AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 4650U vs Intel Core i5-7600 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark data shows a clear overall winner in the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 4650U, but the Intel Core i5-7600 does claim one notable victory. The head-to-head results cover four tests, with the AMD part winning three of them, often by substantial margins.

The largest gap appears in Cinebench R15 multi-core. Here the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 4650U scores 1161 against 563 for the Intel Core i5-7600, a delta of 51.5% in favor of AMD. That is more than double the Intel chip's output. The Ryzen's six cores and twelve threads simply overwhelm the four-core, four-thread i5 in heavily threaded rendering work.

Single-core performance in Cinebench R15 also favors AMD, though the margin is less dramatic in percentage terms. The Ryzen 5 PRO 4650U posts 175 versus 79 for the i5-7600, a 54.9% advantage. This is notable because the Intel part has a higher boost clock (4.10 GHz versus 4.00 GHz), yet the newer Zen 2 architecture still manages to deliver superior single-threaded performance in this test.

Geekbench multi-core follows the same pattern. AMD scores 4692, Intel scores 3704, giving the Ryzen a 21.1% lead. The gap here is smaller than in Cinebench R15 multi-core, but it still represents a comfortable win for the six-core part.

The Intel Core i5-7600's sole victory comes in Geekbench single-core. It scores 1344 against 1211 for the Ryzen 5 PRO 4650U, an 11% lead. This shows that the older Kaby Lake design still retains some single-threaded strength, at least in this particular benchmark. However, it is importantly this result contradicts the Cinebench R15 single-core outcome, where AMD won by a wide margin. Benchmark results indicate that different workloads stress different parts of the architecture, and single-threaded performance is not consistently in either processor's favor.

Looking at the average benchmark score, the two CPUs are far closer than the head-to-head results suggest. The Intel i5-7600 has an average score of 1844, while the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 4650U sits at 1810. That is roughly a 1.9% difference in favor of Intel, based on the recorded averages. Both processors land at the 42nd percentile among all CPUs in the database, meaning they occupy a similar overall tier despite their very different core configurations and test results.

The nearest rivals for each chip reinforce this picture. The i5-7600 sits within 0.7% of the AMD Ryzen 5 4600U, the Intel Core i5-8305G, and the AMD Athlon Gold PRO 3150G, among others. The Ryzen 5 PRO 4650U is within 0.4% of the Intel Core i5-6600K and the Intel Xeon E3-1505M v5. These tight groupings suggest that average scores can be misleading when a processor excels in one type of workload and struggles in another.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 4650U is the clear choice for multi-threaded workloads. Its 51.5% lead in Cinebench R15 multi-core and 21.1% lead in Geekbench multi-core demonstrate that rendering, video encoding, and other heavily parallel tasks will run significantly faster on the AMD part. The advantage comes directly from its core and thread count: six cores with twelve threads versus four cores with four threads.

The Intel Core i5-7600 wins in Geekbench single-core by 11%. For lightly threaded applications such as many office productivity tasks, web browsing, and older games, the Intel chip may offer a slight edge in responsiveness. However, the Cinebench R15 single-core result complicates this conclusion, as AMD wins there by 54.9%. Users should interpret the data as workload-dependent rather than assuming Intel always wins in single-threaded tasks.

The Ryzen 5 PRO 4650U also benefits from being a mobile processor with a 15 TDP, whereas the i5-7600 is a 65 TDP desktop part. While TDP itself is not a performance metric, the data indicates that the AMD chip delivers higher multi-core scores while consuming a far lower thermal envelope in its intended mobile context. The i5-7600, with its higher power budget, still cannot match that multi-threaded throughput.

For users who rely on Cinebench R15 as their primary benchmark, the AMD part is unequivocally superior in both multi-core and single-core tests. For users who put more weight on Geekbench, the results are split: AMD wins multi-core, Intel wins single-core. The only test where Intel demonstrates a definitive advantage is Geekbench single-core, and that advantage is 11%, far smaller than AMD's multi-core margins.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has more cores and threads?

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 4650U has 6 cores and 12 threads. The Intel Core i5-7600 has 4 cores and 4 threads.

Q: How big is the multi-core performance difference?

A: In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 4650U leads by 51.5%, scoring 1161 versus 563. In Geekbench multi-core, the AMD part leads by 21.1%, scoring 4692 versus 3704.

Q: Does the Intel chip win any benchmark?

A: Yes, the Intel Core i5-7600 wins Geekbench single-core by 11%, scoring 1344 versus 1211.

Q: What are the average benchmark scores for each processor?

A: The Intel Core i5-7600 has an average benchmark score of 1844. The AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 4650U has an average benchmark score of 1810.

Q: How do these processors compare to their nearest rivals?

A: The Intel Core i5-7600 is within 0.1% ahead of the Intel Core i7-8706G and 0.5% ahead of the AMD Athlon Gold PRO 3150G. The AMD Ryzen 3 3100 sits 0.1% ahead of the Intel Core i3-9320 and 0.2% ahead of the Intel Core i3-9100, while the Intel Core i5-6600K is 0.3% behind.

Q: Which processor has a higher boost clock, and does it matter?

A: The Intel Core i5-7600 has a boost clock of 4.10 GHz, while the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 4650U has a boost clock 4.00 GHz. Despite the AMD chip's slightly lower boost clock, it wins the majority of head-to-head benchmarks, indicating that clock speed alone does not dictate overall performance.

Q: What is the percentile ranking for each CPU?

A: Both processors sit at the 42nd percentile among all CPUs in the database.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ in nearly every major specification. The Intel Core i5-7600 uses 4 cores and 4 threads, while the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 4650U uses 6 cores and 12 threads. Base clocks differ substantially: 3.50 GHz for the Intel part versus 2.10 GHz for the AMD part. Boost clocks are closer, 4.10 GHz versus 4.00 GHz, but still favor Intel slightly.

Thermal design power reveals their different market segments. The i5-7600 has a TDP of 65 watts, while the Ryzen 5 PRO 4650U has a TDP of 15 watts. The Intel chip targets desktop systems with an Intel Socket 1151, while the AMD chip targets mobile systems with an AMD Socket FP6.

Cache configurations differ as well. Both have 64 KB of L1 cache per core. However, the Intel part has 256 KB of L2 cache per core, while the AMD part has 512 KB per core, double the amount. The L3 cache is 6 MB shared on the Intel part versus 8 MB shared on the AMD part. Memory bandwidth also favors AMD: the i5-7600 offers 38.4 GB/s of memory bandwidth, the Ryzen 5 PRO 4650U offers 68.3 GB/s, almost double. Both support DDR4 memory in dual-channel configuration, and neither supports ECC memory. PCIe connectivity differs: Intel offers PCIe Gen 3 with 16 lanes CPU only on Intel side, the AMD side lists just PCIe Gen 3 without specifying lane count. Integrated graphics differ: the Intel part has HD 630, the AMD part has Radeon RX Vega 6.

The release dates show a gap of roughly three years. The Intel Core i5-7600 was released in January 2017, the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 4650U in May 2020. Neither processor has a multiplier unlocked.

Architecture Differences

The Intel Core i5-7600 is built on Kaby Lake architecture using a 14 nm process node, manufactured by Intel. The AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 4650U uses Zen 2 architecture with the Renoir codename, built on a 7 nm process node by TSMC. This process advantage is significant, as the smaller node allows the AMD chip to fit more transistors and cache.

AMD lists 9,800 million transistors and a die size of 156 mm² for the Ryzen 5 PRO 4650U. Intel does not list transistor count or die size in the database. The AMD chip uses a 4000 series series name, Intel has no series name listed.

The core counts and thread counts reflect architectural priorities. The Zen 2 core design uses a chiplet layout, while Kaby Lake is a monolithic chip design. L2 cache per core on AMD is 512 KB versus 256 KB Intel, and L3 cache is 8 MB shared AMD versus 6 MB shared Intel, indicating AMD's larger overall cache footprint. AMD's Renoir chip also integrates Radeon RX Vega 6 graphics.

The Ryzen 5 PRO 4650U, despite its mobile 15 W TDP, has a larger L2 cache per core, larger L3 cache and double the memory bandwidth. This data indicates that AMD's design emphasizes multi-threaded throughput and bandwidth capacity, while the Intel part focuses on higher clock speed per core.

The Verdict

The data supports different picks depending on the workload priorities. The AMD Ryzen 15 W TDP in a mobile TDP 4650U should be chosen if the workload is heavily multi-threaded, rendering heavy workloads, Cinebench workloads, Geekbench multi-core, or any workload where the CPU benchmark wins are the primary metric. AMD wins by 51.5% in Cinebench R15 multi-core and 21.1% Geekbench multi-core, making it the clear choice for multi-threaded workloads.

The Intel Core i5-7600 should be chosen if Geekbench single-core performance is prioritized. It wins Geekbench single-core by 11%, with a Geekbench score of 1344. The Intel part is the only benchmark where Intel wins.

The data shows that average benchmark scores for each CPU are similar, but the AMD chip only loses in one benchmark while winning the others by huge margins. The AMD chip single-core benchmark wins, and the Intel chip wins only one benchmark, the Intel chip wins Geekbench single-core. The Intel chip's performance is within 0.1% of the AMD chip's average benchmark score, but the AMD chip's multi-core performance is a substantial 51.5% advantage.

Both processors sit at the same percentile rank of 42, meaning they are comparable in overall performance in the database. However, the AMD chip's larger core count and thread count, larger cache, higher memory bandwidth, and the newer 7 nm process node from TSMC all contribute to its dominant multi-core results. The Intel chip's higher boost clock of 4.10 GHz gives it the single-core Geekbench win, but the AMD chip's 4.00 GHz boost clock does not prevent it from winning Cinebench R15 single-core by 54.9%.

The verdict is straightforward: if the workload is multi-threaded, choose the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 4650U. If the workload is single-threaded and specifically measured by Geekbench, choose the Intel Core i5-7600. For any other workload, the data favors AMD by a significant margin.