AMD Ryzen 7 5700U vs Intel Core i3-13100 Comparison

The Verdict

The recorded data splits this comparison cleanly along workload lines. The Intel Core i3-13100 wins 6 of the 15 head-to-head benchmarks, while the AMD Ryzen 7 5700U wins 9. These are not close overall averages: the Intel part sits at an average benchmark score of 18380, the AMD at 18176, a difference of roughly 1.1%. Both occupy the 72nd percentile against all CPUs in the database, meaning they land in the same performance tier for typical mixed workloads.

The Intel Core i3-13100 is the pick for anyone whose work leans on single-threaded responsiveness or lightly threaded tasks. It beats the Ryzen 7 5700U by 34.5% in Cinebench R23 single-core and by 35.2% in PassMark single-thread. The AMD Ryzen 7 5700U is the pick for heavily threaded or data-parallel workloads. It leads by 38.6% in Cinebench R23 multi-core? No, that is wrong, that is Intel's win. The AMD leads in PassMark integer math by 31.2%, in data compression by 26.2%, in data encryption by 35.9%, and in random string sorting by 32.5%. The Intel wins in Cinebench R23 multi-core by 38.6%, despite having half the cores. This is a genuinely confusing result that needs unpacking.

The desktop Intel chip makes sense for a compact desktop build with a clear upgrade path, while the AMD mobile chip makes sense for an ultraportable laptop where the 15 W power envelope and integrated Radeon Graphics 512SP matter more than raw per-core speed. The data does not support a universal winner; it supports a workload-specific choice.

Where Each One Wins

The Intel Core i3-13100 takes the benchmarks that reward high clock speed and efficient instruction execution. In Cinebench R23 single-core it scores 1692 against 1258 for the AMD, a 34.5% margin. PassMark single-thread shows 3460 versus 2560, a 35.2% margin. The PassMark physics test, which often scales with per-thread efficiency, goes to Intel by 39.9% (870 versus 622). The oddest Intel win is in PassMark find prime numbers, where it scores 52 against 29, a 79.3% advantage. That test appears to respond to the Intel's higher boost clock of 4.50 GHz versus 4.30 GHz, but the magnitude is startling. Finally, Cinebench R23 multi-core goes to Intel: 11986 versus 8650, a 38.6% lead. This is notable because the AMD has 8 cores and 16 threads, while the Intel has 4 cores and 8 threads.

The AMD Ryzen 7 5700U wins everywhere that thread count and memory bandwidth dominate. PassMark integer math: 60037 versus 41313, a 31.2% lead. PassMark data compression: 218853 versus 161424, a 26.2% lead. PassMark data encryption: 12549 versus 8049, a 35.9% lead. PassMark random string sorting: 23608 versus 15925, a 32.5% lead. PassMark extended instructions: 13519 versus 11053, an 18.2% lead. PassMark multi-thread: 15623 versus 13726, a 12.1% lead. Floating point math is close: 33151 versus 32325, a 2.5% lead for AMD. In Cinebench R15, the AMD wins both multi-core (1480 versus 1208, an 18.4% lead) and single-core (188 versus 170, a 9.6% lead), which contradicts the newer Cinebench R23 results where Intel wins both. The R15 single-core result is particularly odd given that every other single-threaded benchmark in the database favors Intel.

Architecture Differences

The two chips come from different design philosophies. The Intel Core i3-13100 is a desktop part built on Intel's Raptor Lake architecture, fabricated on Intel's 10 nm process with a die size of 163 mm². It has 4 cores and 8 threads, with a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 4.50 GHz. Its cache hierarchy is generous per core: 80 KB of L1 per core, 1.25 MB of L2 per core, and 12 MB of shared L3. It supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory in a dual-channel configuration, and its PCIe controller is Gen 5 with 16 lanes from the CPU. The integrated GPU is UHD Graphics 730. The TDP is 60 W, which explains why it can hold high clocks under load. The launch MSRP is $134.

The AMD Ryzen 7 5700U is a mobile part built on the Zen 2 architecture, codenamed Lucienne, fabricated by TSMC on a 7 nm process. The die size is 156 mm² and the transistor count is 9,800 million. It has 8 cores and 16 threads, with a base clock of 1800.00 MHz and a boost clock of 4.30 GHz. The cache is smaller per core: 64 KB of L1 per core, 512 KB of L2 per core, and 8 MB of shared L3. It supports only DDR4 memory, dual-channel, with a memory bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s. Its PCIe controller is Gen 3 with 12 lanes. The integrated GPU is Radeon Graphics 512SP. The TDP is a very low 15 W, typical for thin-and-light laptops. The socket is AMD Socket FP6, which is not upgradeable in the same way as the Intel Socket 1700.

The process node difference is significant: TSMC's 7 nm versus Intel's 10 nm. The AMD part packs more than twice the cores into a slightly smaller die while drawing a quarter of the power. This is why it wins heavily threaded workloads despite lower clock speeds. The Intel part compensates with higher clocks and larger caches per core, which is why it dominates single-threaded tests. The R15 results complicate this picture: the AMD wins R15 single-core by 9.6%, which is not consistent with the R23 single-core result where Intel wins by 34.5%. The database does not explain this discrepancy, but it suggests the R15 test may be more sensitive to memory latency or older instruction scheduling.

FAQ

Q: Which CPU is faster in single-threaded workloads?

A: The Intel Core i3-13100. It leads by 34.5% in Cinebench R23 single-core (1692 versus 1258) and by 35.2% in PassMark single-thread (3460 versus 2560).

Q: Which CPU is faster in heavily threaded workloads?

A: It depends on the test. The AMD Ryzen 7 5700U wins PassMark multi-thread by 12.1% (15623 versus 13726) and Cinebench R15 multi-core by 18.4% (1480 versus 1208). The Intel Core i3-13100 wins Cinebench R23 multi-core by 38.6% (11986 versus 8650).

Q: How do their core counts compare?

A: The AMD has 8 cores and 16 threads. The Intel has 4 cores and 8 threads.

Q: Which CPU has better integrated graphics?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 5700U uses Radeon Graphics 512SP, while the Intel Core i3-13100 uses UHD Graphics 730. The database does not include direct graphics benchmarks for either.

Q: What memory types do they support?

A: The Intel supports DDR4 and DDR5, dual-channel. The AMD supports DDR4 only, dual-channel, with a recorded memory bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s.

Q: Which CPU consumes less power?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 5700U has a TDP of 15 W. The Intel Core i3-13100 has a TDP of 60 W.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The largest Intel win is PassMark find prime numbers, where it scores 52 against 29, a 79.3% advantage. This is a remarkable margin for a benchmark that usually tracks integer throughput, and it suggests the Intel's per-core cache layout or clock behavior gives it an outsized advantage on this specific workload. The second largest Intel win is PassMark physics: 870 versus 622, a 39.9% lead. Physics simulations often reward high single-thread clocks, and the Intel's 4.50 GHz boost clock appears to do exactly that. Cinebench R23 multi-core gives Intel a 38.6% win (11986 versus 8650), which is the most counterintuitive result in the entire dataset. A 4-core, 8-thread part beating an 8-core, 16-thread part by this margin in a modern renderer implies that per-core efficiency and cache bandwidth matter more than raw thread count in this test. Cinebench R23 single-core completes the Intel sweep with a 34.5% win (1692 versus 1258), and PassMark single-thread confirms it at 35.2% (3460 versus 2560).

The largest AMD win is PassMark data encryption: 12549 versus 8049, a 35.9% lead. Encryption workloads scale with the number of cores and AES-NI throughput, and the AMD's 8 cores provide a clear advantage. PassMark random string sorting goes to AMD by 32.5% (23608 versus 15925), a workload that rewards memory bandwidth and parallel memory access. PassMark integer math goes to AMD by 31.2% (60037 versus 41313), which is a pure throughput win for the additional cores. PassMark data compression goes to AMD by 26.2% (218853 versus 161424), another parallel workload. PassMark extended instructions goes to AMD by 18.2% (13519 versus 11053). Cinebench R15 multi-core goes to AMD by 18.4% (1480 versus 1208), and Cinebench R15 single-core goes to AMD by 9.6% (188 versus 170), which stands in direct opposition to the R23 results. PassMark multi-thread goes to AMD by 12.1% (15623 versus 13726), and floating point math is nearly tied, with AMD ahead by 2.5% (33151 versus 32325).

The head-to-head data shows a pattern: the Intel wins the modern Cinebench R23 tests and pure single-thread tests, while the AMD wins the PassMark suite and legacy R15 tests. The R15 single-core result is the only direct contradiction to Intel's single-thread dominance elsewhere, and it is notably the R15 tests are older and may not reflect current compiler optimizations.

Specification Differences

The Intel Core i3-13100 has 4 cores and 8 threads, while the AMD Ryzen 7 5700U has 8 cores and 16 threads. The Intel base clock is 3.40 GHz, the AMD base clock is 1800.00 MHz, a vastly lower idle frequency. The boost clocks are close: 4.50 GHz for Intel, 4.30 GHz for AMD. The Intel TDP is 60 W, the AMD TDP is 15 W. The Intel uses Intel Socket 1700, the AMD uses AMD Socket FP6. The Intel architecture is Raptor Lake, the AMD architecture is Zen 2 codenamed Lucienne. The Intel process node is 10 nm at Intel's foundry, the AMD process node is 7 nm at TSMC, with a transistor count of 9,800 million transistors. The Intel die size is 163 mm² for Intel, 156 mm² for AMD. The Intel cache is larger per core: 80 KB L1 per core, 1.25 MB L2 per core, 12 MB L3 shared. The AMD cache is smaller per core: 64 KB L1 per core, 512 KB L2 per core, 8 MB L3 shared. The Intel supports DDR4 and DDR5 memory, the AMD supports DDR4 only. Both use dual-channel memory, with the AMD recording a memory bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s. The Intel PCIe is Gen 5 with 16 lanes from the CPU, the AMD PCIe is Gen 3 with 12 lanes total 12. The integrated graphics are UHD Graphics 730 for Intel and Radeon Graphics 512SP for AMD. The Intel market segment is Desktop, the AMD is Mobile. The Intel release date is 2023-01-03, the AMD release date is 2021-01-11. Neither has an unlocked multiplier. The Intel part number is SRMBU, the AMD part number is 100-000000371. The Intel launch MSRP is $134; the AMD has no recorded launch MSRP.