AMD Ryzen 9 3950X vs Intel Core i5-13500TE Comparison

The Intel Core i5-13500TE and AMD Ryzen 9 3950X both land at the 59th percentile in the database, yet they represent opposite ends of the design spectrum. The Intel part is a 14-core, 20-thread Raptor Lake chip with a 35W TDP, while the AMD part is a 16-core, 32-thread Zen 2 chip with a 105W TDP. Their head-to-head results show a clear split: Intel wins single-core, AMD wins multi-core. The recorded data also shows that the Intel part carries a higher average benchmark score, 5002 versus 4807, despite the AMD part's larger core count.

Where Each One Wins

The head-to-head benchmark set contains two direct comparisons, and each processor takes one. In Cinebench R15 single-core, the Intel Core i5-13500TE scores 246 against the AMD Ryzen 9 3950X's 209, a 17.7% advantage. That single-core lead is consistent with the Intel part's other single-core results in the database: it records 1025 in Cinebench R20 single-core and 2441 in Cinebench R23 single-core. No direct AMD comparison exists for those tests, but the pattern is clear. The Intel part is the better choice for lightly threaded workloads, such as everyday desktop responsiveness, legacy applications, and tasks that rely on a single fast core.

The AMD Ryzen 9 3950X dominates the multi-core side. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, it scores 4002 versus the Intel part's 1743, a 56.4% lead. That gap is enormous and reflects the AMD part's higher core and thread counts. The AMD part also shows strong scaling in the 3DMark suite, with scores rising from 1436 at 2 threads to 10719 at max threads. For heavily threaded workloads like video rendering, scientific simulation, or batch encoding, the AMD part is clearly the stronger performer. The Intel part's multi-core scores are not negligible, but they are far behind in the one direct multi-core test.

The overall average benchmark scores tell a slightly different story. The Intel part averages 5002, while the AMD part averages 4807. That means the Intel part, despite losing the multi-core head-to-head, holds a higher average across all recorded tests. This is likely due to its superior single-core performance and possibly better efficiency in mixed workloads. Both parts sit at the 59th percentile, so they are in the same performance tier, but the Intel part edges ahead in the aggregate.

Architecture Differences

The two processors are built on fundamentally different architectures. The Intel Core i5-13500TE uses Raptor Lake, a 10nm process from Intel, while the AMD Ryzen 9 3950X uses Zen 2, a 7nm process from TSMC. The Intel part has 14 cores and 20 threads, while the AMD part has 16 cores and 32 threads. The AMD part's higher thread count comes from simultaneous multithreading on all 16 cores, whereas the Intel part uses a hybrid design with performance and efficiency cores, though the database does not specify the core type breakdown.

Cache hierarchies differ significantly. The Intel part has 80 KB of L1 cache per core, 1.25 MB of L2 per core, and 24 MB of shared L3 cache. The AMD part has 64 KB of L1 per core, 512 KB of L2 per core, and 64 MB of L3 cache. The AMD part's larger L3 cache is a notable advantage for workloads that benefit from a large shared pool. The Intel part's larger per-core L1 and L2 caches may help with latency-sensitive single-threaded tasks.

Memory support also diverges. The Intel part supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory, while the AMD part supports only DDR4. Both use dual-channel memory buses, but the AMD part has a specified memory bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s, while the Intel part's bandwidth is not listed. The Intel part supports ECC memory, the AMD part does not. PCIe connectivity differs as well: the Intel part offers Gen 5 with 16 lanes, while the AMD part offers Gen 4 with 24 lanes. The Intel part includes integrated UHD Graphics 770, while the AMD part has no integrated graphics.

Other architectural differences include the die size and transistor count. The Intel part has a die size of 215 mm², while the AMD part uses two 74 mm² dies, totaling 148 mm². The AMD part has 7,600 million transistors, while the Intel part's transistor count is not recorded. The Intel part has a locked multiplier, the AMD part is unlocked. The Intel part uses the LGA1700 socket, the AMD part uses AM4. The Intel part was released in January 2023, the AMD part in November 2019. The Intel part has a launch MSRP of $235, the AMD part has a launch MSRP of $749.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database records two direct comparisons between these processors, both in Cinebench R15. In the single-core test, the Intel Core i5-13500TE scores 246, while the AMD Ryzen 9 3950X scores 209. The Intel part leads by 17.7%. This is a meaningful margin, especially for a single-core test where clock speed and IPC matter most. The Intel part's boost clock is 4.5 GHz, while the AMD part's is 4.7 GHz, so the AMD part has a higher peak frequency, yet the Intel part still wins. This suggests the Intel architecture has better single-thread efficiency.

In the multi-core test, the AMD Ryzen 9 3950X scores 4002, while the Intel Core i5-13500TE scores 1743. The AMD part leads by 56.4%. That is a massive difference, more than double the Intel part's score. The AMD part's 16 cores and 32 threads give it a clear advantage in parallel workloads. The Intel part's 14 cores and 20 threads are not enough to close the gap, despite its higher single-core performance.

These two results illustrate the trade-off between the two designs. The Intel part is optimized for single-threaded responsiveness, while the AMD part is built for raw multi-threaded throughput. The average benchmark scores, 5002 for Intel and 4807 for AMD, show that the Intel part's single-core strength helps it achieve a higher overall average, even though it loses the multi-core test by a wide margin.

Specification Differences

| Specification | Intel Core i5-13500TE | AMD Ryzen 9 3950X |

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

| Cores | 14 | 16 |

| Threads | 20 | 32 |

| Base clock | 1300 MHz | 3.5 GHz |

| Boost clock | 4.5 GHz | 4.7 GHz |

| TDP | 35W | 105W |

| Socket | Intel Socket 1700 | AMD Socket AM4 |

| Process node | 10 nm | 7 nm |

| Foundry | Intel | TSMC |

| Die size | 215 mm² | 2x 74 mm² |

| L1 cache (per core) | 80 KB | 64 KB |

| L2 cache (per core) | 1.25 MB | 512 KB |

| L3 cache (shared) | 24 MB | 64 MB |

| Memory support | DDR4, DDR5 | DDR4 |

| Memory bandwidth | Not listed | 51.2 GB/s |

| ECC memory | Yes | No |

| PCIe | Gen 5, 16 lanes | Gen 4, 24 lanes |

| Integrated graphics | UHD Graphics 770 | None |

| Multiplier unlocked | No | Yes |

| Transistors | Not listed | 7,600 million |

| Release date | 2023-01-03 | 2019-11-24 |

| Launch MSRP | $235 | $749 |

FAQ

Q: Which processor has more cores?

A: The AMD Ryzen 9 3950X has 16 cores, while the Intel Core i5-13500TE has 14 cores.

Q: Which processor has a higher boost clock?

A: The AMD Ryzen 9 3950X has a boost clock of 4.7 GHz, compared to 4.5 GHz for the Intel Core i5-13500TE.

Q: Which processor supports ECC memory?

A: The Intel Core i5-13500TE supports ECC memory, while the AMD Ryzen 9 3950X does not.

Q: Which processor has integrated graphics?

A: The Intel Core i5-13500TE includes UHD Graphics 770, while the AMD Ryzen 9 3950X has no integrated graphics.

Q: Which processor has a larger L3 cache?

A: The AMD Ryzen 9 3950X has 64 MB of L3 cache, while the Intel Core i5-13500TE has 24 MB.

Q: Which processor has a lower TDP?

A: The Intel Core i5-13500TE has a TDP of 35W, while the AMD Ryzen 9 3950X has a TDP of 105W.