AMD Ryzen 7 9700X vs Intel Core i5-14401E Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded head-to-head data shows a clear overall victory for the AMD Ryzen 7 9700X, which wins three of the four directly compared benchmarks. The largest margin comes in Cinebench R15 multi-core, where the AMD part scores 3178 against the Intel Core i5-14401E's 1830, a 73.7% advantage. That is a decisive lead in a heavily threaded rendering workload, and it reflects the substantial difference in core and thread counts between the two processors.

The single-core results split the comparison. In Cinebench R15 single-core, the AMD Ryzen 7 9700X scores 346 versus 258 for the Intel part, a 34.1% lead. However, in Cinebench R23 single-core, the Intel Core i5-14401E flips the result, scoring 2564 against the AMD chip's 2211, a 13.8% margin in Intel's favor. This is an unusual pattern: the older R15 test favors the AMD design, while the newer R23 test favors Intel. The data suggests that the two architectures respond differently to the workload characteristics of each benchmark version, with the Zen 5 design pulling ahead in the legacy test and the Raptor Lake design taking the newer one.

In the remaining head-to-head test, Cinebench R23 multi-core, the AMD Ryzen 7 9700X scores 20485 versus 18161 for the Intel Core i5-14401E, a 12.8% win. That margin is far smaller than the R15 multi-core gap, which indicates that the R23 workload scales differently across these two configurations. Even with the Intel part's higher single-core R23 score, the AMD chip's additional two cores and four threads keep it ahead in the all-core test, but the advantage shrinks considerably.

The overall win tally in the database's head-to-head set is 3 wins for the AMD processor and 1 win for the Intel processor. The average benchmark score in the broader database further separates them: the AMD Ryzen 7 9700X posts an average of 37943, while the Intel Core i5-14401E averages only 5253. That difference is largely due to the fact that the AMD part has a much larger set of recorded benchmarks, including many multi-threaded tests, whereas the Intel part's recorded data is limited to Cinebench workloads. The percentile rankings reflect the same gap: the AMD chip sits at the 86th percentile among all CPUs, while the Intel part sits at the 60th percentile.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from fundamentally different design schools. The AMD Ryzen 7 9700X uses the Zen 5 architecture, codenamed Granite Ridge, built on a 4 nm process at TSMC. It packs 8 cores and 16 threads, with a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 5.50 GHz. The transistor count is listed at 8,315 million, and the die size is 70.6 mm². The AMD chip uses the AMD Socket AM5 platform.

The Intel Core i5-14401E uses the Raptor Lake architecture, specifically the Raptor Lake Refresh generation, built on Intel's 10 nm process. It has 6 cores and 12 threads, with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.70 GHz. The die size is 215 mm², and it uses the Intel Socket 1700 platform. No transistor count is recorded for the Intel part.

Cache layouts differ in notable ways. Both processors have 80 KB of L1 cache per core. The AMD part has 1 MB of L2 cache per core and 32 MB of shared L3 cache. The Intel part has a slightly larger 1.25 MB of L2 cache per core but only 20 MB of shared L3 cache. The larger L3 on the AMD chip is a significant architectural advantage for workloads that benefit from a big shared pool, while the Intel part's larger per-core L2 could help in some latency-sensitive single-thread scenarios.

Memory support also diverges. The AMD Ryzen 7 9700X supports DDR5 only, with dual-channel memory and a recorded memory bandwidth of 89.6 GB/s. The Intel Core i5-14401E supports both DDR4 and DDR5, also dual-channel, but no memory bandwidth figure is recorded for it. Both processors support ECC memory, which is relevant for certain workstation and server-like workloads.

PCIe connectivity differs as well. The AMD part offers Gen 5 with 24 lanes from the CPU, while the Intel part offers Gen 5 with 16 lanes. The AMD chip therefore has more headroom for high-bandwidth expansion devices. Integrated graphics also differ: the AMD Ryzen 7 9700X uses Radeon Graphics, while the Intel Core i5-14401E uses UHD Graphics 730.

The AMD processor has an unlocked multiplier, making it suitable for overclocking, while the Intel part's multiplier is locked. The AMD chip launched with a recorded MSRP of $359, while no launch MSRP is recorded for the Intel part. The AMD processor was released on 2024-08-07, and the Intel part on 2024-06-30.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700X dominates in multi-core rendering workloads. Its 73.7% lead in Cinebench R15 multi-core is the single largest margin in the comparison, and its 12.8% win in Cinebench R23 multi-core confirms the general trend. The processor's 8 cores and 16 threads, combined with its 32 MB of shared L3 cache and 89.6 GB/s memory bandwidth, make it the stronger choice for heavily threaded tasks such as video encoding, 3D rendering, and scientific computation.

The Intel Core i5-14401E wins in one specific area: Cinebench R23 single-core, where it beats the AMD chip by 13.8%. That result indicates the Raptor Lake design, despite its older 10 nm process and lower boost clock of 4.70 GHz, can outrun the Zen 5 part in this particular single-threaded workload. The Intel part's higher per-core L2 cache of 1.25 MB may contribute to this advantage. However, the Intel part loses the R15 single-core test by 34.1%, so its single-thread superiority is not consistent across all versions of the benchmark.

The broader benchmark data for the AMD processor shows strength across many different test categories. In PassMark tests, the AMD chip records 120142 in integer math, 78999 in floating point math, 35318 in extended instructions, 437140 in data compression, and 21815 in data encryption. It also posts 37161 in PassMark multi-thread and 4654 in PassMark single-thread. The 3DMark results for the AMD part range from 1280 in single-thread to 9824 in 16-thread and 9771 in max-thread tests. The GeekBench scores are 17906 multi-core and 3023 single-core.

No equivalent broad benchmark data is recorded for the Intel Core i5-14401E beyond the Cinebench family. Its recorded scores include 1830 in Cinebench R15 multi-core, 258 in R15 single-core, 7627 in R20 multi-core, 1076 in R20 single-core, 18161 in R23 multi-core, and 2564 in R23 single-core. The Intel part's average benchmark score of 5253, computed from this limited set, places it at the 60th percentile, while the AMD part's average of 37943 places it at the 86th percentile.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has more cores and threads?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 9700X has 8 cores and 16 threads. The Intel Core i5-14401E has 6 cores and 12 threads.

Q: Which processor wins in Cinebench R23 single-core?

A: The Intel Core i5-14401E wins Cinebench R23 single-core with a score of 2564 against the AMD Ryzen 7 9700X's 2211, a 13.8% margin in Intel's favor.

Q: What is the biggest benchmark margin in the head-to-head comparison?

A: The largest margin is in Cinebench R15 multi-core, where the AMD Ryzen 7 9700X scores 3178 versus 1830 for the Intel Core i5-14401E, a 73.7% lead.

Q: Do both processors support ECC memory?

A: Yes, both the AMD Ryzen 7 9700X and the Intel Core i5-14401E support ECC memory.

Q: Which processor has a higher boost clock?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 9700X has a boost clock of 5.50 GHz, while the Intel Core i5-14401E has a boost clock of 4.70 GHz.

Q: Which processor supports DDR4 memory?

A: The Intel Core i5-14401E supports both DDR4 and DDR5. The AMD Ryzen 7 9700X supports DDR5 only.

Specification Differences

| Specification | AMD Ryzen 7 9700X | Intel Core i5-14401E |

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

| Cores | 8 | 6 |

| Threads | 16 | 12 |

| Base clock | 3.80 GHz | 2.50 GHz |

| Boost clock | 5.50 GHz | 4.70 GHz |

| Socket | AMD Socket AM5 | Intel Socket 1700 |

| Architecture | Zen 5 | Raptor Lake |

| Codename | Granite Ridge | Raptor Lake-R |

| Process node | 4 nm | 10 nm |

| Foundry | TSMC | Intel |

| Die size | 70.6 mm² | 215 mm² |

| L2 cache | 1 MB (per core) | 1.25 MB (per core) |

| L3 cache | 32 MB (shared) | 20 MB (shared) |

| Memory support | DDR5 | DDR4, DDR5 |

| Memory bandwidth | 89.6 GB/s | Not recorded |

| PCIe | Gen 5, 24 Lanes | Gen 5, 16 Lanes |

| Integrated graphics | Radeon Graphics | UHD Graphics 730 |

| Multiplier | Unlocked | Locked |

| Part number | 100-000001404 | Q49JSRNJS |

| Launch MSRP | $359 | Not recorded |