AMD Ryzen 5 8400F vs Intel Core 7 253PE Comparison

Where Each One Wins

The benchmark data splits cleanly between two very different processor designs. The AMD Ryzen 5 8400F claims only 2 wins out of 17 head-to-head tests, while the Intel Core 7 253PE takes 15. Those two AMD victories, however, land in specific and revealing workloads.

The Ryzen 5 8400F wins in PassMark extended instructions by 1.7%, scoring 22175 against the Intel part's 21806. This is a narrow margin, but it indicates that the Zen 4 (Phoenix) core handles certain instruction-set extensions with slightly better efficiency. The second AMD win comes in PassMark random string sorting, where the 8400F scores 34604 versus 32777 for the Intel Core 7 253PE, a 5.6% advantage. String sorting is a memory-latency-sensitive workload, and the AMD architecture's cache hierarchy appears to handle the random access pattern better.

Every other benchmark in the comparison goes to Intel. The Intel Core 7 253PE wins all six Cinebench tests, both single-core and multi-core, at R15, R20, and R23. It also wins every PassMark compute test except the two noted above: data compression, data encryption, prime number finding, floating point math, integer math, multithread, physics, and single-thread.

The margins in the Intel wins vary from modest to overwhelming. Single-thread performance leads by 6.8% (3955 versus 3685 in PassMark single-thread, and 3512 versus 2943 in Cinebench R23 single-core, a 16.2% gap). Multi-core Cinebench results show a consistent 16.2% Intel advantage across R15, R20, and R23. The largest single delta is PassMark floating point math, where Intel leads by 42.9% (80870 versus 46217). PassMark integer math also shows a massive 35.2% gap (114158 versus 74021), and prime number finding is 35.5% in Intel's favor (138 versus 89).

The overall picture is of two processors with different strengths. The Ryzen 5 8400F is a 6-core, 12-thread Zen 4 part with a 4.70 GHz boost clock, built on a 4 nm TSMC process. The Intel Core 7 253PE is a 10-core, 20-thread Bartlett Lake part with a 5.50 GHz boost clock and a 10 nm Intel process. The raw thread count difference, 10 cores against 6, drives most of the multi-threaded gap, but the Intel part also wins every single-threaded test, which points to a higher per-core throughput as well.

The Verdict

The data indicates that the Intel Core 7 253PE is the stronger processor for nearly every workload measured. Its 87th percentile ranking among all CPUs in the database, compared with the Ryzen 5 8400F's 77th percentile, confirms the head-to-head results. The Intel part's average benchmark score of 40557 versus 25005 for the AMD part is a 62.2% difference in aggregate performance.

The Intel Core 7 253PE should be the choice for users whose workloads match the benchmark suite: Cinebench rendering, PassMark compute tasks, floating point math, integer math, data compression, and encryption. The 16.2% multi-core Cinebench lead at R23 (24880 versus 20851) and the 42.9% floating point advantage are decisive. The 10-core, 20-thread configuration with 33 MB of shared L3 cache provides a structural advantage in threaded workloads that the 6-core, 12-thread AMD part cannot overcome.

The Ryzen 5 8400F remains relevant for two specific scenarios. First, workloads that rely on extended instruction sets show a 1.7% edge, which is small but consistent. Second, random string sorting shows a 5.6% advantage, suggesting that certain pointer-chasing or memory-latency-bound tasks run better on the AMD architecture. Beyond those two niches, the recorded data shows the AMD processor trailing in every other category.

The Intel part also supports ECC memory, includes integrated UHD Graphics 730, and uses PCIe Gen 5 with 16 lanes. The AMD part has no integrated graphics, uses PCIe Gen 4 with 20 lanes, and does not support ECC. For systems requiring a discrete GPU anyway, the AMD part's extra PCIe lanes could matter, but the benchmark data does not show any performance benefit from that configuration in the tested workloads.

The launch MSRP for the AMD Ryzen 5 8400F is $170. The Intel Core 7 253PE has a launch MSRP of $384.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The largest single-workload victory for the Intel Core 7 253PE is PassMark floating point math, where it scores 80870 against the AMD part's 46217, a 42.9% advantage. This is a massive gap and indicates that the Intel core's floating point execution resources are substantially wider or better utilized. The nearest competitor in the Intel processor's rival group, the AMD Ryzen 9 7940H, sits only 0.3% behind the Intel part's average score, but no rival in either processor's list approaches the floating point delta seen here.

PassMark integer math shows a similar pattern: 114158 for Intel versus 74021 for AMD, a 35.2% gap. Prime number finding, which stresses integer division and branch handling, yields 138 versus 89, a 35.5% Intel lead. These three results together paint a clear picture: the Intel Core 7 253PE has a decisive advantage in raw arithmetic throughput.

The Cinebench results are consistent and evenly spaced. At R15, R20, and R23, the multi-core delta is exactly 16.2% in Intel's favor each time (2507 versus 2101 at R15, 10449 versus 8757 at R20, 24880 versus 20851 at R23). The single-core Cinebench deltas are also 16.2% at R20 and R23, with R15 single-core at 16.4% (354 versus 296). This consistency across three generations of the Cinebench test suggests a stable per-core performance advantage rather than a workload-specific quirk.

PassMark multithread gives Intel a 16.7% win (29271 versus 24389), closely matching the Cinebench multi-core margins. PassMark physics shows a 27.8% Intel lead (1845 versus 1332), which is larger than the general multi-threaded gap and suggests the Intel part handles the physics simulation workload particularly well. Data compression shows a 15% Intel lead (339133 versus 288158), while data encryption shows a narrower 9.5% advantage (18385 versus 16646).

The AMD Ryzen 5 8400F's two wins are worth examining in detail. The extended instructions test, where AMD leads 22175 to 21806, is a 1.7% margin that falls within the noise range of many benchmark suites, but it is the only compute test where the AMD part does not trail. Random string sorting, where AMD leads 34604 to 32777, is a 5.6% advantage and represents the AMD part's clearest single victory. The rest of the PassMark suite, including single-thread (3955 versus 3685) and data encryption, goes to Intel.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has more cores and threads?

A: The Intel Core 7 253PE has 10 cores and 20 threads. The AMD Ryzen 5 8400F has 6 cores and 12 threads.

Q: What is the single-thread performance difference?

A: In PassMark single-thread, the Intel Core 7 253PE scores 3955 against 3685 for the AMD Ryzen 5 8400F, a 6.8% advantage. In Cinebench R23 single-core, the gap is 16.2% (3512 versus 2943).

Q: Which processor has a higher boost clock?

A: The Intel Core 7 253PE boosts to 5.50 GHz, while the AMD Ryzen 5 8400F boosts to 4.70 GHz.

Q: Does either processor include integrated graphics?

A: The Intel Core 7 253PE includes UHD Graphics 730. The AMD Ryzen 5 8400F has no integrated graphics (N/A).

Q: Which processor supports ECC memory?

A: The Intel Core 7 253PE supports ECC memory. The AMD Ryzen 5 8400F does not.

Q: How do the two processors rank among all CPUs in the database?

A: The Intel Core 7 253PE is in the 87th percentile, with an average benchmark score of 40557. The AMD Ryzen 5 8400F is in the 77th percentile, with an average benchmark score of 25005.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from different design philosophies and process technologies. The AMD Ryzen 5 8400F is built on a 4 nm TSMC process with 25,000 million transistors on a 178 mm² die. It uses the Zen 4 architecture, codenamed Phoenix, and fits into AMD Socket AM5. The Intel Core 7 253PE is built on a 10 nm Intel process, uses the Bartlett Lake codename, and fits into Intel Socket 1700. The Intel part's transistor count and die size are not recorded in the database.

Core configurations differ substantially. The AMD part has 6 cores and 12 threads, while the Intel part has 10 cores and 20 threads. Cache hierarchies also diverge. The AMD part has 64 KB of L1 per core, 1 MB of L2 per core, and 16 MB of shared L3. The Intel part has 80 KB of L1 per core, 2 MB of L2 per core, and 33 MB of shared L3. The Intel L3 cache is more than double the AMD L3 cache, which contributes to its advantage in data compression and other cache-sensitive workloads.

Memory support separates the two as well. The AMD Ryzen 5 8400F supports DDR5 only, with dual-channel memory and a recorded bandwidth of 83.2 GB/s. The Intel Core 7 253PE supports both DDR4 and DDR5, also dual-channel, with a slightly higher recorded bandwidth of 89.6 GB/s. ECC memory is supported on the Intel part but not on the AMD part.

PCIe capabilities differ in generation and lane count. The AMD processor provides PCIe Gen 4 with 20 lanes (CPU only). The Intel processor provides PCIe Gen 5 with 16 lanes (CPU only). The AMD part offers more lanes, but the Intel part offers a newer generation with higher per-lane bandwidth.

The AMD Ryzen 5 8400F has an unlocked multiplier, making it suitable for overclocking. The Intel Core 7 253PE has a locked multiplier. Base clocks also differ significantly: the AMD part runs at 4.20 GHz base with a 4.70 GHz boost, while the Intel part runs at 2.50 GHz base with a 5.50 GHz boost. The Intel part's lower base clock and much higher boost clock reflect a different power management strategy, though both parts carry a 65 W TDP.

Release timing and market positioning differ. The AMD Ryzen 5 8400F was released on 2024-03-31 with a launch MSRP of $170. The Intel Core 7 253PE is scheduled for release on 2026-03-08 with a launch MSRP of $384. The Intel part's nearest rivals in the database include the Intel Core 5 223PE (0.1% behind), the Intel Core Ultra X7 368H (0.1% ahead), the Intel Xeon 6357P (0.2% behind), and the AMD Ryzen 9 7940H (0.3% ahead). The AMD part's nearest rivals are the AMD Ryzen 5 7500F (0.2% ahead), Intel Core i7-11850H (0.3% ahead), Intel Core i7-13620H (0.4% ahead), and AMD EPYC 9474F (0.4% behind).