AMD Ryzen 7 260 vs Intel Core i5-14490F Comparison

The AMD Ryzen 7 260 and Intel Core i5-14490F occupy different design philosophies within the same performance bracket. The AMD part is a 45 W mobile processor on a 4 nm node, while the Intel part is a 65 W desktop chip on a 10 nm node. The recorded benchmark data shows a clear split: the AMD Ryzen 7 260 wins 6 of the 15 head-to-head tests, while the Intel Core i5-14490F wins 9. The average benchmark scores place the AMD part at 43717, which is 14.6% higher than the Intel part's 38149, though the Intel chip counters with strong single-thread and physics results.

Where Each One Wins

The Ryzen 7 260 establishes its advantage in data processing and encryption workloads. In passmark data compression, it scores 351517 against 340026, a 3.4% lead. The margin widens in passmark data encryption, where the AMD part scores 20267 versus 18225, a difference of 11.2%. The largest AMD victory comes in passmark extended instructions, where it scores 26544 compared to 21731, a 22.1% advantage. Integer math also favors the AMD chip, with a score of 96737 versus 87844, a 10.1% lead, and random string sorting goes to AMD at 42383 versus 35608, a 19% margin.

The Intel Core i5-14490F dominates in rendering and physics simulations. The most striking difference appears in Cinebench R23 multicore, where Intel scores 23000 against AMD's 17211.5, a 25.2% lead. The single-core gap is even larger in percentage terms: Intel scores 3247 in Cinebench R23 single-core versus 1770.5, a 45.5% advantage. In PassMark physics, Intel scores 2093 against 1218, a 41.8% lead, and in find prime numbers, Intel scores 122 versus 77, a 36.9% margin. Floating point math also goes to Intel at 66558 versus 59462, a 10.7% edge.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from different market segments and use different silicon. The AMD Ryzen 7 260 uses the Zen 4 architecture with the Hawk Point codename and is built on a 4 nm process at TSMC. It has 8 cores and 16 threads, with a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 5.10 GHz. The Intel Core i5-14490F uses the Raptor Lake architecture with the Raptor Lake-R codename, built on a 10 nm process at Intel. It has 10 cores and 16 threads, with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz.

Cache configurations differ substantially. The AMD part provides 64 KB of L1 cache per core, 1 MB of L2 cache per core, and 16 MB of shared L3 cache. The Intel part provides 80 KB of L1 cache per core, 1.25 MB of L2 cache per core, and 24 MB of shared L3 cache. The Intel chip has a larger die at 215 mm², while the AMD chip measures 178 mm². The AMD part has 25,000 million transistors, while the Intel part has no transistor count recorded in the database.

Memory support also separates the two. The AMD Ryzen 7 260 supports only DDR5 memory with dual-channel configuration and a recorded memory bandwidth of 89.6 GB/s. The Intel Core i5-14490F supports both DDR4 and DDR5 with dual-channel configuration, though no memory bandwidth figure is recorded for it. The AMD part includes integrated graphics in the form of the Radeon 780M, while the Intel part has no integrated graphics. The AMD processor uses PCIe Gen 4 with 20 lanes, while the Intel processor uses PCIe Gen 5 with 16 lanes. The AMD part is a mobile segment chip on the AMD Socket FP8, while the Intel part is a desktop segment chip on the Intel Socket 1700.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The Cinebench results show the most dramatic divergence between the two processors. In Cinebench R15 multicore, the AMD Ryzen 7 260 wins with a score of 2747.5 against 2318, an 18.5% advantage. However, the Intel Core i5-14490F reverses this in Cinebench R23 multicore, where it scores 23000 against 17211.5, a 25.2% lead. The single-core results consistently favor Intel: Cinebench R15 single-core goes to Intel at 327 versus 276.5, a 15.4% margin, and Cinebench R23 single-core goes to Intel at 3247 versus 1770.5, a 45.5% margin.

The PassMark suite splits into clear categories. The AMD Ryzen 7 260 wins in data compression, data encryption, extended instructions, integer math, and random string sorting. The Intel Core i5-14490F wins in find prime numbers, floating point math, multithread, physics, and single-thread tests. The closest result is passmark multithread, where Intel scores 28662 against 28078, a narrow 2% margin. The passmark single-thread result shows Intel at 3873 against 3736, a 3.5% edge, and the same scores appear in both passmark_single_thread and passmark_singlethread entries.

The physics test reveals the largest functional gap outside of Cinebench. Intel scores 2093 in passmark physics against AMD's 1218, a 41.8% difference. This aligns with the find prime numbers result, where Intel scores 122 against 77, a 36.9% margin. These two tests together suggest that the Intel architecture handles the specific instruction patterns in these workloads more efficiently. The extended instructions test goes the other way, with AMD scoring 26544 against 21731, a 22.1% lead, indicating that the AMD part handles broader SIMD-style workloads better.

The Verdict

The data indicates that the AMD Ryzen 7 260 is the stronger processor for data-centric tasks. It leads in encryption, compression, integer math, extended instructions, and random string sorting, with the largest margins in extended instructions at 22.1% and random string sorting at 19%. The AMD part also holds a higher percentile position at 88 versus Intel's 86, and its average benchmark score of 43717 exceeds Intel's 38149. The nearest rivals for the AMD part, the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 7745 at 43704 and the AMD Ryzen 7 170 at 43689, confirm that the Ryzen 7 260 sits at the top of its immediate performance cluster.

The Intel Core i5-14490F is the better choice for single-thread performance and physics-heavy workloads. Its Cinebench R23 single-core score of 3247 is 45.5% higher than the AMD part, and its physics score of 2093 is 41.8% higher. The Intel part also wins the multithread test, though by a slim 2% margin. The Intel part's nearest rivals, including the Intel Core i5-13600KF at 38103 and the AMD Ryzen 7 250 at 38221, place it in a tight competitive group where the differences are under 0.3%.

For users prioritizing rendering performance in Cinebench R23 multicore, the Intel part's 25.2% lead is decisive. For users prioritizing encryption and data compression, the AMD part's wins in those tests, combined with its higher average benchmark score and lower power envelope of 45 W versus 65 W, make it the more balanced processor in the recorded data. The Intel part has the higher boost clock at 5.00 GHz versus 5.10 GHz for AMD, so clock speed alone does not explain the single-core gap; the architecture differences in cache size and core count are more relevant.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 260 has an average benchmark score of 43717, while the Intel Core i5-14490F has an average benchmark score of 38149.

Q: How do the two processors compare in Cinebench R23 multicore?

A: The Intel Core i5-14490F scores 23000 in Cinebench R23 multicore, which is 25.2% higher than the AMD Ryzen 7 260's score of 17211.5.

Q: Which processor wins in data encryption?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 260 wins in passmark data encryption with a score of 20267, compared to 18225 for the Intel Core i5-14490F, a difference of 11.2%.

Q: What are the core and thread counts for each processor?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 260 has 8 cores and 16 threads. The Intel Core i5-14490F has 10 cores and 16 threads.

Q: Which processor has the larger L3 cache?

A: The Intel Core i5-14490F has 24 MB of shared L3 cache, while the AMD Ryzen 7 260 has 16 MB of shared L3 cache.

Q: What is the single-core performance difference in Cinebench R23?

A: The Intel Core i5-14490F scores 3247 in Cinebench R23 single-core, which is 45.5% higher than the AMD Ryzen 7 260's score of 1770.5.