AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 8640U vs Intel Core i5-13500HX Comparison

Where Each One Wins

The benchmark split between the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 8640U and the Intel Core i5-13500HX is heavily skewed toward the Intel part, which claims 12 of the 17 recorded head-to-head tests. The AMD processor wins five tests, but its victories are concentrated in specific workload types that reveal a clear use-case split.

The AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 8640U takes the single-core crown in Cinebench R15 (284 vs. 252, a 12.7% advantage) and Cinebench R23 (2821 vs. 1730.5, a massive 63% lead). It also wins the PassMark single-thread test (3732 vs. 3582, 4.2% ahead) and the Cinebench R23 multi-core test (19982 vs. 18334, 9% ahead). This pattern suggests the AMD part is the stronger choice for lightly threaded workloads and for applications that respond well to modern Zen 4 single-core efficiency, particularly in the latest Cinebench version.

The Intel Core i5-13500HX dominates everywhere else. Its wins include all three of the older Cinebench multi-core tests (R15, R20), the Cinebench R20 single-core test, and the entire PassMark suite except single-thread: data compression, data encryption, extended instructions, prime number finding, floating-point math, integer math, multithread, physics, and random string sorting. The Intel processor's biggest margin comes in floating-point math, where it scores 70885 vs. 45265, a 36.1% gap. The Intel part also leads in data compression by 21.4% (331896 vs. 260925) and in physics by 29.4% (1634 vs. 1154).

The database's overall average benchmark scores place the AMD part at 30254 and the Intel part at 29270, with the AMD chip sitting slightly higher in aggregate. Both processors rank in the 81st percentile of all CPUs, meaning they occupy the same tier in the overall distribution. The AMD part's nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 7 2700X (delta 0.1%) and the AMD Ryzen 5 7640HS (delta -0.4%), while the Intel part's nearest rivals include the Intel Xeon Phi 7210 (delta 0.1%) and the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X (delta 0.5%). This means the two processors, despite very different core counts and architectures, land at nearly identical average performance levels in the database.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap between these two mobile processors is substantial. The AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 8640U is built on Zen 4 architecture with the Hawk Point codename, fabricated on a 4 nm process at TSMC, with 25,000 million transistors on a 178 mm² die. The Intel Core i5-13500HX uses Raptor Lake architecture with the Raptor Lake-HX codename, built on a 10 nm process at Intel, with a 257 mm² die size and no transistor count recorded in the database.

Core counts differ sharply. The AMD part has 6 cores and 12 threads, while the Intel part has 14 cores and 20 threads. The Intel processor therefore offers more than double the core count and 67% more threads. Clock speeds tell a different story: the AMD chip starts at 3.50 GHz base and boosts to 4.90 GHz, while the Intel chip starts at 2.50 GHz and boosts to 4.70 GHz. The AMD part has both a higher base clock and a higher boost clock.

Cache layouts are also different. The AMD processor provides 64 KB of L1 per core, 1 MB of L2 per core, and 16 MB of shared L3. The Intel processor provides 80 KB of L1 per core, 2 MB of L2 per core, and 24 MB of shared L3. The Intel part has more cache at every level, which likely contributes to its strong showing in data-heavy PassMark tests.

Memory support diverges as well. The AMD part supports DDR5 only, with dual-channel memory and a recorded bandwidth of 89.6 GB/s. The Intel part supports both DDR4 and DDR5, also dual-channel, but the database does not record a bandwidth figure for it. Both processors support ECC memory. PCIe generation differs: the AMD chip uses Gen 4 with 20 lanes (CPU only), while the Intel chip uses Gen 5 with 20 lanes (CPU only). Integrated graphics also differ, with the AMD part featuring the Radeon 760M and the Intel part featuring the UHD Graphics 710.

The AMD processor is not multiplier-unlocked, while the Intel processor is. The AMD part's socket is AMD Socket FP7, while the Intel part uses Intel BGA 1964. Release dates are recorded as April 2024 for the AMD part and January 2023 for the Intel part. The Intel part has a recorded launch MSRP of $326, while the AMD part has no recorded launch price in the database.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The largest single victory in the entire comparison belongs to the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 8640U in Cinebench R23 single-core, where it scores 2821 against the Intel's 1730.5, a 63% advantage. This is an extraordinary margin for a single-core test and suggests that the AMD's Zen 4 architecture, with its higher boost clock of 4.90 GHz, delivers dramatically better per-thread performance in this workload. The AMD part also wins Cinebench R23 multi-core by 9% (19982 vs. 18334), which is notable because the Intel part has more than double the cores.

The Intel Core i5-13500HX counters with its own large margins. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the Intel part scores 2863 against the AMD's 2014, a 29.7% advantage. In Cinebench R20 multi-core, the Intel part leads by 14.3% (9792 vs. 8392). The Intel part also wins Cinebench R20 single-core by 14.3% (1382 vs. 1184), which is interesting because the AMD part wins the R15 and R23 single-core tests but loses the R20 version. This suggests the two architectures respond differently across Cinebench versions.

The PassMark suite shows consistent Intel dominance. Floating-point math is the widest gap at 36.1% (70885 vs. 45265). Physics follows at 29.4% (1634 vs. 1154). Integer math shows a 22.2% Intel lead (96195 vs. 74875). Data compression is 21.4% ahead (331896 vs. 260925). Data encryption is 17.8% ahead (19267 vs. 15843). Multithread is 17.9% ahead (27753 vs. 22795). Prime number finding is 20.4% ahead (98 vs. 78). Extended instructions are 5.3% ahead (20200 vs. 19130). Random string sorting is 11.7% ahead (36373 vs. 32114).

The only AMD win in the entire PassMark suite is the single-thread test, where it scores 3732 vs. 3582, a 4.2% margin. This is a much smaller single-thread advantage than the 63% seen in Cinebench R23, indicating that the AMD's single-core superiority is workload-dependent.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ on nearly every fundamental specification. The AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 8640U has 6 cores and 12 threads, while the Intel Core i5-13500HX has 14 cores and 20 threads. Base clocks are 3.50 GHz for AMD and 2.50 GHz for Intel. Boost clocks are 4.90 GHz for AMD and 4.70 GHz for Intel. Thermal design power is 28 watts for AMD and 55 watts for Intel, a significant power envelope difference.

The AMD part uses a 4 nm process from TSMC with 25,000 million transistors on a 178 mm² die. The Intel part uses a 10 nm process from Intel with no recorded transistor count on a 257 mm² die. Cache sizes differ at every level: L1 is 64 KB per core for AMD vs. 80 KB per core for Intel; L2 is 1 MB per core for AMD vs. 2 MB per core for Intel; L3 is 16 MB shared for AMD vs. 24 MB shared for Intel.

Memory support differs: AMD supports DDR5 only, Intel supports DDR4 and DDR5. The AMD part records a memory bandwidth of 89.6 GB/s, while the Intel part has no recorded bandwidth. Both support ECC. PCIe generation differs: AMD uses Gen 4 with 20 lanes, Intel uses Gen 5 with 20 lanes. Integrated graphics differ: AMD has Radeon 760M, Intel has UHD Graphics 710. The AMD part is not multiplier-unlocked; the Intel part is. Sockets differ: AMD Socket FP7 vs. Intel BGA 1964. Release dates differ: April 2024 for AMD, January 2023 for Intel.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has more cores?

A: The Intel Core i5-13500HX has 14 cores and 20 threads, compared to the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 8640U's 6 cores and 12 threads.

Q: Which processor wins the most head-to-head benchmarks?

A: The Intel Core i5-13500HX wins 12 of the 17 recorded head-to-head tests, while the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 8640U wins 5.

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

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 8640U's 63% advantage in Cinebench R23 single-core is the largest margin, with a score of 2821 vs. 1730.5 for the Intel part.

Q: Which processor has the higher boost clock?

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 8640U boosts to 4.90 GHz, while the Intel Core i5-13500HX boosts to 4.70 GHz.

Q: Which processor supports PCIe Gen 5?

A: The Intel Core i5-13500HX supports PCIe Gen 5 with 20 lanes. The AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 8640U supports PCIe Gen 4 with 20 lanes.

Q: How do the overall average benchmark scores compare?

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 8640U has an average benchmark score of 30254, while the Intel Core i5-13500HX has an average score of 29270. Both rank in the 81st percentile of all CPUs.

The Verdict

The data points toward a clear workload-based recommendation. The AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 8640U is the better choice for single-thread-sensitive applications, particularly those that resemble Cinebench R23 single-core, where its 63% lead over the Intel part is decisive. The AMD part also holds a 9% advantage in Cinebench R23 multi-core, which is remarkable given that the Intel processor has more than twice the cores. The AMD chip's 28-watt TDP, compared to the Intel's 55 watts, suggests it achieves these wins in a much more power-constrained envelope.

The Intel Core i5-13500HX is the better choice for the majority of the recorded workloads. Its 12 benchmark wins cover the full PassMark suite except single-thread, plus the Cinebench R15 and R20 multi-core tests and the Cinebench R20 single-core test. The Intel part's largest wins are in floating-point math (36.1%), physics (29.4%), and data compression (21.4%), making it the stronger option for compute-heavy, multi-threaded, and data-processing tasks. Its 14 cores, 20 threads, larger cache hierarchy (80 KB L1, 2 MB L2, 24 MB L3 per core or shared), and PCIe Gen 5 support provide a structural advantage in parallel workloads.

The overall average scores are nearly identical (30254 for AMD vs. 29270 for Intel), and both processors sit at the 81st percentile. This means the choice is not about overall tier but about matching the processor to the workload. Users prioritizing single-core response and efficiency should select the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 8640U. Users prioritizing multi-threaded throughput, especially in math-heavy and data-heavy applications, should select the Intel Core i5-13500HX. The Intel part also offers an unlocked multiplier, while the AMD part does not, which may matter for users who intend to adjust clock behavior. The AMD part's newer release date (April 2024 vs. January 2023) and smaller process node (4 nm vs. 10 nm) point to a more modern design, but the Intel part's raw core count and cache capacity carry the day in most measured tests.