AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 7730U vs Intel Core i9-9900T Comparison

Intel Core i9-9900T and AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 7730U both offer eight cores and sixteen threads, but they target different segments: one is a desktop part built for low-power operation, the other a mobile processor designed for thin-and-light laptops. The benchmark data in the database shows a split decision, with each processor taking three of the six recorded tests. The Intel part wins in the newer multi-core and single-core Cinebench workloads plus Geekbench multi-core, while the AMD part dominates the older Cinebench R15 tests and edges out a victory in Geekbench single-core. Because the two chips come from different eras and process nodes, the results reveal distinct architectural strengths rather than a clear overall winner.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The most dramatic gap appears in Cinebench R15 multi-core, where the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 7730U scores 1756 against the Intel Core i9-9900T's 1117. That is a 36.4% advantage for the AMD chip, a substantial margin that points to the efficiency of the Zen 3 architecture when running the older rendering workload. The single-core R15 test shows a similar pattern, with AMD at 229 and Intel at 157, a 31.4% lead for the Ryzen part. These older Cinebench versions are known to respond well to higher memory bandwidth and lower-latency cache, and the data supports that interpretation here.

The picture flips in Cinebench R23. The Intel Core i9-9900T scores 11091 in multi-core, while the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 7730U manages 10095. That gives Intel a 9.9% edge in the newer workload, despite the AMD chip's higher boost clock of 4.50 GHz versus the Intel's 4.40 GHz. The single-core R23 test also favors Intel, with a score of 1565 against 1441, an 8.6% difference. This reversal suggests that the newer Cinebench version is more sensitive to sustained power delivery and thermal headroom, areas where the desktop-oriented Intel part has an advantage over the mobile Ryzen chip.

Geekbench multi-core splits the difference in a different way. The Intel Core i9-9900T posts 7298, which is 28.9% higher than the Ryzen 7 PRO 7730U's 5661. That is a large win for Intel and shows that the Coffee Lake architecture with its 16 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel DDR4 memory can still deliver strong parallel performance in general-purpose integer and floating-point tests. However, in Geekbench single-core, the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 7730U takes the lead with 1551 versus 1452, a 6.4% margin. This confirms that Zen 3 cores have higher single-threaded efficiency per clock, even when the Intel chip boosts higher.

Looking at the broader benchmark averages, the Intel Core i9-9900T has an average benchmark score of 3499, while the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 7730U sits at 3456. The Intel part also holds a 55th percentile ranking among all CPUs, just ahead of the AMD chip's 54th percentile. The nearest rivals in the database place the Intel part within 0.4% of several Xeon models, including the Xeon E-2176G at 3502 and the Xeon E5-1680 v4 at 3494. The Ryzen 7 PRO 7730U's closest competitors include the Xeon E-2186G at 3462 and the Core i7-9700F at 3464, with the AMD chip sitting 0.2% below both. These percentile and rival comparisons indicate that both processors occupy nearly the same performance tier, despite their very different thermal envelopes.

The Verdict

The recorded data presents no universal winner. The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 7730U wins in Cinebench R15 multi-core, Cinebench R15 single-core, and Geekbench single-core, while the Intel Core i9-9900T takes Cinebench R23 multi-core, Cinebench R23 single-core, and Geekbench multi-core. With a 3-3 split in benchmark wins, the choice depends entirely on which workload matters more.

For users running older rendering engines or applications that rely on the Cinebench R15-style instruction patterns, the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 7730U offers a clear and significant advantage. Its 36.4% lead in R15 multi-core and 31.4% lead in R15 single-core are not marginal differences; they are decisive gaps that would be noticeable in daily use. The Geekbench single-core win, though smaller at 6.4%, also points to superior per-thread performance in certain mixed workloads.

For users working with newer Cinebench R23 versions or Geekbench multi-core tasks, the Intel Core i9-9900T is the stronger option. Its 9.9% margin in R23 multi-core and 28.9% margin in Geekbench multi-core suggest that the Intel part scales better with the latest rendering and general computing benchmarks. The R23 single-core win of 8.6% further supports the Intel chip's capability in current applications.

The Intel Core i9-9900T launched at $423 as the MSRP, and it remains an end-of-life desktop product. The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 7730U is an active mobile processor with no listed launch MSRP. The desktop chip offers a larger die size at 180.3 mm² versus the AMD's 180 mm², but the AMD part uses a 7 nm process from TSMC against Intel's 14 nm process, and it packs 10,700 million transistors. These architectural differences matter for efficiency: the AMD chip has a 15 W TDP while the Intel part draws 35 W, which affects sustained performance in constrained chassis.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 7730U is the clear pick for Cinebench R15 workloads, both multi-core and single-core. Its 1756 multi-core score and 229 single-core score are the highest recorded in the head-to-head data, and the 36.4% and 31.4% deltas over the Intel part are the largest margins of any test in the database. Users who run legacy rendering pipelines or software built around older Cinebench versions will see the most benefit from this chip.

The AMD part also wins in Geekbench single-core, scoring 1551 against Intel's 1452. This 6.4% lead indicates that for lightly threaded tasks such as web browsing, office applications, or scripting, the Ryzen 7 PRO 7730U can deliver faster response times. The Zen 3 architecture's higher instructions per clock, combined with a 4.50 GHz boost clock, explains this result in the recorded data.

The Intel Core i9-9900T wins in Cinebench R23 multi-core and single-core, with scores of 11091 and 1565 respectively. The 9.9% and 8.6% deltas show that the Intel chip handles the newer Cinebench rendering engine more effectively. This could be due to the desktop platform's ability to sustain boost clocks over longer durations, or differences in how the two architectures manage power under load.

The Intel part's largest win comes in Geekbench multi-core, where it scores 7298 against 5661, a 28.9% advantage. This test exercises parallel integer and floating-point operations across all cores, and the Intel chip's 2.10 GHz base clock with 4.40 GHz boost, combined with 16 MB of shared L3 cache, appears to handle this workload with better scaling. For video encoding, batch photo processing, or other multi-threaded general-purpose tasks, the Intel chip has the edge.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has the higher boost clock?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 7730U boosts up to 4.50 GHz, while the Intel Core i9-9900T boosts up to 4.40 GHz.

Q: How do the two chips compare in Cinebench R23 multi-core?

A: The Intel Core i9-9900T scores 11091, which is 9.9% higher than the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 7730U's 10095.

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

A: The largest delta is in Cinebench R15 multi-core, where the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 7730U leads by 36.4%, scoring 1756 versus the Intel part's 1117.

Q: Do both processors have the same number of cores and threads?

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

Q: Which processor has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The Intel Core i9-9900T has an average benchmark score of 3499, while the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 7730U has 3456.

Q: What are the process nodes for each chip?

A: The Intel Core i9-9900T uses a 14 nm process, while the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 7730U uses a 7 nm process.

Architecture Differences

The Intel Core i9-9900T is built on the Coffee Lake architecture with the Coffee Lake-R codename, part of the Core i9 generation from the Coffee Lake Refresh. It uses a 14 nm process fabricated by Intel, with a die size of 180.3 mm². The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 7730U belongs to the 7000 series and uses the Zen 3 architecture with the Barcelo-R codename, part of the Ryzen 7 generation based on Zen 3 (Cezanne). It uses a 7 nm process from TSMC, with a die size of 180 mm² and 10,700 million transistors.

The two chips share several features: both have 64 KB of L1 cache per core, 16 MB of shared L3 cache, support dual-channel DDR4 memory, and offer PCIe Gen 3 with 16 lanes from the CPU. However, the L2 cache differs: the Intel part has 256 KB per core, while the AMD part has 512 KB per core. This larger L2 cache on the Ryzen chip likely contributes to its strong single-core performance in Cinebench R15.

Memory bandwidth also differs. The Intel Core i9-9900T supports 42.7 GB/s, while the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 7730U supports 51.2 GB/s. This 20% higher bandwidth on the AMD chip helps explain its dominant performance in the older Cinebench R15 tests, which are often memory-sensitive. The AMD part also supports ECC memory, a feature the Intel chip lacks.

The integrated graphics differ as well: the Intel part has UHD Graphics 630, while the AMD part has Radeon Graphics (Vega 8). The AMD chip is a mobile processor with a 15 W TDP, while the Intel chip is a desktop processor with a 35 W TDP. The AMD part uses the AMD Socket FP6, while the Intel part uses Intel Socket 1151. The Intel chip launched on April 22, 2019, while the AMD chip launched on January 3, 2023, and remains in active production, whereas the Intel part is end-of-life.

These architectural differences explain the benchmark results. The AMD chip's smaller process node and higher memory bandwidth give it an advantage in older, less optimized workloads. The Intel chip's larger TDP budget and desktop platform allow it to excel in newer, more demanding multi-threaded tests. The recorded data shows two capable eight-core processors, each optimized for a different set of conditions, with neither able to dominate across every benchmark.