AMD Ryzen 5 7520U vs Intel Xeon E3-1240 v5 Comparison

The recorded data tells a clear story: the AMD Ryzen 5 7520U and the Intel Xeon E3-1240 v5 sit in the same overall performance band, with identical 45th percentile placements against the full database, yet they get there in very different ways. AMD wins the head-to-head series 3 to 1, dominated by single-thread results, while the Xeon's one victory is a substantial multi-core win in the longest sustained test. The deeper story is efficiency and platform: a 15 W mobile chip trading blows with an 80 W workstation part.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The single-thread gap is the most lopsided result in the dataset. In Cinebench R15 single-core, the Ryzen 5 7520U scores 168.8 against 99 for the Xeon E3-1240 v5, a 70.5% lead for AMD. Cinebench R23 single-core repeats the pattern: 1171 versus 991, an 18.2% AMD advantage. Both numbers point the same direction: per-core, the Zen 2 design at a 4.30 GHz boost is decisively quicker than Skylake at 3.90 GHz.

Multi-core splits by test length. Cinebench R15 multi-core goes to AMD, 834 to 707, an 18% win. But Cinebench R23 multi-core flips hard: the Xeon scores 7020 against 5149 for the Ryzen, a 26.7% Intel victory. R23 is the longer, more thermally demanding run, and the pattern in the data suggests the Xeon's 80 W envelope lets it sustain clocks where the 15 W mobile part must throttle. The shorter R15 workload plays to AMD's burst behavior instead.

Cross-checking with each chip's own result set reinforces the picture. The Ryzen's Geekbench results, 1185 single-core and 3766 multi-core, show a single-to-multi ratio typical of a power-constrained mobile design, while the Xeon's Cinebench R20 results, 416 single-core and 2948 multi-core, show the opposite tilt. Neither average score separates them much: 2046 for AMD versus 2030 for Intel, and both sit at the 45th percentile of all CPUs in the database.

Architecture Differences

These chips come from different eras and segments. The Ryzen 5 7520U is the Mendocino implementation of Zen 2, fabricated on TSMC's 6 nm process, with a 100 mm² die and an active production status. The Xeon E3-1240 v5 is Skylake-DT on Intel's 14 nm node, a 122 mm² die carrying 1,750 million transistors, and it is now end-of-life.

Both parts have 4 cores and 8 threads, but the core configurations diverge above that. AMD gives each core 512 KB of L2 and shares 4 MB of L3; Intel halves L2 to 256 KB per core but doubles shared L3 to 8 MB. The L1 caches are identical at 64 KB per core.

Memory is where the platforms diverge sharply. The Ryzen supports LPDDR5 on a dual-channel bus with 88.0 GB/s of bandwidth; the Xeon supports DDR3 and DDR4 with 34.1 GB/s of bandwidth. Intel counters with ECC memory support, which AMD omits, a meaningful distinction for the Xeon's server and workstation market. PCIe is Generation 3 on both, but the Xeon exposes 16 CPU lanes versus 4 on the Ryzen. The Ryzen integrates Radeon 610M graphics; the Xeon has no integrated GPU at all. Both chips are multiplier-locked.

Where Each One Wins

The Ryzen 5 7520U wins anything that leans on single-thread speed, responsiveness, or memory bandwidth. Its 70.5% R15 single-core lead and 18.2% R23 single-core lead, combined with 88.0 GB/s of LPDDR5 bandwidth, make it the stronger choice for lightly threaded applications, snappy general use, and workloads sensitive to memory throughput. Its integrated Radeon 610M graphics also mean it can drive a display without a discrete GPU, something the Xeon cannot do.

The Xeon E3-1240 v5 wins sustained multi-core work. Its 26.7% R23 multi-core victory shows what an 80 W envelope delivers over a long render compared to a 15 W mobile part. Add ECC memory support, 16 PCIe Gen 3 lanes, and DDR4 (or DDR3) support, and it fits workstation and small-server duty: long-running renders, memory-integrity-sensitive tasks, and systems needing add-in cards on CPU lanes.

Notably, AMD delivers its three wins while drawing 15 W against Intel's 80 W. Per watt of TDP, the recorded data heavily favors the Ryzen.

Specification Differences

Only the fields where the two parts differ:

• Base clock: 2.80 GHz (AMD) versus 3.50 GHz (Intel)
• Boost clock: 4.30 GHz (AMD) versus 3.90 GHz (Intel)
• TDP: 15 W (AMD) versus 80 W (Intel)
• Socket: AMD Socket FT6 versus Intel Socket 1151
• Architecture: Zen 2, Mendocino (AMD) versus Skylake, Skylake-DT (Intel)
• Process node: 6 nm at TSMC (AMD) versus 14 nm at Intel
• Die size: 100 mm² (AMD) versus 122 mm² (Intel)
• L2 cache: 512 KB per core (AMD) versus 256 KB per core (Intel)
• L3 cache: 4 MB shared (AMD) versus 8 MB shared (Intel)
• Memory: LPDDR5 at 88.0 GB/s (AMD) versus DDR3/DDR4 at 34.1 GB/s (Intel)
• ECC: not supported (AMD) versus supported (Intel)
• PCIe: Gen 3, 4 CPU lanes (AMD) versus Gen 3, 16 CPU lanes (Intel)
• Graphics: Radeon 610M (AMD) versus none (Intel)
• Segment and status: Mobile, Active (AMD) versus Server/Workstation, End-of-life (Intel)
• Release dates: AMD in 2022, Intel in 2015
• Launch MSRP: $282 (Intel); none recorded for AMD
• Transistor count: recorded only for Intel, at 1,750 million

Shared traits: 4 cores, 8 threads, dual-channel memory bus, 64 KB L1 per core, locked multipliers.

FAQ

Q: Which CPU is faster overall?

A: The averages are nearly tied, 2046 for the Ryzen versus 2030 for the Xeon, and both sit at the 45th percentile of the database. AMD wins the head-to-head 3 tests to 1, but Intel's single multi-core win is the largest gap in the long-duration test.

Q: Which one is better for single-threaded work?

A: The Ryzen 5 7520U, clearly. It leads by 70.5% in Cinebench R15 single-core and 18.2% in Cinebench R23 single-core.

Q: Which one is better for long rendering jobs?

A: The Xeon E3-1240 v5. It scores 7020 in Cinebench R23 multi-core versus 5149 for the Ryzen, a 26.7% lead in the sustained workload.

Q: Do they support the same memory?

A: No. The Ryzen uses LPDDR5 with 88.0 GB/s of bandwidth; the Xeon uses DDR3 or DDR4 with 34.1 GB/s, but adds ECC support that the Ryzen lacks.

Q: Which chip has integrated graphics?

A: The Ryzen 5 7520U includes Radeon 610M graphics. The Xeon E3-1240 v5 has none and requires a discrete GPU.

Q: Are these CPUs still in production?

A: The Ryzen 5 7520U is active. The Xeon E3-1240 v5 is end-of-life.

The Verdict

For a modern thin-and-light laptop or any efficiency-sensitive build, the data points squarely at the Ryzen 5 7520U: it wins three of four head-to-head tests, matches the Xeon's 45th percentile placement, and delivers far stronger single-thread performance at a fraction of the power draw, with double the memory bandwidth and integrated graphics on top.

The Xeon E3-1240 v5 still earns its place for one reason: sustained multi-core throughput. Its 26.7% R23 multi-core win, backed by an 80 W envelope, ECC memory, and 16 PCIe Gen 3 lanes, keeps it relevant for workstation and small-server roles where long renders and platform robustness matter more than single-core responsiveness. It is end-of-life, though, and its single-core results trail by a wide margin.

Pick the Ryzen for responsiveness, efficiency, and modern platform features. Pick the Xeon only when sustained multi-core output, ECC, or PCIe lane count is the deciding requirement.