AMD Ryzen 7 8840HX vs Intel Core 5 315 Comparison

AMD Ryzen 7 8840HX vs Intel Core 5 315: benchmark data from the database shows a heavily lopsided comparison. The AMD part, a 12-core, 24-thread Dragon Range processor, dominates nearly every recorded workload, while the Intel Core 5 315, a 6-core, 6-thread Wildcat Lake chip, manages only a narrow win in single-threaded tests. The following analysis walks through the head-to-head results, the use-case implications, and the architectural reasons behind the gap.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The most decisive result in the database is Cinebench R23 multi-core. The AMD Ryzen 7 8840HX scores 25,265, which is 94.6% ahead of the Intel Core 5 315’s 12,981. That is nearly double the rendering throughput, a massive margin that reflects the AMD chip’s 12 cores and 24 threads versus the Intel chip’s 6 cores and 6 threads. In single-core Cinebench R23, the gap nearly disappears: AMD scores 1,857, Intel scores 1,832, a 1.4% lead for AMD. This suggests the two architectures are broadly similar in per-thread performance, but the multi-core delta is where the real story lies.

Beyond Cinebench, the PassMark suite reinforces the AMD advantage, often by even larger margins. In integer math, AMD scores 146,506 against Intel’s 31,690, a 362.3% delta, the largest single gap in the entire comparison. Floating-point math shows a 104.4% lead (86,747 vs 42,441). Data compression favors AMD by 239.7% (496,427 vs 146,143), and random string sorting favors AMD by 230.3% (57,971 vs 17,551). These are extreme deltas, indicating that the AMD chip’s raw compute throughput vastly outstrips the Intel chip in any workload that scales with core count or memory bandwidth.

Encryption and extended instructions also go decisively to AMD. Data encryption scores 29,919 vs 11,119, a 169.1% lead. Extended instructions (often AVX-class workloads) show 36,527 vs 13,143, a 177.9% lead. Prime number finding, a test sensitive to integer throughput and cache behavior, shows AMD at 304 vs Intel at 112, a 171.4% lead. The PassMark multi-thread score is 41,732 vs 15,272, a 173.3% delta, and the physics test shows 2,185 vs 1,163, an 87.9% lead.

The only two benchmarks where Intel wins are the PassMark single-thread and singlethread tests, which are the same test recorded twice. Intel scores 4,021, AMD scores 3,958, giving Intel a 1.6% edge. This is a narrow victory, but it is the sole area where the Intel chip demonstrates any superiority. It indicates that for a single, lightly-threaded task, the two processors are nearly equivalent, with Intel holding a slight edge. However, this single win does little to offset the 11 wins recorded for AMD across the head-to-head suite.

Where Each One Wins

The data splits cleanly between multi-core and single-core workloads. The AMD Ryzen 7 8840HX wins all multi-threaded benchmarks, including Cinebench R23 multi-core, all PassMark math tests, data compression, encryption, extended instructions, prime number finding, multi-thread, physics, and random string sorting. These results point to workloads that are parallel or bandwidth-intensive: video rendering, scientific computation, batch data processing, compression and archiving, encryption tasks, and any software that can utilize 24 threads. The 94.6% Cinebench multi-core lead and the 362.3% integer math lead are the clearest indicators: if the task can use multiple cores, the AMD chip is overwhelmingly faster.

The Intel Core 5 315 wins only the PassMark single-thread test, with a 1.6% margin over AMD. This is a narrowly-scoped victory. It suggests that for purely sequential tasks, like legacy single-threaded applications or certain interactive workflows, the Intel chip is marginally quicker. But the margin is small enough that most users would not notice the difference in everyday use. The Intel chip’s advantage is real but thin, and it comes with a major caveat: the chip has only 6 threads, so any workload that attempts to parallelize will immediately fall behind.

One additional context comes from the average benchmark scores and percentile rankings. The AMD Ryzen 7 8840HX has an average benchmark score of 71,797, placing it in the 94th percentile of all CPUs in the database. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core Ultra 7 265KF (avg 71,910, 0.2% behind), the Intel Xeon 6724P (avg 72,396, 0.8% behind), and the Intel Xeon 6517P (avg 72,350, 0.8% behind). The Intel Core 5 315, by contrast, has an average score of 18,188, placing it in the 72nd percentile. Its nearest rivals are the AMD EPYC 9274F (avg 18,189, 0% delta), the Intel Core i7-9700 (avg 18,180, 0% delta), and the AMD Ryzen 7 5700U (avg 18,176, 0.1% delta). This placement shows that the Intel chip competes with older desktop and mobile parts, not with the AMD Dragon Range chip.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has the higher multi-core Cinebench R23 score?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 8840HX scores 25,265 versus the Intel Core 5 315’s 12,981, a 94.6% lead for AMD.

Q: Does the Intel Core 5 315 win any benchmark?

A: Yes, the Intel chip wins the PassMark single-thread test with a score of 4,021 versus AMD’s 3,958, a 1.6% margin. This is the only head-to-head test where Intel leads.

Q: How do the two chips compare in single-core Cinebench R23?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 8840HX scores 1,857, and the Intel Core 5 315 scores 1,832. AMD leads by 1.4%, a much smaller gap than the multi-core result.

Q: What is the largest performance delta in the comparison?

A: The largest delta is in PassMark integer math, where AMD scores 146,506 versus Intel’s 31,690, a 362.3% lead for AMD.

Q: What are the percentile rankings for each CPU?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 8840HX is in the 94th percentile of all CPUs, while the Intel Core 5 315 is in the 72nd percentile.

Q: What is the average benchmark score difference?

A: The AMD chip has an average benchmark score of 71,797, while the Intel chip has 18,188. The AMD chip’s closest rival (Intel Core Ultra 7 265KF) scores 71,910, and the Intel chip’s closest rival (AMD EPYC 9274F) scores 18,189.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ fundamentally in core and thread counts. The AMD Ryzen 7 8840HX has 12 cores and 24 threads, while the Intel Core 5 315 has 6 cores and 6 threads. This 2x core advantage and 4x thread advantage for AMD is the primary driver of the multi-core benchmark deltas. Clock speeds also differ: the AMD chip has a 2.90 GHz base clock and a 5.10 GHz boost clock, while the Intel chip has a 1.50 GHz base clock and a 4.40 GHz boost clock. The AMD chip boosts higher, and its base clock is nearly double Intel’s.

Thermal design power (TDP) shows a significant split. The AMD Ryzen 7 8840HX is rated at 55 watts, while the Intel Core 5 315 is rated at 15 watts. This 40-watt difference explains why AMD can sustain higher multi-core performance, but it also means the AMD chip will require more robust cooling and power delivery. Memory support differs: AMD uses dual-channel DDR5 with 83.2 GB/s bandwidth, while Intel uses single-channel DDR5 and LPDDR5X with 59.7 GB/s bandwidth. The AMD chip’s dual-channel configuration provides substantially more memory bandwidth, which contributes to its large lead in data compression and string sorting.

PCIe connectivity is also different. The AMD chip supports PCIe Gen 5 with 28 lanes (CPU only), while the Intel chip supports PCIe Gen 4 with 6 lanes (CPU only). This gives AMD more than four times the PCIe lanes and a newer generation, which matters for discrete GPUs or fast NVMe storage. The integrated graphics differ: AMD has Radeon 610M, Intel has Intel Xe3 Graphics (2 Xe). The AMD multiplier is unlocked, while the Intel multiplier is locked. Release dates differ: the AMD chip launched on 2025-04-22, the Intel chip on 2026-04-15. The Intel chip has a launch MSRP of $340, and the AMD chip has no recorded launch MSRP.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap is substantial. The AMD Ryzen 7 8840HX uses the Zen 4 architecture, codenamed Dragon Range, built on a 5 nm process at TSMC. It is a Ryzen 7 part in the 8000 series. The Intel Core 5 315 uses the Wildcat Lake codename, built on a 3 nm process at Intel. It is a Core 5 part with no series designation. The process node favors Intel (3 nm vs 5 nm), but the AMD chip compensates with a much larger transistor budget: 13,140 million transistors on a die size of 2x 71 mm². The Intel chip has no recorded transistor count or die size in the database.

Cache configurations differ sharply. The AMD chip has 64 KB of L1 per core, 1 MB of L2 per core, and 64 MB of shared L3. The Intel chip has 192 KB of L1 total, 2.5 MB of L2 total, and 6 MB of shared L3. The AMD chip’s L3 cache is over ten times larger (64 MB vs 6 MB), which likely contributes to its dominance in data compression, encryption, and prime number finding, all of which benefit from large on-chip caches. The Intel chip’s L1 cache is 192 KB total, which is smaller than AMD’s per-core allocation when multiplied across 12 cores (768 KB total for AMD).

The socket and packaging also differ. AMD uses Socket FL1, while Intel uses BGA 1516. The memory bus is dual-channel for AMD and single-channel for Intel, which directly impacts the 83.2 GB/s versus 59.7 GB/s bandwidth figures. Neither chip supports ECC memory. The AMD chip’s architecture is identified as Zen 4, while the Intel chip’s architecture field is null in the database, though its codename is Wildcat Lake. The part numbers differ: AMD lists 100-000001850, Intel lists SAEFC.

The Verdict

The benchmark data is unambiguous. The AMD Ryzen 7 8840HX wins 11 of the 13 recorded head-to-head tests, and its victories are often by huge margins. The Cinebench R23 multi-core score (25,265 vs 12,981) and the PassMark integer math score (146,506 vs 31,690) are the standout results, showing that the AMD chip delivers roughly double to quadruple the throughput in parallel workloads. For any use case that involves rendering, scientific computation, data processing, or heavy multitasking, the AMD chip is the correct choice based on the recorded data.

The Intel Core 5 315 wins only the PassMark single-thread test, with a 1.6% margin (4,021 vs 3,958). This is a narrow edge that applies to sequential tasks. However, the Intel chip’s 15-watt TDP and single-channel memory make it a low-power part, and its 6-core, 6-thread configuration places it in the 72nd percentile of all CPUs, far below the AMD chip’s 94th percentile. The Intel chip’s nearest rivals are older desktop parts like the Core i7-9700 and the Ryzen 7 5700U, which indicates its performance class is a generation behind the AMD Dragon Range part.

Who should pick which, strictly from the data: the AMD Ryzen 7 8840HX suits workloads that demand multi-core performance, large cache, and high memory bandwidth. Its 24 threads and 64 MB of L3 cache deliver decisive advantages in every multi-threaded benchmark. The Intel Core 5 315 suits scenarios where single-thread speed is the only concern, and even then the margin is small. Its lower TDP and newer 3 nm process may matter for power-constrained designs, but the recorded benchmark scores do not show a compensating performance benefit. The database’s verdict is clear: the AMD chip is the faster processor in almost every measurable way.