AMD Ryzen 5 7530U vs Intel Core Ultra 7 155U Comparison

The Intel Core Ultra 7 155U and AMD Ryzen 5 7530U are both 15-watt mobile processors aimed at thin-and-light laptops, yet they achieve similar overall results through fundamentally different designs. The average benchmark scores are nearly identical — 21,174 for the Intel and 21,133 for the AMD — placing both at the 75th percentile of all CPUs. However, a closer look at the individual test results reveals a clear split in workload strengths, with the Intel chip dominating multi-threaded and floating-point tasks while the AMD chip holds an edge in specific data-processing and encryption workloads.

Where Each One Wins

The Intel Core Ultra 7 155U is the decisive winner in multi-core rendering and physics simulations. In Cinebench R23 multi-core, it scores 9,674.5 against 8,361 for the AMD, a 15.7% advantage. The gap widens further in PassMark physics, where the Intel chip scores 1,084 versus 670, a commanding 61.8% lead. Floating-point math also favors Intel heavily, with a score of 40,256 compared to 31,063 for the AMD — a 29.6% difference. For prime number finding, Intel more than doubles the AMD result: 65 to 47, a 38.3% win. Single-thread performance is consistently higher on the Intel side: 1,666 versus 1,441 in Cinebench R23 single-core (15.6%), and 3,372 versus 3,049 in PassMark single-thread (10.6%). These results indicate that the Intel chip is better suited for rendering, engineering simulations, and tasks that rely on high per-core speed.

The AMD Ryzen 5 7530U wins in four of the fifteen head-to-head tests, and its victories are concentrated in data-centric workloads. PassMark data compression shows the AMD at 185,860 versus 177,122, a 4.7% edge. Data encryption also favors AMD: 11,826 versus 11,333, a 4.2% advantage. The largest AMD win comes in extended instructions, where it scores 12,264 against 9,903 — a 19.3% lead. Integer math is essentially a tie, with AMD at 57,609 and Intel at 57,564, a negligible 0.1% difference. These wins suggest the AMD chip is more efficient at handling compression, encryption, and specialized instruction sets, making it a reasonable choice for certain security or data-processing tasks.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from different design philosophies. The Intel Core Ultra 7 155U is built on the Meteor Lake architecture, using a 7 nm process fabricated by Intel. It features 12 cores and 14 threads, with a base clock of 1.70 GHz and a boost clock of 4.80 GHz. Its cache hierarchy includes 112 KB of L1 per core, 2 MB of L2 per core, and 12 MB of shared L3. Memory support is DDR5 with dual-channel operation, delivering 89.6 GB/s of bandwidth. The integrated graphics are Arc Xe-LPG with 64 execution units. It also supports PCIe Gen 4 with 12 lanes (CPU only). The launch MSRP is $490.

The AMD Ryzen 5 7530U uses the Zen 3 architecture on the Barcelo-R codename, also on a 7 nm process but fabricated by TSMC. It has 6 cores and 12 threads, with a base clock of 2.00 GHz and a boost clock of 4.50 GHz. The cache layout is different: 64 KB of L1 per core, 512 KB of L2 per core, and a larger 16 MB of shared L3. Memory support is DDR4, dual-channel, with a bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s — notably lower than the Intel chip. It uses integrated Radeon Graphics with Vega 6 architecture and supports PCIe Gen 3 with 16 lanes (CPU only). The AMD chip also supports ECC memory, which the Intel part does not. Its transistor count is 10,700 million on a 180 mm² die.

The core count difference is significant: 12 cores versus 6. However, the AMD chip has a higher base clock (2.00 GHz vs 1.70 GHz), which helps it stay competitive in lighter workloads. The larger L3 cache on the AMD (16 MB vs 12 MB) may contribute to its data-compression and encryption wins. The Intel chip's memory bandwidth advantage — 89.6 GB/s versus 51.2 GB/s — likely explains its dominance in memory-intensive tasks like physics and floating-point math.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The biggest Intel win is in PassMark physics, with a 61.8% delta. This is followed by PassMark find prime numbers at 38.3% and PassMark floating-point math at 29.6%. In Cinebench R23 multi-core, the Intel chip is 15.7% ahead, and in Cinebench R23 single-core it leads by 15.6%. These are substantial margins that indicate a clear performance tier difference in compute-heavy tasks. The Intel chip also wins PassMark multithread (16,382 vs 15,534, a 5.5% lead) and PassMark random string sorting (19,767 vs 19,477, a 1.5% edge). In Cinebench R15, Intel wins both multi-core (1,585 vs 1,415, a 12% lead) and single-core (238.5 vs 231, a 3.2% lead).

The AMD chip's largest win is in PassMark extended instructions, where it leads by 19.3%. This is a substantial margin, indicating a significant advantage in workloads using specialized instruction sets like AVX or similar. The other AMD wins are smaller: data compression at 4.7%, data encryption at 4.2%, and integer math at 0.1%. These are modest but consistent edges in specific algorithmic tasks. The overall pattern is clear — Intel dominates in raw compute and physics, while AMD holds a niche in data manipulation and specialized instructions.

The Verdict

From the data, the Intel Core Ultra 7 155U is the stronger choice for users running multi-threaded applications, rendering, or any workload that benefits from high floating-point throughput. Its 61.8% lead in physics and 29.6% lead in floating-point math make it the better pick for simulation, scientific computing, or video editing. The 15.6% single-core advantage in Cinebench R23 also suggests better responsiveness in everyday tasks. The Intel chip wins 11 of the 15 head-to-head benchmarks, making it the default recommendation for general performance.

The AMD Ryzen 5 7530U is the better option for specific data-oriented tasks. Its 19.3% lead in extended instructions and 4.7% lead in data compression indicate an edge in encryption, compression, and possibly certain database or security workloads. The 4.2% win in data encryption is also relevant for users handling sensitive information. However, the AMD chip loses in every Cinebench test and in the majority of PassMark tests, so its appeal is narrower. The average benchmark scores differ by only 0.2% (21,174 vs 21,133), meaning the two are effectively tied in overall performance, but the distribution of wins favors Intel for most users.

FAQ

Q: Which CPU is better for multi-core rendering?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 7 155U is clearly ahead, with a 15.7% lead in Cinebench R23 multi-core (9,674.5 vs 8,361) and a 12% lead in Cinebench R15 multi-core (1,585 vs 1,415).

Q: Does the AMD chip win any benchmark by a large margin?

A: Yes, the AMD Ryzen 5 7530U wins PassMark extended instructions by 19.3% (12,264 vs 9,903), which is its most significant victory.

Q: How do the single-core scores compare?

A: The Intel chip leads in Cinebench R23 single-core by 15.6% (1,666 vs 1,441) and in PassMark single-thread by 10.6% (3,372 vs 3,049).

Q: Which CPU has higher memory bandwidth?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 7 155U has a memory bandwidth of 89.6 GB/s, while the AMD Ryzen 5 7530U has 51.2 GB/s, a substantial difference.

Q: Are there any benchmarks where the AMD chip is nearly tied with Intel?

A: In PassMark integer math, the AMD chip scores 57,609 versus 57,564 for Intel, a difference of just 0.1%.

Q: Which CPU supports ECC memory?

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 7530U supports ECC memory, while the Intel Core Ultra 7 155U does not.

Specification Differences

| Specification | Intel Core Ultra 7 155U | AMD Ryzen 5 7530U |

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

| Cores | 12 | 6 |

| Threads | 14 | 12 |

| Base Clock | 1.70 GHz | 2.00 GHz |

| Boost Clock | 4.80 GHz | 4.50 GHz |

| Architecture | Meteor Lake | Zen 3 (Barcelo-R) |

| Foundry | Intel | TSMC |

| Transistors | Not specified | 10,700 million |

| Die Size | Not specified | 180 mm² |

| L1 Cache | 112 KB (per core) | 64 KB (per core) |

| L2 Cache | 2 MB (per core) | 512 KB (per core) |

| L3 Cache | 12 MB (shared) | 16 MB (shared) |

| Memory Support | DDR5 | DDR4 |

| Memory Bandwidth | 89.6 GB/s | 51.2 GB/s |

| ECC Memory | No | Yes |

| PCIe | Gen 4, 12 Lanes | Gen 3, 16 Lanes |

| Integrated Graphics | Arc Xe-LPG 64EU | Radeon Graphics (Vega 6) |

| Launch MSRP | $490 | Not specified |

| Socket | Intel BGA 2049 | AMD Socket FP6 |

| Release Date | 2023-12-13 | 2023-01-03 |