AMD Ryzen 7 4700U vs Intel Core i7-9750HF Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head data splits exactly evenly, with three wins for the AMD Ryzen 7 4700U and three for the Intel Core i7-9750HF, but the magnitude of those wins is not symmetrical. The AMD chip delivers its most decisive victory in Cinebench R15 single-core, scoring 180 against Intel's 123, a 46.3% advantage. That is the single largest delta in the entire comparison, and it indicates a substantial per-thread performance gap in that particular workload. The AMD processor also wins Cinebench R15 multi-core by a wide margin, posting 1094.5 versus 876, a 24.9% lead. In Geekbench multi-core, the AMD part scores 5189 against Intel's 4844, a 7.1% edge, which is a more moderate but still clear win.

Intel's wins are concentrated in newer Cinebench versions and single-threaded Geekbench. The i7-9750HF takes Cinebench R23 multi-core with 8696 versus 7378, a 15.2% advantage. That is the largest Intel win, and it flips the multi-core narrative compared to the older R15 test. The Intel chip also wins Cinebench R23 single-core, but only by 0.5%: 1227 versus 1220.5, which is effectively a tie within measurement noise. In Geekbench single-core, Intel leads 1365 to 1268, a 7.1% margin, matching the AMD multi-core Geekbench win in the opposite direction.

The pattern is clear. The AMD Ryzen 7 4700U dominates in Cinebench R15 and Geekbench multi-core, while the Intel Core i7-9750HF dominates in Cinebench R23 and Geekbench single-core. The older R15 test favors AMD heavily, and the newer R23 test favors Intel. This suggests that the two processors respond very differently to workload evolution, with AMD's lead shrinking or reversing depending on the benchmark generation. The Cinebench R23 single-core result, where Intel wins by only half a percent, indicates that raw per-core performance is nearly identical in that test, making the multi-core delta of 15.2% the more meaningful separator.

Average benchmark scores place the two close together. The AMD chip has an average score of 2722, and the Intel chip has 2662, a difference of roughly 2.2%. Both sit at the 50th percentile against all CPUs in the database, meaning they occupy the same overall performance tier. The nearest rivals for the AMD part include the Intel Xeon E5-2628L v3 at 2724 (a 0.1% difference), the Intel Core i7-11390H at 2715 (0.2% ahead), and the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 5650U at 2713 (0.3% ahead). The Intel part's nearest rivals include the Intel Xeon E5-4650 v3 at 2664 (0.1% behind), the Intel Core i7-9700T at 2668 (0.2% behind), and the Intel Core i5-9500F at 2670 (0.3% behind). These rivalries reinforce that both chips sit in a dense performance cluster, where small deltas separate adjacent entries.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from fundamentally different design philosophies. The AMD Ryzen 7 4700U uses Zen 2 architecture under the Renoir codename, built on a 7 nm process at TSMC. The Intel Core i7-9750HF uses Coffee Lake architecture under the Coffee Lake-HR codename, built on a 14 nm process at Intel. The node difference is significant: 7 nm versus 14 nm, which explains why the AMD chip can pack 8 cores into a 15 W TDP while the Intel chip uses 6 cores at 45 W. The AMD die is slightly larger at 156 mm² versus Intel's 149 mm², but the AMD part integrates more transistors, with 9,800 million versus no disclosed transistor count for Intel.

Core and thread counts diverge sharply. The AMD chip has 8 cores and 8 threads, meaning no simultaneous multithreading. The Intel chip has 6 cores and 12 threads, meaning Hyper-Threading is enabled. This creates an interesting dynamic: AMD has more physical cores, but Intel has more logical threads. In workloads that scale with physical cores, AMD should have an advantage; in workloads that benefit from thread oversubscription, Intel can leverage its extra threads. The benchmark data supports this, with AMD leading in Geekbench multi-core and Cinebench R15 multi-core, while Intel leads in Cinebench R23 multi-core, where the newer test may better utilize the extra threads.

Cache hierarchies differ in both size and organization. The AMD chip has 64 KB of L1 per core, 512 KB of L2 per core, and 8 MB of shared L3. The Intel chip has 64 KB of L1 per core, 256 KB of L2 per core, and 12 MB of shared L3. Intel has a larger L3 pool, but AMD has double the L2 per core. For per-core cache access, AMD's larger L2 may reduce latency in some workloads, while Intel's larger L3 helps when multiple cores share data. The L3 difference of 12 MB versus 8 MB is notable, but the benchmark results do not show a consistent advantage for either cache configuration.

Clock speeds also differ. The AMD chip has a base clock of 2000 MHz and a boost clock of 4100 MHz. The Intel chip has a base clock of 2600 MHz and a boost clock of 4500 MHz. Intel has higher clocks at both ends, yet AMD wins several single-threaded tests, particularly Cinebench R15 single-core by 46.3%. This indicates that the Zen 2 architecture achieves higher instructions per clock in that test despite lower raw frequencies. The boost clock of 4500 MHz on the Intel part is 10% higher than the AMD boost of 4100 MHz, but the single-core benchmark results show only a 0.5% Intel lead in Cinebench R23 and a 7.1% Intel lead in Geekbench single-core, far lower than the clock delta would suggest.

Memory bandwidth differs as well. The AMD chip supports dual-channel DDR4 with a bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s. The Intel chip also supports dual-channel DDR4, but with a bandwidth of 42.7 GB/s. AMD has a 20% bandwidth advantage, which may contribute to its multi-core wins in Geekbench and Cinebench R15. Both support PCIe Gen 3, and neither supports ECC memory. The AMD chip includes integrated Radeon Graphics with 448 shader processors, while the Intel chip has no integrated graphics, which is consistent with the "HF" suffix indicating a discrete GPU is required.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has more cores?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 4700U has 8 cores, while the Intel Core i7-9750HF has 6 cores. However, the Intel chip has 12 threads due to Hyper-Threading, while the AMD chip has 8 threads.

Q: Which processor wins in Cinebench R23 multi-core?

A: The Intel Core i7-9750HF wins Cinebench R23 multi-core with a score of 8696, which is 15.2% higher than the AMD Ryzen 7 4700U's score of 7378.

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

A: The Intel Core i7-9750HF leads in Geekbench single-core with a score of 1365, which is 7.1% higher than the AMD Ryzen 7 4700U's score of 1268.

Q: Which processor has the larger L3 cache?

A: The Intel Core i7-9750HF has 12 MB of shared L3 cache, while the AMD Ryzen 7 4700U has 8 MB of shared L3 cache. The AMD chip has larger L2 cache per core, at 512 KB versus 256 KB.

Q: How does the process node compare?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 4700U is built on a 7 nm process at TSMC, while the Intel Core i7-9750HF is built on a 14 nm process at Intel.

Q: Which processor has a higher boost clock?

A: The Intel Core i7-9750HF has a boost clock of 4500 MHz, while the AMD Ryzen 7 4700U has a boost clock of 4100 MHz. Despite the clock advantage, AMD wins Cinebench R15 single-core by 46.3%.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ in several specification fields. The AMD Ryzen 7 4700U has 8 cores and 8 threads, while the Intel Core i7-9750HF has 6 cores and 12 threads. The base clock is 2000 MHz on the AMD part and 2600 MHz on the Intel part. The boost clock is 4100 MHz on the AMD part and 4500 MHz on the Intel part. The TDP is 15 W for AMD and 45 W for Intel. The socket is AMD Socket FP6 for the AMD chip and Intel BGA 1440 for the Intel chip. The architecture is Zen 2 for AMD and Coffee Lake for Intel. The codename is Renoir for AMD and Coffee Lake-HR for Intel. The process node is 7 nm for AMD and 14 nm for Intel. The foundry is TSMC for AMD and Intel for Intel. The transistor count is 9,800 million for AMD and not disclosed for Intel. The die size is 156 mm² for AMD and 149 mm² for Intel. The L2 cache is 512 KB per core for AMD and 256 KB per core for Intel. The L3 cache is 8 MB shared for AMD and 12 MB shared for Intel. The memory bandwidth is 51.2 GB/s for AMD and 42.7 GB/s for Intel. The AMD chip has integrated Radeon Graphics with 448 shader processors, while the Intel chip has no integrated graphics. The release date is 2020-01-05 for AMD and 2019-04-22 for Intel. The production status is Active for AMD and End-of-life for Intel. The part number is 100-000000083 for AMD and SRG1T for Intel.

The Verdict

The data shows a split decision with no overall winner. The AMD Ryzen 7 4700U and Intel Core i7-9750HF each win three benchmarks, and their average scores are close, 2722 versus 2662. The AMD chip wins the older Cinebench R15 tests decisively and Geekbench multi-core, while the Intel chip wins Cinebench R23 multi-core and both single-threaded tests in Geekbench and Cinebench R23. The AMD chip is the stronger choice for workloads that resemble Cinebench R15 or Geekbench multi-core, particularly with its 24.9% lead in R15 multi-core and 7.1% lead in Geekbench multi-core. The Intel chip is the stronger choice for Cinebench R23 multi-core, where it leads by 15.2%, and for single-threaded Geekbench, where it leads by 7.1%. The Cinebench R23 single-core result is essentially a tie, with Intel ahead by only 0.5%.

The production status difference is meaningful. The AMD chip is Active, while the Intel chip is End-of-life. The AMD chip also integrates graphics, while the Intel chip requires a discrete GPU. The AMD chip has a much lower TDP at 15 W versus 45 W, which suggests it is better suited to thinner, more power-efficient systems. The Intel chip has higher clocks and more threads, which may appeal to users who prioritize thread count and raw clock speed. For users who value the benchmarks where AMD wins, particularly Cinebench R15 and Geekbench multi-core, the AMD Ryzen 7 4700U is the better fit. For users who value Cinebench R23 multi-core and single-threaded Geekbench, the Intel Core i7-9750HF is the better fit.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Ryzen 7 4700U wins in Cinebench R15 multi-core by 24.9%, in Cinebench R15 single-core by 46.3%, and in Geekbench multi-core by 7.1%. These are the benchmarks where the AMD chip shows clear superiority. The Cinebench R15 single-core win is particularly striking, given that the Intel chip has a higher boost clock. The AMD chip also benefits from a higher memory bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s versus 42.7 GB/s, which may contribute to its multi-core performance. The 8 physical cores provide an advantage in workloads that scale with core count, as demonstrated by the Geekbench multi-core result.

The Intel Core i7-9750HF wins in Cinebench R23 multi-core by 15.2%, in Cinebench R23 single-core by 0.5%, and in Geekbench single-core by 7.1%. The Cinebench R23 multi-core win is the largest for Intel and suggests that the newer test better utilizes the 12 threads available on the Intel chip. The Geekbench single-core win indicates a per-thread advantage in that test, despite the lower core count. The Intel chip's larger L3 cache of 12 MB may help in workloads that share data across cores, and the higher boost clock of 4500 MHz provides headroom for single-threaded tasks. The Intel chip is end-of-life, but its benchmark wins in the newer Cinebench R23 test and Geekbench single-core make it a viable option for those specific workloads.