AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 6950HS vs Intel Core i5-13500 Comparison

The AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 6950HS and Intel Core i5-13500 represent two distinct philosophies in processor design, yet the benchmark data paints a remarkably one-sided picture. Across the entire head-to-head benchmark suite, the Intel Core i5-13500 claims victory in all 17 tests, leaving the AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 6950HS without a single win. This is despite both processors holding the same 82nd percentile ranking among all CPUs, indicating that while they occupy a similar tier in the broader market, their performance profiles diverge sharply in direct comparison.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The most dramatic divergence appears in multi-threaded workloads, where the Intel Core i5-13500’s additional cores translate into substantial leads. In Geekbench multi-core, the Intel chip scores 14,116 against the AMD’s 8,756, a 38% advantage that stands as the largest percentage gap in the entire comparison. Cinebench R23 multi-core tells a similar story: Intel’s 14,573 versus AMD’s 11,515 results in a 21% deficit for the Ryzen part. PassMark’s floating-point math test amplifies this trend, with Intel scoring 80,198 to AMD’s 48,096 — a 40% margin. The physics test follows suit, where Intel’s 1,645 outpaces AMD’s 1,043 by 36.6%.

Single-core performance also favors Intel, though by narrower margins. The Cinebench R15 single-core score shows Intel at 256 versus AMD’s 239, a modest 6.6% lead. Geekbench single-core widens slightly to 13%, with Intel scoring 2,188 against 1,903. PassMark single-thread results confirm the pattern: 3,865 for Intel versus 3,400 for AMD, an exactly 12% deficit. The smallest gap in the entire suite occurs in Cinebench R15 multi-core, where Intel’s 2,405 beats AMD’s 1,913 by 20.5% — still a decisive victory, but less severe than other multi-threaded tests.

Intermediate workloads show consistent Intel dominance without reaching the extreme margins of the floating-point test. PassMark integer math shows Intel at 108,320 versus 88,124, an 18.6% lead. Data compression favors Intel at 391,249 against 282,624, a 27.8% margin. Data encryption follows at 20.1% (22,333 versus 17,837), while extended instructions show a 21.1% gap (23,956 versus 18,897). Random string sorting produces a 31.4% lead for Intel (42,759 versus 29,350). Prime number finding represents the steepest single-test deficit for AMD, with Intel scoring 102 against AMD’s 56 — a 45.1% difference that suggests fundamental architectural advantages in integer-heavy loop workloads.

FAQ

Q: Which processor wins more benchmarks in the head-to-head comparison?

A: The Intel Core i5-13500 wins all 17 head-to-head benchmark tests. The AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 6950HS does not win a single test in the comparison suite.

Q: How large is the multi-core performance gap between the two processors?

A: The gap varies by test but is consistently substantial. Geekbench multi-core shows a 38% difference, Cinebench R23 multi-core shows 21%, and PassMark floating-point math shows 40%. PassMark multi-thread shows a 27.2% gap.

Q: Is the single-core performance difference as large as the multi-core difference?

A: No, single-core gaps are smaller. Cinebench R15 single-core shows only a 6.6% difference, while Geekbench single-core and PassMark single-thread both show 12-13% differences.

Q: What is the smallest performance difference between the two CPUs?

A: The smallest gap is in Cinebench R15 single-core, where Intel leads by just 6.6% (256 versus 239). The next smallest is PassMark single-thread at 12%.

Q: Do both processors rank similarly in the overall CPU market?

A: Yes, both hold the 82nd percentile among all CPUs. The AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 6950HS has an average benchmark score of 31,850, while the Intel Core i5-13500 averages 31,510.

Q: What is the largest single-test performance deficit for the AMD processor?

A: The largest deficit is in PassMark find prime numbers, where Intel scores 102 versus AMD’s 56, representing a 45.1% gap. PassMark floating-point math is close behind at 40%.

Architecture Differences

The two processors employ fundamentally different architectures built for different segments. The AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 6950HS uses Zen 3+ architecture under the Rembrandt codename, manufactured on a 6 nm process by TSMC. It features 8 cores and 16 threads, with a die size of 208 mm². The Intel Core i5-13500 uses Raptor Lake architecture with the Raptor Lake-S codename, built on Intel’s 10 nm process. It packs 14 cores and 20 threads into a 215 mm² die.

Cache configurations differ notably. The AMD chip provides 64 KB of L1 cache per core and 512 KB of L2 per core, with 16 MB of shared L3 cache. Intel’s design offers 80 KB of L1 per core and a substantially larger 1.25 MB of L2 per core, plus 24 MB of shared L3. This larger cache hierarchy likely contributes to Intel’s performance advantages in cache-sensitive workloads.

Memory support represents another major architectural fork. The AMD processor supports DDR5 memory exclusively with dual-channel configuration, offering a memory bandwidth of 76.8 GB/s. Intel’s chip supports both DDR4 and DDR5 in dual-channel mode, though its memory bandwidth is not listed. PCIe capabilities also diverge: AMD provides Gen 4 with 20 lanes from the CPU, while Intel offers Gen 5 with 16 lanes. This means Intel supports a newer, faster PCIe standard but with fewer lanes.

Integrated graphics differ as well. AMD includes Radeon 680M graphics, while Intel ships UHD Graphics 770. The AMD chip is designed for mobile platforms with a TDP of 35 watts, while Intel’s desktop-oriented part runs at 65 watts — a significant power envelope difference that explains some of the performance disparity.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ across nearly every specification field. Core counts show Intel’s advantage: 14 cores and 20 threads versus AMD’s 8 cores and 16 threads. Clock speeds favor AMD in base frequency (3.30 GHz versus 2.50 GHz) but Intel takes the boost clock edge slightly (4.80 GHz versus 4.90 GHz for AMD). TDP differs by 30 watts, with AMD at 35W and Intel at 65W.

Sockets are incompatible: AMD uses Socket FP7, while Intel uses Socket 1700. Process nodes differ by manufacturing generation — AMD’s 6 nm TSMC process versus Intel’s 10 nm. Cache sizes show Intel’s advantage in L1 (80 KB versus 64 KB per core), L2 (1.25 MB versus 512 KB per core), and L3 (24 MB versus 16 MB). Memory support sees AMD restricted to DDR5 while Intel supports both DDR4 and DDR5. ECC memory support exists on Intel but not AMD. PCIe generation favors Intel (Gen 5 versus Gen 4), but lane count favors AMD (20 versus 16).

Market segments differ fundamentally: AMD targets mobile while Intel targets desktop. Release dates show AMD launched on 2022-04-18, while Intel followed on 2023-01-03. The Intel chip carries a launch MSRP of $242, while AMD’s launch MSRP is not listed. Both processors have locked multipliers and are currently in active production.

Where Each One Wins

Based on the benchmark data, the Intel Core i5-13500 wins every workload category tested. The largest advantages appear in floating-point math (40% gap), prime number finding (45.1% gap), and Geekbench multi-core (38% gap). These results suggest Intel’s architecture handles mathematically intensive and highly parallel workloads substantially better. Multi-threaded rendering in Cinebench R23 shows a 21% advantage, indicating strong performance in content creation tasks. Data compression and encryption workloads also favor Intel by 27.8% and 20.1% respectively.

The AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 6950HS, despite losing all tests, shows its most competitive performance in single-core workloads. The Cinebench R15 single-core gap of 6.6% represents its best relative showing, suggesting that in lightly threaded scenarios, the AMD part is nearly competitive. Its lower 35W TDP also implies a power efficiency advantage, though no direct power consumption benchmarks are provided. For mobile platforms where thermal constraints are strict, this could make the AMD chip preferable despite lower raw performance.

The Verdict

The data clearly favors the Intel Core i5-13500 for users prioritizing raw performance across all benchmark categories. With a 17-0 sweep in head-to-head tests and advantages ranging from 6.6% to 45.1%, Intel offers decisively better performance in every measured workload. The 82nd percentile ranking for both chips masks this reality; within their shared performance tier, Intel is the clear performance leader. Users who need maximum multi-threaded throughput, floating-point math capability, or data processing speed should choose Intel based on the benchmark evidence.

The AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 6950HS remains viable for a specific use case: mobile computing where its 35W TDP and smaller footprint matter more than peak performance. Its best showing in single-core benchmarks (6.6% gap) suggests it can handle everyday tasks competitively. However, for desktop users with access to standard power delivery, the Intel Core i5-13500’s superior performance across all 17 benchmarks makes it the logical choice. The Intel chip also offers ECC memory support and Gen 5 PCIe, adding capabilities that AMD lacks. The verdict from the data is unambiguous: Intel wins on performance, while AMD’s case rests on mobility and power efficiency rather than benchmark supremacy.