AMD Ryzen 5 7600X3D vs Intel Core i5-14490F Comparison

Where Each One Wins

The recorded benchmark data splits sharply between two different workloads. The AMD Ryzen 5 7600X3D takes only 2 wins out of 17 head-to-head comparisons, but those wins are highly specialized. The Intel Core i5-14490F dominates the remaining 15 tests, covering everything from rendering to encryption to general integer math.

The AMD chip wins in prime number finding and physics simulation. In PassMark's find prime numbers test, the Ryzen 5 7600X3D scores 234 against Intel's 122, a 91.8% advantage. That is the single largest margin in either direction across the entire comparison. Physics testing shows a 38.8% lead, with AMD scoring 2906 versus Intel's 2093. These two wins point to workloads that rely on specific instruction throughput or cache behavior rather than raw core count.

The Intel Core i5-14490F wins everywhere else. Cinebench tests, both single-core and multi-core, all favor Intel by roughly 5.4% to 5.5%. PassMark workloads show a wider spread. Floating point math delivers Intel's biggest win at 33.5% ahead, scoring 66558 against 44289. Data compression shows a 17.2% edge, encryption a 10.9% edge, and integer math a 16% edge. Multithreaded performance sits 9.8% higher on Intel. Single-thread performance is 6.9% higher.

This split suggests the AMD part excels in narrow, compute-heavy patterns, while the Intel part handles broad throughput tasks more consistently. The 3DMark tests for the AMD chip are recorded separately in the database but not in the head-to-head set, so the comparison here rests entirely on Cinebench and PassMark results.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from fundamentally different design philosophies. The AMD Ryzen 5 7600X3D uses Zen 4 architecture on the Raphael codename, built on a 5 nm process at TSMC. The Intel Core i5-14490F uses Raptor Lake architecture on the Raptor Lake-R codename, manufactured on Intel's 10 nm process. AMD's die size is 71 mm² with 11,270 million transistors, while Intel's die spans 215 mm². The Intel die has no transistor count listed in the database.

Core configuration differs substantially. AMD packs 6 cores and 12 threads, while Intel offers 10 cores and 16 threads. Clock speeds tell a different story. AMD's base clock is 4.10 GHz with a 4.70 GHz boost, while Intel starts much lower at 2.50 GHz but boosts higher to 5.00 GHz. Both parts hold a 65 W TDP and both have locked multipliers.

Cache layouts reveal the biggest architectural divergence. AMD provides 64 KB of L1 per core, 1 MB of L2 per core, and a massive 96 MB of shared L3 cache. Intel provides 80 KB of L1 per core, 1.25 MB of L2 per core, but only 24 MB of shared L3. The AMD chip's 96 MB L3 is four times larger than Intel's, which explains its strength in cache-sensitive workloads like prime number finding and physics.

Memory support also differs. AMD supports DDR5 only, running dual-channel with 83.2 GB/s of bandwidth. Intel supports both DDR4 and DDR5 in dual-channel mode, with no bandwidth figure recorded. ECC memory is supported on the AMD side but not on Intel. PCIe lanes differ as well: AMD offers Gen 5 with 24 lanes, Intel offers Gen 5 with 16 lanes. AMD includes Radeon Graphics as integrated graphics, while Intel has no integrated graphics on this part.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

Cinebench results are consistent across every version. In Cinebench R15 multicore, Intel scores 2318 against AMD's 2193, a 5.4% lead. R15 single-core shows Intel at 327 versus AMD's 309, a 5.5% lead. R20 multicore gives Intel 9660 versus 9138, again 5.4%. R20 single-core gives Intel 1363 versus 1289, 5.4%. R23 multicore gives Intel 23000 versus 21758, 5.4%. R23 single-core gives Intel 3247 versus 3071, 5.4%. The near-identical margins across all six Cinebench tests indicate a stable performance ratio rather than workload-specific variance.

PassMark tests show more dramatic swings. Data compression strongly favors Intel: 340026 versus 281665, a 17.2% delta. Data encryption gives Intel 18225 against 16237, a 10.9% edge. Extended instructions are closer, with Intel at 21731 versus AMD's 21108, only 2.9% apart. Floating point math delivers Intel's largest win at 66558 versus 44289, a 33.5% margin. Integer math shows Intel at 87844 versus 73804, a 16% lead. Multithreaded PassMark gives Intel 28662 versus 25855, a 9.8% edge. Random string sorting is nearly even: Intel 35608 versus AMD 34318, a 3.6% difference. Single-thread PassMark shows Intel at 3873 versus AMD's 3605, a 6.9% gap in both recorded entries for that test.

The AMD wins are concentrated and decisive. Find prime numbers shows AMD at 234 versus Intel's 122, a 91.8% advantage. Physics shows AMD at 2906 versus Intel's 2093, a 38.8% lead. These two results stand apart from every other measurement in the comparison, suggesting the 96 MB L3 cache provides a dramatic benefit for specific computational patterns.

Specification Differences

The two processors diverge on nearly every major specification field. Core count: 6 versus 10. Thread count: 12 versus 16. Base clock: 4.10 GHz versus 2.50 GHz. Boost clock: 4.70 GHz versus 5.00 GHz. Socket: AMD Socket AM5 versus Intel Socket 1700. Process node: 5 nm versus 10 nm. Foundry: TSMC versus Intel. Die size: 71 mm² versus 215 mm².

Cache hierarchy differs at every level. L1 per core: 64 KB versus 80 KB. L2 per core: 1 MB versus 1.25 MB. L3 shared: 96 MB versus 24 MB. Memory support: DDR5 only versus DDR4 and DDR5. Memory bandwidth: 83.2 GB/s recorded for AMD, no figure for Intel. ECC: supported on AMD, not on Intel. PCIe: 24 lanes on AMD versus 16 lanes on Intel. Integrated graphics: Radeon Graphics on AMD, none on Intel.

Release dates differ by roughly eight months. The AMD part launched on 2024-08-29, while the Intel part launched on 2023-12-31. The AMD part has a launch MSRP of $299. The Intel part has no launch MSRP recorded in the database. Both are active production parts with locked multipliers. The AMD part number is 100-000001721; the Intel part number is SRN35.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has more cores and threads?

A: The Intel Core i5-14490F has 10 cores and 16 threads, while the AMD Ryzen 5 7600X3D has 6 cores and 12 threads.

Q: How much L3 cache does each processor have?

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 7600X3D has 96 MB of shared L3 cache. The Intel Core i5-14490F has 24 MB of shared L3 cache, making the AMD part four times larger in this metric.

Q: Which processor wins in Cinebench tests?

A: The Intel Core i5-14490F wins every Cinebench test recorded in the head-to-head data. The margins are consistent at 5.4% to 5.5% across R15, R20, and R23, for both single-core and multi-core.

Q: What are the biggest performance gaps in either direction?

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 7600X3D leads by 91.8% in PassMark find prime numbers and 38.8% in PassMark physics. The Intel Core i5-14490F leads by 33.5% in PassMark floating point math, 17.2% in data compression, and 16% in integer math.

Q: Do both processors support ECC memory?

A: No. The AMD Ryzen 5 7600X3D supports ECC memory. The Intel Core i5-14490F does not.

Q: What memory types does each processor support?

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 7600X3D supports DDR5 only. The Intel Core i5-14490F supports both DDR4 and DDR5.

The Verdict

The data points to a simple split. The Intel Core i5-14490F wins the broad majority of benchmark comparisons, taking 15 of 17 head-to-head tests. Its advantages span rendering, encryption, compression, math workloads, and general multithreaded performance. The consistent 5.4% Cinebench margins and the large PassMark wins in floating point and integer math indicate a processor that handles general productivity and compute tasks with greater throughput.

The AMD Ryzen 5 7600X3D wins only two tests, but those wins are enormous. A 91.8% advantage in prime number finding and a 38.8% advantage in physics point to workloads that exploit the 96 MB L3 cache. The architecture trades raw core count and clock speed for cache capacity, and the benchmark results show that trade pays off only in specific patterns.

The percentile data reinforces the gap. The Intel part sits at the 86th percentile among all CPUs, while the AMD part sits at the 77th percentile. Average benchmark scores also differ substantially: 38149 for Intel versus 24728 for AMD. The nearest rivals for each part confirm their respective positions. Intel's closest competitor, the Intel Core i5-13600KF, sits within 0.1% of its average score. AMD's closest rival, the AMD Ryzen 7 5700X3D, sits within 0.1% on the other side.

For users whose workloads resemble Cinebench, PassMark multithread, compression, or encryption, the Intel Core i5-14490F is the stronger choice based on the recorded data. For workloads that stress cache-sensitive computation, particularly prime number generation and physics simulation, the AMD Ryzen 5 7600X3D delivers results that no other measurement in this comparison approaches. The choice depends entirely on which side of that divide the workload falls.