AMD Ryzen 5 7520U vs Intel Core i7-7700T Comparison

The AMD Ryzen 5 7520U and Intel Core i7-7700T are both 4-core, 8-thread processors, but they target entirely different platforms and eras. The data shows a split decision across the six head-to-head benchmarks, with each chip taking three wins. The Ryzen 5 7520U dominates in Cinebench R15 and single-core R23, while the Core i7-7700T fights back in Cinebench R23 multi-core and both Geekbench tests. Their average benchmark scores are nearly identical—2046 for the AMD part versus 2039 for the Intel part—placing both at the 45th percentile among all CPUs.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Ryzen 5 7520U is the clear winner in the older Cinebench R15 tests. It scores 834 in multi-core against the Intel's 646, a 29.1% advantage. The single-core gap in R15 is even more dramatic: 168.8 versus 91, a massive 85.5% lead for AMD. This suggests the Ryzen 5 7520U has a significant advantage in workloads that rely on the older rendering engine or that are lightly threaded.

The Intel Core i7-7700T takes the newer Cinebench R23 multi-core test decisively, scoring 6410 against AMD's 5149, a 19.7% margin. It also wins both Geekbench tests, though by smaller margins: 3938 versus 3766 in multi-core (4.4% ahead) and 1248 versus 1185 in single-core (5% ahead). This indicates that in more modern and diversified benchmark suites, the older Intel architecture still holds its own, particularly when all threads are utilized.

The head-to-head result is a 3-3 tie in win count, but the magnitude of AMD's R15 victories is far larger than Intel's margins in the other tests. The practical takeaway is that the Ryzen 5 7520U excels in legacy single-threaded performance, while the Core i7-7700T is more competitive in modern multi-threaded and general-purpose workloads.

Architecture Differences

The AMD Ryzen 5 7520U uses the Zen 2 architecture on a 6 nm process from TSMC, with a die size of 100 mm². It is part of the 7000 series Mendocino family and fits the AMD Socket FT6. The Intel Core i7-7700T uses the Kaby Lake architecture on Intel's 14 nm process, fitting the Intel Socket 1151. This process node difference is significant—6 nm versus 14 nm—which helps explain the AMD part's lower power draw.

Both chips have 4 cores and 8 threads, but their cache layouts differ. The AMD part has 512 KB of L2 cache per core and 4 MB of shared L3 cache. The Intel part has half the L2 cache per core at 256 KB, but doubles the L3 cache to 8 MB shared. This larger L3 cache on the Intel chip likely contributes to its wins in Geekbench and R23 multi-core, where larger working sets can be cached.

Memory support also differs substantially. The Ryzen 5 7520U uses LPDDR5 memory on a dual-channel bus, delivering 88.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The Core i7-7700T uses DDR4 on a dual-channel bus, delivering only 38.4 GB/s. This bandwidth advantage for AMD does not translate into benchmark wins, which suggests the Intel chip's higher clock speeds and cache efficiency matter more in these specific tests.

The Intel part has a higher base clock at 2.90 GHz versus AMD's 2.80 GHz, but the AMD part boosts much higher at 4.30 GHz versus Intel's 3.80 GHz. The AMD chip is rated at a 15 W TDP, while the Intel chip is rated at 35 W. The Ryzen 5 7520U is a mobile part, while the Core i7-7700T is a desktop part. The AMD chip also has a newer release date of September 2022, while the Intel chip launched in January 2017.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The Cinebench R15 multi-core test shows the Ryzen 5 7520U at 834 points versus the Core i7-7700T at 646 points, a 29.1% lead for AMD. This is the second-largest margin in any test. The R15 single-core test is even more lopsided, with the AMD part scoring 168.8 against Intel's 91, an 85.5% delta. These two results alone account for AMD's overall average score advantage.

The Cinebench R23 multi-core test flips the script. The Core i7-7700T scores 6410 against the Ryzen 5 7520U's 5149, a 19.7% lead for Intel. This is the largest margin of victory for either side in the modern test suite. The R23 single-core test is much closer, with AMD winning 1171 to 905, a 29.4% margin.

The Geekbench tests show a narrow Intel advantage. In multi-core, the Core i7-7700T scores 3938 versus AMD's 3766, a 4.4% lead. In single-core, the gap is 5%, with Intel at 1248 and AMD at 1185. These are the smallest deltas in the entire comparison, indicating that the two chips are closely matched in general-purpose computational tasks.

The overall average benchmark scores confirm this near-parity. The AMD Ryzen 5 7520U has an average score of 2046, while the Intel Core i7-7700T has an average score of 2039. The nearest rival for the AMD chip is the Intel Xeon E3-1270 v5 at 2048 (0.1% faster), and for the Intel chip it is the AMD Opteron 6386 SE at 2038 (0.1% slower). Both chips sit at the 45th percentile, meaning they outperform roughly 45% of all CPUs in the database.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has a higher boost clock?

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 7520U boosts to 4.30 GHz, which is significantly higher than the Intel Core i7-7700T's 3.80 GHz boost clock. This helps explain AMD's large wins in the Cinebench R15 single-core test.

Q: How much L3 cache does each processor have?

A: The Intel Core i7-7700T has 8 MB of shared L3 cache, which is double the 4 MB shared L3 cache on the AMD Ryzen 5 7520U. This larger cache may contribute to Intel's wins in the Geekbench and R23 multi-core tests.

Q: What memory types do these processors support?

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 7520U supports LPDDR5 memory with 88.0 GB/s of bandwidth, while the Intel Core i7-7700T supports DDR4 with 38.4 GB/s. Despite the AMD chip's much higher memory bandwidth, it does not win the memory-sensitive benchmarks in this comparison.

Q: Which chip has a lower TDP?

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 7520U has a 15 W TDP, which is less than half of the Intel Core i7-7700T's 35 W TDP. This makes the AMD part much more suitable for thin-and-light mobile devices, while the Intel part is a desktop chip.

Q: Where does each chip rank among all CPUs?

A: Both the AMD Ryzen 5 7520U and the Intel Core i7-7700T are at the 45th percentile among all CPUs. Their average benchmark scores are nearly identical, at 2046 and 2039 respectively.

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

A: The Intel Core i7-7700T wins Cinebench R23 multi-core with a score of 6410, which is 19.7% higher than the AMD Ryzen 5 7520U's score of 5149.

The Verdict

For users running legacy software or lightly-threaded applications, the AMD Ryzen 5 7520U is the stronger pick. Its 85.5% lead in Cinebench R15 single-core and 29.4% lead in R23 single-core show that it has a substantial advantage in single-threaded performance. The 29.1% win in R15 multi-core also makes it the better choice for older multi-threaded workloads.

For modern multi-threaded tasks, the Intel Core i7-7700T holds the edge. Its 19.7% victory in Cinebench R23 multi-core is the most decisive result in the modern test suite, and its 4.4% and 5% wins in Geekbench multi-core and single-core respectively indicate better overall general-purpose performance. The Intel chip's larger 8 MB L3 cache likely plays a role here, allowing it to handle larger working sets more efficiently.

The choice also depends on platform. The Ryzen 5 7520U is a mobile part on AMD Socket FT6 with a 15 W TDP, making it ideal for laptops where power efficiency is critical. The Core i7-7700T is a desktop part on Intel Socket 1151 with a 35 W TDP, which is more suitable for a compact desktop or mini-PC build. The data shows these chips are evenly matched overall, so the decision should be based on workload priorities and platform requirements rather than raw performance.

Specification Differences

| Specification | AMD Ryzen 5 7520U | Intel Core i7-7700T |

|---|---|---|

| Architecture | Zen 2 | Kaby Lake |

| Codename | Mendocino | Kaby Lake |

| Process Node | 6 nm | 14 nm |

| Foundry | TSMC | Intel |

| Base Clock | 2.80 GHz | 2.90 GHz |

| Boost Clock | 4.30 GHz | 3.80 GHz |

| TDP | 15 W | 35 W |

| Socket | AMD Socket FT6 | Intel Socket 1151 |

| L2 Cache | 512 KB (per core) | 256 KB (per core) |

| L3 Cache | 4 MB (shared) | 8 MB (shared) |

| Memory Support | LPDDR5 | DDR4 |

| Memory Bandwidth | 88.0 GB/s | 38.4 GB/s |

| PCIe | Gen 3, 4 Lanes (CPU only) | Gen 3, 16 Lanes (CPU only) |

| Integrated Graphics | Radeon 610M | HD 630 |

| Market Segment | Mobile | Desktop |

| Release Date | 2022-09-19 | 2017-01-02 |

| Part Number | 100-000000770 | SR339 |