AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U vs Intel Core i9-11900 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U and Intel Core i9-11900 sit nearly neck-and-neck in average benchmark score, with the AMD part scoring 32233 against Intel's 32226 — a delta of essentially 0%. Yet that near-identical aggregate masks a lopsided head-to-head: the Ryzen wins 15 of 17 benchmark comparisons, while the Intel takes only 2. This is a curious result worth unpacking.

The Cinebench suite is a clean sweep for AMD. Across R15, R20, and R23, the Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U beats the Core i9-11900 by exactly 6.7% in every single test — both single-core and multi-core. In R23 multi-core, the AMD scores 20254 versus 18985 for Intel; in R23 single-core, it's 2859 versus 2680. The consistency of that 6.7% delta across all six Cinebench runs suggests a fundamental architectural edge rather than a workload-specific quirk.

PassMark tells a more nuanced story. The Ryzen wins data encryption by a commanding 17.9% (16441 vs 13942), prime number finding by 20.6% (76 vs 63), and physics by 20.2% (1174 vs 977). Those are the largest deltas in the entire comparison. The AMD also leads in floating point math by 3.7%, integer math by 5.3%, multithread by 6.2%, and single-thread by 7.9%. Random string sorting is essentially a tie, with AMD ahead by just 0.2% (33109 vs 33054).

But Intel fights back in two specific PassMark workloads. Data compression goes to the Core i9-11900 by 4.4% (285159 vs 272664), and extended instructions favor Intel by 2.7% (19654 vs 19132). These are narrow victories, yet they hint at strengths in particular instruction patterns. The overall picture is clear: AMD dominates the rendering and compute-heavy workloads, while Intel holds ground in compression and certain SIMD-style operations.

Where Each One Wins

The Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U is the clear winner for any workload built around Cinebench-style rendering. Its 6.7% advantage across every Cinebench variant — from R15 to R23, single-core to multi-core — means users running 3D rendering, video encoding, or other multi-threaded creative tasks will see consistent gains. The 20.2% lead in physics and 20.6% lead in prime number finding further cement its position for scientific computing and simulation workloads. Data encryption at +17.9% is notable for anyone handling sensitive data.

The Core i9-11900's wins are narrower and more specialized. Its 4.4% edge in data compression suggests it handles zipping, archiving, and database compression tasks slightly better. The 2.7% lead in extended instructions points to an advantage in workloads that leverage AVX-512 or similar extended x86 instruction sets — think certain scientific libraries or media codecs that explicitly target those instructions.

For single-threaded responsiveness, the Ryzen wins by 7.9% in PassMark single-thread and 6.7% in Cinebench R23 single-core. That translates to snappier everyday application performance, though both parts are in the same ballpark. The multithread gap of 6.2% reinforces that AMD's 8-core/16-thread configuration extracts more from the same core count.

Architecture Differences

The underlying designs could hardly be more different. The Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U is built on TSMC's 4 nm process with 25,000 million transistors packed into a 178 mm² die. The Core i9-11900 uses Intel's 14 nm process with a 276 mm² die and no transistor count listed. That process gap — three full nodes — explains much of the efficiency and performance delta, even though both chips feature 8 cores and 16 threads.

Cache layouts diverge too. Both share 16 MB of L3, but the Ryzen allocates 1 MB of L2 per core versus 512 KB per core on the Intel. L1 is identical at 64 KB per core. The larger L2 on AMD likely contributes to its integer math and physics wins, where more data can stay closer to the cores.

Memory support is a major differentiator. The Ryzen uses DDR5 with dual-channel support and 89.6 GB/s bandwidth, while the Intel uses DDR4 at 51.2 GB/s. That 75% bandwidth advantage gives AMD a significant edge in memory-intensive workloads, particularly the encryption and multithread tests. The Ryzen also supports ECC memory; the Intel does not.

The Ryzen is a mobile part on AMD Socket FP7, built around the Zen 4 architecture (codename Hawk Point) from the 8000 series. The Intel is a desktop part on Socket 1200, using the Rocket Lake architecture from the 11th Gen Core series. The Ryzen's integrated graphics is the Radeon 780M, while the Intel has UHD Graphics 750. Both support PCIe Gen 4 with 20 lanes.

Production status differs starkly: the Ryzen is listed as Active and was released on 2024-04-15, while the Intel is End-of-life with a 2021-03-15 release date. The Intel carries a launch MSRP of $439. The Ryzen's power envelope is 28W TDP versus 65W for the Intel — a massive efficiency gap that favors the mobile AMD part, though the Intel's desktop positioning means it can draw more sustained power.

The Verdict

The data points to the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U as the stronger processor in nearly every measurable category. It wins 15 of 17 head-to-head tests, including all Cinebench variants, and posts its largest victories (20.6% in prime numbers, 20.2% in physics) in compute-heavy workloads. The 6.7% Cinebench sweep is uniform and decisive, suggesting a fundamental per-clock advantage from the Zen 4 architecture on 4 nm versus Rocket Lake on 14 nm.

The Intel Core i9-11900's only wins — data compression by 4.4% and extended instructions by 2.7% — are real but narrow. For users whose primary workload is compression or AVX-512-style extended instructions, the Intel remains competitive. But the Ryzen's advantages in single-thread (7.9%), multithread (6.2%), encryption (17.9%), and physics (20.2%) cover a broader range of real-world tasks.

The efficiency story is also one-sided. The Ryzen achieves its higher scores at 28W TDP versus the Intel's 65W, and it brings DDR5 bandwidth of 89.6 GB/s versus 51.2 GB/s. For mobile users, the Ryzen is the obvious choice — it's an Active production part versus an End-of-life desktop chip. For desktop builders who need a Socket 1200 part and can tolerate the higher power draw, the Intel still works, but the benchmark data shows it trailing in most scenarios. Anyone prioritizing rendering, encryption, physics simulation, or general single-threaded responsiveness should pick the Ryzen; only those with compression-heavy or extended-instruction workloads should consider the Intel.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U averages 32233 versus 32226 for the Intel Core i9-11900 — a difference of 0%, essentially a tie overall.

Q: How many benchmarks does each processor win in the head-to-head comparison?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U wins 15 of 17 benchmarks, while the Intel Core i9-11900 wins 2.

Q: What is the largest single benchmark margin between the two?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U leads by 20.6% in PassMark find prime numbers (76 vs 63) and by 20.2% in PassMark physics (1174 vs 977).

Q: In which workloads does the Intel Core i9-11900 outperform the AMD?

A: The Intel wins data compression by 4.4% (285159 vs 272664) and extended instructions by 2.7% (19654 vs 19132).

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

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U has a 28W TDP, while the Intel Core i9-11900 has a 65W TDP.

Q: What memory technologies do the two processors support?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U supports DDR5 with 89.6 GB/s bandwidth and ECC memory, while the Intel Core i9-11900 supports DDR4 with 51.2 GB/s bandwidth and no ECC support.

Specification Differences

| Specification | AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U | Intel Core i9-11900 |

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

| Series | 8000 series | Core 11th Gen |

| Architecture | Zen 4 | Rocket Lake |

| Codename | Hawk Point | Rocket Lake |

| Process Node | 4 nm | 14 nm |

| Foundry | TSMC | Intel |

| Transistors | 25,000 million | null |

| Die Size | 178 mm² | 276 mm² |

| Base Clock | 3.30 GHz | 2.50 GHz |

| Boost Clock | 5.10 GHz | 5.20 GHz |

| TDP | 28W | 65W |

| Socket | AMD Socket FP7 | Intel Socket 1200 |

| L2 Cache | 1 MB (per core) | 512 KB (per core) |

| Memory Support | DDR5 | DDR4 |

| Memory Bandwidth | 89.6 GB/s | 51.2 GB/s |

| ECC Memory | true | false |

| Integrated Graphics | Radeon 780M | UHD Graphics 750 |

| Market Segment | Mobile | Desktop |

| Production Status | Active | End-of-life |

| Release Date | 2024-04-15 | 2021-03-15 |

| Launch MSRP | null | $439 |

| Part Number | 100-000001317(FP7r2),100-000001377(FP7) | SRKNJ |