AMD Ryzen 7 7736U vs Intel Core i7-12650HX Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data shows a clear split between these two mobile processors, with the Intel Core i7-12650HX winning 11 of the 15 head-to-head comparisons, while the AMD Ryzen 7 7736U takes 4. The size of those victories, however, tells a more nuanced story.

The most dramatic gap appears in Cinebench R23. The Intel part scores 19043 in multi-core, which is 49.1% ahead of AMD's 12768. Single-core R23 is even more lopsided: Intel's 2688 beats AMD's 1548 by 73.6%. That is the single largest delta in the entire comparison. Cinebench R15 multi-core flips the script, with AMD winning 2019 to 1919, a 5% margin. R15 single-core goes back to Intel, 270 to 246, a 9.8% advantage.

The PassMark suite reveals where each architecture's strengths lie. Intel dominates floating point math with 58426 against AMD's 44499, a 31.3% edge. Prime number finding also favors Intel heavily, 74 to 56, a 32.1% lead. Physics simulation goes to Intel by 14.4%, scoring 1152 versus 1007. Integer math is closer, with Intel ahead just 3.8% (81810 vs 78821). Multi-threaded PassMark shows Intel up 3.9% (22573 vs 21725), and random string sorting favors Intel by 5.4% (29692 vs 28172). Single-thread PassMark gives Intel 3637 against AMD's 3350, an 8.6% margin, and the duplicate singlethread entry confirms the same result.

AMD's wins are concentrated in specific workloads. Extended instructions show the largest AMD advantage: 19384 versus 15856, an 18.2% lead. Data compression goes to AMD by 2.8% (274440 vs 266700). Data encryption is nearly even, AMD winning 15635 to 15325, a 2% edge. The R15 multi-core win at 5% rounds out AMD's four victories.

Looking at overall averages, the Intel chip sits at 31290 average benchmark score with an 82nd percentile ranking across all CPUs. AMD's average is 30364, placing it in the 81st percentile. The Intel part's nearest rivals include the Intel Core 9 273PTE at 31143 (0.5% behind) and the Intel Core Ultra 3 205 at 31473 (0.6% ahead). AMD's closest competitor is the AMD Ryzen 5 7640HS at 30390, which trails by 0.1%, and the Intel Core i9-11980HK at 30422, 0.2% ahead. These proximity scores indicate both processors sit in a tightly packed performance tier.

Where Each One Wins

The Intel Core i7-12650HX is the clear choice for compute-heavy, multi-threaded rendering workloads. The 49.1% lead in Cinebench R23 multi-core is decisive, and the 73.6% single-core advantage in the same suite suggests it also handles lightly threaded tasks with more headroom. Floating point math, prime number searches, and physics simulations all favor Intel by margins ranging from 14.4% to 32.1%. For users running 3D rendering, scientific calculations, or physics-based simulations, the data strongly favors the Intel part.

AMD's Ryzen 7 7736U wins where instruction-level efficiency and data manipulation matter. The 18.2% lead in extended instructions is substantial, indicating better handling of specialized instruction sets. Data compression and encryption, both common in file archiving and security workloads, favor AMD by 2.8% and 2% respectively. The R15 multi-core win, while modest at 5%, hints that in legacy multi-threaded benchmarks AMD can compete. For database workloads, compression tasks, or encryption-heavy applications, AMD holds the advantage.

The multi-threaded PassMark score tells a practical story: Intel leads by only 3.9% despite having 14 cores versus AMD's 8. This suggests AMD's per-core efficiency in certain workloads narrows the gap. Similarly, integer math is nearly tied at 3.8% in Intel's favor, meaning general productivity tasks will feel similar on both platforms. The real differentiators are rendering (Intel), floating point (Intel), and extended instructions (AMD).

Architecture Differences

The two chips come from fundamentally different design philosophies. Intel's Core i7-12650HX uses Alder Lake architecture on a 10 nm process fabricated by Intel, with a die size of 215 mm². It packs 14 cores and 20 threads, combining performance and efficiency cores in a hybrid layout. Cache is generous: 80 KB of L1 per core, 1.25 MB of L2 per core, and 24 MB of shared L3. The base clock is 2000 MHz with a boost of 4.7 GHz, and the TDP is rated at 55 W. It uses the Intel BGA 1964 socket and supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory in dual-channel configuration. PCIe connectivity is Gen 5 with 20 CPU lanes. Integrated graphics come from UHD Graphics 770. The multiplier is unlocked, allowing overclocking. It launched on 2022-05-09 and uses the Alder Lake-HX codename.

AMD's Ryzen 7 7736U is built on Zen 3+ architecture, specifically the Rembrandt-R codename, using a 6 nm process from TSMC. The die is 208 mm², nearly identical in size to Intel's. It has 8 cores and 16 threads, all standard cores with no hybrid layout. Cache is smaller across the board: 64 KB L1 per core, 512 KB per core, and 16 MB shared L3. The base clock is 2700 MHz with the same 4.7 GHz boost as Intel, but the TDP is dramatically lower at 15 W. Socket compatibility is AMD Socket FP7, memory support is limited to DDR5 in dual-channel with a measured bandwidth of 76.8 GB/s, and ECC memory is supported. PCIe is Gen 4 with 20 CPU lanes. Graphics come from Radeon 680M integrated graphics. The multiplier is locked, so no overclocking. The part numbers are 100-000000534(FP7) and 100-000000617(FP7r2), released on 2023-01-03. Both parts are active in production and target the mobile segment.

The process node difference is notable: Intel uses 10 nm while AMD uses 6 nm from TSMC. This partially explains AMD's much lower 15 W TDP despite similar boost clocks. However, Intel's larger core count and higher TDP deliver the multi-core wins seen in Cinebench R23. The cache hierarchy also differs significantly, with Intel allocating more L3 (24 MB vs 16 MB) and more per-core L2 (1.25 MB vs 512 KB), which likely contributes to its floating point and physics advantages.

FAQ

Q: Which processor is faster in Cinebench R23 multi-core?

A: The Intel Core i7-12650HX scores 19043, which is 49.1% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 7 7736U's 12768.

Q: Does the AMD Ryzen 7 7736U win any benchmark?

A: Yes, it wins four comparisons: Cinebench R15 multi-core (2019 vs 1919, 5% ahead), PassMark data compression (274440 vs 266700, 2.8% ahead), data encryption (15635 vs 15325, 2% ahead), and extended instructions (19384 vs 15856, 18.2% ahead).

Q: What is the core and thread count difference?

A: The Intel chip has 14 cores and 20 threads, while the AMD chip has 8 cores and 16 threads.

Q: How do their boost clocks compare?

A: Both processors boost to 4.7 GHz, but the base clocks differ: Intel runs at 2000 MHz, AMD at 2700 MHz.

Q: Which processor has more L3 cache?

A: Intel has 24 MB of shared L3 cache, compared to AMD's 16 MB.

Q: Do both support dual-channel memory?

A: Yes, both support dual-channel memory, but Intel supports DDR4 and DDR5 while AMD supports only DDR5. AMD's memory bandwidth is listed as 76.8 GB/s.

Specification Differences

| Specification | Intel Core i7-12650HX | AMD Ryzen 7 7736U |

|---|---|---|

| Cores | 14 | 8 |

| Threads | 20 | 16 |

| Base clock | 2000 MHz | 2700 MHz |

| TDP | 55 W | 15 W |

| Socket | Intel BGA 1964 | AMD Socket FP7 |

| Architecture | Alder Lake | Zen 3+ |

| Codename | Alder Lake-HX | Rembrandt-R |

| Process node | 10 nm | 6 nm |

| Foundry | Intel | TSMC |

| Die size | 215 mm² | 208 mm² |

| L1 cache | 80 KB (per core) | 64 KB (per core) |

| L2 cache | 1.25 MB (per core) | 512 KB (per core) |

| L3 cache | 24 MB (shared) | 16 MB (shared) |

| Memory support | DDR4, DDR5 | DDR5 |

| Memory bandwidth | Not specified | 76.8 GB/s |

| ECC memory | No | Yes |

| PCIe | Gen 5, 20 Lanes (CPU only) | Gen 4, 20 Lanes (CPU only) |

| Integrated graphics | UHD Graphics 770 | Radeon 680M |

| Multiplier unlocked | Yes | No |

| Release date | 2022-05-09 | 2023-01-03 |

| Part number | Not specified | 100-000000534(FP7), 100-000000617(FP7r2) |

| Average benchmark score | 31290 | 30364 |

| Percentile vs all CPUs | 82 | 81 |