AMD Ryzen 7 170 vs Intel Core 7 253PQE Comparison

FAQ

Q: How do the two processors compare on overall average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 170 records an average benchmark score of 43689, placing it in the 88th percentile of all CPUs. The Intel Core 7 253PQE scores 55919 on average, which puts it in the 91st percentile. The Intel part holds a roughly 28% advantage in aggregate performance.

Q: Which processor wins in single-threaded performance?

A: The Intel Core 7 253PQE wins decisively. In the PassMark single-thread test, Intel scores 4389 against AMD's 3128, a delta of 28.7% in Intel's favor. The Intel boost clock of 5.70 GHz versus the AMD boost clock of 4.75 GHz aligns with that result.

Q: What is the multithreaded performance gap?

A: The Intel Core 7 253PQE scores 41656 in PassMark multithread, while the AMD Ryzen 7 170 scores 20760. That is a 50.2% advantage for Intel. Intel's 10 cores and 20 threads outnumber AMD's 8 cores and 16 threads.

Q: Is the AMD Ryzen 7 170 competitive in any benchmark category?

A: The recorded head-to-head data shows zero wins for the AMD part across all 11 compared benchmark entries. The smallest margin of defeat comes in single-thread tests, where AMD trails by 28.7%. In every other category, the Intel processor leads by at least 37%.

Q: How does the Intel processor compare to other CPUs in the database?

A: The Intel Core 7 253PQE sits within 1.1% of the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3955WX average score and within 0.7% of the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 470. It trails the AMD Ryzen AI Max 390 by 0.6% and the Intel Core i9-14900HX by 0.2%.

Q: What kind of memory does each processor support?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 170 supports DDR5 memory over a dual-channel bus with 76.8 GB/s of bandwidth. The Intel Core 7 253PQE supports both DDR4 and DDR5 over a dual-channel bus with 89.6 GB/s of bandwidth. Both support ECC memory.

The Verdict

The data points to a clear hierarchy. The Intel Core 7 253PQE wins every single benchmark in the head-to-head comparison and holds a 28% average score lead over the AMD Ryzen 7 170. The Intel part also ranks higher in the overall percentile distribution, at 91 versus 88. Anyone selecting purely on measured performance should choose the Intel Core 7 253PQE.

The AMD Ryzen 7 170 does have a place in the database, but its profile is defined by efficiency and platform characteristics rather than raw score. It draws a 35 W TDP against Intel's 125 W TDP, and it integrates the Radeon 680M graphics. The AMD part uses the AMD Socket FP7 and targets the mobile segment. The Intel part is a desktop processor on Socket 1700 with UHD Graphics 770.

The Intel Core 7 253PQE is also the newer release, dated 2026-03-08, while the AMD part launched on 2025-09-30. The Intel processor carries a launch MSRP of $409. The Intel part offers more cores, more threads, higher clocks, and a larger L3 cache. For workloads that scale with core count, thread count, or raw frequency, the Intel processor is the only choice supported by the benchmark evidence.

The AMD part still has a rationale for systems where power limits are strict. Its 35 W TDP is less than a third of the Intel part's 125 W TDP. The AMD processor also uses a 6 nm process from TSMC, whereas Intel uses a 10 nm process from its own foundry. Those differences matter for thermal design and platform fit, but they do not change the benchmark outcome. The recorded data shows Intel ahead in every measured category, with no AMD win anywhere in the comparison set.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The Intel Core 7 253PQE dominates the head-to-head results, winning all 11 recorded benchmark entries. The largest gap appears in the find-prime-numbers test, where Intel scores 206 against AMD's 49, a 76.2% lead. That test is a strong indicator of integer throughput per thread, and the Intel part's higher clocks and larger per-core L2 cache align with the result.

Floating-point math shows the second-largest margin. Intel posts 105279 versus AMD's 44979, a 57.3% advantage. The physics test follows at 70%, with Intel scoring 2970 and AMD scoring 890. These two tests together suggest that the Intel part has a substantial advantage in compute-heavy, FPU-bound workloads. The AMD part's Zen 3+ architecture cannot close that gap despite its 6 nm process advantage.

Multithreaded throughput shows a 50.2% lead for Intel, with scores of 41656 against 20760. That margin is consistent with the core and thread counts: Intel has 10 cores and 20 threads, while AMD has 8 cores and 16 threads. The random-string-sorting test shows a 48.7% Intel lead, with scores of 54222 against 27804. Data compression shows a 45.4% lead, with Intel at 487335 and AMD at 265920. Extended instructions show a 44.1% lead, with Intel at 32390 and AMD at 18107.

Integer math gives Intel a 42.1% lead, scoring 137795 against 79738. Data encryption shows a 37% lead, with Intel at 25515 and AMD at 16078. The single-thread tests, listed twice in the data as passmark_single_thread and passmark_singlethread, both show Intel at 4389 against AMD's 3128, a 28.7% lead. Even at the narrowest margin, the Intel part maintains a comfortable edge. The data records zero wins for the AMD Ryzen 7 170 across the entire head-to-head set.

Specification Differences

The core and thread counts differ substantially. The AMD Ryzen 7 170 has 8 cores and 16 threads. The Intel Core 7 253PQE has 10 cores and 20 threads. The Intel part also runs higher clocks: a base of 3.50 GHz and a boost of 5.70 GHz, compared to AMD's base of 3.20 GHz and boost of 4.75 GHz.

Power draw diverges sharply. The AMD part has a TDP of 35 W. The Intel part has a TDP of 125 W. That is a major platform-level difference, affecting cooling requirements and system power budgets. The AMD processor uses the AMD Socket FP7, while the Intel processor uses Intel Socket 1700. The AMD part is classified as a mobile processor, while the Intel part is classified as a desktop processor.

Memory support differs in scope. The AMD part supports DDR5 only, with a dual-channel bus and 76.8 GB/s bandwidth. The Intel part supports both DDR4 and DDR5, also dual-channel, with 89.6 GB/s bandwidth. Both support ECC memory. PCIe generation also differs: AMD offers Gen 4 with 20 CPU lanes, while Intel offers Gen 5 with 16 CPU lanes.

The integrated graphics differ as well. AMD uses the Radeon 680M, while Intel uses UHD Graphics 770. Both parts are listed as active in production, and neither has an unlocked multiplier. The AMD part's part number is 100-000000989, and the Intel part's part number is SA4QA. The Intel part has a launch MSRP of $409.

Architecture Differences

The AMD Ryzen 7 170 uses the Zen 3+ architecture under the codename Rembrandt-R, built on a 6 nm process at TSMC. The die size is 210 mm². The Intel Core 7 253PQE uses the Bartlett Lake codename, built on a 10 nm process at Intel's own foundry. No die size is recorded for the Intel part.

Cache layouts differ significantly. The AMD part has 64 KB of L1 per core, 512 KB of L2 per core, and 16 MB of shared L3. The Intel part has 80 KB of L1 per core, 2 MB of L2 per core, and 33 MB of shared L3. The Intel L2 allocation is four times larger per core, and the L3 pool is more than double the AMD capacity. These differences help explain the Intel lead in data compression and random-string-sorting tests, where larger caches reduce memory traffic.

The AMD part belongs to the Ryzen 7 generation with Zen 3+ (Rembrandt) branding. The Intel part belongs to the Core 7 generation with Bartlett Lake branding. The AMD processor integrates Radeon 680M graphics, while the Intel processor integrates UHD Graphics 770. The AMD part supports PCIe Gen 4 with 20 lanes, while the Intel part supports PCIe Gen 5 with 16 lanes. The Intel part supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory, while the AMD part supports DDR5 only. Both processors support ECC memory, which is relevant for workstation-class builds. The Intel part launched later, on 2026-03-08, compared to the AMD part's 2025-09-30 release.