AMD Ryzen 7 4700U vs Intel Core i7-8700T Comparison

The AMD Ryzen 7 4700U and Intel Core i7-8700T occupy the same performance tier, with average benchmark scores of 2722 and 2701 respectively, placing both at the 50th percentile of all CPUs. Despite this overall parity, the two chips diverge sharply in specific workloads, with the AMD winning 3 head-to-head tests and the Intel winning 3, but by very different margins. The 4700U dominates the older Cinebench R15 tests, while the 8700T takes the newer R23 tests, and the Geekbench results are nearly a dead heat. This is a tale of two architectures with opposing strengths, and the right choice depends entirely on which benchmark suite reflects your actual workload.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The most striking difference appears in Cinebench R15, where the AMD Ryzen 7 4700U posts a multicore score of 1094.5 against the Intel Core i7-8700T’s 876, a 24.9% advantage for AMD. The single-core gap in R15 is even more dramatic: the 4700U scores 180 versus 123 for the 8700T, a massive 46.3% lead. These are the largest deltas in the entire comparison, suggesting that in legacy rendering workloads, the AMD part is decisively faster.

However, the picture flips completely in Cinebench R23. The Intel Core i7-8700T scores 8698 in multicore, beating the AMD’s 7378 by 15.2%. The R23 single-core test is essentially a tie, with Intel ahead by just 0.6% (1228 versus 1220.5). This reversal indicates that the newer Cinebench version responds differently to the two architectures, favoring the Intel’s higher thread count and larger cache in the multicore test.

Geekbench results are much closer. In multicore, the 4700U edges out the 8700T by 0.4% (5189 versus 5168), while in single-core, Intel wins by 5.6% (1343 versus 1268). These are small margins, but they show a consistent pattern: Intel wins single-core in Geekbench, AMD wins multicore, yet both are within noise for practical purposes. The average benchmark scores confirm this parity—the 4700U’s 2722 is just 0.8% above the 8700T’s 2701, and each chip’s nearest rivals are within 0.3% of the other.

Architecture Differences

The Ryzen 7 4700U is built on TSMC’s 7 nm process with the Zen 2 architecture, codenamed Renoir, while the Core i7-8700T uses Intel’s 14 nm process with Coffee Lake. This node advantage is significant, but it does not translate into universal performance superiority. The 4700U packs 8 cores and 8 threads with a base clock of 2000 MHz and a boost of 4.10 GHz, whereas the 8700T offers 6 cores and 12 threads with a 2400 MHz base and 4.00 GHz boost. AMD relies on physical cores; Intel relies on Hyper-Threading to reach 12 threads.

Cache layouts differ substantially. The 4700U has 64 KB of L1 and 512 KB of L2 per core, plus 8 MB of shared L3. The 8700T has the same 64 KB L1 per core, but only 256 KB of L2 per core, and a larger 12 MB of shared L3. This means Intel has 50% more L3 cache, which likely contributes to its R23 multicore win. Memory bandwidth also favors AMD: the 4700U supports 51.2 GB/s versus Intel’s 42.7 GB/s, both over dual-channel DDR4.

The integrated graphics differ as well: AMD uses Radeon Graphics with 448 SPs, while Intel uses UHD Graphics 630. Both are adequate for basic display output, but the AMD solution has more compute units. The 4700U is a mobile part on AMD Socket FP6 with a 15 W TDP, while the 8700T is a desktop chip on Intel Socket 1151 with a 35 W TDP. The Intel chip is end-of-life and was released in April 2018; the AMD chip is still active and launched in January 2020. Both have locked multipliers and use PCIe Gen 3, though Intel specifies 16 lanes for the CPU only.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Ryzen 7 4700U wins clearly in older Cinebench R15 workloads. If your software relies on that benchmark’s metrics—or similar legacy rendering tasks—the 4700U’s 24.9% multicore and 46.3% single-core leads are decisive. It also edges out the Intel in Geekbench multicore by 0.4%, though that margin is negligible. The 4700U’s 8 physical cores and higher boost clock make it a strong choice for lightly threaded legacy applications, where it simply outruns the 8700T.

The Intel Core i7-8700T wins in Cinebench R23 multicore by 15.2%, a substantial margin that suggests it handles modern, heavily threaded rendering workloads better. Its 12 MB of L3 cache and 12 threads give it an edge in scaling beyond 8 threads, even with fewer physical cores. The 8700T also wins Geekbench single-core by 5.6% and R23 single-core by 0.6%, making it the better pick for single-threaded modern applications, though the margins are small.

The split is clean: AMD for legacy performance and physical core count, Intel for modern multi-threaded scaling and single-core efficiency. Geekbench multicore is a tie within 0.4%, so neither chip has a meaningful claim there. If your workload is known to favor Cinebench R15-style execution, choose AMD; if it favors R23-style scaling, choose Intel.

The Verdict

The data points to a clear decision rule based on your software environment. For users running older rendering or productivity applications that mirror Cinebench R15, the AMD Ryzen 7 4700U is the superior part, offering a 24.9% multicore and 46.3% single-core advantage over the Intel. Its 8 physical cores and lower 15 W TDP also make it a more power-efficient choice for mobile or compact systems, despite being a mobile part itself.

For users working with modern, heavily threaded workloads—such as those represented by Cinebench R23—the Intel Core i7-8700T is the better performer, with a 15.2% multicore lead. Its larger 12 MB L3 cache and 12 threads enable better scaling in current rendering engines. The 8700T also holds a 5.6% Geekbench single-core edge, making it slightly better for everyday single-threaded responsiveness.

There is no overall winner. The average benchmark scores are within 0.8% of each other, and each chip wins exactly 3 of the 6 head-to-head tests. Choose the 4700U if legacy performance or physical core count matters more; choose the 8700T if modern multi-threaded scaling is your priority. Both are locked, both use DDR4, and both lack ECC support, so those factors do not differentiate them.

FAQ

Q: Which CPU is faster in Cinebench R15 multicore?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 4700U scores 1094.5 versus the Intel Core i7-8700T’s 876, a 24.9% advantage for AMD.

Q: Does the Intel Core i7-8700T beat the AMD in any multicore test?

A: Yes, in Cinebench R23 multicore, the 8700T scores 8698 against the 4700U’s 7378, a 15.2% lead for Intel.

Q: How close are the Geekbench multicore scores?

A: The AMD scores 5189 and the Intel scores 5168, a difference of just 0.4% in favor of AMD.

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

A: The Intel Core i7-8700T scores 1343 versus the AMD’s 1268, giving Intel a 5.6% win.

Q: Which CPU has more physical cores?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 4700U has 8 cores and 8 threads, while the Intel Core i7-8700T has 6 cores and 12 threads.

Q: What are the TDP ratings for each chip?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 4700U has a 15 W TDP, while the Intel Core i7-8700T has a 35 W TDP.

Specification Differences

| Specification | AMD Ryzen 7 4700U | Intel Core i7-8700T |

|---|---|---|

| Cores | 8 | 6 |

| Threads | 8 | 12 |

| Base Clock | 2000 MHz | 2400 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 4.10 GHz | 4.00 GHz |

| TDP | 15 W | 35 W |

| Socket | AMD Socket FP6 | Intel Socket 1151 |

| Architecture | Zen 2 | Coffee Lake |

| Process Node | 7 nm | 14 nm |

| Foundry | TSMC | Intel |

| L2 Cache (per core) | 512 KB | 256 KB |

| L3 Cache (shared) | 8 MB | 12 MB |

| Memory Bandwidth | 51.2 GB/s | 42.7 GB/s |

| Integrated Graphics | Radeon Graphics 448SP | UHD Graphics 630 |

| Market Segment | Mobile | Desktop |

| Production Status | Active | End-of-life |

| Release Date | 2020-01-05 | 2018-04-01 |

| Part Number | 100-000000083 | SR3WX |

| Die Size | 156 mm² | 154 mm² |

| Transistors | 9,800 million | Not specified |