AMD Ryzen AI 7 345 vs Intel Core 5 120U Comparison

The Verdict

The benchmark database positions the AMD Ryzen AI 7 345 as the clear performance leader over the Intel Core 5 120U. Out of 15 recorded head-to-head benchmark comparisons, the AMD processor wins all 15, with no benchmark victories for the Intel part. The AMD Ryzen AI 7 345 achieves an average benchmark score of 29461, placing it in the 81st percentile of all CPUs, while the Intel Core 5 120U scores 17898 on average, landing in the 72nd percentile. These figures establish a substantial performance gap between the two mobile processors.

The AMD Ryzen AI 7 345 delivers a multicore performance advantage that ranges from 48.8% in Cinebench R15 multicore to 72.1% in Cinebench R23 multicore. This consistent dominance suggests the AMD chip is the appropriate choice for workloads that scale across cores, such as video encoding, 3D rendering, and software compilation. The Intel Core 5 120U, while competitive in single-threaded tasks where its margin is smaller, cannot match the AMD part's overall throughput. The data indicates that users prioritizing maximum compute performance in a 28-watt mobile platform should select the AMD Ryzen AI 7 345.

For scenarios where power consumption is the primary constraint, the Intel Core 5 120U operates at a 15-watt TDP compared to the AMD's 28-watt TDP. This lower thermal envelope may make the Intel processor suitable for fanless designs or ultra-thin notebooks where sustained performance is secondary to battery life and thermal management. However, the benchmark data shows no performance category where the Intel chip wins, so any advantage is strictly in power characteristics, not computational output.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Ryzen AI 7 345 wins every recorded benchmark category, but the magnitude of its victories varies significantly by workload type. The largest deltas appear in extended instruction workloads and multicore rendering. In the PassMark extended instructions test, the AMD chip scores 17003 against Intel's 9299, a 82.8% advantage. This suggests the AMD processor's instruction set implementation, likely tied to its newer Zen 5 architecture, handles advanced SIMD and cryptography workloads with far greater efficiency.

Multicore rendering also shows a pronounced gap. Cinebench R23 multicore results show AMD at 11461 versus Intel at 6659, a 72.1% difference. Cinebench R15 multicore shows a similar pattern with AMD at 1712 and Intel at 1150.5, a 48.8% delta. These results indicate that sustained all-core workloads are a clear strength for the AMD part, despite having fewer physical cores (6 versus Intel's 10). The AMD chip's 12 threads match Intel's 12 threads, but the Zen 5 and Zen 5c core design delivers higher per-thread throughput.

The AMD processor also wins in memory and data-intensive tasks. PassMark data compression shows AMD at 237484 versus Intel's 166432, a 42.7% delta. Random string sorting, another memory-access-heavy test, gives AMD 25435 against Intel's 19060, a 33.4% advantage. These wins likely benefit from the AMD's 89.6 GB/s memory bandwidth rating, which provides faster data movement for such workloads.

Single-threaded performance is closer but still favors AMD. Cinebench R23 singlecore shows AMD at 1818 versus Intel at 1756.5, a modest 3.5% delta. PassMark single thread shows AMD at 3875 versus Intel's 3479, an 11.4% delta. The Intel Core 5 120U's 5.00 GHz boost clock helps it stay competitive in lightly threaded tasks, but the AMD's 4.60 GHz boost clock combined with the Zen 5 architecture still secures the win. The Intel part shows its narrowest losses in these single-core tests, indicating that its strongest relative performance appears in workloads that do not fully utilize all cores.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from different manufacturing and design philosophies. The AMD Ryzen AI 7 345 uses TSMC's 4 nm process node, while the Intel Core 5 120U uses Intel's 10 nm node. This process advantage contributes to the AMD chip's ability to deliver higher performance within its 28-watt TDP envelope.

Core configurations differ substantially. The AMD processor has 6 cores and 12 threads, using a mix of Zen 5 and Zen 5c cores within the Krackan Point codename. The Intel processor has 10 cores and 12 threads, based on Raptor Lake architecture with the Raptor Lake-U codename. Despite Intel's higher core count, the thread counts are equal at 12, and the AMD design extracts more work from each thread.

Cache hierarchies also diverge. The AMD chip provides 80 KB of L1 cache per core and 1 MB of L2 cache per core, with a total of 4 MB of L3 cache. The Intel chip provides 80 KB of L1 cache per core, 1.25 MB of L2 cache per core, and 12 MB of shared L3 cache. The Intel part has triple the L3 cache capacity, which should help with frequently accessed data, but the AMD's architecture compensates through other means, as benchmark results indicate.

Memory support differs in flexibility. The AMD Ryzen AI 7 345 supports DDR5 and LPDDR5X memory in a dual-channel configuration, with a rated memory bandwidth of 89.6 GB/s. The Intel Core 5 120U supports DDR4 and DDR5 memory in dual-channel mode, but the database does not list a memory bandwidth figure for it. The AMD's support for LPDDR5X may offer lower power and higher bandwidth in mobile designs.

PCIe lane allocation also differs. The AMD processor provides Gen 4 with 14 lanes (CPU only), while the Intel processor provides Gen 4 with 8 lanes (CPU only). This gives the AMD platform more headroom for discrete GPUs, NVMe storage, or other peripherals. Both processors lack support for ECC memory, and both have locked multipliers.

Integrated graphics differ as well. The AMD chip uses Radeon 840M graphics, while the Intel chip uses Iris Xe Graphics with 80 execution units. The database does not include graphics benchmarks, so relative iGPU performance cannot be assessed from the recorded data.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has a higher boost clock?

A: The Intel Core 5 120U has a higher boost clock at 5.00 GHz, compared to the AMD Ryzen AI 7 345's 4.60 GHz. Despite this, the AMD chip wins all single-threaded benchmark comparisons, including an 11.4% lead in PassMark single thread (3875 versus 3479).

Q: How many cores does each processor have?

A: The AMD Ryzen AI 7 345 has 6 cores and 12 threads. The Intel Core 5 120U has 10 cores and 12 threads. Both processors present 12 threads to the operating system, but the AMD chip achieves higher multicore scores despite fewer physical cores.

Q: What is the TDP difference between the two?

A: The AMD Ryzen AI 7 345 has a TDP of 28 watts, while the Intel Core 5 120U has a TDP of 15 watts. The Intel processor draws less power by specification, which may influence thermal design, but the benchmark data shows no performance category where this lower power consumption translates into a win.

Q: Which processor has more L3 cache?

A: The Intel Core 5 120U has 12 MB of shared L3 cache, while the AMD Ryzen AI 7 345 has 4 MB of L3 cache. The Intel part also has slightly more L2 cache per core at 1.25 MB versus AMD's 1 MB per core. Despite this cache advantage, the AMD chip leads in all benchmark results.

Q: What memory types does each support?

A: The AMD Ryzen AI 7 345 supports DDR5 and LPDDR5X memory in dual-channel mode, with a rated bandwidth of 89.6 GB/s. The Intel Core 5 120U supports DDR4 and DDR5 memory in dual-channel mode, but the database does not record a bandwidth figure for it.

Q: What is the performance percentile ranking for each?

A: The AMD Ryzen AI 7 345 sits in the 81st percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 29461. The Intel Core 5 120U sits in the 72nd percentile, with an average benchmark score of 17898.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head data presents a comprehensive picture of AMD dominance, but the specific deltas reveal where each architecture's strengths and weaknesses lie. The largest margin comes in PassMark extended instructions, where the AMD Ryzen AI 7 345 scores 17003 against the Intel Core 5 120U's 9299. This 82.8% delta is the single biggest gap in the dataset, indicating that the AMD processor's handling of advanced instruction sets is dramatically more efficient.

Cinebench R23 multicore shows the second-largest delta. The AMD chip posts 11461, while the Intel chip posts 6659, a 72.1% difference. This benchmark typically stresses all cores simultaneously with rendering workloads, and the result confirms that the AMD's 6-core, 12-thread configuration outperforms Intel's 10-core, 12-thread configuration by a wide margin. The AMD's 48.8% lead in Cinebench R15 multicore (1712 versus 1150.5) reinforces this pattern, though the older benchmark shows a smaller relative gap.

Data compression results show AMD at 237484 versus Intel's 166432, a 42.7% delta. This workload benefits from memory bandwidth and cache efficiency, where the AMD's 89.6 GB/s memory bandwidth appears to provide an edge. Random string sorting, another memory-sensitive test, shows AMD at 25435 against Intel's 19060, a 33.4% delta. These results suggest that the AMD platform's memory subsystem handles data movement more effectively.

PassMark multithread shows AMD at 19927 versus Intel's 15042, a 32.5% delta. Integer math gives AMD 63475 against Intel's 52280, a 21.4% delta. Floating point math shows AMD at 42621 versus Intel's 36026, an 18.3% delta. Prime number finding gives AMD 62 versus Intel's 53, a 17% delta. Physics simulation shows AMD at 1089 versus Intel's 937, a 16.2% delta. These mid-range deltas indicate that the AMD processor maintains a solid advantage across general compute workloads, though the margins narrow compared to the extended instructions test.

The smallest deltas appear in single-threaded benchmarks. Cinebench R23 singlecore shows AMD at 1818 versus Intel's 1756.5, a 3.5% delta. Cinebench R15 singlecore gives AMD 271 versus Intel's 245, a 10.6% delta. PassMark single thread shows AMD at 3875 versus Intel's 3479, an 11.4% delta. Data encryption shows AMD at 11814 versus Intel's 10453, a 13% delta, which is the second-smallest margin. These results indicate that the Intel Core 5 120U is most competitive when limited to one or two threads, where its 5.00 GHz boost clock can be leveraged.

The overall pattern is unambiguous: the AMD Ryzen AI 7 345 wins every recorded benchmark, with its smallest wins in single-threaded tasks and its largest wins in multicore and extended instruction workloads. The Intel Core 5 120U's 15-watt TDP and 10-core design do not translate into any measured performance advantage, making the AMD part the superior choice for compute-intensive mobile applications based on the recorded data.