AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 4750U vs Intel Xeon E5-1660 v3 Comparison

The Verdict

The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 4750U and Intel Xeon E5-1660 v3 split their head-to-head benchmark wins exactly, two victories apiece, but the nature of those wins tells a clear story. The Ryzen 7 PRO 4750U is the choice for older multi-threaded workloads and single-threaded tasks from the Cinebench R15 era, while the Intel Xeon E5-1660 v3 dominates the more demanding Cinebench R23 suite, both in single-core and multi-core tests. For users running modern rendering or simulation workloads, the Xeon is decisively faster. For those on legacy software or prioritizing lower power draw and integrated graphics, the Ryzen mobile part is the logical pick. The data shows two processors at the same 52nd percentile among all CPUs, but with opposite strengths: the AMD part excels in older benchmarks by 19.9% to 31.3%, while the Intel part leads in newer tests by 19.2% to 21.6%. Neither is a universal winner; the correct choice depends entirely on the software generation being used.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from fundamentally different design eras. The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 4750U is built on the Zen 2 architecture, codenamed Renoir, using a 7 nm process from TSMC. It packs 9,800 million transistors into a 156 mm² die. The Intel Xeon E5-1660 v3 uses the Haswell architecture, codenamed Haswell-EP, on a 22 nm process from Intel, with 2,600 million transistors spread across a much larger 356 mm² die. That process gap explains a significant portion of the performance and efficiency differences observed.

Cache hierarchies also differ. The AMD chip allocates 64 KB of L1 and 512 KB of L2 per core, with 8 MB of shared L3 cache. The Intel chip offers 64 KB of L1 per core but only 256 KB of L2 per core, compensated by a much larger 20 MB of shared L3. The Xeon's larger L3 pool helps in cache-sensitive workloads, while the Ryzen's newer architecture and smaller process node provide other advantages.

Memory support is another major divergence. The Ryzen 7 PRO 4750U supports both DDR4 and LPDDR4 over a dual-channel bus, delivering 51.2 GB/s of bandwidth, and it does not support ECC memory. The Xeon E5-1660 v3 supports only DDR4, but over a quad-channel bus, delivering 68.3 GB/s, and it does support ECC memory. The Xeon also offers significantly more PCIe connectivity: 40 Gen 3 lanes from the CPU versus 12 Gen 3 lanes on the AMD part. The Ryzen includes integrated Radeon RX Vega 7 graphics, while the Xeon has no integrated graphics at all.

The form factors are equally distinct. The Ryzen is a mobile processor on AMD Socket FP6 with a 15 W TDP, released in 2020. The Xeon is a server/workstation processor on Intel Socket 2011-3 with a 140 W TDP, released in 2014 and now end-of-life. The Xeon has an unlocked multiplier; the Ryzen does not. Both have 8 cores and 16 threads, but the base and boost clocks differ substantially: the Ryzen runs at 1.70 GHz base and 4.10 GHz boost, while the Xeon runs at 3.00 GHz base and 3.50 GHz boost.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded head-to-head data shows a clear split by benchmark generation. In Cinebench R15 multicore, the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 4750U scores 1410 against the Intel Xeon's 1074, a 31.3% advantage. In Cinebench R15 single-core, the AMD part scores 181 against 151, a 19.9% lead. These are substantial margins and indicate that for software from that era, the Ryzen's higher boost clock and newer architecture deliver real gains.

The situation reverses entirely in Cinebench R23. In the multicore test, the Intel Xeon E5-1660 v3 scores 10656 against the AMD's 8359, a 21.6% advantage. In single-core, the Xeon scores 1504 against 1215, a 19.2% lead. The Xeon's quad-channel memory bandwidth and larger L3 cache likely contribute to this reversal, as does the more mature Haswell design under sustained modern workloads.

Looking at the broader benchmark averages, the Xeon holds a slight edge. Its average benchmark score is 3082, while the Ryzen averages 2965. That is a difference of roughly 3.9%, and both processors sit at the exact same 52nd percentile among all CPUs. The Xeon's nearest rivals include the Intel Core i7-6850K at an average score of 3079 (0.1% behind), the Intel Core i7-8700B at 3086 (0.1% ahead), and the Intel Xeon W-2133 at 3087 (0.2% ahead). The Ryzen's nearest rivals include the Intel Xeon E-2278GEL at 2956 (0.3% behind), the Intel Xeon E5-1650 v4 at 2978 (0.4% ahead), and the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 5675U at 2988 (0.8% ahead). These rival clusters show both processors are competitive within their respective performance tiers, but neither is a standout in its neighborhood.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ in nearly every specification field. The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 4750U uses a 7 nm TSMC process with 9,800 million transistors on a 156 mm² die. The Intel Xeon E5-1660 v3 uses a 22 nm Intel process with 2,600 million transistors on a 356 mm² die. Core and thread counts are identical at 8 and 16, but base clocks differ at 1.70 GHz versus 3.00 GHz, and boost clocks at 4.10 GHz versus 3.50 GHz. The TDP gap is massive: 15 W for the Ryzen versus 140 W for the Xeon.

Cache configurations diverge: the Ryzen has 512 KB of L2 per core versus 256 KB on the Xeon, but the Xeon has 20 MB of shared L3 against 8 MB on the Ryzen. Memory support shows the Ryzen accepting DDR4 and LPDDR4 over dual-channel with 51.2 GB/s bandwidth and no ECC, while the Xeon accepts DDR4 over quad-channel with 68.3 GB/s and full ECC support. PCIe lanes differ at 12 versus 40, both Gen 3. The Ryzen has integrated Radeon RX Vega 7 graphics; the Xeon has none. The Ryzen is a mobile part on Socket FP6, the Xeon is a server/workstation part on Socket 2011-3. The Ryzen is still in active production; the Xeon is end-of-life.

FAQ

Q: Which processor is faster in Cinebench R23 multicore?

A: The Intel Xeon E5-1660 v3 scores 10656 in Cinebench R23 multicore, which is 21.6% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 4750U's 8359.

Q: Which processor wins in Cinebench R15 single-core?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 4750U scores 181 in Cinebench R15 single-core, beating the Intel Xeon E5-1660 v3's 151 by 19.9%.

Q: Do both processors have the same core and thread counts?

A: Yes, both have 8 cores and 16 threads.

Q: Which processor supports ECC memory?

A: The Intel Xeon E5-1660 v3 supports ECC memory, while the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 4750U does not.

Q: What is the TDP difference between the two?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 4750U has a TDP of 15 W, while the Intel Xeon E5-1660 v3 has a TDP of 140 W.

Q: Which processor has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The Intel Xeon E5-1660 v3 has an average benchmark score of 3082, compared to 2965 for the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 4750U.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 4750U wins in Cinebench R15, both multicore and single-core. The 31.3% multicore margin and 19.9% single-core margin suggest it is the better choice for legacy rendering workloads, older game engines, or any software built around the Cinebench R15 era of instruction sets and threading models. Its 15 W TDP also makes it the clear pick for mobile or low-power systems, and the integrated Radeon RX Vega 7 graphics eliminate the need for a discrete GPU in basic display scenarios. Its 4.10 GHz boost clock and larger per-core L2 cache appear to benefit these older workloads.

The Intel Xeon E5-1660 v3 wins in Cinebench R23, both multicore and single-core. The 21.6% multicore margin and 19.2% single-core margin position it as the stronger performer for modern rendering, simulation, and compute tasks that leverage current instruction sets and larger working sets. Its 20 MB of shared L3 cache and 68.3 GB/s quad-channel memory bandwidth are the likely factors behind this advantage. The Xeon also wins on platform connectivity with 40 PCIe Gen 3 lanes versus 12, and it supports ECC memory, making it suitable for workstation reliability requirements. Its unlocked multiplier allows overclocking, and its higher base clock of 3.00 GHz provides consistent performance without reliance on boost behavior.

The split is clean: legacy software favors the Ryzen, modern software favors the Xeon. The Ryzen also wins on power efficiency and integrated graphics, while the Xeon wins on memory bandwidth, cache capacity, ECC support, and PCIe expansion. Both processors sit at the 52nd percentile, but the Xeon's higher average score of 3082 versus 2965 gives it a slight overall edge in the recorded data. Users should match the processor to their specific workload generation; the data does not support a single universal recommendation.