AMD Ryzen 7 8840U vs Intel Core i5-11500 Comparison

The AMD Ryzen 7 8840U and Intel Core i5-11500 occupy the same overall performance percentile, both sitting at the 76th percentile against all CPUs, yet their benchmark profiles diverge sharply. The Ryzen 7 8840U captures 13 of 15 head-to-head tests, while the Intel part claims only 2, but those two wins are in the most widely cited modern benchmarks. The average benchmark scores are close — 23982 for the AMD versus 23718 for the Intel — with the nearest-rival data showing a 1.1% delta in favor of AMD. That narrow aggregate margin hides a lopsided set of individual results, where the AMD chip wins by double-digit percentages in most workloads and loses by smaller margins in two specific Cinebench tests.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The most striking pattern in the head-to-head data is how consistently the AMD Ryzen 7 8840U outruns the Intel Core i5-11500 in PassMark workloads. The largest single margin comes in the prime-number search test, where AMD scores 78 against Intel's 51, a 52.9% advantage. Data encryption shows a 51.7% gap (16072 versus 10592), and integer math delivers a 46.9% lead (85740 versus 58352). Floating-point math follows at 41.8% ahead (48820 versus 34422), while physics simulation shows a 42.9% edge (1176 versus 823). These are not marginal differences; they reflect a fundamental throughput advantage across varied computational patterns.

The multithreaded PassMark score reinforces this trend, with AMD at 23346 versus Intel's 17107, a 36.5% lead. Data compression follows at 26.9% (267525 versus 210796), random string sorting at 31.2% (32158 versus 24505), and extended instructions at 23.4% (18654 versus 15111). Even the single-threaded PassMark result favors AMD, though by a more modest 13.2% (3543 versus 3131). In every PassMark subtest, the Ryzen 7 8840U wins, often by substantial margins.

Cinebench results tell a different story, and this is where the Intel Core i5-11500 shows its strengths. In Cinebench R23 multicore, Intel scores 14513 against AMD's 12972, a 10.6% advantage. The single-core R23 result is even more pronounced: Intel at 2049 versus AMD's 1703, a 16.9% lead. However, the older Cinebench R15 tests flip in favor of AMD. In R15 multicore, AMD scores 2024 versus Intel's 1462, a 38.4% gap, and in R15 single-core, AMD leads 266 to 206, a 29.1% margin. The R15 results are consistent with the PassMark pattern, while the R23 results stand out as the exception.

The aggregate picture is clear: the Ryzen 7 8840U dominates in throughput-oriented tests, while the Core i5-11500 wins specifically in Cinebench R23. Given the overall win count of 13 to 2, the AMD part is the stronger performer in the majority of measured scenarios, but the R23 results are significant because they represent a more recent rendering workload.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from fundamentally different design philosophies. The AMD Ryzen 7 8840U uses the Zen 4 architecture under the Hawk Point codename, built on a 4 nm process at TSMC. The Intel Core i5-11500 uses the Rocket Lake architecture, built on Intel's 14 nm process. The node difference is substantial: 4 nm versus 14 nm, which helps explain the AMD part's efficiency-oriented design despite its higher boost clock.

Core and thread counts differ meaningfully. The AMD chip has 8 cores and 16 threads, while the Intel chip has 6 cores and 12 threads. That 33% core advantage for AMD is a primary driver of its multithreaded PassMark wins. Clock speeds also favor AMD: the base clock is 3.30 GHz versus 2.70 GHz, and the boost clock is 5.10 GHz versus 4.60 GHz. However, the thermal design power tells a different story: the AMD part is rated at 28 W, while the Intel part is rated at 65 W. The AMD chip achieves higher performance at less than half the TDP, a reflection of the process node advantage.

Cache hierarchies differ in structure. AMD allocates 64 KB of L1 per core, 1 MB of L2 per core, and 16 MB of shared L3. Intel allocates 80 KB of L1 per core, 512 KB of L2 per core, and 12 MB of shared L3. The AMD L2 is twice as large per core, while Intel has a larger L1 per core. The die size also differs: AMD's is 178 mm² versus Intel's 276 mm², with AMD packing 25,000 million transistors on the smaller die. Memory support diverges entirely: AMD uses DDR5 with 89.6 GB/s bandwidth, while Intel uses DDR4 with 51.2 GB/s. Both support dual-channel memory and PCIe Gen 4 with 20 lanes from the CPU.

The integrated graphics differ as well. AMD ships the Radeon 780M, while Intel has UHD Graphics 750. The market segments are distinct: AMD targets mobile, while Intel targets desktop. Production status also differs, with AMD listed as Active and Intel as End-of-life. The Intel part has a launch MSRP of $192, while the AMD part has no listed launch MSRP.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has more cores and threads?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 8840U has 8 cores and 16 threads, while the Intel Core i5-11500 has 6 cores and 12 threads.

Q: Which processor wins in Cinebench R23 multicore?

A: The Intel Core i5-11500 wins in Cinebench R23 multicore with a score of 14513, which is 10.6% higher than the AMD Ryzen 7 8840U's 12972.

Q: What is the largest performance gap between the two processors?

A: The largest gap is in the PassMark find prime numbers test, where the AMD Ryzen 7 8840U scores 78 versus Intel's 51, a 52.9% advantage for AMD.

Q: How do the thermal design powers compare?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 8840U has a TDP of 28 W, while the Intel Core i5-11500 has a TDP of 65 W.

Q: Which processor has higher clock speeds?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 8840U has a base clock of 3.30 GHz and a boost clock of 5.10 GHz, compared to Intel's 2.70 GHz base and 4.60 GHz boost.

Q: What memory types do the two processors support?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 8840U supports DDR5 memory with 89.6 GB/s bandwidth, while the Intel Core i5-11500 supports DDR4 with 51.2 GB/s bandwidth.

Specification Differences

The core specifications where the two processors differ are extensive. The AMD Ryzen 7 8840U has 8 cores versus Intel's 6, and 16 threads versus Intel's 12. Base clocks differ at 3.30 GHz versus 2.70 GHz, and boost clocks at 5.10 GHz versus 4.60 GHz. The TDP is 28 W for AMD and 65 W for Intel. Sockets differ: AMD Socket FP8 versus Intel Socket 1200.

The architectures are completely different: Zen 4 (Hawk Point) versus Rocket Lake. Process nodes differ at 4 nm (TSMC) versus 14 nm (Intel). Transistor count is listed only for AMD at 25,000 million, while Intel's is not provided. Die sizes are 178 mm² for AMD and 276 mm² for Intel. Cache configurations differ in L1 (64 KB per core versus 80 KB per core), L2 (1 MB per core versus 512 KB per core), and L3 (16 MB shared versus 12 MB shared).

Memory support differs completely: DDR5 versus DDR4, with memory bandwidth at 89.6 GB/s versus 51.2 GB/s. Integrated graphics are Radeon 780M versus UHD Graphics 750. Market segments are Mobile versus Desktop. Production status is Active versus End-of-life. Release dates differ, with AMD releasing in December 2023 and Intel in March 2021. The Intel part has a launch MSRP of $192, while AMD has none listed. Part numbers also differ, with AMD listing multiple variants and Intel listing SRKNY.

The Verdict

The data supports a clear performance hierarchy, though not a universal one. The AMD Ryzen 7 8840U wins 13 of 15 head-to-head benchmarks, including every PassMark subtest and both Cinebench R15 tests. Its wins range from 13.2% in single-threaded PassMark to 52.9% in prime-number finding. The Intel Core i5-11500 wins only in Cinebench R23, both multicore and single-core, with leads of 10.6% and 16.9% respectively. The average benchmark scores are close — 23982 versus 23718 — but the distribution of results is not balanced.

For users prioritizing the specific Cinebench R23 rendering workload, the Intel Core i5-11500 holds an advantage. For essentially every other measured workload, the AMD Ryzen 7 8840U is faster, often by margins exceeding 30%. The AMD part also achieves this with a 28 W TDP versus Intel's 65 W, and it supports newer DDR5 memory with higher bandwidth. Given that both processors sit at the 76th percentile, the overall performance tier is similar, but the AMD part dominates in breadth of workloads.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Ryzen 7 8840U is the pick for data-intensive and math-heavy tasks. It wins in data compression, data encryption, integer math, floating-point math, and extended instructions. It also leads in physics simulation, random string sorting, and the PassMark multithreaded and single-threaded aggregates. For any workload that stresses parallel throughput or cryptographic operations, the AMD part is the stronger choice, often by margins of 20% to 50%. Its higher core count and larger L2 cache per core appear to drive these results.

The Intel Core i5-11500 is the pick specifically for Cinebench R23 rendering. It wins both the multicore and single-core versions of that benchmark, with the single-core lead being particularly notable at 16.9%. This suggests that for applications whose performance profile closely matches Cinebench R23's rendering engine, the Intel part may be competitive or better. However, this advantage does not extend to the older Cinebench R15 tests, where AMD wins decisively. The Intel chip also holds a launch MSRP of $192, which is a listed specification, but the performance data alone shows its wins are confined to one benchmark family.