higher boost clock at 4.40 GHz compared to 4.20 GHz on the AMD chip.

Q: How do the two processors compare in average benchmark scores?

A: The Intel Core i5-12450H records an average benchmark score of 17239, placing it in the 71st percentile of all CPUs. The AMD Ryzen 5 7235HS scores 16902 on average, which lands in the 70th percentile. The Intel part holds a narrow overall advantage of about 2%.

Q: Which chip wins in Cinebench R23 multi-core performance?

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 7235HS wins Cinebench R23 multi-core with a score of 10418, outperforming the Intel Core i5-12450H's 8822.5 by 15.3%. This is the only head-to-head benchmark where AMD comes out ahead.

Q: What are the process nodes for each processor?

A: The Intel Core i5-12450H is built on Intel's 10 nm process, while the AMD Ryzen 5 7235HS uses TSMC's 6 nm node. The AMD chip also has a smaller die size at 210 mm² compared to 217 mm² for Intel.

Q: Which processor supports ECC memory?

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 7235HS supports ECC memory, while the Intel Core i5-12450H does not. Both processors support dual-channel memory, though Intel supports both DDR4 and DDR5 while AMD supports DDR5 only.

Q: What integrated graphics do these mobile chips feature?

A: The Intel Core i5-12450H includes UHD Graphics, while the AMD Ryzen 5 7235HS features Radeon 660M graphics. Both are designed for the mobile market segment.

# Architecture Differences

The Intel Core i5-12450H and AMD Ryzen 5 7235HS represent fundamentally different design philosophies. The Intel part uses the Alder Lake architecture with the Alder Lake-H codename, part of the Core 12th Gen series. It employs a hybrid configuration with 8 cores and 12 threads. The AMD chip uses Zen 3+ architecture under the Rembrandt-R codename, part of the 7000 series, with 4 cores and 8 threads. This core count difference alone explains much of the performance gap in multi-threaded workloads.

Manufacturing processes differ significantly. Intel fabricates its chip on a 10 nm node at its own foundry, while AMD uses TSMC's 6 nm process. Despite the node difference, the die sizes are nearly identical: 217 mm² for Intel and 210 mm² for AMD. The smaller process node gives AMD a slight density advantage, but Intel compensates with more cores.

Cache hierarchies diverge substantially. The Intel part allocates 80 KB of L1 cache per core, 1.25 MB of L2 per core, and 12 MB of shared L3 cache. AMD's design uses 64 KB L1 per core, 512 KB L2 per core, and 8 MB of shared L3. This means Intel has 50% more L3 cache overall, which benefits workloads with larger working sets.

Memory support differs as well. Intel supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory in dual-channel configuration. AMD supports only DDR5 but specifies a memory bandwidth of 76.8 GB/s. Neither chip has unlocked multipliers, and both offer PCIe Gen 4 with 20 CPU lanes.

The socket situation separates these processors physically: Intel uses BGA 1744, while AMD uses Socket FP7. Both are mobile-market parts, and both remain in active production. The integrated graphics differ with Intel's UHD Graphics versus AMD's Radeon 660M, though the benchmark data does not isolate iGPU performance.

# Where Each One Wins

The Intel Core i5-12450H dominates the head-to-head comparison with 16 wins out of 17 recorded benchmarks. Its advantages span nearly every category: single-thread tests, multi-thread tests, math workloads, encryption, compression, and physics simulations. The data shows a consistent pattern where Intel leads by double-digit percentages across most workloads.

The AMD Ryzen 5 7235HS wins exactly one benchmark: Cinebench R23 multi-core. This single victory is notable because it comes in a modern, heavily threaded rendering workload. Despite having only 4 cores and 8 threads versus Intel's 8 cores and 12 threads, AMD manages to outperform in this specific test. This suggests that Zen 3+'s per-core efficiency and the 6 nm process allow AMD to sustain higher multi-core performance in certain conditions.

For users focused on rendering with Cinebench R23, AMD offers a clear advantage. For essentially everything else measured, Intel provides superior performance. The Intel part leads in PassMark integer math by 36.4%, floating-point math by 75.7%, and physics by 53.8%. These are substantial margins that indicate broad superiority in compute-heavy tasks.

Single-thread performance consistently favors Intel. In Cinebench R15 single-core, Intel leads by 60.8%; in R20 single-core by 29.7%; in R23 single-core by 13%; and in PassMark single-thread by 15.1%. This makes Intel the better choice for lightly threaded applications and general responsiveness.

# Specification Differences

The two processors differ across several key specification fields. Core counts: Intel has 8 cores versus AMD's 4. Thread counts: 12 versus 8. Base clock: Intel runs at 2000.00 MHz, AMD at 3.20 GHz. Boost clock: Intel reaches 4.40 GHz, AMD 4.20 GHz. Both have a TDP of 45 watts.

Process node: Intel uses 10 nm, AMD uses 6 nm. Foundry: Intel fabricates in-house, AMD uses TSMC. Die size: 217 mm² for Intel, 210 mm² for AMD. L1 cache: Intel has 80 KB per core, AMD has 64 KB per core. L2 cache: Intel has 1.25 MB per core, AMD has 512 KB per core. L3 cache: Intel has 12 MB shared, AMD has 8 MB shared.

Memory support: Intel accepts DDR4 and DDR5, AMD accepts DDR5 only. Memory bandwidth: AMD specifies 76.8 GB/s, Intel does not list a figure. ECC memory: AMD supports it, Intel does not. Socket: Intel uses BGA 1744, AMD uses Socket FP7. Integrated graphics: Intel UHD Graphics versus AMD Radeon 660M. Part numbers: Intel SRLCX, AMD 100-000001507. Both processors target the mobile segment, are active in production, and lack unlocked multipliers.

# Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The largest Intel victory comes in PassMark floating-point math, where the Core i5-12450H scores 40568 against AMD's 23091, a 75.7% advantage. This is a massive gap that highlights Intel's superior compute throughput in floating-point operations. The Intel part also wins PassMark physics by 53.8% (883 versus 574) and PassMark find prime numbers by 48.4% (46 versus 31).

In Cinebench R15, Intel leads multi-core by 28.6% (1350 versus 1050) and single-core by 60.8% (238 versus 148). Cinebench R20 shows Intel ahead by 29.6% in multi-core (5671 versus 4375) and 29.7% in single-core (800 versus 617). These consistent margins across multiple Cinebench versions indicate that Intel's architectural efficiency translates across workload generations.

PassMark integer math favors Intel by 36.4% (54782 versus 40174). Random string sorting shows Intel winning by 36.2% (20838 versus 15294). Multithread performance in PassMark gives Intel a 32.9% lead (16265 versus 12243). Data compression shows Intel ahead by 28.2% (195132 versus 152168). Data encryption favors Intel by 19.7% (10832 versus 9051). Extended instructions show a 10.1% Intel advantage (11992 versus 10887). Single-thread PassMark scores put Intel at 3306 versus 2873, a 15.1% lead.

The sole AMD victory is Cinebench R23 multi-core: 10418 versus 8822.5, with AMD winning by 15.3%. This result stands in contrast to the older Cinebench R15 and R20 versions where Intel wins decisively. The difference suggests that Cinebench R23's workload characteristics align better with AMD's Zen 3+ architecture, possibly due to its use of more modern instruction patterns or different memory access behaviors.

# The Verdict

The benchmark data clearly favors the Intel Core i5-12450H for most use cases. With 16 wins out of 17 head-to-head benchmarks, Intel demonstrates superiority in single-thread performance, multi-thread performance, math workloads, encryption, compression, and physics. The margins are often substantial, ranging from 10.1% to 75.7% in Intel's favor. Users seeking broad performance across productivity, content creation, and general computing should choose the Intel part.

The AMD Ryzen 5 7235HS has a narrower but real appeal. Its single win in Cinebench R23 multi-core indicates that it can outperform Intel in at least one modern rendering workload. For users whose primary application is Cinebench R23 or similar rendering tasks that match that benchmark's characteristics, AMD offers a meaningful advantage despite having half the cores and fewer threads. The 15.3% lead in this specific test is not trivial.

The overall average benchmark scores reflect this split: Intel scores 17239 versus AMD's 16902, a difference of about 2%. Both processors sit in the 70th percentile of all CPUs, with Intel at 71 and AMD at 70. The nearest rivals for Intel include the AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 8300G (0.2% behind), Intel Core i5-11400F (0.4% ahead), AMD Ryzen 3 210 (0.5% behind), and AMD Ryzen 5 4500 (0.5% behind). AMD's nearest rivals include the AMD EPYC 7702 (0.2% behind), Intel Core i3-12100E (0.3% ahead), Intel Core i5-1240U (0.3% behind), and AMD Ryzen 3 7335U (0.4% ahead).

For most users, the Intel Core i5-12450H is the safer recommendation. Its dominance across nearly every benchmark category, combined with more cores and threads, makes it the more versatile processor. The AMD Ryzen 5 7235HS is the better choice only for those whose workloads closely mirror Cinebench R23 multi-core rendering. The data does not support choosing AMD for general-purpose computing, given its consistent losses across the broader benchmark suite.