AMD Ryzen 7 4800U vs Intel Core i5-1240P Comparison

The AMD Ryzen 7 4800U and Intel Core i5-1240P are both mobile processors aimed at thin-and-light laptops, yet they represent fundamentally different design philosophies and eras. The 4800U, a Zen 2 part from the 4000 series, offers 8 cores and 16 threads on a 7 nm process, while the 1240P, an Alder Lake-P part, provides 12 cores (a hybrid of performance and efficiency cores) and 16 threads on a 10 nm process. Benchmark data shows the Intel part leads in every measured head-to-head test, but the AMD chip remains competitive in multi-threaded workloads, making the choice dependent on specific use-case priorities.

Where Each One Wins

The data presents a clear split: Intel wins on raw performance across the board, but the margin varies significantly by workload type. In the head-to-head benchmarks, the Intel Core i5-1240P wins all four tests, with its smallest advantage in multi-core rendering and its largest in single-core tasks. This suggests the 1240P is the superior choice for users who prioritize responsiveness and lightly-threaded application performance, while the 4800U’s strengths lie in maintaining reasonable multi-core throughput with a much lower power envelope.

For multi-threaded productivity, the gap narrows. In Cinebench R23 multi-core, the 1240P scores 9392 against the 4800U’s 8376, a delta of -10.8% for the AMD part. This means the Intel chip is roughly 11% faster in heavily parallel workloads like video rendering or compiling. However, in Cinebench R15 multi-core, the margin is only -9.9% (1566.5 vs 1411), indicating that the 4800U’s 8-core, 16-thread configuration scales adequately in sustained multi-threaded tasks, especially given its 15 W TDP compared to the 1240P’s 28 W TDP.

Single-core performance is where Intel decisively wins. The 1240P leads by 19% in Cinebench R15 single-core (226 vs 183) and by 22.8% in Cinebench R23 single-core (1600 vs 1235). This is a substantial difference that will be felt in everyday tasks like web browsing, office applications, and any software that relies heavily on single-threaded performance. The 1240P’s higher boost clock of 4.40 GHz, against the 4800U’s 4.20 GHz, contributes to this advantage, but the architectural differences play a larger role.

Architecture Differences

The two processors are built on fundamentally different architectures and process nodes. The AMD Ryzen 7 4800U uses the Zen 2 architecture, codenamed Renoir, fabricated on TSMC’s 7 nm process with 9,800 million transistors on a 156 mm² die. It features 8 cores and 16 threads, with a base clock of 1800 MHz and a boost clock of 4.20 GHz. The cache hierarchy includes 64 KB of L1 per core, 512 KB of L2 per core, and 8 MB of shared L3 cache. Memory support is limited to DDR4 and LPDDR4 over a dual-channel bus, providing 51.2 GB/s of bandwidth, and it uses PCIe Gen 3.

The Intel Core i5-1240P, in contrast, is based on Alder Lake, a hybrid architecture that combines performance and efficiency cores. It has 12 cores and 16 threads, with a base clock of 1700 MHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. The process node is Intel’s 10 nm, with a larger die size of 217 mm². The cache is more generous: 80 KB of L1 per core, 1.25 MB of L2 per core, and 12 MB of shared L3 cache. It supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory over a dual-channel bus, and it offers PCIe Gen 4 with 20 lanes from the CPU. No memory bandwidth figure is provided for the Intel part, but the DDR5 support is a notable generational advantage.

The integrated graphics also differ. The 4800U features Radeon RX Vega 8, while the 1240P has Iris Xe 80EU. Both are capable of handling basic display output and light gaming, but the benchmark data does not include graphics comparisons, so no quantitative judgment can be made on that front. The 4800U was released in January 2020, while the 1240P arrived in February 2022, a gap that explains the architectural advancements in the Intel part.

The Verdict

Based strictly on the benchmark data, the Intel Core i5-1240P is the faster processor in every measured workload. It leads by 9.9% in Cinebench R15 multi-core, 19% in Cinebench R15 single-core, 10.8% in Cinebench R23 multi-core, and 22.8% in Cinebench R23 single-core. The 1240P also has a higher average benchmark score of 3202, compared to 3218 for the 4800U (a 0.5% difference in favor of the AMD part, which is within noise). Both processors sit at the 53rd percentile of all CPUs, indicating they are mid-pack performers overall.

However, the choice is not purely about raw speed. The 4800U operates at a 15 W TDP, half of the 1240P’s 28 W TDP. This means the AMD chip is likely to generate less heat and consume less power, which is critical for battery life and fan noise in ultraportable laptops. The data does not include battery or thermal benchmarks, but the TDP figures are a clear differentiator. For users who prioritize multi-threaded performance per watt, the 4800U is arguably the more efficient choice, sacrificing only about 10-11% in multi-core throughput.

For users who need the absolute best single-core performance and are willing to accept higher power consumption, the 1240P is the clear winner. Its 22.8% lead in Cinebench R23 single-core will be noticeable in everyday use. The 1240P also benefits from newer memory support (DDR5) and PCIe Gen 4, which future-proofs the platform for faster storage and other peripherals. In summary, the 1240P is the performance pick, while the 4800U is the efficiency pick, provided the user can tolerate the single-core deficit.

FAQ

Q: Which processor is faster in multi-core workloads?

A: The Intel Core i5-1240P is faster. It scores 9392 in Cinebench R23 multi-core versus 8376 for the AMD Ryzen 7 4800U, a 10.8% advantage. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the Intel part leads with 1566.5 against 1411, a 9.9% margin.

Q: How big is the single-core performance gap?

A: The Intel Core i5-1240P leads by 19% in Cinebench R15 single-core (226 vs 183) and by 22.8% in Cinebench R23 single-core (1600 vs 1235). This is the largest difference between the two processors.

Q: Do both processors have the same number of threads?

A: Yes, both have 16 threads. However, the AMD Ryzen 7 4800U achieves this with 8 cores, while the Intel Core i5-1240P uses 12 cores (a mix of performance and efficiency cores) to reach the same thread count.

Q: What are the power consumption differences?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 4800U has a TDP of 15 W, while the Intel Core i5-1240P has a TDP of 28 W. This makes the AMD part significantly more power-efficient on paper, though the benchmark data does not measure actual power draw.

Q: Which processor supports newer memory technology?

A: The Intel Core i5-1240P supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory, while the AMD Ryzen 7 4800U is limited to DDR4 and LPDDR4. The Intel part also offers PCIe Gen 4, whereas the AMD part uses PCIe Gen 3.

Q: Are these processors comparable in overall benchmark scores?

A: Yes. The AMD Ryzen 7 4800U has an average benchmark score of 3218, and the Intel Core i5-1240P has 3202, a difference of 0.5% in favor of the AMD part. Both are at the 53rd percentile of all CPUs.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head data shows a decisive sweep for the Intel Core i5-1240P, but the margins reveal where each chip holds its ground. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the 1240P scores 1566.5 against the 4800U’s 1411, a 9.9% deficit for the AMD part. This is the closest result of the four tests, suggesting that the 4800U’s 8-core, 16-thread configuration is well-suited to parallel rendering tasks, even with its lower clock speeds and older architecture.

The single-core tests show a much starker contrast. In Cinebench R15 single-core, the 1240P scores 226 versus 183 for the 4800U, a 19% lead. The gap widens in Cinebench R23 single-core, where the 1240P scores 1600 against 1235, a 22.8% advantage. This consistent 19-23% lead in single-threaded performance is the defining difference between the two processors, driven by the 1240P’s higher boost clock and superior Alder Lake architecture.

In Cinebench R23 multi-core, the 1240P scores 9392, which is 1016 points higher than the 4800U’s 8376. The 10.8% margin here is similar to the R15 multi-core result, indicating that the Intel part maintains its advantage across different rendering workloads. The 4800U’s performance is respectable, but it cannot overcome the combination of the 1240P’s higher core count (12 vs 8) and newer architecture, even though both have 16 threads. The data shows that the 1240P is the outright winner in every benchmark, with its smallest lead in multi-core tasks and its largest in single-core tasks. This pattern is typical of a newer processor generation, and it makes the 1240P the recommended choice for users who prioritize performance above all else.