AMD Ryzen 7 7840H vs Intel Core i9-13900H Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark data reveals a fascinating split between the AMD Ryzen 7 7840H and the Intel Core i9-13900H, with the AMD processor claiming 13 wins against Intel's 10 across the head-to-head suite. The most dramatic margin belongs to AMD in Cinebench R23 single-core, where the Ryzen 7 7840H scores 3350 against Intel's 1964.5, a staggering 70.5% advantage. This is not a small gap; it signals a fundamental difference in how each architecture handles lightly threaded workloads.

The multi-core picture is equally striking, though not uniform. In Cinebench R23 multi-core, the AMD Ryzen 7 7840H posts 23731 versus Intel's 17471, a 35.8% lead. Yet in Cinebench R15 multi-core, the tables turn: Intel wins with 2666.5 against AMD's 2392, a 10.3% advantage. This inconsistency suggests that the two processors scale very differently depending on the workload's characteristics. The Ryzen 7 7840H also wins Cinebench R20 multi-core with 9967 versus 9676, a modest 3% margin, and Cinebench R20 single-core with 1407 versus 1365, a 3.1% edge.

The 3DMark results show AMD's strength in middle thread counts. At 8 threads, AMD wins decisively with 6116 against Intel's 5395, a 13.4% margin. At 16 threads, AMD again leads with 7461 versus 7063, a 5.6% advantage. However, Intel fights back at the extremes. In 3DMark max threads, Intel scores 7670 against AMD's 7409, a 3.4% win. In 3DMark single-thread, Intel takes a clear 9.5% victory with 1078 versus 976. The 2-thread test also goes to Intel, 2002 versus 1906, a 4.8% margin, while the 4-thread test is nearly tied, with AMD edging out a 1.3% win.

PassMark results further complicate the narrative. Intel dominates in floating-point math with 69611 against AMD's 58724, a 15.6% lead. Intel also wins physics with 1745 versus 1301, a substantial 25.4% margin, and prime number finding with 104 versus 83, a 20.2% advantage. The integer math test is nearly identical, with Intel ahead by just 0.5% (97159 versus 96692). Meanwhile, AMD wins PassMark data compression with 341520 versus 326425, a 4.6% edge, and data encryption with 20162 versus 18974, a 6.3% lead. The extended instructions test shows AMD's strength, with a 32.7% advantage (25654 versus 19330). AMD also wins random string sorting (38938 versus 35637, a 9.3% margin) and the overall PassMark multithread test, though barely, at 27919 versus 27673, a 0.9% difference.

Looking at average benchmark scores, the database shows AMD at 29868 versus Intel at 28886, placing both processors at the 81st percentile among all CPUs. AMD's nearest rival is the AMD Ryzen 7 5800XT with an average score of 29879, a 0% delta, while the Intel Core i9-13900H sits closest to the Intel Core i5-12600H at 28882, also a 0% delta. Both processors are competitive within their respective ecosystems, but the head-to-head data shows that the Ryzen 7 7840H holds an overall edge in aggregate performance.

The Verdict

The recorded data points to a clear conclusion: the AMD Ryzen 7 7840H is the stronger processor for most modern workloads, particularly those that leverage multi-threading and instruction-level parallelism. The 35.8% lead in Cinebench R23 multi-core and the 70.5% lead in Cinebench R23 single-core are the largest margins in the entire comparison, and they are not isolated anomalies. AMD also wins the more modern Cinebench R20 tests and the PassMark multithread test. The average benchmark score of 29868 versus 28886 reinforces this view, with AMD holding roughly a 3.4% aggregate advantage.

However, the Intel Core i9-13900H is not without its own territory. The data shows Intel winning in single-threaded 3DMark and PassMark tests, and it holds decisive advantages in physics calculations, floating-point math, and prime number finding. These are not trivial workloads, and for users whose primary applications rely on these specific operations, the Intel processor will deliver better results. The 25.4% margin in PassMark physics and the 15.6% margin in floating-point math indicate that Intel's architecture has strengths in certain scientific and simulation tasks.

For general-purpose computing, the data favors AMD. The Ryzen 7 7840H's wins in Cinebench R23, data compression, encryption, and extended instructions suggest a processor that handles a broad range of tasks with equal competence. The Intel part, while powerful, appears more specialized, excelling in narrow but important niches. The 13-10 win count in the head-to-head suite, combined with the larger margins on AMD's side, makes the Ryzen 7 7840H the recommended choice for most users.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Ryzen 7 7840H is the clear winner in rendering and content creation workloads. Cinebench R23 multi-core and single-core results, with margins of 35.8% and 70.5% respectively, indicate a processor that excels in 3D rendering, video encoding, and photo editing. The PassMark extended instructions test, where AMD leads by 32.7%, suggests strong performance in AVX-512 and similar instruction sets, which are common in scientific computing and data analysis. Data compression and encryption tasks also favor AMD, with 4.6% and 6.3% leads respectively, making it a solid choice for archival work and secure communications.

The Intel Core i9-13900H wins in physics simulation and floating-point heavy workloads. The 25.4% margin in PassMark physics and the 15.6% margin in floating-point math point to strengths in engineering simulations, financial modeling, and certain types of scientific computing. Intel also leads in prime number finding by 20.2%, which is relevant for cryptography and number theory research. The single-threaded 3DMark and PassMark wins (9.5% and 3% respectively) indicate that Intel has a slight edge in lightly threaded gaming and legacy applications that cannot utilize multiple cores effectively.

For mixed workloads, the AMD processor's 13.4% lead in 3DMark 8-thread and 5.6% lead in 16-thread tests suggests it handles multi-threaded gaming and productivity applications better. The Intel part's max-thread win of 3.4% shows it can scale to very high thread counts, but the Ryzen 7 7840H's consistency across the 4, 8, and 16-thread tests makes it the more reliable performer for everyday multitasking.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has a higher single-core score in Cinebench R23?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 7840H wins Cinebench R23 single-core with a score of 3350, which is 70.5% higher than the Intel Core i9-13900H's 1964.5.

Q: Does the Intel Core i9-13900H win any multi-core benchmark?

A: Yes, the Intel Core i9-13900H wins Cinebench R15 multi-core with 2666.5 versus AMD's 2392, a 10.3% margin, and 3DMark max threads with 7670 versus 7409, a 3.4% margin.

Q: Which processor has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 7840H has an average benchmark score of 29868, compared to the Intel Core i9-13900H's 28886. Both processors rank at the 81st percentile among all CPUs.

Q: How do the two processors compare in data encryption?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 7840H leads in PassMark data encryption with a score of 20162, which is 6.3% higher than Intel's 18974.

Q: Which processor is better for floating-point math?

A: The Intel Core i9-13900H wins PassMark floating-point math with 69611 against AMD's 58724, a 15.6% advantage.

Q: What is the thread count difference between the two processors?

A: The Intel Core i9-13900H has 14 cores and 20 threads, while the AMD Ryzen 7 7840H has 8 cores and 16 threads.

Architecture Differences

The AMD Ryzen 7 7840H is built on TSMC's 4 nm process using the Zen 4 architecture, codenamed Phoenix. It contains 25,000 million transistors on a 178 mm² die. The Intel Core i9-13900H uses Intel's 10 nm process with the Raptor Lake architecture, codenamed Raptor Lake-H, on a larger 257 mm² die. The process node difference is significant, as the smaller 4 nm node allows AMD to achieve higher efficiency, which is reflected in its lower 35 W TDP compared to Intel's 45 W TDP.

The core configuration differs substantially. AMD uses 8 cores and 16 threads, all based on the Zen 4 architecture. Intel uses 14 cores and 20 threads, implementing a hybrid design with performance and efficiency cores. The cache hierarchies also differ: AMD provides 64 KB L1 and 1 MB L2 per core, with 16 MB shared L3. Intel provides 80 KB L1 and 2 MB L2 per core, with 24 MB shared L3. The larger L3 cache on Intel may contribute to its wins in certain latency-sensitive workloads, while AMD's smaller but more efficient cache design helps in others.

Memory support diverges as well. AMD supports DDR5 only, with dual-channel memory and a bandwidth of 89.6 GB/s. Intel supports both DDR4 and DDR5, also dual-channel, though no bandwidth figure is recorded. AMD supports ECC memory, while Intel does not. PCIe connectivity also differs: AMD offers Gen 4 with 20 lanes (CPU only), while Intel offers Gen 5 with 8 lanes (CPU only). The integrated graphics are Radeon 780M on AMD and Iris Xe Graphics 96EU on Intel.

Specification Differences

The AMD Ryzen 7 7840H has a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 5.10 GHz, while the Intel Core i9-13900H has a base clock of 2.60 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz. Despite Intel's higher boost clock, the AMD processor achieves higher scores in most multi-threaded tests, indicating that clock speed alone does not determine performance. The TDP difference is notable: AMD at 35 W versus Intel at 45 W, suggesting AMD delivers its performance with lower power consumption.

The socket types are incompatible: AMD uses AMD Socket FP8, while Intel uses Intel BGA 1744. The production status for both is active. The Intel Core i9-13900H has a recorded release date of January 3, 2023, and a launch MSRP of $617, while no launch MSRP is recorded for the AMD Ryzen 7 7840H. Neither processor has an unlocked multiplier. The part numbers differ: AMD lists multiple part numbers (100-000000955, 100-000000964, 100-000001129) for different socket variants, while Intel lists a single part number, SRMJ4.