AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 7730U vs Intel Xeon E5-1680 v4 Comparison

The Intel Xeon E5-1680 v4 and AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 7730U are both 8-core, 16-thread processors, but they come from different eras and market segments. The Xeon is a 2016 desktop part on Intel's Broadwell architecture, while the Ryzen is a 2023 mobile chip based on Zen 3. Benchmark results show a split: the AMD part wins in Cinebench R15, while the Intel part wins in Cinebench R23. Their average benchmark scores are nearly identical, with the Xeon at 3494 and the Ryzen at 3456.

Where Each One Wins

In the head-to-head tests, the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 7730U takes both Cinebench R15 workloads. It scores 1756 in multi-core versus 1217 for the Intel, a 30.7% advantage. In single-core, it scores 229 versus 171, a 25.3% lead. These are the older Cinebench versions, and the AMD part dominates them. The Intel Xeon E5-1680 v4 wins the newer Cinebench R23 tests: 12080 versus 10095 in multi-core (19.7% ahead) and 1705 versus 1441 in single-core (18.3% ahead). So the AMD part is stronger in legacy rendering, while the Intel part is stronger in the modern R23 workload. The database also records a Cinebench R20 score for the Intel part (5073 multi, 716 single), but no R20 result for the AMD part, so no direct comparison is possible. The AMD part has Geekbench scores (5661 multi, 1551 single), but the Intel part lacks Geekbench results in the database.

The AMD part also carries a much lower TDP of 15W versus 140W for the Intel, and it is a mobile part, so it wins on power efficiency. However, that is not a benchmark win, and the performance split is what defines the use cases. For workloads that rely on Cinebench R15, the AMD part is clearly the better performer. For Cinebench R23, the Intel part takes the crown. The average benchmark scores are close: 3494 for Intel, 3456 for AMD, and the percentile rankings are 55 for Intel and 54 for AMD. This indicates that the two parts sit at nearly the same overall performance level, but with opposite strengths in the two Cinebench generations.

The Verdict

The data suggests that the choice depends on the workload and the platform. For modern multi-threaded rendering, as measured by Cinebench R23, the Intel Xeon E5-1680 v4 is the stronger part, with a 19.7% multi-core and 18.3% single-core lead over the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 7730U. For legacy Cinebench R15 workloads, the AMD part is ahead by 30.7% in multi-core and 25.3% in single-core. If the system must be mobile, the AMD part is the only option, as it is a mobile chip with a 15W TDP, while the Intel part is a desktop processor with a 140W TDP. The Intel part is also end-of-life, while the AMD part is active. For a desktop build that prioritizes modern rendering performance, the Intel Xeon is the better pick. For a mobile system or a workload that still uses Cinebench R15, the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 7730U is the clear winner. The average scores and percentiles show that neither part is a runaway overall winner, so the decision should be driven by the specific benchmark that matters most.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head results are decisive in each direction. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 7730U scores 1756 against 1217 for the Intel Xeon E5-1680 v4, a 30.7% lead. In Cinebench R15 single-core, the AMD part scores 229 versus 171, a 25.3% advantage. These are the largest margins in the comparison. The Intel part wins the newer Cinebench R23 tests: 12080 versus 10095 in multi-core, a 19.7% lead, and 1705 versus 1441 in single-core, an 18.3% lead. The Intel part also has a Cinebench R20 result of 5073 multi-core and 716 single-core, but no R20 score is recorded for the AMD part, so that test cannot be compared directly. The AMD part has Geekbench scores of 5661 multi-core and 1551 single-core, but the Intel part has no Geekbench results in the database. The overall average benchmark scores are 3494 for Intel and 3456 for AMD, a gap of 38 points, which is less than 1.1% of the AMD score. The percentile rankings are 55 for Intel and 54 for AMD, confirming that the two parts are essentially peers in the overall database.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has more cores?

A: Both have 8 cores and 16 threads.

Q: Which has a higher boost clock?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 7730U boosts to 4.50 GHz, while the Intel Xeon E5-1680 v4 boosts to 4.00 GHz.

Q: Which has more L3 cache?

A: The Intel Xeon has 20 MB shared L3, while the AMD Ryzen has 16 MB shared L3.

Q: Which supports ECC memory?

A: Both support ECC memory.

Q: Which has integrated graphics?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 7730U includes Radeon Graphics (Vega 8), while the Intel Xeon has no integrated graphics.

Q: Which has higher memory bandwidth?

A: The Intel Xeon has a quad-channel memory bus with 76.8 GB/s bandwidth, while the AMD Ryzen has a dual-channel bus with 51.2 GB/s.

Architecture Differences

The two processors differ significantly in architecture. The Intel Xeon E5-1680 v4 is built on a 14 nm process at Intel's own foundry, with 3,400 million transistors on a 246 mm² die. The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 7730U uses a 7 nm process from TSMC, with 10,700 million transistors on a 180 mm² die. The cache hierarchy also differs: both have 64 KB L1 per core, but the Intel part has 256 KB L2 per core, while the AMD part has 512 KB L2 per core. The L3 cache is 20 MB shared on the Intel part and 16 MB shared on the AMD part. Memory support is DDR4 for both, but the Intel part uses a quad-channel bus with 76.8 GB/s bandwidth, while the AMD part uses a dual-channel bus with 51.2 GB/s. PCIe connectivity is also different: the Intel part provides Gen 3 with 40 lanes, while the AMD part provides Gen 3 with 16 lanes. The AMD part includes integrated Radeon Graphics (Vega 8), while the Intel part has no integrated graphics. The sockets are Intel Socket 2011-3 for the Xeon and AMD Socket FP6 for the Ryzen. The market segments are Desktop for Intel and Mobile for AMD. The Intel part is end-of-life, released in 2016, while the AMD part is active, released in 2023. The base clocks are 3.40 GHz for Intel and 2.00 GHz for AMD, with boost clocks of 4.00 GHz and 4.50 GHz respectively. These architectural differences explain the performance split: the newer 7 nm process and higher boost clock give the AMD part an edge in legacy Cinebench R15, while the larger L3 cache and higher memory bandwidth help the Intel part in the more demanding Cinebench R23 workload.