AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 5650U vs Intel Core i7-11390H Comparison

# Intel Core i7-11390H vs AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 5650U

The Intel Core i7-11390H and AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 5650U are both mobile processors aimed at thin-and-light laptops, but they approach performance from opposite directions. Intel’s four-core Tiger Lake-H chip leans on a high 5.00 GHz boost clock and newer PCIe Gen 4 connectivity, while AMD’s six-core Zen 3 part counters with more cores, a smaller 7 nm process, and a lower 15 W TDP. Across six head-to-head benchmarks, AMD wins four tests, but Intel takes the two most important single-threaded and multi-threaded modern workloads. The average benchmark scores are nearly identical—2715 for Intel versus 2713 for AMD—making this a genuine toss-up depending on the application.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The Intel Core i7-11390H averages 2715, while the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 5650U scores 2713. The delta is just 0.1% in Intel’s favor, effectively a statistical tie.

Q: How do the core counts differ?

A: Intel packs 4 cores and 8 threads, while AMD offers 6 cores and 12 threads. The AMD part also boosts lower, at 4.20 GHz versus Intel’s 5.00 GHz.

Q: Which chip wins in Cinebench R23 multi-core?

A: Intel takes this decisively, scoring 8218 against AMD’s 6429, a 27.8% advantage. This is despite AMD having two more cores.

Q: Which chip wins in Geekbench single-core?

A: Intel wins with a score of 1985 versus AMD’s 1486, a 33.6% lead. This reflects Intel’s much higher boost clock.

Q: What are the process node differences?

A: Intel uses a 10 nm process fabricated in-house, while AMD uses TSMC’s 7 nm node. AMD’s smaller node helps it fit 10,700 million transistors on a 180 mm² die, versus Intel’s 146.1 mm² die.

Q: Which chip supports PCIe Gen 4?

A: Only Intel does, with 20 lanes of Gen 4 connectivity from the CPU. AMD’s Ryzen 5 PRO 5650U is limited to PCIe Gen 3 with 8 lanes.

Q: What is the TDP difference?

A: Intel is rated at 28 W, while AMD is rated at 15 W. This means AMD is designed for more power-efficient, fanless or ultra-thin designs.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 5650U dominates in older Cinebench releases and in Geekbench multi-core. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, AMD scores 1207 versus Intel’s 828, a massive 31.4% margin. The R15 single-core test is even more lopsided: AMD leads 218 to 116, a 46.8% advantage. AMD also wins Cinebench R23 single-core (1363 vs 1160, +14.9%) and Geekbench multi-core (5577 vs 5478, +1.8%). These results suggest AMD’s Zen 3 architecture scales better with its six cores in lightly-threaded legacy workloads and in multi-threaded Geekbench tasks.

The Intel Core i7-11390H wins the two most modern and demanding benchmarks. In Cinebench R23 multi-core, Intel scores 8218 against AMD’s 6429, a 27.8% blowout. In Geekbench single-core, Intel leads 1985 to 1486, a 33.6% gap. This pattern shows Intel’s high 5.00 GHz boost and Tiger Lake IPC are excellent for current-generation rendering and single-threaded applications, but the chip’s four cores hurt it in older, less optimized multi-threaded tests.

For real-world use, AMD is the safer choice for productivity that spans many threads—think compilation, virtualization, or video encoding—based on its Geekbench multi-core win and R15 dominance. Intel is better for software that relies on peak single-core speed or modern multi-threaded rendering, as evidenced by its R23 and Geekbench single-core wins.

Architecture Differences

Intel’s Core i7-11390H uses the Tiger Lake-H architecture, built on Intel’s 10 nm process at its own foundry. The die size is 146.1 mm², and it integrates Iris XE graphics with 96 execution units. The chip supports PCIe Gen 4 with 20 CPU lanes, a significant upgrade for fast NVMe SSDs and discrete GPUs. Cache is organized as 80 KB L1 per core, 1.25 MB L2 per core, and 12 MB shared L3.

AMD’s Ryzen 5 PRO 5650U uses Zen 3 on TSMC’s 7 nm node, with a larger 180 mm² die housing 10,700 million transistors. It integrates Radeon Vega 7 graphics and supports only PCIe Gen 3 with 8 CPU lanes. Cache hierarchy differs: 64 KB L1 per core, 512 KB L2 per core, and 16 MB shared L3. The extra 4 MB of L3 helps AMD in some cache-sensitive workloads, but the smaller L1 and L2 per core may offset that in others.

The process node difference is stark: 10 nm versus 7 nm. Smaller transistors allow AMD to fit more cores and cache in a similar power envelope, but Intel compensates with a higher boost clock. Both chips use dual-channel DDR4 memory with 51.2 GB/s bandwidth and lack ECC support. Neither has an unlocked multiplier, so overclocking is off the table.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ on nearly every core specification. Intel has 4 cores and 8 threads, while AMD has 6 cores and 12 threads. Intel’s base clock is 2.90 GHz and boost clock is 5.00 GHz; AMD’s are 2.30 GHz and 4.20 GHz, respectively. TDP is a major split: Intel draws 28 W, AMD just 15 W.

Sockets are incompatible: Intel uses BGA 1449, AMD uses Socket FP6. The process node favors AMD (7 nm vs 10 nm), and the foundry differs (TSMC vs Intel). Transistor count is only listed for AMD at 10,700 million; die size is 146.1 mm² for Intel and 180 mm² for AMD. L3 cache is 12 MB shared on Intel versus 16 MB shared on AMD. L1 and L2 per-core caches are larger on Intel (80 KB and 1.25 MB) than AMD (64 KB and 512 KB). PCIe support is Gen 4 with 20 lanes on Intel versus Gen 3 with 8 lanes on AMD. Integrated graphics differ: Iris XE 96EU versus Radeon Vega 7.

Release dates also differ: Intel launched on 2021-06-20, AMD on 2021-03-15. Intel has a launch MSRP of $426; AMD’s MSRP is not listed. Both are active production mobile parts with locked multipliers.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The biggest win for AMD comes in Cinebench R15 single-core, where it scores 218 versus Intel’s 116—a 46.8% lead. That is an enormous gap for a single-threaded test and suggests AMD’s Zen 3 cores were far ahead of Tiger Lake in that specific legacy workload. AMD also dominates Cinebench R15 multi-core, scoring 1207 to Intel’s 828, a 31.4% margin. In this test, AMD’s two extra cores and superior per-core performance combine for a decisive victory.

AMD’s lead narrows in Cinebench R23 single-core, where it wins 1363 to 1160, a 14.9% advantage. This shows Intel closing the single-thread gap in newer benchmarks thanks to its 5.00 GHz boost. In Geekbench multi-core, AMD scores 5577 versus Intel’s 5478, a slim 1.8% win. This is a close call, with AMD’s six cores just edging out Intel’s higher clock speed.

Intel’s two wins are both substantial. In Cinebench R23 multi-core, Intel scores 8218 against AMD’s 6429, a 27.8% advantage. This is surprising given AMD’s core advantage—it suggests Intel’s Tiger Lake architecture scales far better in modern multi-threaded rendering. In Geekbench single-core, Intel wins 1985 to 1486, a 33.6% lead, reasserting its dominance in that workload.

Overall, the benchmark data paints a split picture: AMD wins four tests, Intel wins two, but Intel’s wins are in more demanding, contemporary workloads. The average scores (2715 vs 2713) reflect this near-parity, with Intel’s nearest rival list showing a 0.1% delta to AMD and a 0.2% delta to the Intel Xeon E-2226G. AMD’s nearest rival list shows an identical 0.1% delta to Intel and 0.1% to the Xeon E-2226G, while both trail the AMD Ryzen 7 4700U by 0.2-0.3%. For users prioritizing modern rendering or single-threaded responsiveness, Intel is the pick; for legacy multi-threaded apps or power efficiency, AMD is the better fit.