AMD Ryzen 9 4900HS vs Intel Core i5-1155G7 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data sets up a clear conflict: the AMD Ryzen 9 4900HS dominates three of the four shared benchmarks, while the Intel Core i5-1155G7 takes only one, but that single win is substantial in its own right. The head-to-head comparison shows the AMD part ahead by 126.6% in Cinebench R15 multi-core, scoring 1863 against Intel's 822. That is not a marginal gap; it is more than double the output. The multi-core advantage extends to Geekbench as well, where the Ryzen 9 4900HS scores 6926 versus 4246, a 63.1% lead for AMD.

The single-core story is narrower but still favors AMD in the one test both share. In Cinebench R15 single-core, the Ryzen 9 4900HS scores 193 against 115 for the Intel Core i5-1155G7, a 67.8% difference. That is a surprising result for a chip with a lower boost clock on paper, but the data is unambiguous. However, the Intel part fights back in Geekbench single-core, where it scores 1574 versus 1311 for AMD, a 16.7% lead for Intel. This is the only benchmark in the head-to-head set where the Core i5-1155G7 comes out ahead, and it indicates that Intel's architecture holds a genuine single-thread advantage in at least one workload, even if the older Cinebench test tells a different story.

Looking at the broader benchmark averages, the two processors sit nearly level. The Ryzen 9 4900HS has an average benchmark score of 2573, while the Core i5-1155G7 averages 2496. Both sit at the 49th percentile among all CPUs in the database. The nearest rivals for the AMD part include the Intel Xeon E5-4620 v3 at 2587, which is 0.6% higher, and the AMD Ryzen 7 4800HS at 2557, which is 0.6% lower. For Intel, the closest competitor is the Intel Core i5-9500T at 2493, nearly identical at 0.1% lower, and the Intel Xeon E5-2630 v3 at 2507, which is 0.4% higher. These deltas show that both processors are positioned in a dense performance cluster, where a few points separate them from their immediate peers.

The Cinebench R15 multi-core result for the Ryzen 9 4900HS at 1863 is particularly notable when set against its rivals. The Intel Xeon E-2174G, a desktop-class part, scores 2588 on average, just 0.6% above the AMD mobile chip. That puts the Ryzen 9 4900HS in striking distance of workstation-grade silicon. The Intel Core i5-1155G7, by contrast, with its 822 multi-core score in Cinebench R15, sits far below its own nearest rivals, which average around 2500. This suggests that the Intel part's average score is buoyed by its stronger results in other tests, such as Cinebench R23, where it scores 8155 multi-core, but the head-to-head data shows a clear multi-threaded deficit against the Ryzen 9 4900HS.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Ryzen 9 4900HS wins decisively in multi-threaded, heavily parallel workloads. The Cinebench R15 multi-core score of 1863 versus 822 for Intel represents a 126.6% advantage, which is the kind of margin that shows up in video rendering, 3D scene building, and any other workload that scales with core count. The Geekbench multi-core result reinforces this: 6926 for AMD versus 4246 for Intel, a 63.1% lead. These are not subtle differences; they are the difference between waiting minutes and waiting nearly twice as long for a render to finish.

The Intel Core i5-1155G7 wins in at least one single-threaded scenario. Its Geekbench single-core score of 1574 beats the AMD's 1311 by 16.7%. This matters for applications that rely on one or two fast cores, such as web browsing responsiveness, document editing, and some legacy software that cannot use many threads. The Intel part also has a higher boost clock at 4.50 GHz versus 4.30 GHz for AMD, which may contribute to its single-thread showing, though the Cinebench R15 single-core result contradicts this, showing AMD ahead by 67.8%. That inconsistency suggests the single-thread advantage depends heavily on the specific instruction mix and how well each architecture handles the test.

For sustained workloads, the Ryzen 9 4900HS has the advantage of more physical hardware: 8 cores and 16 threads versus 4 cores and 8 threads for Intel. This is a structural advantage that no amount of clock speed can fully compensate for in multi-threaded tasks. The Intel part, however, has a lower TDP at 28 watts versus 35 watts for AMD, which could make it more suitable for thin-and-light laptops where thermal headroom is limited. The data does not include battery life or thermal measurements, so the practical impact of that TDP difference is not quantified here, but it is a distinguishing specification.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from fundamentally different design philosophies. The AMD Ryzen 9 4900HS is built on the Zen 2 architecture, codenamed Renoir, using a 7 nm process from TSMC. It packs 9,800 million transistors into a 156 mm² die. Intel's Core i5-1155G7 uses the Tiger Lake architecture, specifically Willow Cove cores, on Intel's 10 nm process, with a 144 mm² die size. The node difference is significant: 7 nm allows AMD to fit more transistors in a similar physical space, which helps explain the 8-core configuration.

Cache layouts differ substantially. AMD allocates 64 KB of L1 per core and 512 KB of L2 per core, with a shared 8 MB L3 pool. Intel uses a larger L1 at 80 KB per core and a much larger L2 at 1.25 MB per core, but shares the same 8 MB L3. The larger per-core L2 on the Intel part may help with single-threaded latency, which could explain its Geekbench single-core win. AMD's design favors higher core counts and a shared pool, which is better for multi-threaded throughput.

Memory support also diverges. The AMD part supports DDR4 only, with dual-channel access and a memory bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s. The Intel chip supports both DDR4 and LPDDR4X, also dual-channel, but the database does not list a bandwidth figure for it. This gives Intel flexibility for low-power memory configurations, while AMD is limited to standard DDR4. Neither supports ECC memory, and both have their integrated graphics on the same package. AMD uses Radeon Graphics with 512 shader processors, while Intel uses Iris Xe-LP Graphics G7 with 80 execution units.

PCIe support is another split. The AMD Ryzen 9 4900HS provides PCIe Gen 3, while the Intel Core i5-1155G7 offers PCIe Gen 4 with 16 lanes on the CPU. This gives Intel a potential advantage for fast SSDs and external GPU connectivity, though the real-world impact depends on the laptop design. Socket compatibility is not shared: AMD uses Socket FP6, Intel uses BGA 1449, so they are not interchangeable in any system.

The release dates are also distinct. The AMD part launched on March 6, 2020, while the Intel chip came later on May 30, 2021. Both are listed as Active in production status. The Intel part has a launch MSRP of $309, which is stated once here for reference; the AMD part has no launch MSRP recorded in the database.

The Verdict

The data points to a clear split by workload type. For anyone running multi-threaded applications, the AMD Ryzen 9 4900HS is the stronger choice. Its Cinebench R15 multi-core score is 126.6% higher than Intel's, and its Geekbench multi-core score is 63.1% higher. The 8-core, 16-thread configuration gives it a structural advantage that the Intel part cannot overcome in parallel tasks. The average benchmark scores confirm this: 2573 for AMD versus 2496 for Intel, a narrow but consistent lead.

The Intel Core i5-1155G7 has one clear selling point from the recorded data: Geekbench single-core performance. Its 1574 score beats the AMD's 1311 by 16.7%. If a user's primary applications are single-threaded and they rarely push multi-core loads, the Intel part may deliver snappier responsiveness. Its lower TDP of 28 watts versus 35 watts also suggests it could fit into more power-constrained designs, though the database does not include thermal or battery measurements to confirm this.

For a benchmark-driven decision, the Ryzen 9 4900HS wins the head-to-head count at 3 wins versus 1. The magnitude of those wins matters too: the multi-core margins are enormous, while Intel's single-core win is comparatively modest. The Cinebench R15 single-core result even contradicts Intel's Geekbench advantage, showing AMD ahead by 67.8%. This inconsistency means Intel's single-thread superiority is not universal across all tests.

Users who prioritize rendering, compilation, virtualization, or any workload that scales with threads should choose the AMD Ryzen 9 4900HS. Users who need the best possible single-thread latency, particularly in Geekbench-style workloads, and who value the lower TDP and PCIe Gen 4 support, should consider the Intel Core i5-1155G7. The data does not support a universal recommendation; it supports a workload-specific one.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has more cores and threads?

A: The AMD Ryzen 9 4900HS has 8 cores and 16 threads, while the Intel Core i5-1155G7 has 4 cores and 8 threads.

Q: What is the biggest performance difference between the two?

A: In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the AMD Ryzen 9 4900HS scores 1863 versus 822 for Intel, a 126.6% advantage for AMD. This is the largest delta in the head-to-head data.

Q: Does the Intel Core i5-1155G7 win any benchmark?

A: Yes. In Geekbench single-core, the Intel part scores 1574 against 1311 for AMD, a 16.7% lead. It also has a higher boost clock at 4.50 GHz versus 4.30 GHz.

Q: How do their average benchmark scores compare?

A: The AMD Ryzen 9 4900HS averages 2573, while the Intel Core i5-1155G7 averages 2496. Both sit at the 49th percentile among all CPUs in the database.

Q: What are the key architecture differences?

A: AMD uses Zen 2 on a 7 nm process with 9,800 million transistors, while Intel uses Willow Cove on a 10 nm process. AMD has 8 MB shared L3 and 512 KB L2 per core; Intel has 8 MB shared L3 and 1.25 MB L2 per core. AMD supports PCIe Gen 3, Intel supports PCIe Gen 4.

Q: What memory types does each processor support?

A: The AMD Ryzen 9 4900HS supports DDR4 only, with dual-channel memory and 51.2 GB/s bandwidth. The Intel Core i5-1155G7 supports both DDR4 and LPDDR4X, also dual-channel, but no bandwidth figure is recorded for it.