AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 8640HS vs Intel Core 5 330 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data shows a decisive overall victory for the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 8640HS, which claims 12 of the 17 head-to-head benchmark comparisons. The Intel Core 5 330 manages five wins, but the margin analysis reveals that AMD's dominance is not uniform across every workload type.

The most dramatic separation occurs in Cinebench testing. Across all six Cinebench iterations, the AMD processor delivers a consistent 37.7% advantage. In Cinebench R23 multicore, the AMD scores 18104 against Intel's 13150, while in the single-core variant, AMD posts 2555 versus 1856. The R15 and R20 runs mirror this pattern, with AMD scoring 1824 against 1325 in R15 multicore and 7603 against 5523 in R20 multicore. The single-core R15 result shows AMD at 257 versus 186, a 38.2% edge, the largest of the Cinebench set.

PassMark integer math presents the single biggest win for AMD. The Ryzen 5 PRO 8640HS scores 69839, which is 110% ahead of Intel's 33258. This result indicates a fundamental advantage in general-purpose arithmetic throughput that is likely tied to thread count and architecture design.

Data compression shows a 69.6% gap, with AMD at 246446 and Intel at 145287. Random string sorting follows a similar trajectory, AMD at 30235 versus Intel at 17771, a 70.1% difference. Extended instructions also favor AMD, 18507 against 12808, a 44.5% margin. Data encryption adds another AMD win, 14962 versus 11076, or 35.1% ahead. The PassMark multithread score puts AMD at 21465 against Intel's 15471, a 38.7% gap.

The Intel Core 5 330 does hold several wins, and they are not trivial. PassMark single-thread performance favors Intel at 4088 versus AMD's 3561, a 12.9% advantage. This is a notable outcome given that AMD's boost clock is higher at 4.90 GHz versus Intel's 4.60 GHz. The physics test also goes to Intel, 1201 versus 1043, a 13.2% margin. Prime number finding is Intel's largest win at 114 against 71, a 37.7% gap in Intel's favor. Floating-point math shows a narrow Intel victory, 43885 versus 43019, a 2% difference.

The pattern is clear: AMD wins heavily in multithreaded, integer-heavy, and data-oriented workloads, while Intel takes single-thread, physics, and prime-number tasks. The floating-point result is close enough to suggest near parity in that specific domain.

FAQ

Q: How many benchmark comparisons does each processor win?

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 8640HS wins 12 of the 17 head-to-head benchmarks, while the Intel Core 5 330 wins 5.

Q: What is the largest single benchmark margin between the two?

A: The largest margin is in PassMark integer math, where the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 8640HS scores 69839 against Intel's 33258, a 110% advantage.

Q: Does the Intel Core 5 330 beat AMD in any Cinebench test?

A: No. The Intel Core 5 330 loses all six Cinebench comparisons, with AMD ahead by 37.7% in five of them and 38.2% in Cinebench R15 single-core.

Q: Where does the Intel Core 5 330 show its strongest performance?

A: The Intel Core 5 330 performs best in PassMark single-thread (4088 versus 3561, a 12.9% win), physics (1201 versus 1043, a 13.2% win), and prime number finding (114 versus 71, a 37.7% win).

Q: How do the average benchmark scores compare?

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 8640HS has an average benchmark score of 28478, while the Intel Core 5 330 sits at 18345. The AMD processor also ranks in the 80th percentile among all CPUs, compared to Intel's 72nd percentile.

Q: Is there any benchmark where the two are nearly equal?

A: PassMark floating-point math is the closest comparison. The Intel Core 5 330 scores 43885 and the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 8640HS scores 43019, a difference of only 2%.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from fundamentally different design philosophies. The AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 8640HS uses Zen 4 architecture under the Hawk Point codename, built on a 4 nm TSMC process. It packs 25,000 million transistors on a 178 mm² die. The Intel Core 5 330 uses Wildcat Lake architecture on Intel's own 3 nm process, though transistor count and die size are not recorded in the database.

Core and thread counts diverge sharply. Both have 6 cores, but the AMD processor supports 12 threads through simultaneous multithreading, while the Intel processor has only 6 threads. This explains the consistent 37.7% multicore Cinebench gaps and the 38.7% PassMark multithread difference.

Cache organization is notably different. The AMD chip allocates 64 KB of L1 per core and 1 MB of L2 per core, with 16 MB of shared L3. The Intel chip lists 192 KB of L1 total, 2.5 MB of L2, and only 6 MB of shared L3. The smaller L3 pool on Intel likely contributes to its weaker data compression and sorting performance.

Memory support separates the two as well. AMD uses dual-channel DDR5 with 89.6 GB/s of bandwidth. Intel supports DDR5 and LPDDR5X but through a single-channel memory bus, capping bandwidth at 59.7 GB/s. Intel also lacks ECC memory support, which AMD includes. PCIe connectivity differs, with AMD offering Gen 4 at 20 lanes versus Intel's Gen 4 at 6 lanes.

Clock speeds tell an interesting story. AMD's base clock is 3.50 GHz with a 4.90 GHz boost, while Intel's base clock is much lower at 1.50 GHz with a 4.60 GHz boost. The lower base clock on Intel helps explain its 15 W TDP against AMD's 28 W TDP. Despite the lower power envelope, Intel still manages to win single-thread PassMark, suggesting its architecture extracts more instructions per clock in that specific test.

Integrated graphics also differ. AMD includes a Radeon 760M, while Intel uses Xe3 Graphics with 2 Xe cores. Both target the mobile segment and both are active in production. The AMD release date is recorded as 2024-04-15, while the Intel chip carries a 2026-04-15 release date.

The Verdict

The benchmark data points to a clear split in workload suitability. The AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 8640HS is the stronger processor for multithreaded productivity, data manipulation, encryption, and integer-heavy computation. Its 110% lead in integer math and 69.6% lead in data compression are decisive. The 80th percentile ranking versus 72nd for Intel reinforces the overall performance hierarchy.

The Intel Core 5 330 wins in single-thread PassMark, physics simulation, prime number finding, and floating-point math. These are meaningful strengths, particularly the 12.9% single-thread advantage. The 15 W TDP also positions it as a lower-power option, which matters for thin-and-light mobile designs. Its 3 nm process node suggests a newer manufacturing technology.

The average benchmark scores are not close: 28478 for AMD versus 18345 for Intel. The nearest rivals in the database confirm the positioning. AMD's closest competitors are the Intel Xeon E-2436 at 28530, AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 6850HS at 28549, Intel Core 5 220H at 28574, and AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 6850U at 28379. Intel's nearest rivals include the Intel Core i3-14100 at 18318, Intel Core 7 360 at 18374, Intel Core i3-13100 at 18380, and Intel Core 3 305 at 18302.

Neither processor is unlocked for overclocking. The AMD chip uses an AMD Socket FP7, while Intel uses Intel BGA 1516. The Intel processor has a launch MSRP of $309, which can be stated once as recorded.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ in nearly every major specification category:

Threads: AMD has 12 threads, Intel has 6.

Base clock: AMD at 3.50 GHz, Intel at 1.50 GHz.

Boost clock: AMD at 4.90 GHz, Intel at 4.60 GHz.

TDP: AMD at 28 W, Intel at 15 W.

Process node: AMD at 4 nm from TSMC, Intel at 3 nm from Intel.

L1 cache: AMD at 64 KB per core, Intel at 192 KB total.

L2 cache: AMD at 1 MB per core, Intel at 2.5 MB total.

L3 cache: AMD at 16 MB shared, Intel at 6 MB shared.

Memory bus: AMD dual-channel, Intel single-channel.

Memory bandwidth: AMD at 89.6 GB/s, Intel at 59.7 GB/s.

ECC support: AMD supports ECC, Intel does not.

PCIe lanes: AMD at 20 Gen 4 lanes, Intel at 6 Gen 4 lanes.

Integrated graphics: AMD Radeon 760M, Intel Xe3 Graphics with 2 Xe cores.

Memory types: AMD DDR5, Intel DDR5 and LPDDR5X.

Socket: AMD Socket FP7, Intel BGA 1516.

Release date: AMD 2024-04-15, Intel 2026-04-15.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 8640HS dominates in multithreaded rendering, as shown by its 37.7% lead across all Cinebench multicore tests. It wins every data-heavy PassMark test: data compression by 69.6%, random string sorting by 70.1%, data encryption by 35.1%, and extended instructions by 44.5%. Integer math is its crowning achievement at 110% ahead. The multithread score favors AMD by 38.7%. Any workload that scales with thread count, cache size, or memory bandwidth will favor this chip. The dual-channel memory bus and 16 MB of L3 provide the infrastructure for these wins.

The Intel Core 5 330 wins in PassMark single-thread by 12.9%, a meaningful edge for lightly threaded applications. Physics simulation goes to Intel by 13.2%, and prime number finding by 37.7%. Floating-point math shows a narrow 2% Intel advantage. The lower 15 W TDP makes it a candidate for power-constrained designs. The 3 nm process node and single-channel memory bus suggest an efficiency-focused design. For workloads that rely on single-thread responsiveness or physics calculations, the Intel chip holds the advantage.

The benchmark record does not show Intel winning any Cinebench test, any memory-bandwidth-sensitive test, or any multithreaded PassMark test. AMD does not win the single-thread PassMark test, physics, prime numbers, or floating-point math. Each processor has a defined territory, and the data supports a straightforward selection based on the dominant workload type.