AMD Ryzen 5 7535U vs Intel Core i5-12500H Comparison

The AMD Ryzen 5 7535U and Intel Core i5-12500H are both 2023-era mobile processors aimed at different segments of the laptop market, yet they deliver surprisingly similar overall performance. The data shows the Intel chip holds a decisive lead in nearly every benchmark, but the AMD part counters with a significantly lower 28W TDP versus Intel's 45W, making it the clear choice for efficiency-focused designs. Their average benchmark scores are nearly identical—22,791 for the AMD versus 22,625 for the Intel—placing both in the 76th percentile of all CPUs, but the distribution of wins tells a very one-sided story.

Where Each One Wins

The Intel Core i5-12500H wins in every single head-to-head benchmark recorded, taking all 15 comparisons. This is not a close contest; the Intel part dominates multi-threaded workloads, with its Cinebench R23 multicore score of 19,840 crushing the AMD's 8,591, a 56.7% advantage. This makes the Intel chip the obvious choice for demanding productivity tasks like video rendering, 3D modeling, or any workload that scales across cores. It also wins single-core tests, with a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2,801 versus 1,414 for the AMD, a 49.5% gap, giving it the edge in everyday responsiveness and lightly-threaded applications.

The AMD Ryzen 5 7535U has no benchmark wins to its name, but its competitive advantage lies entirely in its power profile. With a 28W TDP, it is designed for thin-and-light laptops where battery life and thermal management are paramount, whereas the Intel chip's 45W TDP signals a performance-first design that will require more substantial cooling. In the data, the AMD's only consolation is its lower power draw, which is not a benchmark score but a specification that dictates the type of laptop it can be used in. For users who prioritize portability and extended battery life over raw compute, the AMD part is the winner by design, even if it never wins a single performance test.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from fundamentally different design philosophies. The AMD Ryzen 5 7535U is built on a 6nm TSMC process, using the Zen 3+ architecture with the Rembrandt-R codename. It features 6 cores and 12 threads, which are all standard performance cores. Its cache hierarchy includes 64 KB of L1 per core, 512 KB of L2 per core, and a shared 16 MB L3 cache. The chip also supports DDR5 memory over a dual-channel bus, with a memory bandwidth of 76.8 GB/s, and includes ECC memory support. It uses the AMD Socket FP7 and houses a Radeon 660M integrated GPU.

In contrast, the Intel Core i5-12500H uses the Alder Lake-H architecture, built on Intel's 10nm process. It is a hybrid design with 12 cores and 16 threads, which includes a mix of Performance-cores and Efficient-cores. The cache layout differs significantly, with 80 KB of L1 per core and a larger 1.25 MB of L2 per core, alongside 18 MB of shared L3. It supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory on a dual-channel bus, but does not offer ECC support. It uses the Intel BGA 1744 socket and has an Iris Xe 80EU integrated GPU. Both share the same PCIe Gen 4 interface with 20 lanes, but the Intel chip's larger die size of 217 mm² versus AMD's 208 mm² reflects its more complex hybrid core layout.

The Verdict

The choice is starkly defined by the data. If performance is the sole criterion, the Intel Core i5-12500H is the unequivocal winner. Its 56.7% lead in Cinebench R23 multicore and 49.5% lead in single-core are massive margins that will translate to visibly faster rendering times and snappier application performance. The benchmark results indicate that the Intel chip is in a different performance class, despite having a similar average score due to the AMD's wins in power efficiency.

However, the AMD Ryzen 5 7535U is not a bad processor; it is a different tool. Its 28W TDP makes it the correct choice for ultraportable laptops where a 45W chip would be impossible to cool effectively without a thick chassis and loud fans. The data shows that the AMD chip still offers respectable performance—its Cinebench R23 multicore score of 8,591 is substantial for a low-power part—but it is not a competitor to the Intel chip in raw throughput. For a user who needs a laptop for light productivity, web browsing, and office work, the AMD part will suffice. For anyone who does heavy video editing, software compilation, or 3D rendering, the Intel chip is the only rational choice, accepting the trade-off in power consumption for a massive performance gain.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has a higher single-core performance?

A: The Intel Core i5-12500H is significantly faster in single-core tests. It scores 2,801 in Cinebench R23 single-core and 3,418 in Passmark single-thread, compared to the AMD Ryzen 5 7535U's 1,414 and 3,203 respectively.

Q: Is the AMD Ryzen 5 7535U more power-efficient than the Intel Core i5-12500H?

A: Yes. The AMD chip has a TDP of 28W, while the Intel chip has a TDP of 45W. This indicates the AMD processor is designed for lower power consumption and heat output, making it suitable for thinner laptops.

Q: What is the core and thread count difference between the two?

A: The Intel Core i5-12500H has 12 cores and 16 threads, while the AMD Ryzen 5 7535U has 6 cores and 12 threads. The Intel chip's higher core count is a primary reason for its superior multi-threaded benchmark results.

Q: Which CPU has a larger L3 cache?

A: The Intel Core i5-12500H has a larger shared L3 cache of 18 MB, compared to the AMD Ryzen 5 7535U's 16 MB. The Intel chip also has a larger L2 cache per core at 1.25 MB versus 512 KB.

Q: Does the AMD Ryzen 5 7535U support ECC memory?

A: Yes, the AMD Ryzen 5 7535U supports ECC memory. The Intel Core i5-12500H does not support ECC memory.

Q: In which benchmark does the Intel chip show its largest advantage over the AMD chip?

A: The Intel Core i5-12500H shows its largest advantage in the Cinebench R23 multicore test, where it scores 19,840 versus the AMD's 8,591, a 56.7% difference. This highlights a massive gap in multi-threaded processing capability.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark data is overwhelmingly in favor of the Intel Core i5-12500H. The most striking result is in Cinebench R23 multicore, where the Intel chip scores 19,840 against the AMD's 8,591, a 56.7% deficit for the AMD. This is a huge margin that will be noticeable in any multi-threaded application. The Cinebench R15 multicore test shows a similar story, with Intel scoring 1,999 versus AMD's 1,330, a 33.5% advantage.

The single-core results are also lopsided. Intel's Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2,801 is 49.5% higher than AMD's 1,414, and its Cinebench R15 single-core score of 282 is 20.2% higher than AMD's 225. Even in Passmark's single-thread test, which is the closest contest, Intel wins with 3,418 against AMD's 3,203, a 6.3% margin. The Intel chip also leads in all synthetic math and encryption workloads, including a 35% lead in floating-point math (52,227 vs 33,971) and a 13.4% lead in integer math (71,714 vs 62,109).

The only area where the AMD chip does not lose is in overall average score, where it edges out Intel by 0.7% (22,791 vs 22,625), but this is a statistical artifact of the benchmark suite, not a real performance win. The data shows that the Intel Core i5-12500H is simply a far more powerful processor in every measurable computational task, from data compression (253,431 vs 200,252, a 21% lead) to random string sorting (28,099 vs 21,267, a 24.3% lead). The AMD's 28W power envelope is its only saving grace, but it cannot compete with the Intel chip's raw performance.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ in almost every key specification. The AMD Ryzen 5 7535U uses a 6nm TSMC process, while the Intel Core i5-12500H uses Intel's 10nm process. The AMD chip has 6 cores and 12 threads, while the Intel chip has 12 cores and 16 threads. Their base and boost clocks differ, with the AMD running at 2.90 GHz base and 4.55 GHz boost, while the Intel runs at 2.50 GHz base and 4.50 GHz boost. The TDP is a major difference: 28W for the AMD versus 45W for the Intel.

The cache configurations are distinct. The AMD has 64 KB L1 per core, 512 KB L2 per core, and 16 MB shared L3. The Intel has 80 KB L1 per core, 1.25 MB L2 per core, and 18 MB shared L3. Memory support also diverges, with the AMD supporting only DDR5 and the Intel supporting both DDR4 and DDR5. The AMD offers ECC memory support, while the Intel does not. Their sockets are different (AMD Socket FP7 vs Intel BGA 1744), and their integrated graphics differ (Radeon 660M vs Iris Xe 80EU). The die sizes are close, at 208 mm² for AMD and 217 mm² for Intel, and both use PCIe Gen 4 with 20 lanes. Neither has an unlocked multiplier.