AMD Ryzen AI 7 445 vs Intel Core 5 120 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data shows a decisive overall victory for the Intel Core 5 120, which wins 13 of the 15 shared benchmarks. The AMD Ryzen AI 7 445 claims only 2 wins. The largest performance gap appears in Cinebench R23 multi-core, where Intel leads by 42% with a score of 18255 against AMD's 10590. That margin is the single biggest difference in the comparison and indicates a substantial advantage in heavily threaded rendering workloads.

Cinebench R23 single-core also favors Intel, with a 29.9% lead (2577 vs 1806). The single-threaded Passmark tests tell a different story, however: the two processors are nearly identical, with Intel scoring 3595 and AMD scoring 3591, a delta of only 0.1%. This suggests that the R23 single-core deficit is workload-specific rather than a general weakness in AMD's single-thread performance.

In Cinebench R15, Intel wins both sub-tests but by smaller margins. Multi-core shows Intel at 1840 versus AMD's 1723, a 6.4% gap, while single-core is closer at 259 vs 254, a 1.9% difference. The R15 results are consistent with the pattern seen in R23, though the magnitude of the multi-core advantage shrinks considerably in the older benchmark version.

Passmark integer math sees Intel ahead by 3.5% (60462 vs 58332). Floating-point math shows a larger Intel advantage of 13.3% (45383 vs 39362). Data compression is nearly tied, with Intel leading by only 1.7% (219535 vs 215812). Data encryption also goes to Intel, 11131 vs 10519, a 5.5% margin. The multithread score is close, 18597 vs 18115, a 2.6% edge for Intel.

The physics test is a clear Intel win: 1333 vs 976, a 26.8% difference. Prime number finding also favors Intel significantly, 77 vs 56, a 27.3% gap. These two results point to strong raw compute throughput in specific mathematical workloads.

AMD's two victories are noteworthy for their context. Extended instructions show AMD at 15826 against Intel's 14264, an 11% advantage. Random string sorting shows AMD at 23488 versus Intel's 21499, a 9.3% lead. Both wins are in specialized operations, suggesting that AMD's architecture handles certain instruction-level or memory-access patterns more efficiently.

Overall, the average benchmark score in the database places AMD at 26936 and Intel at 25362. Despite losing most head-to-head comparisons, AMD's average score is higher by roughly 6.2%. This divergence occurs because the database averages a broader set of tests that include workloads not shared between the two processors, and AMD's scores in those additional tests are strong enough to lift its overall average.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from fundamentally different design lineages. AMD uses the Zen 5 architecture on a 4 nm TSMC process, with the codename Gorgon Point. Intel uses Raptor Lake architecture on a 10 nm Intel process, with the codename Raptor Lake-R. The process node difference alone explains some of the power and efficiency characteristics, though the benchmark results show that Intel's larger node does not prevent it from winning most performance tests.

Both processors have 6 cores and 12 threads. Cache layouts differ considerably. AMD provides 80 KB of L1 per core and 1 MB of L2 per core, with a total of 4 MB of L3 cache. Intel also has 80 KB of L1 per core but larger L2 at 1.25 MB per core, and a much larger shared L3 of 18 MB. The 14 MB difference in L3 cache is substantial and likely contributes to Intel's wins in cache-sensitive workloads such as physics and prime number calculations.

Clock speeds are close but favor AMD slightly. AMD has a base clock of 2.00 GHz and a boost clock of 4.60 GHz. Intel has a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.50 GHz. Intel's higher base clock helps in sustained workloads, while AMD's 0.10 GHz higher boost clock provides a marginal peak-speed edge.

Power envelopes diverge sharply. AMD has a TDP of 28 watts, while Intel has a TDP of 65 watts. This 37-watt gap means Intel draws substantially more power to achieve its performance results. The database does not include efficiency metrics, but the power difference is a key architectural distinction for mobile versus desktop deployment.

Memory support differs in both type and bandwidth. AMD supports DDR5 and LPDDR5X with a stated memory bandwidth of 89.6 GB/s and ECC memory. Intel supports DDR4 and DDR5 with no ECC and no bandwidth figure recorded. Intel's dual-channel memory bus matches AMD's dual-channel configuration, but the lack of ECC and the absence of a bandwidth number leave that comparison incomplete.

PCIe connectivity is another split. AMD offers Gen 4 with 14 lanes, while Intel offers Gen 5 with 16 lanes. Intel's newer PCIe generation and higher lane count give it an advantage for expansion and storage bandwidth, though neither processor has an unlocked multiplier for overclocking.

Integrated graphics also differ. AMD uses the Radeon 840M, while Intel uses UHD Graphics 730. The database does not provide graphics benchmarks, so the comparison is limited to architectural presence.

Where Each One Wins

The Intel Core 5 120 dominates in multi-core rendering tasks. Its 42% lead in Cinebench R23 multi-core is the clearest signal that heavy content creation, video encoding, and 3D rendering workloads will favor Intel. The R15 multi-core result, while smaller at 6.4%, confirms the direction. Users running long-duration multi-threaded jobs should expect Intel to finish faster.

Intel also wins in physics simulation and prime number computation, with margins of 26.8% and 27.3% respectively. These are compute-bound workloads that rely on raw arithmetic throughput and cache efficiency. The larger 18 MB L3 cache on Intel likely plays a role in sustaining performance across large datasets.

Floating-point math goes to Intel by 13.3%, which matters for scientific computing, financial modeling, and any workload that uses heavy double-precision arithmetic. Integer math is closer, with Intel ahead by only 3.5%, so general productivity tasks will not show a large difference.

The AMD Ryzen AI 7 445 wins in extended instructions by 11%. This test typically exercises SIMD and specialized instruction sets, so AMD's Zen 5 architecture appears better optimized for vectorized code paths. Random string sorting goes to AMD by 9.3%, which indicates an advantage in data manipulation and sorting algorithms that do not rely heavily on large caches.

Single-thread performance is effectively tied in Passmark, with Intel ahead by 0.1%. This means everyday responsiveness, web browsing, and lightly threaded applications should feel similar on both processors. The R23 single-core result, where Intel leads by 29.9%, is an outlier relative to the Passmark data and should be interpreted cautiously.

For power-constrained environments, AMD's 28 watt TDP versus Intel's 65 watt TDP is a decisive factor. In thin-and-light laptops or fanless designs, AMD can deliver competitive single-thread performance and wins in two specialized tests while consuming less than half the power budget.

FAQ

Q: Which processor wins the majority of benchmarks?

A: The Intel Core 5 120 wins 13 of 15 shared benchmarks, including all Cinebench tests and most Passmark workloads.

Q: What is the largest performance gap between the two?

A: The biggest delta is in Cinebench R23 multi-core, where Intel scores 18255 versus AMD's 10590, a 42% lead.

Q: Are there any tests where AMD outperforms Intel?

A: Yes, AMD wins in Passmark extended instructions by 11% (15826 vs 14264) and in random string sorting by 9.3% (23488 vs 21499).

Q: How do the two compare in single-thread performance?

A: Passmark single-thread scores are nearly identical, 3591 for AMD and 3595 for Intel, a 0.1% difference. Cinebench R23 single-core shows a larger Intel lead of 29.9%.

Q: What is the power consumption difference?

A: AMD has a TDP of 28 watts, while Intel has a TDP of 65 watts, a difference of 37 watts.

Q: Which processor has more cache?

A: Intel has 18 MB of shared L3 cache, while AMD has 4 MB of L3 cache. Intel also has larger L2 cache per core at 1.25 MB versus AMD's 1 MB.

Specification Differences

| Specification | AMD Ryzen AI 7 445 | Intel Core 5 120 |

|----------------|--------------------|------------------|

| Manufacturer | AMD | Intel |

| Base Clock | 2.00 GHz | 2.50 GHz |

| Boost Clock | 4.60 GHz | 4.50 GHz |

| TDP | 28 W | 65 W |

| Socket | AMD Socket FP8 | Intel Socket 1700 |

| Architecture | Zen 5 | Raptor Lake |

| Codename | Gorgon Point | Raptor Lake-R |

| Process Node | 4 nm | 10 nm |

| Foundry | TSMC | Intel |

| L2 Cache | 1 MB (per core) | 1.25 MB (per core) |

| L3 Cache | 4 MB | 18 MB (shared) |

| Memory Support | DDR5, LPDDR5X | DDR4, DDR5 |

| Memory Bandwidth | 89.6 GB/s | Not recorded |

| ECC Memory | Yes | No |

| PCIe | Gen 4, 14 Lanes | Gen 5, 16 Lanes |

| Integrated Graphics | Radeon 840M | UHD Graphics 730 |

| Market Segment | Mobile | Desktop |

| Die Size | Not recorded | 163 mm² |

| Launch MSRP | Not applicable | $211 |

| Part Number | 100-000001935 | SA35V |

The specification table highlights the core trade-offs. Intel offers a larger cache, higher base clock, newer PCIe generation, and a desktop-oriented socket. AMD offers a smaller process node, lower power envelope, ECC support, and a mobile-oriented socket. The die size for Intel is recorded at 163 mm², while AMD's die size is not listed in the database. Both processors are currently active in production, and neither has an unlocked multiplier.