AMD Ryzen 7 260 vs Intel Arc G3 EXTREME Comparison

The AMD Ryzen 7 260 and the Intel Arc G3 EXTREME are both mobile processors, but the data shows they are built for different priorities. The AMD chip, with its 8 cores and 16 threads, generally excels in multi-threaded productivity and integer workloads. The Intel chip, with its 14 cores and 14 threads, counters with significant wins in floating-point math, physics simulation, and single-thread performance. The benchmark results indicate a split decision, with the Intel part taking 8 wins and the AMD part taking 7 wins in the recorded head-to-head tests.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The most decisive victory for the AMD Ryzen 7 260 comes in PassMark integer math, where it scores 96,737 against the Intel Arc G3 EXTREME’s 71,164, a 35.9% lead. This is the largest delta in either direction across all recorded tests. The AMD processor also shows a strong 25.3% advantage in Cinebench R15 multi-core, posting 2,747.5 points versus 2,192. In the more modern Cinebench R23 multi-core test, the AMD chip maintains the lead with 17,211.5 points over 14,655, a 17.4% margin.

The AMD Ryzen 7 260 also wins in data compression, scoring 351,517 versus 307,094, a 14.5% edge. Its extended instructions score of 26,544 beats the Intel part’s 24,017 by 10.5%. Random string sorting goes to AMD as well, with 42,383 points against 37,331, a 13.5% advantage. The single-core Cinebench R15 result is close, but AMD takes it with 276.5 points over 267, a 3.6% margin.

The Intel Arc G3 EXTREME counters with its own set of clear wins. Its PassMark physics score of 2,515 dwarfs the AMD part’s 1,218, a 51.6% lead. Floating-point math also strongly favors Intel, with 86,929 points versus 59,462, a 31.6% advantage. Prime number finding shows an even larger relative gap: Intel scores 248 versus AMD’s 77, a 69% difference, though the absolute numbers are small.

In PassMark multi-thread, Intel takes the win with 30,659 points over 28,078, an 8.4% margin. Single-thread performance also favors Intel, with 4,293 points versus 3,736, a 13% lead in both the single_thread and singlethread entries. Data encryption goes to Intel, 23,881 versus 20,267, a 15.1% advantage. Cinebench R23 single-core is another Intel win, 1,862 versus 1,770.5, a 4.9% margin.

Architecture Differences

The two processors use fundamentally different designs. The AMD Ryzen 7 260 is built on a 4 nm TSMC process and uses the Zen 4 architecture with the Hawk Point codename. It integrates 25,000 million transistors on a 178 mm² die. The Intel Arc G3 EXTREME uses a 3 nm Intel process with the Panther Lake codename, though the database does not record its transistor count or die size.

Core configurations differ significantly. AMD offers 8 cores and 16 threads, leveraging simultaneous multithreading. Intel offers 14 cores and 14 threads, with no multithreading recorded. Cache layouts also diverge. AMD provides 64 KB L1 per core, 1 MB L2 per core, and 16 MB shared L3. Intel provides 192 KB L1 per core, 2.5 MB L2 per core, and 18 MB shared L3.

Clock speeds tell a different story. The AMD part has a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 5.10 GHz. The Intel part has a lower base of 1.90 GHz but a boost of 4.70 GHz. The thermal design power differs substantially: AMD is rated at 45 W, while Intel is rated at 25 W. Memory support also differs: AMD uses DDR5 with a dual-channel bus and 89.6 GB/s bandwidth, while Intel uses LPDDR5X with a dual-channel bus and 136.5 GB/s bandwidth.

PCIe connectivity is another split. AMD provides Gen 4 with 20 lanes (CPU only), while Intel provides Gen 5 with 4 lanes (CPU only). The integrated graphics are Radeon 780M on the AMD side and Arc B390 on the Intel side. Sockets differ as well: AMD uses Socket FP8, Intel uses BGA 2540. Both parts are unlocked multipliers, active production, and mobile market segments.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Ryzen 7 260 is the stronger choice for integer-heavy and general multi-threaded workloads. Its 35.9% lead in integer math indicates a clear advantage in tasks that rely on whole-number calculations. The 25.3% and 17.4% leads in Cinebench R15 and R23 multi-core point to better performance in rendering and content creation applications that scale with core count and thread count. Data compression, a common task in file archiving and database operations, favors AMD by 14.5%. Random string sorting also goes to AMD, suggesting strength in sorting algorithms and text processing.

The Intel Arc G3 EXTREME wins where floating-point and physics calculations dominate. The 51.6% lead in PassMark physics is a substantial margin, indicating a strong showing in simulation and game physics workloads. Floating-point math, which underpins scientific computing, 3D rendering, and many AI inference tasks, favors Intel by 31.6%. Prime number finding, a test of arithmetic logic and loop efficiency, goes to Intel by a wide relative margin. Single-thread performance also favors Intel by 13%, which can benefit lightly threaded applications and responsiveness in single-task scenarios.

The PassMark multi-thread result is interesting because Intel wins despite having fewer threads. The 8.4% lead suggests that the Intel core design, even without multithreading, delivers higher aggregate throughput in this specific test. Data encryption also goes to Intel, with a 15.1% advantage, which indicates better performance in cryptographic operations.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 260 has an average benchmark score of 43,717, while the Intel Arc G3 EXTREME has an average of 36,699. The AMD part also ranks at the 88th percentile against all CPUs, while Intel ranks at the 85th percentile.

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

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 260 scores 17,211.5, which is 17.4% higher than the Intel Arc G3 EXTREME’s 14,655.

Q: Does the Intel part ever beat AMD in multi-threaded tests?

A: Yes, in PassMark multi-thread, the Intel Arc G3 EXTREME scores 30,659 against AMD’s 28,078, an 8.4% win for Intel.

Q: What is the biggest performance gap in the head-to-head results?

A: The largest delta is in PassMark find prime numbers, where the Intel Arc G3 EXTREME leads by 69%. The largest AMD lead is 35.9% in PassMark integer math.

Q: Which processor has a higher boost clock?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 260 has a boost clock of 5.10 GHz, compared to the Intel Arc G3 EXTREME’s 4.70 GHz.

Q: How much memory bandwidth does each support?

A: The Intel Arc G3 EXTREME supports 136.5 GB/s with LPDDR5X, while the AMD Ryzen 7 260 supports 89.6 GB/s with DDR5.

The Verdict

The data suggests that the AMD Ryzen 7 260 is the better choice for multi-core rendering, integer math, and data compression workloads. Its wins in both Cinebench R15 and R23 multi-core, along with a 35.9% lead in integer math, make it the stronger all-around productivity processor in the recorded benchmarks. The 7 head-to-head wins align with its higher average benchmark score of 43,717 versus 36,699.

The Intel Arc G3 EXTREME is the better pick for floating-point-heavy tasks, physics simulation, and single-threaded performance. Its 51.6% lead in physics and 31.6% lead in floating-point math are significant, and the 13% single-thread advantage indicates better responsiveness in single-core scenarios. The Intel part also wins in encryption and the PassMark multi-thread test, despite having fewer threads.

The choice depends on the workload mix. For users prioritizing Cinebench-style multi-core rendering and integer processing, the AMD Ryzen 7 260 delivers the higher scores. For users prioritizing physics, floating-point math, and single-thread speed, the Intel Arc G3 EXTREME shows the stronger results. The 25 W TDP of the Intel part also points to lower power draw, while the AMD part uses 45 W, which may matter in thermal-constrained mobile designs.

Specification Differences

The AMD Ryzen 7 260 uses 8 cores and 16 threads, while the Intel Arc G3 EXTREME uses 14 cores and 14 threads. The AMD base clock is 3.80 GHz with a 5.10 GHz boost, while Intel runs at 1.90 GHz base and 4.70 GHz boost. TDP differs: AMD is 45 W, Intel is 25 W. The process node is 4 nm for AMD (TSMC foundry) and 3 nm for Intel (Intel foundry). AMD integrates 25,000 million transistors on a 178 mm² die; Intel figures are not recorded.

Cache configurations differ per core: AMD has 64 KB L1 and 1 MB L2 per core, Intel has 192 KB L1 and 2.5 MB L2 per core. Shared L3 is 16 MB on AMD and 18 MB on Intel. Memory support is DDR5 for AMD and LPDDR5X for Intel, with bandwidths of 89.6 GB/s and 136.5 GB/s, respectively. PCIe is Gen 4 with 20 lanes on AMD, Gen 5 with 4 lanes on Intel. Integrated graphics are Radeon 780M on AMD and Arc B390 on Intel. Sockets are AMD Socket FP8 versus Intel BGA 2540. The AMD part is built on Zen 4 (Hawk Point), while Intel uses the Panther Lake codename. Release dates differ: AMD launched on 2025-01-05, Intel on 2026-05-27. Neither part has a recorded launch MSRP.