AMD Ryzen 7 8700F vs Intel Core 5 320 Comparison

The AMD Ryzen 7 8700F and the Intel Core 5 320 occupy completely different performance tiers, with the Ryzen 7 8700F dominating the vast majority of benchmark comparisons. Across the 17 head-to-head tests recorded in the database, the AMD part wins 14, while the Intel part wins only 3. The Ryzen 7 8700F delivers an average benchmark score of 30746, placing it in the 82nd percentile of all CPUs, whereas the Core 5 320 averages 18023, sitting in the 72nd percentile. This is not a close contest; it is a decisive victory for the AMD desktop processor across nearly every workload category measured.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Ryzen 7 8700F is the clear winner in multi-threaded and compute-heavy workloads. Its most significant victories come in Cinebench R23 multi-core, where it scores 26646 against the Intel's 6197, a 330% advantage. It also dominates integer math, scoring 100371 versus 32323, a 210.5% lead, and data compression, where it posts 378160 against the Intel's 148779, a 154.2% margin. These results indicate that the Ryzen 7 8700F is the appropriate choice for rendering, video encoding, scientific computing, and any application that scales across many threads. Its 8 cores and 16 threads provide a substantial parallel processing capability that the Intel's 6 cores and 6 threads cannot match.

The Intel Core 5 320 wins in exactly two distinct tests: PassMark single-thread and PassMark find prime numbers. In the single-thread test, it scores 4045 against the AMD's 3872, a 4.3% advantage. In the prime number search, it scores 110 against the AMD's 98, a 10.9% lead. These results show that the Intel part has a slight edge in lightly-threaded, latency-sensitive tasks that do not benefit from additional cores. The Core 5 320 also wins the PassMark physics test by a smaller margin relative to its other losses, though that test is still won by the AMD chip. The Intel's wins are narrow and isolated, suggesting it has a niche for specific single-threaded workloads, but it cannot compete on overall throughput.

Architecture Differences

The two processors are built on fundamentally different platforms. The AMD Ryzen 7 8700F uses the Zen 4 architecture with the codename Phoenix, manufactured on a 4 nm process at TSMC. It is a desktop part with an AMD Socket AM5, while the Intel Core 5 320 uses the Wildcat Lake codename on a 3 nm process at Intel, and it is a mobile part with an Intel BGA 1516 socket. The AMD chip has 8 cores and 16 threads, while the Intel chip has 6 cores and 6 threads, meaning the Intel part lacks hyper-threading entirely. The AMD's base clock is 4.10 GHz with a boost of 5.00 GHz, while the Intel runs at 1.50 GHz base and 4.60 GHz boost, though the Intel's lower base clock is typical for a 15 W mobile processor.

Cache configurations also differ substantially. The AMD Ryzen 7 8700F provides 64 KB of L1 cache per core, 1 MB of L2 cache per core, and 16 MB of shared L3 cache. The Intel Core 5 320 provides 192 KB of L1 cache, 2.5 MB of L2 cache, and 6 MB of shared L3 cache. The AMD's larger L3 cache is a significant advantage for workloads that repeatedly access a working set of data. The AMD uses dual-channel DDR5 memory with a bandwidth of 83.2 GB/s, while the Intel uses single-channel DDR5 or LPDDR5X with a bandwidth of 59.7 GB/s. The AMD also offers 20 PCIe Gen 4 lanes from the CPU, compared to the Intel's 6 lanes. The Intel part includes integrated Intel Xe3 Graphics with 2 Xe cores, while the AMD has no integrated graphics. The AMD has an unlocked multiplier, while the Intel does not.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 8700F has an average benchmark score of 30746, which is significantly higher than the Intel Core 5 320's average of 18023.

Q: How does the AMD Ryzen 7 8700F compare to the Intel Core 5 320 in Cinebench R23 multi-core?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 8700F scores 26646, while the Intel Core 5 320 scores 6197. The AMD leads by 330% in this test.

Q: In which benchmarks does the Intel Core 5 320 outperform the AMD Ryzen 7 8700F?

A: The Intel Core 5 320 wins the PassMark single-thread test (4045 vs 3872) and the PassMark find prime numbers test (110 vs 98), with margins of 4.3% and 10.9%, respectively.

Q: What are the core and thread counts for each processor?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 8700F has 8 cores and 16 threads. The Intel Core 5 320 has 6 cores and 6 threads.

Q: Which processor supports ECC memory?

A: Neither the AMD Ryzen 7 8700F nor the Intel Core 5 320 supports ECC memory; both list ECC support as false.

Q: What is the memory bandwidth difference between the two?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 8700F supports dual-channel DDR5 with a memory bandwidth of 83.2 GB/s. The Intel Core 5 320 supports single-channel DDR5 or LPDDR5X with a memory bandwidth of 59.7 GB/s.

Specification Differences

| Specification | AMD Ryzen 7 8700F | Intel Core 5 320 |

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

| Cores | 8 | 6 |

| Threads | 16 | 6 |

| Base Clock | 4.10 GHz | 1.50 GHz |

| Boost Clock | 5.00 GHz | 4.60 GHz |

| TDP | 65 W | 15 W |

| Socket | AMD Socket AM5 | Intel BGA 1516 |

| Codename | Phoenix | Wildcat Lake |

| Process Node | 4 nm | 3 nm |

| Foundry | TSMC | Intel |

| L1 Cache | 64 KB (per core) | 192 KB |

| L2 Cache | 1 MB (per core) | 2.5 MB |

| L3 Cache | 16 MB (shared) | 6 MB (shared) |

| Memory Support | DDR5 | DDR5, LPDDR5X |

| Memory Bus | Dual-channel | Single-channel |

| Memory Bandwidth | 83.2 GB/s | 59.7 GB/s |

| PCIe | Gen 4, 20 Lanes (CPU only) | Gen 4, 6 Lanes (CPU only) |

| Integrated Graphics | N/A | Intel Xe3 Graphics (2 Xe) |

| Market Segment | Desktop | Mobile |

| Multiplier Unlocked | Yes | No |

| Launch MSRP | $270 | $340 |

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The most decisive benchmark victory belongs to the AMD Ryzen 7 8700F in Cinebench R23 multi-core. The AMD scores 26646, while the Intel Core 5 320 scores 6197, giving the AMD a 330% lead. This result underscores the massive multi-threading advantage of the AMD's 8-core, 16-thread design versus the Intel's 6-core, 6-thread configuration. The margin is so large that the Intel processor would need to nearly quadruple its score to match the AMD.

The AMD also dominates in PassMark integer math, scoring 100371 against the Intel's 32323, a 210.5% difference. This test reflects raw ALU throughput and scales directly with core count and clock speed. Similarly, in PassMark data compression, the AMD scores 378160 versus 148779, a 154.2% margin, and in PassMark random string sorting, the AMD scores 45425 versus 18038, a 151.8% lead. These results consistently show the AMD delivering more than double the performance in parallel integer workloads.

In Cinebench R20 multi-core, the AMD scores 11191 versus the Intel's 5462, a 104.9% lead, while in Cinebench R15 multi-core, the AMD scores 2685 versus 1054, a 154.7% margin. The AMD also wins PassMark multithread with a score of 30893 against 15450, an exact 100% advantage. The AMD's wins extend into floating-point math, where it scores 62629 against 42440, a 47.6% lead, and data encryption, where it scores 22117 against 10984, a 101.4% margin.

Single-threaded performance is closer. In Cinebench R23 single-core, the AMD scores 3761 versus the Intel's 1926, a 95.3% advantage. In Cinebench R20 single-core, the AMD scores 1579 versus 771, a 104.8% lead, and in Cinebench R15 single-core, the AMD scores 378 versus 276, a 37% margin. The only tests where the Intel wins are PassMark single-thread, where it scores 4045 versus 3872, and PassMark find prime numbers, where it scores 110 versus 98. These wins are notable but narrow, and they do not offset the AMD's overwhelming advantage in every multi-threaded and most single-threaded tests.

The Verdict

The data supports a clear conclusion: the AMD Ryzen 7 8700F is the superior processor for virtually all compute-intensive tasks. Its 82nd percentile ranking and 30746 average score place it far above the Intel Core 5 320's 72nd percentile and 18023 average. The AMD wins 14 of 17 head-to-head benchmarks, including every Cinebench test and every PassMark test except single-thread and prime number search. For users running rendering workloads, compiling code, processing large datasets, or any application that uses multiple threads, the AMD Ryzen 7 8700F delivers between 47.6% and 330% higher performance depending on the specific test.

The Intel Core 5 320 has a specific but limited role. Its wins in PassMark single-thread (4045 vs 3872) and prime number search (110 vs 98) indicate a slight advantage in certain latency-sensitive, single-threaded operations. Its integrated Intel Xe3 Graphics, lower 15 W TDP, and mobile BGA socket also differentiate it as a low-power mobile part. However, for desktop users comparing raw CPU throughput, the Intel's 6-core, 6-thread configuration with single-channel memory cannot match the AMD's 8-core, 16-thread configuration with dual-channel memory. The Intel Core 5 320 is appropriate for workloads that prioritize the few single-threaded tests it wins, but the database records show the AMD Ryzen 7 8700F as the dominant choice for general and multi-threaded performance.