AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 7730U vs Intel Core i9-9880H Comparison

The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 7730U and Intel Core i9-9880H deliver a perfectly split benchmark record, with each processor taking three wins. However, the nature of those victories reveals a stark performance divide: the AMD chip dominates older Cinebench R15 workloads by massive margins, while the Intel chip counters with decisive wins in Cinebench R23 and Geekbench multicore tests. The average benchmark scores are nearly identical—3456 for the AMD versus 3433 for the Intel—placing both at the 54th percentile of all CPUs. This parity is misleading, as the specific test generations show the AMD is far stronger in legacy workloads, while the Intel pulls ahead in modern rendering and general-purpose multicore tasks.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The largest single-win margin belongs to the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 7730U in Cinebench R15 multicore, where it scores 1756 against the Intel's 1152. That is a 52.4% advantage, an enormous gap that suggests the AMD's Zen 3 architecture handles the older instruction set with far greater efficiency. The single-core R15 result follows the same pattern: AMD scores 229 versus Intel's 162, a 41.4% lead. These are not marginal differences; they indicate the AMD processor executes this legacy benchmark with roughly 1.5x the throughput of the Intel part.

The Intel Core i9-9880H claims its largest victory in Cinebench R23 multicore, scoring 11437 against AMD's 10095. That is an 11.7% deficit for the AMD, a substantial reversal from the R15 results. The R23 single-core test shows a similar shift, with Intel scoring 1614 versus AMD's 1441, a 10.7% gap. In Geekbench multicore, Intel wins again with 6248 against 5661, a 9.4% margin. These three Intel wins are consistent in magnitude—all between roughly 9% and 12%—suggesting a systematic advantage in newer, more complex workloads.

The only other AMD win besides the R15 sweep is Geekbench single-core, where AMD scores 1551 against Intel's 1372, a 13% advantage. This is notable because it shows the AMD chip is not merely a legacy-workload specialist; it also leads in a modern single-threaded test, albeit by a smaller margin than its R15 dominance. Across all six head-to-head tests, the wins split evenly at 3-3, but the average deltaPct heavily favors AMD in magnitude: AMD's wins average roughly 35.6%, while Intel's average roughly 10.6%. This means AMD's victories are more lopsided, while Intel's are tighter but more numerous in modern suites.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 7730U is the clear winner for anyone running older benchmark suites or software optimized for earlier instruction sets. Its Cinebench R15 performance—both multicore and single-core—is dramatically superior, with leads of 52.4% and 41.4% respectively. This suggests the Zen 3 cores extract significantly more performance from the R15 workload, likely due to more efficient instruction scheduling or higher per-clock throughput in that specific test. For legacy application compatibility or retro benchmarking, the AMD is the decisive choice.

The Intel Core i9-9880H wins the modern workload battle. In Cinebench R23, which is the current standard for CPU rendering tests, Intel leads by 11.7% in multicore and 10.7% in single-core. The Geekbench multicore result also favors Intel by 9.4%, indicating a consistent edge in general-purpose multithreaded tasks that use modern AVX and other advanced instructions. For anyone whose workload is dominated by current-generation rendering, video encoding, or scientific computing that leverages recent compiler optimizations, the Intel chip is the stronger option.

The split also reveals a generational trade-off. The AMD's 7 nm process and Zen 3 architecture deliver exceptional results in the older R15 test, while the Intel's 14 nm Coffee Lake design, despite being older, manages to outperform in R23 and Geekbench multicore. This counterintuitive result—where the newer process loses in newer benchmarks—suggests the Intel's higher boost clock of 4.80 GHz versus AMD's 4.50 GHz provides a tangible advantage in sustained modern workloads, despite the AMD's architectural efficiency gains.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 7730U has an average benchmark score of 3456, while the Intel Core i9-9880H scores 3433. The difference is only 0.7%, placing both at the 54th percentile of all CPUs.

Q: How large is the AMD's advantage in Cinebench R15 multicore?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 7730U scores 1756 versus the Intel's 1152, a 52.4% lead. This is the largest margin in any head-to-head test between the two.

Q: Does the Intel win any single-core benchmark?

A: Yes, the Intel Core i9-9880H wins Cinebench R23 single-core with 1614 against the AMD's 1441, a 10.7% advantage. However, the AMD wins Geekbench single-core with 1551 versus Intel's 1372, a 13% lead.

Q: Which chip is better for modern multicore rendering?

A: The Intel Core i9-9880H is better, as it wins Cinebench R23 multicore (11437 vs 10095) and Geekbench multicore (6248 vs 5661). These are the two most modern multicore benchmarks in the dataset.

Q: Are both processors in the same performance percentile?

A: Yes, both the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 7730U and the Intel Core i9-9880H are at the 54th percentile versus all CPUs, meaning they perform better than 54% of all processors tested.

Q: What is the difference in TDP between the two?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 7730U has a TDP of 15 watts, while the Intel Core i9-9880H has a TDP of 45 watts. This is a 3x difference in power envelope, though the benchmark scores are nearly identical on average.

Specification Differences

The two processors share the same core and thread counts—8 cores and 16 threads—but diverge in nearly every other specification. The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 7730U has a base clock of 2.00 GHz and a boost clock of 4.50 GHz, while the Intel Core i9-9880H runs at 2.30 GHz base and 4.80 GHz boost. The Intel has higher clocks in both metrics, which likely contributes to its modern benchmark wins. The AMD's TDP is 15 watts versus the Intel's 45 watts, a significant power efficiency advantage for the AMD.

Memory bandwidth differs notably: the AMD supports 51.2 GB/s, while the Intel is limited to 42.7 GB/s. Both support DDR4 dual-channel memory, but the AMD has a 20% bandwidth advantage. The AMD also supports ECC memory, while the Intel does not. PCIe support is another difference: the AMD offers Gen 3 with 16 lanes (CPU only), while the Intel lists simply "Gen 3" without a lane count. The integrated graphics differ as well—AMD uses Radeon Graphics (Vega 8), while Intel uses UHD 630. The AMD's socket is AMD Socket FP6, while the Intel uses Intel BGA 1440.

The production status separates them further: the AMD is Active, while the Intel is End-of-life. The release dates are far apart, with the Intel launching on 2019-04-22 and the AMD on 2023-01-03. The part numbers are 100-000000948 for AMD and SRFD1 for Intel. Neither has a launch MSRP listed in the data, and neither has an unlocked multiplier.

Architecture Differences

The fundamental architectural split is node and design generation. The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 7730U uses TSMC's 7 nm process with Zen 3 architecture, codenamed Barcelo-R, and is part of the 7000 series. The Intel Core i9-9880H uses Intel's 14 nm process with Coffee Lake architecture, codenamed Coffee Lake-HR. The AMD packs 10,700 million transistors on a 180 mm² die, while the Intel's transistor count is not listed but its die size is 149 mm². The smaller die on a larger process node for Intel indicates a less dense design.

Cache hierarchies differ in one key area: L2 cache. The AMD has 512 KB per core, while the Intel has 256 KB per core. Both have 64 KB L1 per core and 16 MB shared L3 cache. The AMD's larger L2 cache likely contributes to its strong legacy benchmark performance. The process node difference (7 nm vs 14 nm) gives the AMD a significant density and efficiency advantage, which is reflected in its 15-watt TDP versus the Intel's 45-watt TDP.

The foundry also differs—TSMC produces the AMD, while Intel produces its own chip. The integrated graphics are architecturally distinct: AMD's Vega 8 versus Intel's UHD 630. The AMD supports ECC memory, while the Intel does not, making the AMD more suitable for error-sensitive compute tasks. The memory bandwidth advantage for the AMD (51.2 GB/s vs 42.7 GB/s) is a direct result of its more modern memory controller design.

The Verdict

The choice between these two processors depends entirely on workload vintage and power constraints. For anyone running legacy applications or older benchmark suites, the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 7730U is the overwhelming choice. Its 52.4% lead in Cinebench R15 multicore and 41.4% lead in R15 single-core are decisive, and its 13% win in Geekbench single-core adds a modern credential. The AMD also offers ECC memory support and a 15-watt TDP, making it far more suitable for power-sensitive mobile workstations or embedded systems where data integrity matters.

For modern multicore rendering and current-generation software, the Intel Core i9-9880H is the better performer. Its wins in Cinebench R23 multicore (11.7%), R23 single-core (10.7%), and Geekbench multicore (9.4%) are consistent and meaningful. The higher boost clock of 4.80 GHz gives it a tangible edge in sustained workloads. However, this performance comes at a cost: the 45-watt TDP is triple the AMD's, and the Intel is end-of-life, meaning no further production or support. The AMD remains an active product with a newer release date (2023 vs 2019).

The data shows a clear trade-off: the AMD wins on power efficiency, legacy performance, and memory bandwidth, while the Intel wins on modern multicore throughput and raw clock speed. Given that both sit at the same 54th percentile overall, the decision should hinge on whether the workload is dominated by older or newer instruction sets. For a modern rendering workstation, the Intel's 11.7% R23 multicore lead is the deciding factor. For anything else—especially where power draw or ECC support is critical—the AMD is the safer, more forward-looking pick. The Intel's end-of-life status is a significant strike against it, as the AMD offers comparable average performance with a fraction of the power draw and active production.