AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 6650H vs Intel Core i7-11850H Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark data presents a clear overall winner, though not without notable exceptions. The Intel Core i7-11850H claims victory in 13 of the 17 recorded comparisons, while the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 6650H takes 4. The most decisive Intel advantage appears in Cinebench R23 multi-core, where the Intel scores 16,673 against AMD's 9,561, a 74.4% margin. That is the single largest delta in the entire dataset, and it reflects a substantial gap in sustained multi-threaded throughput.

Single-core Cinebench R23 also favors Intel decisively, with 2,353 versus 1,471, a 60% difference. This is an unusually large single-thread gap for two modern mobile processors, and it suggests that Intel's peak frequency and IPC combination in this workload is significantly stronger. The Cinebench R15 multi-core test shows a smaller but still positive Intel edge: 1,680 versus 1,550, an 8.4% lead. The R15 single-core result is nearly a tie, with Intel at 237 and AMD at 236, a 0.4% difference that falls within typical run-to-run variance.

Geekbench multi-core gives Intel another comfortable win: 8,002 versus 6,930, a 15.5% margin. However, Geekbench single-core flips to AMD, which scores 1,735 versus Intel's 1,703, a 1.8% advantage. This is a modest win, but it indicates that AMD's Zen 3+ architecture can hold its own in certain lightly threaded integer workloads.

The Passmark suite reveals a mixed pattern. Intel wins data compression by 8.8% (236,949 versus 217,700), extended instructions by 4.9% (15,788 versus 15,044), floating point math by 19% (42,540 versus 35,743), integer math by 14.6% (71,996 versus 62,838), multithread by 11.8% (20,059 versus 17,936), physics by 13.8% (954 versus 838), random string sorting by 24.4% (28,395 versus 22,823), and find prime numbers by 67.3% (87 versus 52). The prime number result is striking: Intel's score of 87 is more than one and a half times AMD's 52, suggesting a major advantage in branch-heavy integer loops.

AMD's wins are concentrated in encryption and single-threaded tests. Passmark data encryption gives AMD 13,518 against Intel's 12,214, a 9.6% lead. Passmark single-thread (and its duplicate singlethread entry) gives AMD 3,110 versus 3,069, a 1.3% margin. These are real but narrow victories, and they do not offset the broader Intel dominance in multi-core and math-heavy workloads.

Looking at the overall average benchmark scores, Intel sits at 24,935 while AMD is at 24,364. That is a 2.3% gap in Intel's favor, which aligns with the head-to-head results. The percentile rankings reinforce the picture: Intel is in the 77th percentile of all CPUs, AMD in the 76th. Both are solidly mid-high tier parts, but Intel edges ahead on aggregate performance.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from different design philosophies and process generations. The Intel Core i7-11850H is a Tiger Lake-H part, built on Intel's 10 nm process at a die size of 190 mm². It packs 8 cores and 16 threads, with a base clock of 2.10 GHz and a boost clock of 4.80 GHz. The AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 6650H uses Zen 3+ (Rembrandt), fabricated by TSMC on a 6 nm node with a die size of 208 mm². It has 6 cores and 12 threads, with a base clock of 3.30 GHz and a boost clock of 4.50 GHz. AMD's process advantage (6 nm versus 10 nm) likely contributes to its higher base clock despite fewer cores, but Intel compensates with a higher boost frequency.

Cache hierarchies differ substantially. Intel provides 80 KB of L1 per core, 1.25 MB of L2 per core, and a 24 MB shared L3 cache. AMD has 64 KB of L1 per core, 512 KB of L2 per core, and a 16 MB shared L3 cache. Intel's total L2 capacity is larger per core (1.25 MB versus 512 KB), and its L3 pool is 50% bigger. This cache advantage may explain Intel's strong showing in random string sorting and prime number tests, which are sensitive to memory latency and cache residency.

Memory support is another key split. Intel supports DDR4 with dual-channel memory, offering 51.2 GB/s of bandwidth. AMD supports DDR5 with dual-channel memory, delivering 76.8 GB/s. The AMD platform has 50% more theoretical memory bandwidth, which should help in bandwidth-bound workloads, though the benchmark data does not show a consistent AMD advantage in math or compression tests where bandwidth matters. Both processors use PCIe Gen 4 with 20 lanes, so expansion capabilities are equivalent.

Integrated graphics differ as well. Intel ships UHD Graphics 750, while AMD includes Radeon 660M. The database does not include GPU benchmark scores, so no performance comparison is possible from this data. Both processors are unlocked multiplier-wise? Actually, the data shows multiplierUnlocked is false for both, meaning neither supports overclocking. The TDP figures differ: Intel is rated at 35 W, AMD at 45 W. AMD's higher TDP suggests it may sustain higher clocks under load, but the benchmark results do not reflect that advantage in most tests.

The socket situation is completely different. Intel uses BGA 1787, AMD uses Socket FP7. Neither is upgradeable in any practical sense, as both are mobile parts soldered to the board. The release dates are separated by nearly a year: Intel launched on 2021-05-10, AMD on 2022-04-18. The Intel part has a launch MSRP of $395; AMD has no recorded MSRP in the database.

The Verdict

The data points to the Intel Core i7-11850H as the stronger processor for the vast majority of workloads. Its multi-core lead is enormous, especially in Cinebench R23 where it outperforms AMD by 74.4%. The 8-core, 16-thread configuration with 24 MB of L3 cache gives it a structural advantage in threaded applications, and the results bear that out across compression, math, physics, and sorting. The Intel part also holds a 60% single-core lead in Cinebench R23, which is a rare feat and indicates a substantial IPC and frequency advantage in that specific test.

However, the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 6650H is not without merit. It wins in data encryption by 9.6%, and it edges ahead in Geekbench single-core and Passmark single-thread by roughly 1-2%. The AMD part also has a higher base clock (3.30 GHz versus 2.10 GHz) and supports DDR5 with 76.8 GB/s of bandwidth, which could matter in memory-heavy tasks not captured by the current benchmark set. The 6 nm process from TSMC likely contributes to better power efficiency, though the database does not include power consumption measurements.

For a user choosing between these two, the decision depends on workload. If the priority is multi-threaded rendering, code compilation, data compression, or any heavily parallel compute, the Intel part is the clear choice. Its 74.4% lead in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 19% lead in floating point math make it the safer pick for productivity. If the workload is encryption-heavy or relies on single-threaded integer performance where AMD's small wins apply, the Ryzen 5 PRO 6650H may be preferable, but the margins are thin. The aggregate average score favors Intel by 2.3%, and the percentile ranking is nearly identical, so the Intel part is the better overall performer in the recorded data.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has the higher multi-core performance?

A: The Intel Core i7-11850H wins all multi-core tests. The largest margin is 74.4% in Cinebench R23 multi-core (16,673 versus 9,561). Geekbench multi-core shows a 15.5% Intel lead (8,002 versus 6,930), and Passmark multithread shows an 11.8% lead (20,059 versus 17,936).

Q: Does the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 6650H win any benchmark?

A: Yes, it wins 4 of the 17 recorded comparisons: data encryption (13,518 versus 12,214, a 9.6% lead), Geekbench single-core (1,735 versus 1,703, a 1.8% lead), and Passmark single-thread (3,110 versus 3,069, a 1.3% lead, listed twice in the dataset).

Q: How do the core counts and clocks compare?

A: The Intel part has 8 cores and 16 threads with a base clock of 2.10 GHz and boost clock of 4.80 GHz. The AMD part has 6 cores and 12 threads with a base clock of 3.30 GHz and boost clock of 4.50 GHz. AMD has the higher base clock, but Intel has the higher boost clock.

Q: What is the cache difference between the two?

A: Intel has 80 KB of L1 per core, 1.25 MB of L2 per core, and 24 MB of shared L3. AMD has 64 KB of L1 per core, 512 KB of L2 per core, and 16 MB of shared L3. Intel's L3 cache is 50% larger, and its per-core L2 is more than double.

Q: Which supports faster memory?

A: AMD supports DDR5 with dual-channel memory and 76.8 GB/s of bandwidth. Intel supports DDR4 with dual-channel memory and 51.2 GB/s. AMD's memory bandwidth is 50% higher on paper.

Q: What are the aggregate performance rankings?

A: Intel has an average benchmark score of 24,935 and sits in the 77th percentile of all CPUs. AMD has an average score of 24,364 and sits in the 76th percentile. Intel leads by 2.3% on average.

Where Each One Wins

The Intel Core i7-11850H is the clear winner in rendering and compute-heavy tasks. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 16,673 versus AMD's 9,561 is a 74.4% advantage, making it the obvious choice for 3D rendering, video encoding, or any workload that scales with core count. The floating point math test (42,540 versus 35,743, a 19% lead) and integer math test (71,996 versus 62,838, a 14.6% lead) both favor Intel, which points to strong performance in scientific computing, data analysis, and simulation workloads. The find prime numbers score of 87 versus 52, a 67.3% lead, indicates a significant edge in branch-heavy integer loops, which are common in cryptography and algorithm development. Random string sorting also goes to Intel by 24.4%, suggesting better cache behavior for data rearrangement tasks.

The AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 6650H wins in encryption and lightly threaded workloads. Its data encryption score of 13,518 versus 12,214 is a 9.6% margin, which matters for VPN, disk encryption, or secure communications. The single-core wins in Geekbench (1,735 versus 1,703) and Passmark single-thread (3,110 versus 3,069) are narrow but consistent, and they indicate that AMD is competitive in everyday responsiveness tasks like web browsing, office applications, and light coding. The higher base clock of 3.30 GHz likely contributes to these wins, as does the DDR5 memory support with 76.8 GB/s of bandwidth, which may help in memory-latency-sensitive single-threaded tasks.

For mixed workloads, the Intel part is the safer choice. It wins 13 of 17 head-to-head tests, and its losses are by small margins (1-2%) while its wins often exceed 10%. The AMD part's wins are concentrated in narrow single-thread and encryption tests, which may not translate to real-world benefits for most users. The average benchmark score gap of 2.3% in Intel's favor is small, but the distribution of wins is lopsided. The Intel part also has a larger L3 cache (24 MB versus 16 MB) and more cores (8 versus 6), which provides headroom for future software that scales with thread count. The AMD part's advantages are real but niche, and they do not outweigh Intel's broad dominance in the recorded data.