AMD Ryzen 7 4980U vs Intel Core i3-13100TE Comparison

The Intel Core i3-13100TE and AMD Ryzen 7 4980U present a fascinating contrast: a modern 35W desktop chip against an older 15W mobile part, each claiming two benchmark victories. While the AMD Ryzen 7 4980U dominates the older Cinebench R15 tests, the Intel Core i3-13100TE asserts clear superiority in the more recent Cinebench R23 workloads. The overall average benchmark scores are remarkably close—3111 for the Intel against 3066 for the AMD—placing both at the 52nd percentile among all CPUs, but the individual test results reveal distinct performance profiles that matter for specific tasks.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The most decisive victory belongs to the AMD Ryzen 7 4980U in Cinebench R15 multi-core, where it scores 1658 against the Intel’s 1013. This represents a substantial 38.9% advantage for AMD, a gap that reflects the Ryzen’s 8-core/16-thread configuration against the Intel’s 4-core/8-thread setup. In the single-core R15 test, the AMD again wins, posting 182 versus 142—a 22% lead that is surprising given the Intel’s newer architecture and higher boost clock of 4.10 GHz compared to the AMD’s 4.40 GHz. These R15 results suggest that the older benchmark heavily favors the AMD’s design, perhaps due to its higher base clock of 2000 MHz versus the Intel’s 2400 MHz, or other architectural factors.

However, the narrative flips completely when examining Cinebench R23 results. In the R23 multi-core test, the Intel Core i3-13100TE scores 10054, while the AMD Ryzen 7 4980U manages 9164. The Intel wins by 9.7%, a significant margin that indicates the Raptor Lake architecture scales better in this modern workload. The single-core R23 test further solidifies Intel’s position: the i3-13100TE scores 1419 against the AMD’s 1260, giving Intel a 12.6% lead. This reversal between R15 and R23 is notable—it suggests that the Intel chip’s architectural improvements are better captured by newer benchmark methodologies, while the AMD’s raw core count advantage diminishes under these conditions.

Interestingly, the Intel chip’s average benchmark score of 3111 puts it just 0.3% behind the AMD Ryzen 5 6600HS and 0.4% behind the AMD Ryzen 3 5425U, while sitting 0.5% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 5 5625U. The AMD Ryzen 7 4980U’s average of 3066 places it exactly level with the Intel Xeon E5-2618L v3, 0.1% behind the AMD Ryzen 7 1800X, and 0.4% behind the Intel Core i7-6850K. These nearest-rival comparisons show that despite their different designs, both chips occupy a similar performance tier in aggregate, even though their individual benchmark profiles diverge sharply.

The Verdict

The data presents a clear choice based on workload priorities. The Intel Core i3-13100TE is the superior processor for modern multi-threaded applications, as evidenced by its 9.7% lead in Cinebench R23 multi-core and its 12.6% advantage in R23 single-core. Users running contemporary creative software, compilation tasks, or rendering workloads that leverage current benchmark optimizations would find the Intel chip more responsive. Its 52nd percentile ranking, equal to the AMD, indicates it sits in the same overall performance tier, but the R23 results suggest better future-proofing for software that follows modern coding practices.

The AMD Ryzen 7 4980U, despite its end-of-life production status, remains compelling for legacy workloads and applications that respond well to higher thread counts in older benchmark conditions. Its 38.9% lead in R15 multi-core and 22% lead in R15 single-core demonstrate that certain environments still favor its Zen 2 architecture. However, its lower R23 scores suggest that newer software may not fully utilize its 16 threads as effectively, or that its smaller 8 MB shared L3 cache (versus the Intel’s 12 MB) becomes a bottleneck in modern test scenarios.

For mobile systems where power consumption is critical, the AMD’s 15W TDP is a decisive advantage over the Intel’s 35W TDP, making it the only viable choice for fanless or ultra-portable designs. For desktop systems with adequate cooling, the Intel’s higher power budget enables sustained performance, and its support for DDR4 and DDR5 memory provides flexibility that the AMD’s LPDDR4-only support cannot match. Ultimately, the Intel Core i3-13100TE is the better all-around modern processor, while the AMD Ryzen 7 4980U excels in legacy benchmarks and low-power mobile applications.

Architecture Differences

The architectural divide between these processors is substantial. The Intel Core i3-13100TE uses Raptor Lake architecture on a 10 nm process, manufactured by Intel, while the AMD Ryzen 7 4980U employs Zen 2 architecture on a 7 nm process, manufactured by TSMC. This process difference is significant: the AMD chip integrates 9,800 million transistors on a 156 mm² die, whereas the Intel chip’s transistor count is not specified, though its die size is 163 mm². The AMD’s smaller process node allows for greater transistor density and efficiency, contributing to its much lower 15W TDP against the Intel’s 35W.

Core configurations differ markedly: the Intel offers 4 cores and 8 threads, while the AMD provides 8 cores and 16 threads—double the parallel execution capacity. Cache hierarchies also diverge, with the Intel featuring 80 KB of L1 per core, 1.25 MB of L2 per core, and 12 MB of shared L3, whereas the AMD has 64 KB of L1 per core, 512 KB of L2 per core, and only 8 MB of shared L3. The Intel’s larger per-core L2 cache and 50% larger L3 cache may explain its superior R23 performance despite fewer cores.

Memory support represents another fundamental difference: the Intel supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory in a dual-channel configuration, while the AMD is limited to LPDDR4, also dual-channel, with a specified memory bandwidth of 34.1 GB/s. The Intel also supports ECC memory, a feature the AMD lacks, which positions the Intel for workstation or server-adjacent applications. PCIe connectivity differs as well, with the Intel offering Gen 5 with 16 CPU lanes compared to the AMD’s Gen 3, giving the Intel significantly more modern I/O capabilities. Integrated graphics also differ, with the Intel featuring UHD Graphics 730 and the AMD featuring Radeon Graphics 512SP, though no benchmark data is provided for either.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has a higher core count?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 4980U has 8 cores and 16 threads, while the Intel Core i3-13100TE has 4 cores and 8 threads, giving AMD double the parallel processing capability.

Q: How do the Cinebench R23 multi-core scores compare?

A: The Intel Core i3-13100TE scores 10054, which is 9.7% higher than the AMD Ryzen 7 4980U’s 9164, indicating Intel’s advantage in this modern benchmark.

Q: What is the TDP difference between these two processors?

A: The Intel Core i3-13100TE has a TDP of 35W, while the AMD Ryzen 7 4980U has a TDP of 15W, making the AMD significantly more power-efficient.

Q: Which processor supports ECC memory?

A: The Intel Core i3-13100TE supports ECC memory, whereas the AMD Ryzen 7 4980U does not, giving Intel an advantage for reliability-focused workloads.

Q: What are the release dates for these processors?

A: The Intel Core i3-13100TE was released on January 3, 2023, while the AMD Ryzen 7 4980U was released on April 12, 2021, making the AMD nearly two years older.

Q: How does the AMD Ryzen 7 4980U perform in Cinebench R15 single-core?

A: The AMD scores 182 in this test, which is 22% higher than the Intel’s 142, giving AMD a clear win in legacy single-threaded workloads.

Where Each One Wins

The Intel Core i3-13100TE wins in modern rendering workloads, as demonstrated by its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 10054, which is 9.7% ahead of the AMD. Its R23 single-core score of 1419, a 12.6% advantage, makes it the better choice for applications that rely on single-thread performance, such as many legacy productivity tools or lightly threaded games. The Intel’s support for DDR5 memory and PCIe Gen 5, along with ECC memory capability, positions it for desktop systems where future-proofing and data integrity are priorities. Its 12 MB shared L3 cache likely contributes to its stronger modern benchmark performance.

The AMD Ryzen 7 4980U wins in legacy multi-core benchmarks, with its Cinebench R15 multi-core score of 1658 beating the Intel by 38.9%. Its R15 single-core score of 182, a 22% lead, makes it superior in older single-threaded applications that may not benefit from Intel’s architectural improvements. The AMD’s 15W TDP is its most significant practical advantage, enabling deployment in thin-and-light laptops, fanless designs, or other power-constrained environments. Its 8-core/16-thread configuration provides inherent parallelism that can benefit workloads specifically tuned for many threads in older software. The AMD’s 34.1 GB/s memory bandwidth, though limited to LPDDR4, is sufficient for its target mobile segment.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ across nearly every major specification category. The Intel Core i3-13100TE is a desktop part using Intel Socket 1700, while the AMD Ryzen 7 4980U is a mobile part using AMD Socket FP6. The Intel has 4 cores and 8 threads with a base clock of 2.40 GHz and boost clock of 4.10 GHz, whereas the AMD has 8 cores and 16 threads with a base clock of 2000 MHz and boost clock of 4.40 GHz. The Intel’s TDP is 35W versus the AMD’s 15W. Process nodes differ: Intel uses 10 nm from its own foundry, while AMD uses 7 nm from TSMC, with the AMD containing 9,800 million transistors on a 156 mm² die compared to the Intel’s unspecified transistor count on a 163 mm² die.

Cache configurations are notably different: the Intel provides 80 KB L1 per core, 1.25 MB L2 per core, and 12 MB shared L3, while the AMD provides 64 KB L1 per core, 512 KB L2 per core, and 8 MB shared L3. Memory support sees the Intel offering both DDR4 and DDR5 in dual-channel mode, while the AMD is restricted to LPDDR4, also dual-channel, with a specified bandwidth of 34.1 GB/s. The Intel supports ECC memory; the AMD does not. PCIe capabilities favor the Intel with Gen 5 and 16 CPU lanes, versus the AMD’s Gen 3. Integrated graphics differ, with the Intel featuring UHD Graphics 730 and the AMD featuring Radeon Graphics 512SP. The Intel’s market segment is desktop with active production status, while the AMD is mobile with end-of-life status. Release dates show the Intel arriving on January 3, 2023, and the AMD on April 12, 2021. Neither processor has an unlocked multiplier, and their part numbers are SRMFT and 100-000000354 respectively.