AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 6650U vs Intel Core Ultra 5 135U Comparison

Intel Core Ultra 5 135U and AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 6650U are two 15-watt mobile processors aimed at thin-and-light laptops. The database shows the Intel part winning 12 of 15 head-to-head benchmark comparisons, while the AMD chip takes three. Their overall average benchmark scores sit close: 22618 for the Intel versus 21874 for the AMD, a difference of roughly 3.4 percent. The Intel chip also ranks at the 76th percentile among all CPUs in the database, just ahead of the AMD part's 75th percentile.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The most decisive victory for the Intel Core Ultra 5 135U comes in PassMark physics, where it scores 1122 against the AMD's 837, a 34.1 percent advantage. This is a substantial gap and points to a meaningful difference in how the two processors handle simulation and physics workloads. Floating-point math also shows a large Intel lead: 41232 versus 32571, a 26.6 percent margin. The Intel chip also dominates prime number finding, scoring 64 versus 52, a 23.1 percent advantage, and Cinebench R15 multi-core, 1634 versus 1459.5, a 12 percent lead.

In Cinebench R23 multi-core, the Intel part scores 9315 against the AMD's 8854, a 5.2 percent win. The Intel chip also wins Cinebench R23 single-core, 1563 versus 1463, a 6.8 percent advantage. PassMark single-thread results show the Intel ahead at 3343 versus 3149, a 6.2 percent margin. The Intel part also leads in PassMark multithread, 17359 versus 16429, a 5.7 percent gain, and in random string sorting, 21620 versus 20299, a 6.5 percent advantage. Data compression favors Intel, 196712 versus 190180, a 3.4 percent edge, while data encryption is nearly a tie, with Intel at 12195 and AMD at 12159, a 0.3 percent difference.

The AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 6650U wins three tests. The largest is PassMark extended instructions, where it scores 12261 against Intel's 11144, a 9.1 percent lead. The AMD also wins PassMark integer math, 60045 versus 56864, a 5.3 percent margin. In Cinebench R15 single-core, the AMD scores 232.5 against Intel's 228, a 1.9 percent edge. These results indicate the AMD chip has a slight strength in certain integer and extended instruction workloads, but the Intel processor holds the broader advantage across most multi-threaded and floating-point tasks.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from fundamentally different designs. The Intel Core Ultra 5 135U uses the Meteor Lake architecture, built on a 7 nm process at Intel's own foundry. It has 12 cores and 14 threads. The AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 6650U uses the Zen 3+ architecture, codenamed Rembrandt, built on a 6 nm process at TSMC, and has 6 cores and 12 threads. The Intel part's higher core count likely contributes to its lead in multi-threaded benchmarks, while the AMD chip's smaller core count is offset by a higher boost clock: 4.50 GHz versus 4.40 GHz for the Intel.

Cache configurations also differ. The Intel chip has 112 KB of L1 cache per core, 2 MB of L2 per core, and 12 MB of shared L3 cache. The AMD chip has 64 KB of L1 per core, 512 KB of L2 per core, and 16 MB of shared L3 cache. The AMD part offers more L3 cache overall, which can help in certain workloads, but the Intel part's per-core L1 and L2 capacities are larger.

Memory bandwidth is another differentiator. The Intel chip supports 89.6 GB/s of memory bandwidth, while the AMD chip supports 76.8 GB/s. The Intel part's higher bandwidth may explain some of its advantage in data-heavy tasks like compression and sorting. Both support dual-channel DDR5 memory, and neither supports ECC memory.

The integrated graphics differ as well. The Intel part uses Arc Xe-LPG with 64 execution units, while the AMD part uses Radeon 660M. The database does not include graphics-specific benchmark scores, so a direct comparison of GPU performance is not available from the recorded data. The Intel chip also has fewer PCIe lanes, with 12 Gen 4 lanes from the CPU, while the AMD chip offers 20 Gen 4 lanes.

The Intel processor launched on December 13, 2023, with a launch MSRP of $332. The AMD processor launched earlier, on April 18, 2022. The Intel chip uses an Intel BGA 2049 socket, while the AMD chip uses an AMD Socket FP7. The AMD die size is recorded at 208 mm², while the Intel die size is not listed in the database.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 135U has an average benchmark score of 22618, while the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 6650U has an average score of 21874. The Intel part also ranks at the 76th percentile among all CPUs, slightly above the AMD part's 75th percentile.

Q: How do the two compare in Cinebench R23 multi-core?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 135U scores 9315 in Cinebench R23 multi-core, which is 5.2 percent higher than the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 6650U's score of 8854.

Q: In which benchmark does the AMD chip show its largest win?

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 6650U's largest win is in PassMark extended instructions, where it scores 12261 against the Intel chip's 11144, a 9.1 percent advantage.

Q: What is the biggest performance gap between the two processors?

A: The largest gap is in PassMark physics, where the Intel Core Ultra 5 135U scores 1122, which is 34.1 percent higher than the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 6650U's score of 837.

Q: Do both processors support the same memory bandwidth?

A: No, the Intel Core Ultra 5 135U supports 89.6 GB/s of memory bandwidth, while the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 6650U supports 76.8 GB/s. Both use dual-channel DDR5 memory.

Q: Which processor has more cores and threads?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 135U has 12 cores and 14 threads, while the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 6650U has 6 cores and 12 threads.

The Verdict

The benchmark data consistently favors the Intel Core Ultra 5 135U across most workloads. Its 12-core, 14-thread configuration delivers wins in all three Cinebench multi-core tests, with a 12 percent lead in R15 and a 5.2 percent lead in R23. The Intel chip also wins every single-thread test except Cinebench R15, where the AMD part edges ahead by 1.9 percent. For users whose workloads rely on multi-threaded performance, physics simulations, floating-point math, or data compression, the Intel part is the stronger choice based on the recorded results.

The AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 6650U is not without merit. It wins in PassMark integer math, extended instructions, and Cinebench R15 single-core. Its higher boost clock of 4.50 GHz and larger 16 MB L3 cache may help in specific integer-heavy or instruction-intensive tasks. However, these wins are narrow compared to the Intel part's margins. The AMD chip's 34.1 percent deficit in PassMark physics and 26.6 percent deficit in floating-point math are significant. The data suggests the Intel Core Ultra 5 135U is the more balanced and capable processor for a wider range of applications.

The Intel part also has a higher memory bandwidth of 89.6 GB/s, which likely contributes to its wins in data compression and random string sorting. The AMD chip's lower memory bandwidth of 76.8 GB/s may be a limiting factor in those same tasks. For a laptop buyer, the Intel chip appears to offer better overall performance in CPU-bound tasks, while the AMD chip offers a smaller, more efficient design with a different cache layout. The choice depends on the specific workload, but the benchmark matrix favors the Intel part in 12 of 15 comparisons.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ in several key specifications. The Intel Core Ultra 5 135U has 12 cores and 14 threads, while the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 6650U has 6 cores and 12 threads. The Intel chip has a base clock of 1600 MHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz, while the AMD chip has a base clock of 2900 MHz and a boost clock of 4.50 GHz. Both have a TDP of 15 watts.

The process nodes differ: the Intel part uses Intel's 7 nm process, while the AMD part uses TSMC's 6 nm process. The AMD die size is 208 mm², while the Intel die size is not listed. L1 cache is 112 KB per core for Intel versus 64 KB per core for AMD. L2 cache is 2 MB per core for Intel versus 512 KB per core for AMD. L3 cache is 12 MB shared for Intel versus 16 MB shared for AMD.

Memory bandwidth is 89.6 GB/s for Intel versus 76.8 GB/s for AMD. PCIe lanes are 12 Gen 4 for Intel versus 20 Gen 4 for AMD. The integrated graphics are Arc Xe-LPG 64EU for Intel versus Radeon 660M for AMD. The sockets are Intel BGA 2049 versus AMD Socket FP7. The release dates are December 13, 2023 for Intel and April 18, 2022 for AMD. The Intel part has a launch MSRP of $332, while the AMD part has no recorded launch MSRP. Both processors are active in production and neither has an unlocked multiplier.