AMD Ryzen 9 4900HS vs Intel Core i7-5820K Comparison

Where Each One Wins

The benchmark data paints a remarkably one-sided picture. Across every recorded test, the AMD Ryzen 9 4900HS takes the win. The Intel Core i7-5820K does not secure a single head-to-head victory. The wins for AMD range from a modest 10.5% advantage in single-core Geekbench to a commanding 54.9% lead in Cinebench R15 multi-core. This is not a case of one chip dominating in some workloads while ceding others; the Ryzen 9 4900HS is simply faster everywhere the database measured.

The most dramatic separation is in multi-threaded rendering. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the AMD part scores 1863 against Intel's 841, a delta of 54.9%. That is more than double the older Intel processor's output. Cinebench R20 and R23 results for the Intel chip (3508 and 8354 respectively) are recorded, but the AMD part has no corresponding entries in those tests, so the comparison cannot be extended there. Still, the R15 multi-core result alone establishes a clear pattern: for heavily threaded workloads like 3D rendering, video encoding, or scientific simulation, the Ryzen 9 4900HS is in a different league.

Single-core performance tells a similar story, though with a smaller gap. In Cinebench R15 single-core, AMD leads 193 to 118, a 38.9% advantage. Geekbench single-core shows AMD ahead 1311 to 1174, a 10.5% edge. The database also has Geekbench multi-core scores of 6926 for AMD and 5464 for Intel, a 21.1% gap. So whether the workload scales across all cores or runs on just one, the AMD processor wins.

What does this mean for use-case planning? For users prioritizing multi-threaded productivity, the choice is obvious: the Ryzen 9 4900HS delivers roughly 121% more throughput in the Cinebench R15 multi-core test. For lightly threaded tasks, the AMD chip still holds a double-digit lead in Cinebench R15 single-core, though the Geekbench single-core margin is smaller. There is no workload category in this dataset where the Intel Core i7-5820K comes out ahead.

The Verdict

The verdict from the recorded data is unambiguous. The AMD Ryzen 9 4900HS is the superior processor in every benchmark category measured. It wins all four head-to-head tests, with deltas ranging from 10.5% to 54.9%. Users who need maximum multi-threaded performance should select the AMD part without hesitation. Its Cinebench R15 multi-core score of 1863 dwarfs the Intel's 841.

Users who might otherwise consider the Intel Core i7-5820K should look at the specifications for context. The Intel chip is a desktop part from the Haswell-E generation, released in 2014, with a 140 W TDP and a 22 nm process node. The AMD chip is a mobile part from the Zen 2 Renoir generation, released in 2020, with a 35 W TDP and a 7 nm node. The AMD part achieves its performance dominance while consuming far less power, at least as the TDP figures indicate: 35 W versus 140 W. That is a four-fold difference in thermal design power.

The percentile rankings are interesting: both processors sit at the 49th percentile among all CPUs in the database. Despite the AMD part's clear head-to-head wins, their overall average benchmark scores are close. Intel's average is 2642, AMD's is 2573. This is because the Intel chip has additional benchmark results (Cinebench R20 and R23) that pull its average up, while the AMD chip only has four recorded tests. The nearest rivals for each chip also cluster tightly around the 2570 to 2650 average score range, suggesting that both are mid-pack performers overall, even if they are not directly comparable to each other.

For most buyers, the choice should be driven by workload and platform. If the task is multi-threaded rendering or heavy parallel computation, the Ryzen 9 4900HS is the clear winner. If the user requires a desktop platform with the Intel Socket 2011-3 and values overclocking (the Intel multiplier is unlocked, while AMD's is locked), the older Intel chip remains a viable but slower option. The data does not support choosing Intel on performance grounds alone.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head results in the database are decisive. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the AMD Ryzen 9 4900HS scores 1863 against the Intel Core i7-5820K's 841. That is a 54.9% deficit for Intel, meaning the AMD chip delivers more than double the multi-threaded rendering performance. This is the largest gap in any test and highlights the fundamental difference in core architecture and thread count: AMD has 8 cores and 16 threads, while Intel has 6 cores and 12 threads.

Cinebench R15 single-core shows AMD ahead 193 to 118, a 38.9% margin. This is notable because single-core performance is less dependent on core count and more on IPC, clock speed, and architecture efficiency. The AMD chip boosts to 4.30 GHz, while the Intel chip boosts to 3.60 GHz. The higher boost clock, combined with the newer Zen 2 architecture, explains much of this gap.

Geekbench multi-core results give AMD 6926 against Intel's 5464, a 21.1% difference. This is a smaller margin than Cinebench R15 multi-core, which may reflect differences in how the two benchmarks scale with threads, memory bandwidth, or cache size. The Intel chip has 15 MB of shared L3 cache, while AMD has 8 MB. However, AMD's per-core L2 cache is larger at 512 KB per core versus 256 KB per core, and its process node is much smaller.

Geekbench single-core shows the closest contest: AMD 1311, Intel 1174, a 10.5% gap. Even in the test where Intel comes closest, it still loses by double digits. The pattern is consistent: AMD wins every round, with the biggest victory in heavily threaded workloads and the smallest in single-core Geekbench.

It is notably the Intel chip has additional benchmark entries in Cinebench R20 and R23 that do not have AMD counterparts. Its R20 multi-core score is 3508, R20 single-core is 495, R23 multi-core is 8354, and R23 single-core is 1179. These scores cannot be compared directly to the AMD chip, but they provide context for where the Intel part stands in the broader database. Its average benchmark score of 2642 is actually slightly higher than AMD's 2573, but this is due to the different mix of tests, not because Intel is faster in any shared benchmark.

FAQ

Q: Which processor is faster in multi-threaded workloads?

A: The AMD Ryzen 9 4900HS is significantly faster. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, it scores 1863 versus the Intel Core i7-5820K's 841, a 54.9% advantage. In Geekbench multi-core, AMD leads 6926 to 5464, a 21.1% margin.

Q: Does the Intel Core i7-5820K win any benchmark in the head-to-head comparison?

A: No. The Intel chip loses all four recorded head-to-head tests. The AMD chip wins Cinebench R15 multi-core, Cinebench R15 single-core, Geekbench multi-core, and Geekbench single-core.

Q: How do the core and thread counts compare?

A: The Intel Core i7-5820K has 6 cores and 12 threads. The AMD Ryzen 9 4900HS has 8 cores and 16 threads. The AMD chip also has a higher boost clock: 4.30 GHz versus 3.60 GHz.

Q: What are the TDP differences between the two chips?

A: The Intel Core i7-5820K has a 140 W TDP, while the AMD Ryzen 9 4900HS has a 35 W TDP. The AMD chip delivers higher performance across all benchmarks despite the much lower thermal design power.

Q: Which processor has more L3 cache?

A: The Intel Core i7-5820K has 15 MB of shared L3 cache, while the AMD Ryzen 9 4900HS has 8 MB. However, the AMD chip has 512 KB of L2 cache per core versus Intel's 256 KB per core.

Q: Are both processors at the same performance percentile in the database?

A: Yes, both are at the 49th percentile among all CPUs. Their average benchmark scores are also close: Intel averages 2642, AMD averages 2573. This is because the Intel chip has more recorded benchmarks, including Cinebench R20 and R23, which are not available for the AMD chip.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from fundamentally different eras and design philosophies. The Intel Core i7-5820K uses the Haswell-E architecture, built on a 22 nm process node by Intel. It was released in 2014 and is now end-of-life. The AMD Ryzen 9 4900HS uses the Zen 2 architecture, codenamed Renoir, built on a 7 nm process node by TSMC. It was released in 2020 and remains active in production.

The transistor counts illustrate the manufacturing gap. The Intel chip has 2,600 million transistors on a 356 mm² die. The AMD chip has 9,800 million transistors on a 156 mm² die. That means AMD packs nearly four times as many transistors into less than half the die area. This is made possible by the 7 nm process versus 22 nm, a difference of three full process generations.

The cache hierarchies differ in structure. Intel provides 15 MB of shared L3 cache, while AMD provides 8 MB. However, AMD's L2 cache is 512 KB per core, double Intel's 256 KB per core. Both have 64 KB of L1 cache per core. The larger L2 cache on the AMD chip may help with per-core working sets, while Intel's larger L3 cache benefits shared data across all cores.

Memory architecture also diverges. The Intel chip supports quad-channel DDR4 with a memory bandwidth of 68.3 GB/s. The AMD chip supports dual-channel DDR4 with 51.2 GB/s. Intel's higher bandwidth is a legacy of its desktop HEDT platform, but it does not translate into a performance win in the benchmarks recorded. The AMD chip compensates with higher core counts and clock speeds.

PCIe support differs as well. Intel offers PCIe Gen 3 with 28 lanes from the CPU, while AMD lists PCIe Gen 3 without a lane count. The Intel chip has no integrated graphics, whereas the AMD chip includes Radeon Graphics with 512 shader processors. This makes the AMD chip a complete APU, capable of running a display without a discrete GPU, which is a significant feature for mobile systems.

The sockets are entirely different: Intel uses LGA 2011-3 for desktop, AMD uses FP6 for mobile. The Intel chip has an unlocked multiplier, allowing overclocking, while the AMD chip's multiplier is locked. The AMD chip is also from the 4000 series, part of the Renoir family, while Intel's generation is listed as Core i7 (Haswell-E).

Specification Differences

The two processors differ across nearly every major specification. The Intel Core i7-5820K has 6 cores and 12 threads, while the AMD Ryzen 9 4900HS has 8 cores and 16 threads. Base clocks are 3.30 GHz for Intel and 3.00 GHz for AMD, but boost clocks favor AMD: 4.30 GHz versus 3.60 GHz.

TDP is a major differentiator. Intel draws 140 W, AMD draws 35 W. The process nodes are 22 nm for Intel and 7 nm for AMD. Foundries differ: Intel uses its own fabs, AMD uses TSMC. Transistor counts are 2,600 million versus 9,800 million, and die sizes are 356 mm² versus 156 mm².

Cache differences: L1 is the same at 64 KB per core, but L2 is 256 KB per core for Intel and 512 KB per core for AMD. L3 is 15 MB shared for Intel and 8 MB shared for AMD. Memory support is DDR4 for both, but Intel uses quad-channel with 68.3 GB/s bandwidth, while AMD uses dual-channel with 51.2 GB/s.

The Intel chip has no integrated graphics, while AMD includes Radeon Graphics with 512 SP. PCIe is Gen 3 for both, but Intel specifies 28 lanes from the CPU while AMD does not list a lane count. Sockets are Intel LGA 2011-3 versus AMD FP6. The Intel multiplier is unlocked; AMD's is locked. Release dates are August 2014 for Intel and March 2020 for AMD. Intel is end-of-life, AMD is active. Part numbers are SR20S for Intel and 100-000000099 for AMD. Neither has a recorded launch MSRP in the database.