AMD Ryzen 7 260 vs Intel Core i5-14401E Comparison

The Verdict

The benchmark data splits this pair cleanly down the middle, with each processor taking two wins in the recorded head-to-head tests. The AMD Ryzen 7 260 is the pick for sustained multi-threaded workloads that rely on older rendering paths, where it beats the Intel Core i5-14401E by 50.1% in Cinebench R15 multi-core. The Intel Core i5-14401E, however, dominates modern single-core and multi-core rendering, leading by 30.9% in Cinebench R23 single-core and by 5.2% in R23 multi-core. The Ryzen 7 260 also carries a higher overall benchmark percentile (88th versus 60th), but that figure is skewed by the much larger Passmark test suite recorded for the AMD part. For a builder prioritizing current-generation rendering engines and single-thread responsiveness, the Intel part is the data-backed choice. For legacy multi-core loads or any workload that scales with the older Cinebench R15 path, the AMD part delivers a decisive edge.

Architecture Differences

The AMD Ryzen 7 260 uses the Zen 4 architecture on a 4 nm TSMC process, with a die size of 178 mm² and 25,000 million transistors. It packs 8 cores and 16 threads, with a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 5.10 GHz. Cache is split as 64 KB L1 per core, 1 MB L2 per core, and 16 MB shared L3. It supports DDR5 memory only, through a dual-channel bus with 89.6 GB/s bandwidth. The integrated GPU is the Radeon 780M, and the socket is AMD FP8, a mobile platform. PCIe connectivity is Gen 4 with 20 lanes from the CPU.

The Intel Core i5-14401E uses the Raptor Lake architecture on a 10 nm Intel process, with a die size of 215 mm². It has 6 cores and 12 threads, with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.70 GHz. Cache is 80 KB L1 per core, 1.25 MB L2 per core, and 20 MB shared L3. Memory support includes both DDR4 and DDR5 through a dual-channel bus; the recorded bandwidth is not listed. The integrated GPU is UHD Graphics 730, and the socket is Intel Socket 1700, a desktop platform. PCIe connectivity is Gen 5 with 16 lanes from the CPU. The Intel part supports ECC memory, while the AMD part does not.

The process node difference is significant: 4 nm versus 10 nm gives the AMD part a density and efficiency advantage on paper, but the Intel part compensates with a larger L3 cache (20 MB versus 16 MB) and a higher per-core L2 allocation. The AMD part runs at a 45 W TDP, while the Intel part runs at 65 W. The AMD part is newer by release date (2025-01-05 versus 2024-06-30) and targets the mobile segment, whereas the Intel part targets desktop.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The most striking result in the database is Cinebench R15 multi-core, where the AMD Ryzen 7 260 scores 2747.5 against the Intel Core i5-14401E's 1830. That is a 50.1% advantage for AMD, a massive gap that likely reflects the older test's sensitivity to core count and thread scheduling. The AMD part has 8 cores versus 6, and 16 threads versus 12, so the R15 workload clearly scales with that extra parallelism.

Cinebench R15 single-core also goes to AMD, but by a much narrower margin: 276.5 versus 258, a 7.2% lead. This suggests the Zen 4 core design holds a modest single-thread edge in this legacy test, despite the Intel part's higher boost clock headroom on paper.

The picture flips completely in Cinebench R23. The Intel Core i5-14401E scores 18161 in multi-core versus 17211.5 for AMD, a 5.2% win. The Intel part also takes single-core R23 decisively: 2564 versus 1770.5, a 30.9% lead. That single-core R23 gap is the largest single delta in the entire comparison, and it indicates that the Intel Raptor Lake core architecture is substantially stronger in the newer rendering workload. The R23 multi-core result is notable because AMD's core-count advantage (8 versus 6) is not enough to overcome Intel's per-core efficiency in that test.

The overall average benchmark scores in the database are heavily influenced by test coverage. The AMD part has 15 recorded benchmarks, including Passmark integer math, floating point math, encryption, and compression tests, giving it an average score of 43717. The Intel part has only 6 recorded benchmarks, all Cinebench, giving it an average of 5253. Directly comparing these averages would be misleading, since they measure different test sets. The head-to-head table is the only fair comparison, and it shows a 2-2 split.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has more cores and threads?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 260 has 8 cores and 16 threads. The Intel Core i5-14401E has 6 cores and 12 threads.

Q: Which processor wins in Cinebench R23 single-core, and by how much?

A: The Intel Core i5-14401E wins with a score of 2564 versus 1770.5 for AMD, a 30.9% lead.

Q: Which processor wins in Cinebench R15 multi-core, and by how much?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 260 wins with a score of 2747.5 versus 1830 for Intel, a 50.1% lead.

Q: Do both processors support DDR5 memory?

A: Yes, both support DDR5. The AMD part supports DDR5 only, while the Intel part supports both DDR4 and DDR5.

Q: Which processor has ECC memory support?

A: The Intel Core i5-14401E supports ECC memory. The AMD Ryzen 7 260 does not.

Q: Which processor has a higher boost clock?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 260 has a boost clock of 5.10 GHz. The Intel Core i5-14401E has a boost clock of 4.70 GHz.

Q: Which processor has a larger L3 cache?

A: The Intel Core i5-14401E has 20 MB shared L3 cache. The AMD Ryzen 7 260 has 16 MB shared L3 cache.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Ryzen 7 260 wins in Cinebench R15 multi-core and single-core. The R15 multi-core result, a 50.1% margin, is the single biggest victory in the comparison. This makes the AMD part the clear choice for any workload that uses the older Cinebench R15 rendering path, which often appears in legacy benchmark suites or older software builds that have not been updated to newer instruction paths. The R15 single-core win, while smaller at 7.2%, still indicates a slight edge in that specific test. The AMD part also has a much broader benchmark profile, with Passmark data compression (351517), data encryption (20267), extended instructions (26544), floating point math (59462), integer math (96737), multithread (28078), physics (1218), random string sorting (42383), and single-thread (3736) scores recorded. Those results cannot be compared directly to the Intel part because the Intel part lacks equivalent Passmark entries, but they show that the AMD part is a capable all-rounder in the database.

The Intel Core i5-14401E wins in Cinebench R23 multi-core and single-core. The R23 single-core result, a 30.9% lead, is the most important single-thread finding in the entire comparison. It indicates that the Intel Raptor Lake core design is far stronger in modern single-thread rendering, which translates to better responsiveness in lightly threaded applications, older games, and daily desktop tasks that rely on a single fast core. The R23 multi-core win, at 5.2%, shows that even with two fewer cores, the Intel part can out-render the AMD part in the newer multi-core test. This is likely due to the Intel part's higher per-core throughput in R23, plus its larger L3 cache. The Intel part also supports ECC memory and PCIe Gen 5, which are not available on the AMD part.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ in every major specification category. The AMD Ryzen 7 260 has 8 cores and 16 threads; the Intel Core i5-14401E has 6 cores and 12 threads. The AMD base clock is 3.80 GHz; the Intel base clock is 2.50 GHz. The AMD boost clock is 5.10 GHz; the Intel boost clock is 4.70 GHz. The AMD TDP is 45 W; the Intel TDP is 65 W. The AMD socket is AMD FP8; the Intel socket is Intel Socket 1700. The AMD architecture is Zen 4 on a 4 nm TSMC process; the Intel architecture is Raptor Lake on a 10 nm Intel process. The AMD die size is 178 mm² with 25,000 million transistors; the Intel die size is 215 mm² with no transistor count recorded. The AMD L1 cache is 64 KB per core; the Intel L1 is 80 KB per core. The AMD L2 is 1 MB per core; the Intel L2 is 1.25 MB per core. The AMD L3 is 16 MB shared; the Intel L3 is 20 MB shared. The AMD memory support is DDR5 only; the Intel supports DDR4 and DDR5. The AMD memory bandwidth is 89.6 GB/s; the Intel value is not recorded. The AMD does not support ECC; the Intel does. The AMD PCIe is Gen 4 with 20 lanes; the Intel PCIe is Gen 5 with 16 lanes. The AMD integrated graphics is Radeon 780M; the Intel is UHD Graphics 730. The AMD market segment is mobile; the Intel is desktop. The AMD release date is 2025-01-05; the Intel release date is 2024-06-30. Neither processor has an unlocked multiplier.