AMD Ryzen 7 5800HS vs Intel Xeon W-1290E Comparison

The AMD Ryzen 7 5800HS and Intel Xeon W-1290E occupy different corners of the processor market, yet their benchmark results place them on nearly identical footing. The Ryzen 7 5800HS is a 35 W mobile part built on TSMC's 7 nm process, while the Xeon W-1290E is a 95 W server/workstation chip on Intel's 14 nm node. Despite the Xeon’s higher core count and clock speeds, the data shows the AMD chip winning all six head-to-head Cinebench tests, albeit by margins of roughly 1.1% to 1.3%. Both processors share the same 59th percentile ranking among all CPUs, and their average benchmark scores differ by only about 1.1% (4827 for AMD vs 4775 for Intel).

FAQ

Q: Which processor has more cores and threads?

A: The Intel Xeon W-1290E has 10 cores and 20 threads, compared to the AMD Ryzen 7 5800HS's 8 cores and 16 threads.

Q: How do their average benchmark scores compare?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 5800HS posts an average benchmark score of 4827, while the Intel Xeon W-1290E scores 4775. That puts AMD roughly 1.1% ahead on average.

Q: Which chip wins in single-core performance?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 5800HS wins every single-core Cinebench test. In Cinebench R23 single-core, it scores 2356 versus Intel's 2330, a 1.1% advantage.

Q: Does the Xeon support ECC memory?

A: Yes, the Intel Xeon W-1290E supports ECC memory, while the AMD Ryzen 7 5800HS does not.

Q: What are the TDP ratings for each processor?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 5800HS has a TDP of 35 W, while the Intel Xeon W-1290E has a TDP of 95 W.

Q: Which processor has a higher boost clock?

A: The Intel Xeon W-1290E boosts up to 4.80 GHz, compared to the AMD Ryzen 7 5800HS's 4.40 GHz boost clock.

Q: How many benchmark wins does each chip claim in the head-to-head tests?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 5800HS wins all six head-to-head Cinebench benchmarks, while the Intel Xeon W-1290E wins none.

Architecture Differences

The two processors represent fundamentally different design philosophies. The AMD Ryzen 7 5800HS uses the Zen 3 architecture, codenamed Cezanne, built on TSMC's 7 nm process node. It packs 10,700 million transistors into a 180 mm² die. The Intel Xeon W-1290E uses the older Comet Lake architecture, also its codename, fabricated on Intel's 14 nm process. Intel's die is larger at 206 mm², with no transistor count listed in the data.

Cache layouts diverge significantly. The AMD chip offers 64 KB of L1 cache per core and 512 KB of L2 per core, with 16 MB of shared L3 cache. The Intel part matches the 64 KB L1 per core but halves L2 to 256 KB per core, while increasing shared L3 to 20 MB. That extra L3 could help Intel in cache-sensitive workloads, though the benchmark data does not show it translating into wins.

Memory bandwidth tells a different story. The Ryzen 7 5800HS supports dual-channel DDR4 with a theoretical bandwidth of 68.3 GB/s, while the Xeon W-1290E also uses dual-channel DDR4 but maxes out at 46.9 GB/s. That is a substantial gap favoring AMD. Both chips run PCIe Gen 3, though Intel lists 16 lanes from the CPU only, while AMD does not specify lane counts.

Integrated graphics differ as well. AMD pairs the Ryzen 7 5800HS with Radeon Vega 8 graphics, while Intel equips the Xeon W-1290E with UHD Graphics P630. The AMD part is explicitly a mobile processor (market segment: Mobile) with a release date of January 11, 2021. The Intel chip targets the server/workstation segment and was released earlier, on May 12, 2020. Both are currently listed as Active in production status, and neither has an unlocked multiplier.

The Verdict

The benchmark data presents a clear, if narrow, winner. The AMD Ryzen 7 5800HS outperforms the Intel Xeon W-1290E in every single Cinebench test recorded, from R15 through R23, in both single-core and multi-core runs. The largest margin is a 1.3% lead in Cinebench R15 single-core (237 vs 234), while all other tests show a 1.1% advantage for AMD. Given that the AMD chip accomplishes this with 8 cores versus Intel's 10, and at 35 W versus 95 W TDP, the efficiency story is stark.

Who should pick which? For mobile users needing a capable processor that sips power and still edges out a workstation-class Xeon in rendering benchmarks, the Ryzen 7 5800HS is the obvious choice. Its 7 nm process and 68.3 GB/s memory bandwidth make it the more modern design. The Xeon W-1290E, however, offers ECC memory support and a higher boost clock of 4.80 GHz, which may appeal to workstation users who prioritize data integrity over raw Cinebench numbers. The Intel chip also carries a launch MSRP of $552, while the AMD part has no listed launch MSRP. For pure benchmark performance, the data says AMD wins all six head-to-head comparisons, and the 59th percentile ranking for both chips shows they sit at similar overall levels. The Xeon's only real advantages are ECC support and two extra cores, but those cores do not deliver better multi-core results in these tests.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ across nearly every major specification category. Core and thread counts lead the list: Intel has 10 cores and 20 threads, AMD has 8 cores and 16 threads. Clock speeds favor Intel, with a base clock of 3.50 GHz and boost of 4.80 GHz, versus AMD's 2.80 GHz base and 4.40 GHz boost. TDP is a dramatic difference: 95 W for Intel, 35 W for AMD.

Process technology separates them by a full node generation. AMD uses TSMC's 7 nm process with 10,700 million transistors on a 180 mm² die. Intel uses its own 14 nm process with no listed transistor count and a 206 mm² die. Cache configurations differ in L2 and L3: AMD provides 512 KB L2 per core and 16 MB shared L3, while Intel provides 256 KB L2 per core and 20 MB shared L3. Both share 64 KB L1 per core.

Memory bandwidth favors AMD significantly at 68.3 GB/s versus Intel's 46.9 GB/s, though both use dual-channel DDR4. ECC memory support is exclusive to the Intel Xeon. Socket compatibility separates them entirely: AMD uses Socket FP6, Intel uses Socket 1200. Integrated graphics differ, with AMD's Radeon Vega 8 against Intel's UHD Graphics P630. Market segments also differ: Mobile for AMD, Server/Workstation for Intel. Release dates are about eight months apart (Intel earlier), and the Intel part has a launch MSRP of $552 while AMD has none listed. The part numbers are 100-000000295 for AMD and SRJFB for Intel.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head data shows a clean sweep for the AMD Ryzen 7 5800HS. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, AMD scores 1682 against Intel's 1664, a 1.1% win. The single-core R15 test shows AMD at 237 versus 234, a 1.3% margin — the largest of any comparison. Moving to Cinebench R20, AMD takes multi-core at 7009 versus 6934 (1.1%) and single-core at 989 versus 978 (1.1%). The pattern holds in Cinebench R23, where AMD leads multi-core 16690 to 16510 (1.1%) and single-core 2356 to 2330 (1.1%).

The consistency of these margins is notable. Across all six tests, AMD's advantage barely wavers between 1.1% and 1.3%. This suggests a fundamental efficiency edge in the Zen 3 architecture rather than a workload-specific quirk. The Xeon's higher boost clock (4.80 GHz vs 4.40 GHz) and two additional cores do not overcome AMD's architectural advantages in IPC, memory bandwidth, and process node. The 68.3 GB/s versus 46.9 GB/s memory bandwidth gap likely plays a role in the multi-core results, while the 7 nm process helps AMD sustain performance at dramatically lower power. The Intel Xeon W-1290E's nearest rivals include the AMD EPYC 7252 (deltaPct 0.1) and Intel Xeon E-2386G (deltaPct -0.5), while the Ryzen 7 5800HS sits within 1.1% of the Intel Core i5-1350P and 0.6% of the Intel Xeon E-2386G. Both chips land in similar company, but AMD does so with a fraction of the power envelope and a mobile form factor. The data is unambiguous: the Ryzen 7 5800HS is the faster processor in every benchmark recorded, even if the practical differences are small.