AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5875U vs Intel Core i7-8086K Comparison

The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5875U and Intel Core i7-8086K represent two opposing design philosophies. The Ryzen is a 15-watt mobile processor with 8 Zen 3 cores on TSMC's 7 nm process, built for efficiency in thin laptops. The i7-8086K is a 95-watt desktop chip with 6 Coffee Lake cores on Intel's 14 nm process, engineered for maximum clock speed. The recorded head-to-head data shows the Ryzen winning six of eight tests, all in Cinebench, while the Intel part takes both Geekbench tests. Their global percentile rankings sit nearly level, at 57 for the Ryzen and 56 for the i7-8086K.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5875U owns the Cinebench suite. It wins all six Cinebench tests, spanning R15, R20, and R23 in both single-core and multi-core modes. The margin is remarkably consistent: 17.8% in five of the six tests, and 17.6% in Cinebench R15 single-core. This makes the Ryzen the clear pick for rendering workloads that follow Cinebench's engine, which stresses raw multi-threaded throughput and cache behavior.

The Intel Core i7-8086K takes both Geekbench tests. Its Geekbench multi-core score of 7920 is 28% ahead of the Ryzen's 5702, the largest margin in the entire head-to-head set. In single-core Geekbench, the Intel part leads by 6.1%, scoring 1697 versus 1594. Geekbench's mixed workload profile, which includes encryption, image processing, and machine learning tasks, clearly favors the Intel architecture's higher clock speeds.

The use-case split is clean. Rendering and Cinebench-style content creation go to AMD. General-purpose Geekbench-style workloads, including memory-heavy and latency-sensitive tasks, go to Intel. The Ryzen's six wins versus Intel's two wins in the recorded head-to-head reflects this division.

Architecture Differences

The two chips are built on fundamentally different processes. The Ryzen 7 PRO 5875U uses TSMC's 7 nm node with 10,700 million transistors on a 180 mm² die. The i7-8086K uses Intel's 14 nm process, with no transistor count or die size recorded in the database. This process gap helps explain the Ryzen's efficiency: it delivers competitive or better performance at 15 watts versus 95 watts.

Core counts differ significantly. The Ryzen has 8 cores and 16 threads, while the i7-8086K has 6 cores and 12 threads. The Ryzen's Zen 3 architecture, codenamed Cezanne-U, relies on a lower base clock of 2.00 GHz but boosts to 4.50 GHz. The Intel part runs at a 4.00 GHz base and boosts to 5.00 GHz, the highest boost clock in this comparison. The i7-8086K is listed as Core i7 40th generation (Coffee Lake), while the Ryzen is part of the 5000 series.

Cache hierarchies differ as well. Both share 64 KB of L1 per core, but the Ryzen has 512 KB of L2 per core versus 256 KB on the Intel. The Ryzen's L3 is 16 MB shared, while the i7-8086K has 12 MB shared. The larger cache footprint helps the Ryzen in Cinebench's repeated data access patterns.

Memory support is DDR4 dual-channel on both, but the Ryzen's bandwidth is 51.2 GB/s versus 42.7 GB/s on the Intel. PCIe connectivity differs: the Ryzen offers Gen 3 with 8 lanes, while the Intel part offers Gen 3 with 16 lanes. Integrated graphics also differ, with the Ryzen pairing with Radeon Vega 8 and the Intel with UHD Graphics 630.

The platform gap is wide. The Ryzen is a mobile part on AMD Socket FP6, while the i7-8086K is a desktop part on Intel Socket 1151. The Ryzen's multiplier is locked; the i7-8086K's is unlocked. The Ryzen remains in active production, while the i7-8086K is end-of-life. Release dates are 2022-04-18 for the Ryzen and 2018-06-04 for the Intel.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The Cinebench results are uniformly in the Ryzen's favor. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the Ryzen scores 1421 against 1206, a 17.8% lead. Single-core R15 shows 200 versus 170, a 17.6% edge. Cinebench R20 multi-core: 5922 versus 5029, again 17.8%. R20 single-core: 835 versus 709, 17.8%. Cinebench R23 multi-core: 14102 versus 11975, 17.8%. R23 single-core: 1990 versus 1690, 17.8%.

The consistency of that 17.8% delta across five tests is striking. It suggests the Ryzen's 8-core, 16-thread configuration, combined with its larger L2 and L3 caches, delivers a steady advantage in Cinebench's rendering workload. The Intel part's higher 5.00 GHz boost clock cannot overcome the core-count and cache deficit in this engine.

Geekbench flips the script. The i7-8086K's multi-core score of 7920 crushes the Ryzen's 5702, a 28% gap. This is the largest margin in either direction across all eight tests. The single-core Geekbench result is closer: 1697 versus 1594, a 6.1% Intel lead. The Intel part's 4.00 GHz base clock and 5.00 GHz boost clock appear to drive these wins.

The recorded data suggests that the Ryzen's advantage in Cinebench comes from its core count and cache configuration, while the Intel part's advantage in Geekbench comes from its clock speed. The 5.00 GHz boost clock on the i7-8086K is the highest in this comparison, and it shows in Geekbench's single-core result. The Ryzen's 4.50 GHz boost clock is lower, but its 8-core configuration and 16 MB L3 cache give it the edge in multi-threaded rendering.

The average benchmark scores reflect the split. The Ryzen's average is 3971, placing it at the 57th percentile of all CPUs. The i7-8086K averages 3800, at the 56th percentile. The Ryzen's nearest rivals include the Intel Core i7-6900K at 3970 (0% delta), the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 4650G at 3977 (-0.2%), the Intel Xeon E5-2669 v3 at 3959 (0.3%), and the AMD Ryzen 3 7330U at 3958 (0.3%). The i7-8086K's nearest rivals include the Intel Core i7-9700KF at 3787 (0.3%), the AMD Ryzen 9 4900H at 3820 (-0.5%), the Intel Xeon E-2286M at 3822 (-0.6%), and the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 2700 at 3777 (0.6%).

FAQ

Q: Which CPU wins more benchmark tests?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5875U wins six of the eight head-to-head tests, all of them in the Cinebench suite. The Intel Core i7-8086K wins the two Geekbench tests.

Q: How large is the AMD lead in Cinebench?

A: The Ryzen leads by 17.8% in five Cinebench tests (R15 multi-core, R20 multi-core, R20 single-core, R23 multi-core, R23 single-core) and by 17.6% in Cinebench R15 single-core.

Q: Why does the Intel chip win Geekbench?

A: The i7-8086K scores 7920 in Geekbench multi-core, 28% ahead of the Ryzen's 5702. In single-core, it scores 1697 versus 1594, a 6.1% lead. Geekbench's workload mix favors the Intel part's higher clock speeds.

Q: What are the core and thread counts?

A: The Ryzen 7 PRO 5875U has 8 cores and 16 threads. The Core i7-8086K has 6 cores and 12 threads.

Q: Which CPU is more power-efficient?

A: The Ryzen has a 15-watt TDP, while the i7-8086K has a 95-watt TDP. The Ryzen is a mobile part, the Intel is a desktop part.

Q: Which CPU is newer?

A: The Ryzen 7 PRO 5875U was released on 2022-04-18 and remains in active production. The Core i7-8086K was released on 2018-06-04 and is end-of-life.

Specification Differences

| Field | AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5875U | Intel Core i7-8086K |

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

| Series | 5000 series | Not recorded |

| Cores | 8 | 6 |

| Threads | 16 | 12 |

| Base clock | 2.00 GHz | 4.00 GHz |

| Boost clock | 4.50 GHz | 5.00 GHz |

| TDP | 15 W | 95 W |

| Socket | AMD Socket FP6 | Intel Socket 1151 |

| Architecture | Zen 3 | Coffee Lake |

| Codename | Cezanne-U | Coffee Lake |

| Process node | 7 nm | 14 nm |

| Foundry | TSMC | Intel |

| Transistors | 10,700 million | Not recorded |

| Die size | 180 mm² | Not recorded |

| L2 cache | 512 KB (per core) | 256 KB (per core) |

| L3 cache | 16 MB (shared) | 12 MB (shared) |

| Memory bandwidth | 51.2 GB/s | 42.7 GB/s |

| PCIe | Gen 3, 8 lanes | Gen 3, 16 lanes |

| Integrated graphics | Radeon Vega 8 | UHD Graphics 630 |

| Market segment | Mobile | Desktop |

| Production status | Active | End-of-life |

| Release date | 2022-04-18 | 2018-06-04 |

| Launch MSRP | Not recorded | $425 |

| Multiplier unlocked | No | Yes |

| Part number | 100-000000581 | SR3QQBX80684I78086K |