AMD Ryzen 7 2800H vs Intel Core i7-7920HQ Comparison

The AMD Ryzen 7 2800H and Intel Core i7-7920HQ are both 4-core, 8-thread mobile processors, yet benchmark data shows a consistent and decisive performance gap between them. Across every Cinebench test recorded, the AMD chip holds a clear advantage, making this a head-to-head comparison defined by uniformity rather than trade-offs. The data shows the Ryzen 7 2800H winning all six head-to-head benchmark comparisons, with the Intel part failing to register a single victory.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The most striking pattern in this comparison is the sheer consistency of the AMD Ryzen 7 2800H’s lead. In every single Cinebench test, the AMD processor wins by a margin of approximately 12.5% to 12.6%. This is not a case of one chip winning in multi-threaded workloads while the other takes single-threaded; the AMD part dominates both.

Multicore performance: The Ryzen 7 2800H scores 697 in Cinebench R15 multicore, against 619 for the Core i7-7920HQ, a 12.6% advantage. Moving to Cinebench R20, the AMD chip scores 2907 versus 2583, a 12.5% lead. In the more demanding Cinebench R23 test, the gap remains virtually identical: 6922 for the AMD part versus 6151 for Intel, again a 12.5% difference.

Single-core performance: The same story plays out in single-threaded workloads. The Ryzen 7 2800H posts a Cinebench R15 single-core score of 98, beating the Intel chip’s 87 by 12.6%. In R20, the AMD part scores 410 against 364, a 12.6% margin. In R23, the scores are 977 versus 868, which also translates to a 12.6% advantage.

The fact that the deltaPct hovers at 12.5-12.6% across all six tests indicates a uniform architectural advantage rather than a workload-specific quirk. The Intel Core i7-7920HQ has a higher boost clock (4.10 GHz versus 3.80 GHz), yet it still trails the AMD part consistently. This suggests the Ryzen 7 2800H’s performance advantage is rooted in its overall design efficiency, not raw clock speed. The data is unambiguous: the AMD chip is faster in every measured scenario.

Where Each One Wins

Given the benchmark results, the Ryzen 7 2800H is the clear winner in every computational category measured. There are no benchmark categories here where the Intel chip comes out ahead, so the use-case split is heavily tilted toward AMD.

The Ryzen 7 2800H wins in: CPU-heavy rendering workloads. Its Cinebench R23 multicore score of 6922 positions it as the stronger choice for sustained multi-threaded tasks. The 12.5% lead over the Intel part in this test suggests it will handle video encoding, 3D rendering, and other parallel workloads with notably better performance.

The Ryzen 7 2800H also wins in: Single-threaded responsiveness. The 12.6% edge in Cinebench R23 single-core (977 versus 868) indicates faster per-core performance, which translates to snappier everyday app launches and better performance in lightly-threaded applications. The Ryzen’s average benchmark score is 2002, placing it at the 45th percentile of all CPUs, while the Intel part’s average score is 1992, at the 44th percentile.

The Intel Core i7-7920HQ does not win anywhere in the recorded benchmark set. With zero head-to-head wins, there is no test where the data supports choosing the Intel chip on performance grounds. However, the Intel part does have its own attributes worth noting outside raw speed: it supports both DDR3 and DDR4 memory, whereas the AMD chip supports only DDR4. It also features a larger L3 cache at 8 MB shared, double the AMD’s 4 MB. These are specification differences, not performance wins.

FAQ

Q: Which processor is faster in Cinebench R23 multicore?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 2800H, scoring 6922 versus the Intel Core i7-7920HQ’s 6151, a 12.5% advantage.

Q: Does the Intel Core i7-7920HQ win any benchmark comparison?

A: No. The data shows the AMD Ryzen 7 2800H winning all six head-to-head benchmark comparisons, with the Intel part winning zero.

Q: How much of a lead does the Ryzen 7 2800H have in single-core performance?

A: In Cinebench R23 single-core, the AMD chip scores 977 against Intel’s 868, a 12.6% margin. The same 12.6% delta appears in R15 and R20 single-core tests.

Q: What are the average benchmark scores for these two CPUs?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 2800H has an average benchmark score of 2002, placing it at the 45th percentile of all CPUs. The Intel Core i7-7920HQ has an average score of 1992, at the 44th percentile.

Q: What is the launch MSRP of the Intel Core i7-7920HQ?

A: The launch MSRP is $568.

Q: Which processor supports DDR3 memory?

A: The Intel Core i7-7920HQ supports both DDR3 and DDR4, while the AMD Ryzen 7 2800H supports only DDR4.

Specification Differences

The two chips differ in several key specification areas beyond their benchmark scores.

Clock speeds: The AMD Ryzen 7 2800H has a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 3.80 GHz. The Intel Core i7-7920HQ has a lower base clock of 3.10 GHz but a significantly higher boost clock of 4.10 GHz.

Thermal Design Power: The AMD part is rated for 15W TDP, while the Intel part is rated for 45W TDP. This is a substantial difference, indicating the AMD chip is designed for lower power consumption, which is typical for thinner laptops.

Socket: The AMD Ryzen 7 2800H uses the AMD Socket FP5, while the Intel Core i7-7920HQ uses Intel BGA 1440.

Integrated Graphics: The AMD chip features Radeon RX Vega 11 graphics, while the Intel chip has Intel HD Graphics 630.

Memory Support: The AMD part supports only DDR4, while the Intel part supports DDR3 and DDR4.

L3 Cache: The Intel part has 8 MB shared L3 cache, double the 4 MB shared L3 cache on the AMD part.

Production Status: The AMD Ryzen 7 2800H is listed as "Active", while the Intel Core i7-7920HQ is "End-of-life".

Manufacturing: Both are built on a 14 nm process, but the AMD chip is fabricated by GlobalFoundries, while the Intel chip is made by Intel. The die sizes differ significantly: 246 mm² for AMD versus 126 mm² for Intel.

Release Dates: The AMD chip was released on 2018-05-29, while the Intel chip was released earlier on 2017-01-02.

Architecture Differences

The architectural divide between these two chips is significant, explaining the performance patterns observed. The AMD Ryzen 7 2800H is built on the Zen architecture, codenamed Raven Ridge, and belongs to the 2000 series. The Intel Core i7-7920HQ is based on the Kaby Lake architecture, specifically the Kaby Lake-H variant.

Cache hierarchy: The two designs make different trade-offs. The AMD chip has a larger L1 cache at 128 KB per core and a larger L2 cache at 512 KB per core. The Intel chip has 64 KB L1 per core and 256 KB L2 per core. However, Intel compensates with a much larger shared L3 cache of 8 MB, versus AMD’s 4 MB.

Process node: Both chips are manufactured on a 14 nm process, but they come from different foundries—GlobalFoundries for AMD and Intel for the Intel chip.

PCIe Support: The Intel Core i7-7920HQ explicitly lists PCIe Gen 3 with 16 Lanes (CPU only), while the AMD chip does not have a PCIe field listed in the data.

Other features: The Intel part has a part number (SR32L) and is not multiplier unlocked, just like the AMD part. Neither chip supports ECC memory. Both are dual-channel memory designs. The Intel chip’s production status is end-of-life, suggesting it is a legacy product, while the AMD chip remains actively produced. The Intel part also had a launch MSRP of $568, which was its initial pricing point, while the AMD chip has no launch MSRP listed. These architectural differences, particularly the cache allocation and the newer release date of the AMD part, help explain why the Ryzen 7 2800H consistently outperforms the Intel chip despite having a lower boost clock and half the L3 cache.