AMD Ryzen 7 4700U vs Intel Core i7-9700T Comparison

The Verdict

The benchmark data splits these two eight-core, eight-thread processors into distinct roles. The AMD Ryzen 7 4700U wins three of the six head-to-head tests, and the Intel Core i7-9700T wins the other three, but the margin and nature of those wins matter more than the tie count.

The Ryzen 7 4700U is the choice for single-threaded and legacy multi-threaded workloads. It beats the i7-9700T by 52.5% in Cinebench R15 single-core, by 3.9% in Cinebench R23 single-core, and by 30.5% in Cinebench R15 multi-core. Its 7 nm Zen 2 architecture delivers these wins while operating at a 15 W TDP, which is less than half of the Intel part's 35 W TDP. For a mobile platform, the data indicates the 4700U is the stronger performer in these tests.

The Intel Core i7-9700T is the choice for sustained modern multi-threaded workloads and Geekbench performance. It leads by 11.4% in Cinebench R23 multi-core, by 5.7% in Geekbench multi-core, and by 8.9% in Geekbench single-core. Its larger 12 MB shared L3 cache and higher 4.30 GHz boost clock contribute to these results. The i7-9700T is a desktop-class part, however, and its 35 W TDP reflects that positioning.

The average benchmark scores are close: the 4700U averages 2722, the i7-9700T averages 2668. Both sit at the 50th percentile among all CPUs in the database. The Ryzen 7 4700U's nearest rival is the Intel Xeon E5-2628L v3 with an average score of 2724, a delta of -0.1%. The i7-9700T's nearest rival is the Intel Core i5-9500F with an average score of 2670, a delta of -0.1%. Neither processor is dramatically ahead of its closest competition.

The Ryzen 7 4700U is a mobile processor in active production, released in January 2020. The i7-9700T is a desktop processor that is end-of-life, released in April 2019. The database shows the 4700U for thin-and-light systems where power efficiency matters, and the i7-9700T for desktop systems where sustained multi-threaded performance matters.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from different manufacturing nodes and design philosophies. The AMD Ryzen 7 4700U uses TSMC's 7 nm process with 9,800 million transistors on a 156 mm² die. The Intel Core i7-9700T uses Intel's 14 nm process with a 180.3 mm² die size. The die size difference is notable: the Intel part is physically larger despite containing fewer transistors in the database's recorded data.

The microarchitectures differ entirely. The 4700U is built on Zen 2, codenamed Renoir, and belongs to the 4000 series. The i7-9700T is built on Coffee Lake, part of the Coffee Lake Refresh generation. Both have 8 cores and 8 threads, so simultaneous multithreading is not a differentiator here. Neither processor has an unlocked multiplier.

Cache configurations differ in the L2 and L3 levels. The 4700U has 512 KB of L2 per core, while the i7-9700T has 256 KB of L2 per core. The i7-9700T has 12 MB of shared L3 cache, while the 4700U has 8 MB of shared L3 cache. The L1 cache is identical at 64 KB per core. The larger L3 on the Intel part helps explain its advantage in Cinebench R23 multi-core and Geekbench tests.

Memory bandwidth differs. The 4700U supports dual-channel DDR4 with a recorded bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s. The i7-9700T also supports dual-channel DDR4, but its recorded bandwidth is 42.7 GB/s. The AMD part has a 19.9% bandwidth advantage in the database's figures. Neither supports ECC memory.

Both use PCIe Gen 3, but the i7-9700T's listing specifies 16 lanes for the CPU only. The 4700U's listing simply says Gen 3 without a lane count. The integrated graphics differ: the 4700U has Radeon Graphics with 448 shader processors, while the i7-9700T has UHD Graphics 630.

The sockets are incompatible: the 4700U uses AMD Socket FP6, the i7-9700T uses Intel Socket 1151. The market segments differ: the 4700U is mobile, the i7-9700T is desktop. The production status differs: the 4700U is active, the i7-9700T is end-of-life.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has the higher boost clock?

A: The Intel Core i7-9700T has a boost clock of 4.30 GHz, while the AMD Ryzen 7 4700U has a boost clock of 4.10 GHz. The base clocks are identical at 2000.00 MHz for both.

Q: How do the two processors compare in Cinebench R23 multi-core?

A: The Intel Core i7-9700T wins by 11.4%, scoring 8325 versus the Ryzen 7 4700U's 7378. This is the largest multi-threaded win for the Intel part in the recorded benchmarks.

Q: Which processor has the larger L3 cache?

A: The Intel Core i7-9700T has 12 MB of shared L3 cache, compared to 8 MB on the AMD Ryzen 7 4700U. The AMD part has the larger L2 cache at 512 KB per core versus 256 KB per core.

Q: What is the TDP difference between the two?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 4700U has a TDP of 15 W, while the Intel Core i7-9700T has a TDP of 35 W. The AMD part uses less than half the power envelope of the Intel part.

Q: Which processor has a higher single-core Cinebench R15 score?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 4700U leads by 52.5%, scoring 180 versus the Intel Core i7-9700T's 118. This is the largest single-core margin in the head-to-head data.

Q: How does the Geekbench multi-core score compare?

A: The Intel Core i7-9700T leads by 5.7%, scoring 5503 versus the AMD Ryzen 7 4700U's 5189. The Intel part also leads Geekbench single-core by 8.9%, scoring 1392 versus 1268.

Specification Differences

The following fields differ between the two processors in the database:

• Manufacturer: AMD versus Intel
• Cores: both 8 (no difference)
• Threads: both 8 (no difference)
• Base clock: both 2000.00 MHz (no difference)
• Boost clock: 4.10 GHz (AMD) versus 4.30 GHz (Intel)
• TDP: 15 W (AMD) versus 35 W (Intel)
• Socket: AMD Socket FP6 versus Intel Socket 1151
• Architecture: Zen 2 versus Coffee Lake
• Codename: Renoir versus Coffee Lake
• Generation: Ryzen 7 (Zen 2 (Renoir)) versus Core i7 (Coffee Lake Refresh)
• Process node: 7 nm versus 14 nm
• Foundry: TSMC versus Intel
• Transistors: 9,800 million versus not recorded
• Die size: 156 mm² versus 180.3 mm²
• L2 cache: 512 KB per core versus 256 KB per core
• L3 cache: 8 MB shared versus 12 MB shared
• Memory bandwidth: 51.2 GB/s versus 42.7 GB/s
• PCIe: Gen 3 versus Gen 3, 16 Lanes (CPU only)
• Integrated graphics: Radeon Graphics 448SP versus UHD Graphics 630
• Market segment: Mobile versus Desktop
• Production status: Active versus End-of-life
• Release date: 2020-01-05 versus 2019-04-22
• Part number: 100-000000083 versus SRG17
• Launch MSRP: not recorded for AMD, $323 for Intel

The series field is recorded as "4000 series" for the AMD part and is not recorded for the Intel part. Both support DDR4 memory, dual-channel memory bus, and neither supports ECC memory.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The six recorded benchmarks split evenly, but the margins tell a more nuanced story. The AMD Ryzen 7 4700U dominates the Cinebench R15 tests, while the Intel Core i7-9700T counters in Cinebench R23 and Geekbench.

The largest win in the entire comparison is the 4700U's 52.5% lead in Cinebench R15 single-core, scoring 180 against the i7-9700T's 118. This is a dramatic margin for a single-threaded test and indicates the Zen 2 architecture's efficiency at lower power. The 4700U also wins Cinebench R15 multi-core by 30.5%, scoring 1094.5 versus 839. These two wins alone establish the AMD part as the stronger choice for older Cinebench workloads.

The 4700U also wins Cinebench R23 single-core, but by a much smaller margin of 3.9%, scoring 1220.5 versus 1175. This narrower lead suggests the gap closes as workloads scale to newer test methodologies.

The Intel Core i7-9700T takes Cinebench R23 multi-core by 11.4%, scoring 8325 versus 7378. This is the largest Intel win and reverses the R15 multi-core result. The i7-9700T also wins Geekbench multi-core by 5.7% (5503 versus 5189) and Geekbench single-core by 8.9% (1392 versus 1268).

The pattern is clear: the AMD part leads in R15 and R23 single-core, plus R15 multi-core. The Intel part leads in R23 multi-core and both Geekbench tests. The average benchmark scores are nearly identical, with the 4700U at 2722 and the i7-9700T at 2668, a difference of roughly 2%. This means the choice depends entirely on which workloads matter more to the user. For legacy multi-threaded and single-threaded Cinebench performance, the Ryzen 7 4700U is the data-backed pick. For modern multi-threaded and Geekbench performance, the Core i7-9700T is the better option.

The i7-9700T's 12 MB L3 cache and higher 4.30 GHz boost clock likely contribute to its wins in the newer, more demanding tests. The 4700U's 7 nm process, larger L2 cache, and higher memory bandwidth support its wins in the R15 tests. The data does not show a single dominant processor; it shows two processors with complementary strengths.