AMD Ryzen 5 7400F vs Intel Core Ultra 7 356H Comparison

FAQ

Q: Which processor has the higher overall benchmark score?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 7 356H has the higher average benchmark score at 41215, compared to the AMD Ryzen 5 7400F at 32750. The Intel chip also sits at the 87th percentile of all CPUs, while the AMD chip is at the 83rd percentile.

Q: How do the core counts compare between the two processors?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 7 356H has 16 cores and 16 threads, while the AMD Ryzen 5 7400F has 6 cores and 12 threads. The Intel chip offers more than double the physical core count.

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

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 7400F wins in Cinebench R23 multi-core with a score of 21765, which is 18.3% ahead of the Intel Core Ultra 7 356H's score of 18395.

Q: What are the TDP ratings for these two chips?

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 7400F has a TDP of 65 watts, while the Intel Core Ultra 7 356H has a TDP of 25 watts. The Intel chip uses significantly less power.

Q: Which processor supports ECC memory?

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 7400F supports ECC memory, while the Intel Core Ultra 7 356H does not.

Q: Do both processors have integrated graphics?

A: No. The AMD Ryzen 5 7400F has no integrated graphics (listed as N/A), while the Intel Core Ultra 7 356H includes Intel Xe3 Graphics.

The Verdict

The benchmark data splits these two processors into distinct use cases. The AMD Ryzen 5 7400F is a desktop part with 6 cores and 12 threads on the AM5 platform. It wins 3 of the 17 recorded benchmarks, including the important Cinebench R23 multi-core and single-core tests. Its 50.6% lead in Cinebench R23 single-core (3072 vs 2040) is the largest single-core margin in the entire comparison.

The Intel Core Ultra 7 356H is a mobile processor with 16 cores and 16 threads. It wins 14 of the 17 benchmarks, with particularly large margins in PassMark floating point math (55.6% ahead) and physics (42.7% ahead). Its average benchmark score of 41215 places it 25.9% above the AMD chip's 32750.

For a desktop builder who prioritizes single-threaded responsiveness and long-form multi-core rendering in Cinebench R23, the Ryzen 5 7400F is the better match. For workloads that spread across many cores, such as compression, encryption, and floating point math, the data favors the Intel Core Ultra 7 356H. The Intel chip also carries integrated graphics, making it suitable for systems without a discrete GPU, while the AMD chip requires a separate graphics card.

The Intel chip's 25 watt TDP versus the AMD chip's 65 watt TDP also matters for system design. The mobile Intel part is built for efficiency, while the AMD desktop part has more thermal headroom. The Ryzen 5 7400F has an unlocked multiplier, while the Intel Core Ultra 7 356H is locked.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The Intel Core Ultra 7 356H dominates the PassMark suite. In floating point math, it scores 103128 against the AMD chip's 45799, a 55.6% advantage. Physics tests show a 42.7% gap, with Intel at 2895 and AMD at 1660. Data encryption favors Intel at 26345 versus 16712, a 36.6% margin. Prime number finding goes to Intel 327 to 191, a 41.6% gap. Extended instructions show Intel ahead 27898 to 21747, a 22% margin. Multithread performance favors Intel 33978 to 25645, a 24.5% gap. Integer math has a narrower 10.1% Intel lead (83111 vs 74745). Data compression shows Intel winning 336177 to 289999, a 13.7% margin. Random string sorting goes to Intel 40990 to 35096, a 14.4% gap. Even single-thread PassMark favors Intel, 4072 to 3689, a 9.4% margin.

Cinebench results are mixed. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, Intel wins 3055 to 2193, a 28.2% margin. In R20 multi-core, Intel wins 12153 to 9141, a 24.8% gap. The R20 single-core test also goes to Intel, 1715 to 1290, another 24.8% margin.

The AMD Ryzen 5 7400F takes the remaining wins. Cinebench R23 multi-core goes to AMD 21765 to 18395, an 18.3% margin. The R23 single-core result is the most decisive single benchmark: AMD scores 3072 against Intel's 2040, a 50.6% lead. The R15 single-core test goes narrowly to AMD, 309 to 303, a 2% margin.

The pattern is clear. Intel wins the majority of throughput-oriented tests, especially in PassMark. AMD wins the newer Cinebench R23 tests, including the single-core test by a wide margin. The R20 single-core result contradicts the R23 single-core result, with Intel ahead by 24.8% in R20 but AMD ahead by 50.6% in R23.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ across nearly every specification field. The AMD Ryzen 5 7400F has 6 cores and 12 threads, while the Intel Core Ultra 7 356H has 16 cores and 16 threads. Base clocks differ substantially: AMD runs at 3.70 GHz, Intel at 1.90 GHz. Both boost to 4.70 GHz.

TDP differs by 40 watts. AMD is rated at 65 watts, Intel at 25 watts. The AMD chip uses the AMD Socket AM5, while the Intel chip uses Intel BGA 2540. AMD memory support is DDR5 only, while Intel supports both DDR5 and LPDDR5X. Both use dual-channel memory buses. Memory bandwidth favors Intel at 115.2 GB/s versus AMD's 83.2 GB/s.

ECC memory support is exclusive to AMD. PCIe lane counts differ: AMD provides 24 lanes of Gen 5, Intel provides 12 lanes of Gen 5. Integrated graphics exist only on the Intel chip, which features Intel Xe3 Graphics; the AMD chip has no iGPU. The AMD multiplier is unlocked; the Intel multiplier is locked.

Release dates differ by roughly a year. AMD launched on 2025-01-08, Intel on 2026-01-04. The AMD chip has a launch MSRP of $229; the Intel chip has no listed launch MSRP. The AMD part number is 100-000001845, the Intel part number is SA4RGQ9EU.

Architecture Differences

The AMD Ryzen 5 7400F uses Zen 4 architecture with the Raphael codename, part of the 7000 series. It is built on a 5 nm process at TSMC, with 6,570 million transistors on a 71 mm² die. The Intel Core Ultra 7 356H uses Panther Lake architecture, part of the Core Ultra Series 3. It is built on a 3 nm process at Intel. Transistor count and die size are not recorded for the Intel chip.

Cache layouts differ significantly. AMD provides 64 KB of L1 per core, 1 MB of L2 per core, and 32 MB of shared L3. Intel provides 192 KB of L1 per core, 2.5 MB of L2 per core, and 18 MB of shared L3. The Intel chip has larger per-core caches but less shared L3.

The process node difference matters: Intel uses a 3 nm node versus AMD's 5 nm node. The Intel chip is a mobile part with a 25 watt TDP, while the AMD chip is a desktop part with a 65 watt TDP. Both support DDR5, but Intel adds LPDDR5X support. The Intel chip integrates Xe3 graphics, while the AMD chip relies on a discrete GPU. The AMD chip has an unlocked multiplier for overclocking; the Intel chip is locked.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Ryzen 5 7400F wins in Cinebench R23 multi-core and single-core, plus Cinebench R15 single-core. The R23 single-core win is massive at 50.6% over Intel. This indicates that for applications relying on strong single-thread performance, particularly newer rendering workloads, the AMD chip delivers substantially better results. The R23 multi-core win of 18.3% is notable because the AMD chip achieves it with only 6 cores and 12 threads against Intel's 16 cores and 16 threads.

The Intel Core Ultra 7 356H wins everywhere else. In the PassMark suite, it takes all nine recorded tests: data compression, data encryption, extended instructions, prime number finding, floating point math, integer math, multithread, physics, and random string sorting. It also wins PassMark single-thread and the Cinebench R15 and R20 multi-core tests, plus the R20 single-core test.

The largest Intel wins are in floating point math (55.6% ahead), physics (42.7%), prime number finding (41.6%), and data encryption (36.6%). These are compute-heavy workloads that scale with core count. The Intel chip's 16 cores provide a clear advantage in these areas.

For workloads like video encoding, scientific computing, or data compression, the Intel Core Ultra 7 356H is the stronger choice based on the recorded measurements. For desktop use with a discrete GPU, where single-core performance and Cinebench R23 results matter, the AMD Ryzen 5 7400F has the advantage. The Intel chip's integrated graphics also make it viable in systems without a separate GPU, which the AMD chip cannot do.