AMD Ryzen 7 3800X vs Intel Core i5-13500HX Comparison

The AMD Ryzen 7 3800X and Intel Core i5-13500HX are separated by only 0.6% in average benchmark score, placing them in the same performance tier despite their vastly different origins. The Ryzen 7 3800X is a desktop Zen 2 part from 2019, while the Core i5-13500HX is a mobile Raptor Lake chip from 2023. Across 17 head-to-head benchmark comparisons, the Intel part wins 12, but the AMD part claims 5, including some of the most decisive victories.

Where Each One Wins

The Intel Core i5-13500HX establishes dominance in heavily multi-threaded and math-intensive workloads. It wins all three PassMark math tests: floating point math (70,885 vs 39,759), integer math (96,195 vs 67,725), and extended instructions (20,200 vs 20,037). It also wins PassMark multithread (27,753 vs 23,046), data compression (331,896 vs 304,853), random string sorting (36,373 vs 32,869), and physics (1,634 vs 1,226). In Cinebench, the Intel chip wins R15 multicore (2,863 vs 1,974), R20 multicore (9,792 vs 8,226), and R20 singlecore (1,382 vs 1,161). The data also shows Intel leads in PassMark single-thread (3,582 vs 2,712) and PassMark data encryption is essentially tied (19,267 vs 19,337, a 0.4% margin for AMD).

The AMD Ryzen 7 3800X wins the remaining five comparisons, and its victories are notable for their size. The single largest margin in the entire data set belongs to AMD in Cinebench R23 singlecore, where it scores 2,765 against the Intel part's 1,730.5 — a 59.8% advantage. AMD also wins Cinebench R23 multicore (19,588 vs 18,334, a 6.8% margin), Cinebench R15 singlecore (278 vs 252, a 10.3% margin), PassMark find prime numbers (103 vs 98, a 5.1% margin), and data encryption by the narrowest of margins. The AMD part is the clear winner in single-core rendering and raw prime-number computation.

Architecture Differences

The two processors represent fundamentally different design philosophies. The Ryzen 7 3800X uses AMD's Zen 2 architecture on TSMC's 7 nm process node, packing 3,800 million transistors into a 74 mm² die. The Core i5-13500HX uses Intel's Raptor Lake architecture on Intel's 10 nm process, with a substantially larger 257 mm² die. The AMD part is a desktop chip on AMD Socket AM4, while the Intel part is a mobile chip on Intel BGA 1964.

Core counts differ dramatically: the Ryzen 7 3800X has 8 cores and 16 threads, while the Core i5-13500HX has 14 cores and 20 threads. Clock speeds tell a different story — the AMD chip has a higher base clock (3.90 GHz vs 2.50 GHz) but a slightly lower boost clock (4.50 GHz vs 4.70 GHz). Cache layouts are also distinct: AMD provides 64 KB L1 and 512 KB L2 per core with a 32 MB L3 cache, while Intel provides 80 KB L1 and 2 MB L2 per core with a 24 MB shared L3 cache.

Memory support differs as well. The Ryzen 7 3800X supports only DDR4 with dual-channel memory and 51.2 GB/s bandwidth, while the Core i5-13500HX supports both DDR4 and DDR5 with dual-channel memory. The Intel chip supports ECC memory (true for the AMD part), and it includes integrated graphics (UHD Graphics 710), whereas the AMD part has no integrated graphics. The AMD chip offers PCIe Gen 4 with 24 lanes, while the Intel chip offers PCIe Gen 5 with 20 lanes. The Intel part is an unlocked multiplier chip with a TDP of 55, compared to the AMD chip's 105 TDP. The Ryzen 7 3800X launched at $399 MSRP, while the Core i5-13500HX launched at $326 MSRP.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The largest win in the dataset is AMD's 59.8% advantage in Cinebench R23 singlecore. This is an outlier result, but it is consistent with the AMD part's 10.3% lead in Cinebench R15 singlecore. The Ryzen 7 3800X also wins Cinebench R23 multicore by 6.8% (19,588 vs 18,334), despite losing R15 multicore by 31.1% (1,974 vs 2,863) and R20 multicore by 16% (8,226 vs 9,792). This reversal suggests the AMD part scales better under the newer Cinebench R23 workload, while the Intel part excels in older multicore versions.

The Intel part's largest wins come in floating point math, where it is 43.9% ahead (70,885 vs 39,759), and integer math, where it is 29.6% ahead (96,195 vs 67,725). These are enormous margins in compute-heavy tasks. Intel also leads PassMark multithread by 17% (27,753 vs 23,046), PassMark single-thread by 24.3% (3,582 vs 2,712), and PassMark physics by 25% (1,634 vs 1,226). The Intel chip wins data compression by 8.1% (331,896 vs 304,853), random string sorting by 9.6% (36,373 vs 32,869), and extended instructions by 0.8% (20,200 vs 20,037).

The AMD part's other wins are narrower. Data encryption is nearly tied, with AMD ahead 0.4% (19,337 vs 19,267). Find prime numbers favors AMD by 5.1% (103 vs 98). These smaller margins contrast sharply with the 59.8% single-core blowout and the 43.9% floating-point deficit, indicating that the two chips trade wins in specific instruction classes rather than showing a consistent overall edge.

The Verdict

The data supports a clear split based on workload type. The Intel Core i5-13500HX is the better choice for math-heavy, multi-threaded applications: it wins floating point math by 43.9%, integer math by 29.6%, and multithread by 17%. It also wins PassMark single-thread by 24.3%, making it the better pick for general-purpose single-threaded tasks in the PassMark suite. If the workload involves compression, sorting, physics, or older Cinebench versions (R15, R20), the Intel part holds a decisive edge.

The AMD Ryzen 7 3800X is the better choice for Cinebench R23 rendering and prime-number computation. Its 59.8% lead in R23 singlecore is the single biggest margin in the comparison, and it also wins R23 multicore by 6.8%. For users running the latest Cinebench renderer, the older AMD desktop chip is faster. The AMD part also wins Cinebench R15 singlecore by 10.3%, indicating a consistent single-core advantage in Cinebench specifically, even though it loses PassMark single-thread by a wide margin.

The overall average benchmark scores are nearly identical: the AMD part scores 29,447 versus the Intel part's 29,270, a 0.6% difference. Both sit at the 81st percentile among all CPUs. The Ryzen 7 3800X's nearest rival is the AMD Ryzen AI 7 345 (delta 0%), while the Core i5-13500HX's nearest rival is the Intel Xeon Phi 7210 (delta 0.1%). These two chips are effectively peers in aggregate performance, but their individual benchmark profiles point to different ideal use cases.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has a higher boost clock?

A: The Intel Core i5-13500HX has a boost clock of 4.70 GHz, compared to the AMD Ryzen 7 3800X's 4.50 GHz.

Q: How many cores and threads does each CPU have?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 3800X has 8 cores and 16 threads. The Intel Core i5-13500HX has 14 cores and 20 threads.

Q: Which CPU is better for Cinebench R23 single-core performance?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 3800X wins decisively, scoring 2,765 against the Intel Core i5-13500HX's 1,730.5, a 59.8% advantage.

Q: Does the Intel Core i5-13500HX have integrated graphics?

A: Yes, it includes UHD Graphics 710. The AMD Ryzen 7 3800X has no integrated graphics.

Q: What memory types does each processor support?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 3800X supports DDR4 only, while the Intel Core i5-13500HX supports both DDR4 and DDR5. Both use dual-channel memory.

Q: Which CPU has a higher PassMark single-thread score?

A: The Intel Core i5-13500HX scores 3,582, which is 24.3% higher than the AMD Ryzen 7 3800X's 2,712.