AMD Ryzen 9 9950X vs Intel Core 5 211E Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data shows a decisive overall victory for the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X, which wins 14 of the 15 directly compared benchmark tests against the Intel Core 5 211E. The single exception is a notable one: the Intel part wins Cinebench R23 single-core by 23.5%, scoring 2878 against AMD's 2202. That result indicates Intel's architecture in this configuration delivers superior per-thread performance in that specific modern rendering workload, despite the AMD processor's higher boost clock.

Every other head-to-head comparison favors the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X, often by very large margins. In multi-threaded rendering, the AMD part leads Cinebench R15 multicore by 208.3% (6335 vs. 2055) and Cinebench R23 multicore by 100.7% (40924 vs. 20389). These are not small differences; they represent more than a doubling of performance in the R15 test and exactly double the score in R23. The AMD processor's 16 cores and 32 threads against Intel's 10 cores and 16 threads explain the scale of this gap.

The gap widens further in synthetic math and encryption workloads. The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X leads PassMark find prime numbers by 702.3% (345 vs. 43), which is the largest single delta in the entire comparison. PassMark physics shows a 367.1% advantage for AMD (3279 vs. 702), and PassMark extended instructions shows a 231.4% lead (71564 vs. 21592). These figures suggest that the AMD processor's compute throughput per clock, combined with its higher core count, makes it dramatically faster in integer-heavy and floating-point-heavy tasks.

In memory-sensitive workloads, the AMD part leads PassMark data compression by 158.6% (896544 vs. 346757) and PassMark data encryption by 147.3% (44366 vs. 17938). The AMD processor's dual-channel DDR5 memory bandwidth of 89.6 GB/s versus Intel's 76.8 GB/s contributes to this advantage, along with the larger 64 MB L3 cache versus Intel's 20 MB shared L3. PassMark integer math shows a 174.7% lead for AMD (242097 vs. 88117), and PassMark floating point math shows a 139.5% lead (159063 vs. 66402).

Even in single-threaded PassMark tests, which typically favor high-frequency parts, the AMD processor wins by 18.2% (4737 vs. 4006). This is notable because the Intel part's boost clock is 4.90 GHz versus AMD's 5.70 GHz, yet the AMD processor still comes out ahead in this synthetic single-thread metric. The result suggests that the Zen 5 architecture's instruction efficiency outweighs the clock deficit in this particular test.

The overall average benchmark score in the database reinforces the hierarchy: the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X averages 74640 across all its recorded benchmarks, placing it at the 94th percentile of all CPUs, while the Intel Core 5 211E averages 37829, placing it at the 86th percentile. The nearest rivals for the AMD part include the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 9745 (average score 74761, 0.2% higher) and the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 475 (average score 74496, 0.2% lower), showing the 9950X sits in a tight cluster at the top of the database. The Intel Core 5 211E's nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen AI Embedded P132 (average score 37804, 0.1% higher) and the Intel Core i9-14901E (average score 37911, 0.2% higher), indicating it also sits in a dense performance tier, but a far lower one.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X wins in every category where core count and memory bandwidth are the dominant factors. Multi-threaded rendering, physics simulation, encryption, compression, and integer math all show the AMD part ahead by at least 139.5% and in some cases by over 700%. For workloads that scale with thread count, such as video encoding, 3D scene rendering, scientific computation, or database operations, the data indicates the 9950X delivers roughly double to quadruple the throughput of the 211E.

The Intel Core 5 211E's single win in Cinebench R23 single-core (2878 vs. 2202, a 23.5% margin) points to one specific area of strength: lightly threaded workloads that depend on high per-core efficiency in modern rendering engines. This result is unusual because the AMD part wins PassMark single-thread by 18.2%, but the R23 single-core test clearly favors Intel's architecture. Applications that rely heavily on a single core for short bursts, such as some legacy software or certain interactive tools, could see better responsiveness on the Intel processor.

In mixed workloads, the AMD processor maintains its lead. PassMark multithread shows a 177.1% advantage (66030 vs. 23833), and PassMark random string sorting shows a 175.1% lead (94368 vs. 34308). Even in the extended instructions test, which measures SIMD and specialized instruction throughput, AMD leads by 231.4%. The only test where Intel comes closer than a double-digit margin is Cinebench R15 single-core, where AMD leads by 19% (344 vs. 289). That is still a clear win for AMD, but it shows that the Intel part's single-core performance is competitive in legacy rendering tests, just not in the newer R23 version.

The Verdict

The database measurements are unambiguous: the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X outperforms the Intel Core 5 211E in 14 of 15 direct comparisons, with an average benchmark score nearly twice as high (74640 vs. 37829). The AMD processor's 16 cores, 32 threads, 64 MB L3 cache, and 89.6 GB/s memory bandwidth give it a commanding lead in every multi-threaded and most single-threaded workloads. Its percentile rank of 94 versus Intel's 86 places it in a different performance class entirely.

The Intel Core 5 211E offers one clear advantage in Cinebench R23 single-core performance, where it beats the AMD part by 23.5%. For users whose primary applications are single-threaded and specifically optimized for the R23 rendering pipeline, the Intel processor could deliver better per-task latency. However, the AMD part counters with an 18.2% win in PassMark single-thread, meaning the Intel's single-core supremacy is not consistent across all tests.

From a pure performance standpoint, the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X is the correct pick for any workload that benefits from high core counts, large cache, or high memory bandwidth. The Intel Core 5 211E is the correct pick only for the narrow case where a single-threaded Cinebench R23 score is the primary metric. The scale of the AMD lead in multi-threaded tests, often exceeding 100%, makes the comparison one-sided in almost every real-world scenario.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has more cores and threads?

A: The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X has 16 cores and 32 threads. The Intel Core 5 211E has 10 cores and 16 threads.

Q: What is the single biggest performance gap between the two?

A: The largest delta is in PassMark find prime numbers, where the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X scores 345 versus Intel's 43, a 702.3% advantage for AMD.

Q: Does the Intel Core 5 211E win any benchmark?

A: Yes, it wins Cinebench R23 single-core with a score of 2878 versus AMD's 2202, a 23.5% advantage for Intel.

Q: Which processor has higher memory bandwidth?

A: The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X supports dual-channel DDR5 with 89.6 GB/s. The Intel Core 5 211E also uses dual-channel memory but supports both DDR4 and DDR5, with a bandwidth of 76.8 GB/s.

Q: How do their average benchmark scores compare?

A: The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X has an average benchmark score of 74640, placing it at the 94th percentile. The Intel Core 5 211E has an average score of 37829, placing it at the 86th percentile.

Q: Which processor has a larger L3 cache?

A: The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X has 64 MB of L3 cache. The Intel Core 5 211E has 20 MB of shared L3 cache.

Architecture Differences

The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X uses the Zen 5 architecture, codenamed Granite Ridge, built on a 4 nm process at TSMC. It contains 16,630 million transistors across a die size of 2x 70.6 mm². The Intel Core 5 211E uses the Bartlett Lake architecture, built on a 10 nm process at Intel, with a die size of 257 mm² and no transistor count listed in the database. The process node difference is substantial: 4 nm versus 10 nm, which typically affects power efficiency and transistor density.

The cache hierarchies differ significantly. Both processors have 80 KB of L1 cache per core, but the AMD part has 1 MB of L2 cache per core while the Intel part has 2 MB of L2 cache per core. The L3 cache is where AMD takes a major lead: 64 MB total on the 9950X versus 20 MB shared on the 211E. This larger L3 cache likely contributes to the AMD part's strong performance in data compression and encryption tests, where cache-resident data sets benefit from reduced memory latency.

The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X supports PCIe Gen 5 with 24 lanes (CPU only), while the Intel Core 5 211E supports PCIe Gen 5 with 16 lanes (CPU only). Both support dual-channel memory and ECC memory. The AMD part supports DDR5 only, while the Intel part supports both DDR4 and DDR5, giving Intel more flexibility in memory selection but with a lower peak bandwidth. The AMD processor includes integrated Radeon Graphics, while the Intel processor includes UHD Graphics 730.

The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X has an unlocked multiplier, allowing overclocking, while the Intel Core 5 211E has a locked multiplier. The AMD part also has a higher base clock (4.30 GHz) and boost clock (5.70 GHz) compared to Intel's 2.70 GHz base and 4.90 GHz boost.

Specification Differences

The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X has a TDP of 170 watts, while the Intel Core 5 211E has a TDP of 65 watts. This is a major difference in power envelope, with Intel drawing far less power. The AMD part uses AMD Socket AM5, while Intel uses Intel Socket 1700. The AMD processor is from the 9000 series, while the Intel part has no listed series.

The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X was released on 2024-08-14, while the Intel Core 5 211E was released on 2025-01-12. The AMD part's launch MSRP is $649, while the Intel part's launch MSRP is $221. The AMD processor's part number is 100-000001277, and the Intel processor's part number is SRQERQ65F.

The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X supports DDR5 memory only, with a dual-channel bus and 89.6 GB/s bandwidth. The Intel Core 5 211E supports both DDR4 and DDR5, also dual-channel, with 76.8 GB/s bandwidth. Both support ECC memory. The AMD part has 24 PCIe Gen 5 lanes, while Intel has 16 PCIe Gen 5 lanes.

The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X has 16,630 million transistors, while no transistor count is listed for the Intel Core 5 211E. The AMD die size is 2x 70.6 mm², while Intel's is 257 mm². The AMD processor is manufactured by TSMC, the Intel part by Intel. Both are desktop parts with active production status. The AMD part has an unlocked multiplier, the Intel part is locked.