AMD Ryzen 7 5800HS vs Intel Core i5-12600HE Comparison

Where Each One Wins

The recorded benchmark data presents a clear and consistent picture: the Intel Core i5-12600HE wins every single head-to-head comparison against the AMD Ryzen 7 5800HS. Across all six Cinebench tests, the Intel processor takes the top spot, while the AMD chip records zero victories. This is not a case of one part dominating in certain workloads and the other in different ones; rather, the Intel part shows a uniform, if modest, advantage across both single-core and multi-core rendering tasks.

The margin of victory is remarkably consistent, hovering just above three percent in every test. The Intel Core i5-12600HE leads by 3.2 percent in Cinebench R15 multi-core, 3 percent in R15 single-core, 3.2 percent in R20 multi-core, 3.1 percent in R20 single-core, 3.2 percent in R23 multi-core, and 3.1 percent in R23 single-core. This uniformity suggests the performance gap is structural, tied to architectural differences rather than workload-specific optimizations.

Looking at the raw scores, the Intel part's multi-core advantage is visible in the larger numbers. In Cinebench R23 multi-core, the Intel chip scores 17,217 versus the AMD's 16,690. The single-core gap is smaller in absolute terms, with the Intel part posting 2,430 versus 2,356 in R23 single-core, but the percentage lead remains essentially identical. The data indicates that the Intel Core i5-12600HE does not have a particular strength in one area; it simply performs slightly better everywhere.

The average benchmark scores from the broader database reinforce this positioning. The Intel Core i5-12600HE holds an average benchmark score of 4,980, while the AMD Ryzen 7 5800HS sits at 4,827. That difference of 153 points places the Intel part ahead of its nearest rival, the Intel Core i7-1375PRE, by a negligible 0.1 percent, while the AMD chip trails its closest competitor, the AMD Ryzen 7 4700GE, by the same 0.2 percent margin. Both processors occupy the same 59th percentile among all CPUs, indicating they are peers in the overall performance hierarchy.

The implication is that neither chip wins in a specific use-case category; the Intel part wins across the board. For workloads that stress multi-core rendering, the Intel chip delivers a consistent edge. For lightly threaded tasks that favor single-core performance, the same edge persists. The data does not support a scenario where the AMD chip is preferable for any measured benchmark.

The Verdict

The benchmark results point to a straightforward conclusion: the Intel Core i5-12600HE is the faster processor in every measured discipline. Anyone selecting between these two for maximum Cinebench performance should choose the Intel part, as it leads by roughly three percent in all six tests. The consistency of the margin means there is no hidden weakness in the Intel chip's profile that the AMD part could exploit.

The AMD Ryzen 7 5800HS, however, is not a distant second. Its scores are close enough that the performance difference is real but modest. In Cinebench R23 multi-core, the gap is 527 points, which represents a 3.2 percent deficit. For users who prioritize other characteristics, such as a lower thermal design power, the AMD chip may still be attractive. The data shows the AMD processor carries a 35-watt TDP compared to the Intel part's 45 watts, but the benchmark database does not include thermal or power efficiency measurements, so any conclusion about real-world power draw would be speculative.

The percentile data places both chips at the 59th percentile, meaning they are statistically similar in the broader CPU landscape. The Intel Core i5-12600HE's nearest rivals include the Intel Core i7-1375PRE and the Intel Xeon W-2150B, both of which score within 0.2 percent. The AMD Ryzen 7 5800HS sits near the AMD Ryzen 9 3950X and the Intel Xeon E-2386G, again within a fraction of a percent. Neither chip is an outlier; both are solidly mid-pack performers.

The verdict from the data is clear: the Intel Core i5-12600HE wins on raw performance. The AMD chip remains a viable alternative, but only if factors outside the benchmark suite, such as platform compatibility or power envelope, take priority over raw rendering speed.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The six head-to-head benchmark results are notable for their uniformity. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the Intel Core i5-12600HE scores 1,735 against the AMD Ryzen 7 5800HS's 1,682, a 3.2 percent lead. The single-core test shows a nearly identical pattern: 244 versus 237, a 3 percent advantage. These are the smallest absolute score differences, but the percentage gaps match the multi-core results.

Moving to Cinebench R20, the Intel part extends its multi-core score to 7,231, while the AMD chip reaches 7,009. The 3.2 percent margin holds. In single-core, the scores are 1,020 and 989 respectively, a 3.1 percent difference. The pattern continues into Cinebench R23, where the Intel chip posts 17,217 and the AMD chip 16,690 in multi-core, again a 3.2 percent lead. The single-core test shows 2,430 and 2,356, a 3.1 percent margin.

The largest absolute gap is in Cinebench R23 multi-core, where the Intel part outruns the AMD chip by 527 points. The smallest absolute gap is in Cinebench R15 single-core, where the difference is just 7 points. Yet the percentage deltas are nearly constant, suggesting the performance relationship is stable across different Cinebench versions and workload intensities.

The database's average benchmark scores corroborate these head-to-head results. The Intel Core i5-12600HE's average score of 4,980 is 3.1 percent higher than the AMD's 4,827, which aligns almost exactly with the per-test deltas. This consistency across independent measurements strengthens the conclusion that the Intel part holds a genuine, repeatable performance edge.

Notably, the AMD Ryzen 7 5800HS's nearest rival in the database is the AMD Ryzen 7 4700GE, which scores 4,836, a 0.2 percent gap. The Intel Core i5-12600HE's nearest rival is the Intel Core i7-1375PRE at 4,985, also a 0.2 percent gap. Both chips are within a hair's breadth of their closest competitors, which further contextualizes the three percent gap between the two compared here.

FAQ

Q: Which processor wins more benchmarks in the head-to-head comparison?

A: The Intel Core i5-12600HE wins all six head-to-head benchmark tests against the AMD Ryzen 7 5800HS. The AMD chip records zero wins across the Cinebench R15, R20, and R23 suites, in both single-core and multi-core modes.

Q: What is the largest performance difference between the two chips?

A: The largest delta is 3.2 percent, which occurs in the Cinebench R15 multi-core, R20 multi-core, and R23 multi-core tests. The Intel Core i5-12600HE achieves scores of 1,735, 7,231, and 17,217 respectively, versus the AMD's 1,682, 7,009, and 16,690.

Q: How do the average benchmark scores compare?

A: The Intel Core i5-12600HE has an average benchmark score of 4,980, while the AMD Ryzen 7 5800HS scores 4,827. This represents a difference of 153 points, or approximately 3.1 percent, favoring the Intel chip.

Q: Are both processors in the same performance percentile?

A: Yes, both the Intel Core i5-12600HE and the AMD Ryzen 7 5800HS sit at the 59th percentile among all CPUs in the database. Their nearest rivals are also clustered closely, with the Intel part's closest competitor, the Intel Core i7-1375PRE, within 0.1 percent, and the AMD's closest, the AMD Ryzen 7 4700GE, within 0.2 percent.

Q: Does the AMD chip win in any measured category?

A: No. The recorded data shows the AMD Ryzen 7 5800HS loses all six head-to-head tests. However, it has a lower thermal design power of 35 watts compared to the Intel part's 45 watts, though the database does not include power consumption benchmarks.

Q: What are the single-core score differences?

A: In Cinebench R23 single-core, the Intel Core i5-12600HE scores 2,430 versus the AMD's 2,356, a 3.1 percent lead. In R20 single-core, the scores are 1,020 and 989, a 3.1 percent gap. In R15 single-core, the scores are 244 and 237, a 3 percent difference.

Architecture Differences

The architectural divide between these two processors is substantial. The Intel Core i5-12600HE is built on Alder Lake architecture, specifically the Alder Lake-H generation, fabricated on Intel's 10 nm process node. It uses a hybrid design with 12 cores and 16 threads, a configuration that implies the presence of both performance and efficiency cores, though the database does not specify the core type split. The die size measures 217 mm².

The AMD Ryzen 7 5800HS, in contrast, uses the Zen 3 architecture under the Cezanne codename, built on TSMC's 7 nm process. It has 8 cores and 16 threads, a traditional homogeneous core design. The chip packs 10,700 million transistors on a 180 mm² die. The smaller process node allows AMD to fit more transistors per area, though the Intel chip's larger die houses more cores.

Cache hierarchies differ notably. The Intel part allocates 80 KB of L1 cache per core and 1.25 MB of L2 cache per core, with a shared 18 MB L3 cache. The AMD chip uses 64 KB of L1 per core and 512 KB of L2 per core, with a shared 16 MB L3 cache. The Intel chip has a larger L3 cache by 2 MB, and its per-core L2 allocation is more than double that of the AMD chip.

Memory support also diverges. The Intel Core i5-12600HE supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory in a dual-channel configuration, while the AMD chip is limited to DDR4. The AMD part's memory bandwidth is listed at 68.3 GB/s, but no equivalent figure is provided for the Intel chip. The Intel part also offers PCIe Gen 4 with 20 lanes from the CPU, whereas the AMD chip uses PCIe Gen 3 without a lane count specified.

Integrated graphics differ as well. The Intel chip features Iris Xe with 80 execution units, while the AMD chip includes Radeon Vega 8. The database does not include graphics benchmarks, so a performance comparison is not possible from the recorded data. Both processors target the mobile market segment, use sockets that are not interchangeable (Intel BGA 1744 versus AMD Socket FP6), and lack an unlocked multiplier.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ across nearly every specification field. The Intel Core i5-12600HE has 12 cores and 16 threads, while the AMD Ryzen 7 5800HS has 8 cores and 16 threads. The Intel chip's base clock is 2.50 GHz with a boost clock of 4.50 GHz; the AMD chip runs at 2.80 GHz base and 4.40 GHz boost. The AMD part starts at a higher base frequency but the Intel part boosts higher.

Thermal design power separates them clearly: the Intel chip is rated at 45 watts, the AMD chip at 35 watts. The Intel part uses the Intel BGA 1744 socket, while the AMD chip uses AMD Socket FP6. The manufacturing processes differ, with Intel on 10 nm and AMD on 7 nm, and the foundries are different: Intel fabricates its own chip, while TSMC produces the AMD part.

The transistor count is specified only for the AMD chip at 10,700 million, while the die size is given for both: 217 mm² for Intel and 180 mm² for AMD. Cache configurations differ as described, with the Intel chip offering larger per-core L1 and L2 caches and a larger L3 cache. Memory support is broader on the Intel side, accepting both DDR4 and DDR5, whereas the AMD chip is DDR4-only. Memory bandwidth is listed only for the AMD chip at 68.3 GB/s.

PCIe support favors the Intel chip with Gen 4 and 20 CPU lanes, versus Gen 3 on the AMD side. Integrated graphics are distinct, with Iris Xe 80EU on Intel and Radeon Vega 8 on AMD. The AMD chip has a release date of January 11, 2021, while no release date is recorded for the Intel part. The part numbers differ, with the Intel chip identified as SRLE5 and the AMD chip as 100-000000295. Neither processor supports ECC memory, and both are locked multipliers. The production status for both is listed as active.