AMD Ryzen 9 7940HS vs Intel Core i5-13500 Comparison

The AMD Ryzen 9 7940HS and Intel Core i5-13500 are two processors that, despite serving different market segments, land in nearly the same performance envelope. The Ryzen 9 7940HS is a mobile part for the 7000 series, built on Zen 4 (Phoenix) at a 4 nm node, while the Core i5-13500 is a desktop Raptor Lake-S chip on a 10 nm process. Their average benchmark scores are remarkably close: the AMD part scores 31,593, and the Intel part scores 31,510, a difference of just 0.3%. Both sit at the 82nd percentile of all CPUs. The data shows a near-tie in aggregate performance, but the individual benchmark results reveal distinct strengths that depend heavily on the workload and platform context.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Ryzen 9 7940HS has a slightly higher average benchmark score of 31,593 compared to the Intel Core i5-13500's 31,510. This puts the AMD part 0.3% ahead of the Intel chip in the overall average.

Q: How do the two compare in Cinebench R23 multi-core performance?

A: The AMD Ryzen 9 7940HS wins decisively, scoring 16,713 against the Intel Core i5-13500's 14,573. This represents a 14.7% advantage for the AMD processor in this specific multi-threaded rendering test.

Q: What is the largest single benchmark victory for the Intel Core i5-13500?

A: The Intel chip's biggest win comes in PassMark floating point math, where it scores 80,198 versus AMD's 62,897. That is a 21.6% lead for the Intel processor, the largest delta in the head-to-head results.

Q: Is there any benchmark where the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HS wins by a wide margin?

A: Yes, in PassMark extended instructions, the AMD processor scores 27,480, which is 14.7% higher than Intel's 23,956. This matches the 14.7% margin AMD holds in Cinebench R23 multi-core.

Q: What are the core and thread counts for each processor?

A: The AMD Ryzen 9 7940HS has 8 cores and 16 threads. The Intel Core i5-13500 has 14 cores and 20 threads, giving it a substantial physical core advantage on paper.

Q: Which processor supports more memory types?

A: The Intel Core i5-13500 supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory, while the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HS supports only DDR5. Both use a dual-channel memory bus.

The Verdict

The data indicates that the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HS is the better choice for users prioritizing raw single-threaded performance in legacy tests and specific multi-threaded workloads like Cinebench. The AMD part wins 8 of the 23 head-to-head benchmarks, but its victories are concentrated in high-impact areas: it leads by 14.7% in Cinebench R23 multi-core and by 10.5% in Cinebench R15 single-core. For content creation applications that rely on Cinebench-style rendering, the AMD processor offers a clear performance edge.

The Intel Core i5-13500, winning 15 of 23 benchmarks, is the more consistent performer across a broader range of tasks. Its biggest advantages are in floating-point math (21.6% lead), 3DMark max threads (16.2% lead), and physics (11.9% lead). The Intel chip also wins in Geekbench multi-core by 9.9%, a modern and widely used benchmark. For users who need a desktop processor that handles general productivity, scientific computing, and simulation workloads with higher throughput, the Intel part is the stronger pick.

The choice ultimately depends on the platform and workload. The Ryzen 9 7940HS is a mobile processor on the AMD Socket FP8, making it suitable for laptops where its 35 W TDP is a necessity. The Core i5-13500 is a desktop part on Intel Socket 1700 with a 65 W TDP, suited for full-size systems. If the form factor is a laptop, the AMD chip is the only option here. If building a desktop, the Intel chip's broader benchmark dominance makes it the default recommendation from a pure performance standpoint, despite the AMD part's specific wins.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark results show a clear split in workload preferences. The AMD Ryzen 9 7940HS dominates in Cinebench tests, which are highly indicative of 3D rendering performance. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, AMD scores 2,656 against Intel's 2,405, a 10.4% lead. The margin grows in R23 multi-core, with AMD at 16,713 and Intel at 14,573, a 14.7% advantage. Single-core Cinebench results also favor AMD: 283 vs. 256 in R15 (10.5% lead) and 1,790 vs. 1,780 in R23 (0.6% lead). These scores suggest AMD's Zen 4 architecture has a distinct edge in rendering workloads that scale with both single and multi-thread performance.

The Intel Core i5-13500 counters with strong showings in PassMark tests, particularly in floating-point math where it scores 80,198 against AMD's 62,897, a commanding 21.6% lead. Intel also wins in integer math (108,320 vs. 103,044, a 4.9% lead) and in find prime numbers (102 vs. 92, a 9.8% lead). The Intel part's advantage extends to 3DMark tests: it wins 16-thread (8,309 vs. 7,553, a 9.1% lead) and max-thread (9,014 vs. 7,558, a 16.2% lead) benchmarks, though the 8-thread test is a dead heat with AMD winning by a single point (6,205 vs. 6,204).

Geekbench results favor Intel, with the Core i5-13500 scoring 14,116 in multi-core versus AMD's 12,724, a 9.9% lead. In single-core Geekbench, Intel leads by 2% (2,188 vs. 2,144). PassMark multi-thread goes to Intel (31,285 vs. 30,098, a 3.8% lead), as does data compression (391,249 vs. 365,352, a 6.6% lead) and data encryption (22,333 vs. 21,777, a 2.5% lead). The AMD chip wins PassMark single-thread by a narrow 0.3% margin (3,878 vs. 3,865) and extended instructions by 14.7% (27,480 vs. 23,956).

Specification Differences

The two processors differ fundamentally in their core configurations. The AMD Ryzen 9 7940HS has 8 cores and 16 threads, while the Intel Core i5-13500 has 14 cores and 20 threads. Clock speeds also diverge: AMD's base clock is 4.00 GHz with a boost of 5.20 GHz, whereas Intel's base is 2.50 GHz with a boost of 4.80 GHz. The TDP ratings are distinct, with AMD at 35 W and Intel at 65 W, reflecting their mobile and desktop designations respectively.

Memory support differs, with Intel supporting both DDR4 and DDR5, while AMD is limited to DDR5. The AMD chip lists a memory bandwidth of 89.6 GB/s, while the Intel chip has no bandwidth figure provided. PCIe support also varies: AMD offers Gen 4 with 20 lanes (CPU only), while Intel offers Gen 5 with 16 lanes (CPU only). Cache structures are different, with AMD using 64 KB L1 and 1 MB L2 per core plus 16 MB shared L3, while Intel uses 80 KB L1 and 1.25 MB L2 per core plus 24 MB shared L3. Both support ECC memory.

The integrated graphics differ, with AMD featuring Radeon 780M and Intel featuring UHD Graphics 770. The process nodes are notably different: AMD uses a 4 nm TSMC process with 25,000 million transistors on a 178 mm² die, while Intel uses a 10 nm process on a 215 mm² die with no transistor count listed. The AMD part is mobile on Socket FP8, while the Intel part is desktop on Socket 1700.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap between these two is significant. The AMD Ryzen 9 7940HS is built on Zen 4, codenamed Phoenix, representing the latest generation of AMD's core design for mobile. It uses a 4 nm process from TSMC, which is several generations ahead of Intel's 10 nm node used for Raptor Lake-S. This process advantage likely contributes to AMD's higher clock speeds (5.20 GHz boost) despite the much lower 35 W TDP, showcasing the efficiency of the smaller node.

The Intel Core i5-13500 uses the Raptor Lake architecture, which is a hybrid design that combines performance and efficiency cores, though the data only lists total cores and threads. The Intel chip has a larger L3 cache at 24 MB shared, compared to AMD's 16 MB shared, and also has larger per-core L1 (80 KB) and L2 (1.25 MB) caches. This larger cache hierarchy may explain Intel's lead in memory-sensitive benchmarks like PassMark floating-point math and Geekbench multi-core.

The integrated graphics represent another architectural difference. AMD's Radeon 780M is a modern integrated GPU, while Intel's UHD Graphics 770 is a more traditional integrated solution. The memory support difference, with Intel supporting DDR4 in addition to DDR5, suggests a more flexible memory controller that can adapt to older platforms. The PCIe generation difference, with Intel offering Gen 5 versus AMD's Gen 4, provides Intel with a newer interface for high-bandwidth devices, though AMD offers more lanes (20 vs. 16). These architectural choices reflect the different design goals: AMD focusing on efficiency and clock speed in a mobile form factor, and Intel focusing on core count and cache size in a desktop part.