AMD Ryzen Embedded R1606G vs Intel Core i5-L16G7 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded benchmark data shows a clear split between the two processors depending on the workload and the benchmark generation. In the Cinebench R15 suite, the AMD Ryzen Embedded R1606G dominates both tests. In the multi-core test, the AMD part scores 317 against the Intel Core i5-L16G7's 281, a delta of -11.4% from the Intel part's perspective. That translates to the AMD chip outperforming the Intel chip by roughly 12.8% in that specific workload. The single-core gap in R15 is far more pronounced. The Ryzen Embedded R1606G records 139 points, while the Intel Core i5-L16G7 manages only 89.5 points. This is a delta of -35.6%, meaning the AMD processor is about 55% faster in this test. This is the largest margin of victory for the AMD part across all recorded benchmarks.

The picture flips dramatically when looking at the Cinebench R23 results. In the multi-core R23 test, the Intel Core i5-L16G7 scores 2793, while the AMD Ryzen Embedded R1606G scores 1842. The delta here is +51.6% in favor of Intel. This means the Intel processor delivers roughly 51.6% more performance than the AMD chip in this multi-threaded R23 workload. This is a substantial victory and indicates that the Intel part scales much better under the R23 multi-core test conditions. However, the single-core R23 test tells a different story. The AMD Ryzen Embedded R1606G achieves a score of 888, whereas the Intel Core i5-L16G7 scores just 394. The delta is -55.6%, which means the AMD processor is more than double the performance of the Intel part in this test.

Overall, the head-to-head record shows the AMD Ryzen Embedded R1606G winning three out of four benchmarks. The wins for AMD are in both R15 tests and the R23 single-core test. The Intel Core i5-L16G7 wins only the R23 multi-core test, but it wins that one by a very large margin. The average benchmark score for the Intel part is 816, placing it in the 22nd percentile of all CPUs in the database. The AMD part has an average score of 797, placing it in the 21st percentile. Despite the Intel part having a higher average score and percentile, the head-to-head results show AMD winning the majority of the specific tests.

FAQ

Q: Which processor wins the Cinebench R23 multi-core test?

A: The Intel Core i5-L16G7 wins the Cinebench R23 multi-core test with a score of 2793, compared to the AMD Ryzen Embedded R1606G's score of 1842. This represents a delta of 51.6% in favor of Intel.

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

A: The largest gap is in the Cinebench R23 single-core test, where the AMD Ryzen Embedded R1606G scores 888 against the Intel Core i5-L16G7's 394. This is a delta of -55.6% for the Intel part, meaning the AMD chip is more than twice as fast in that test.

Q: How do the two processors compare in the Cinebench R15 multi-core test?

A: The AMD Ryzen Embedded R1606G scores 317, while the Intel Core i5-L16G7 scores 281. The AMD part leads by a delta of -11.4% from the Intel side, indicating a modest advantage for AMD in this older benchmark.

Q: What are the average benchmark scores for each processor?

A: The Intel Core i5-L16G7 has an average benchmark score of 816, while the AMD Ryzen Embedded R1606G has an average benchmark score of 797. The Intel part sits at the 22nd percentile of all CPUs, and the AMD part sits at the 21st percentile.

Q: Which CPU has a higher single-core score in Cinebench R15?

A: The AMD Ryzen Embedded R1606G has a significantly higher single-core score in Cinebench R15, recording 139 points against the Intel Core i5-L16G7's 89.5 points. This is a delta of -35.6% for the Intel part.

Q: How many benchmark wins does each processor have in the head-to-head data?

A: The AMD Ryzen Embedded R1606G wins three benchmarks, while the Intel Core i5-L16G7 wins one benchmark. The AMD wins are in Cinebench R15 multi-core, Cinebench R15 single-core, and Cinebench R23 single-core.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from fundamentally different architectural designs. The Intel Core i5-L16G7 uses the Lakefield architecture, built on Intel's 10 nm process node. It contains 5 cores and 5 threads, with a base clock of 1400.00 MHz and a boost clock of 3.00 GHz. The Intel part integrates 4,050 million transistors on a die size of 82 mm². Its cache hierarchy consists of 80 KB of L1 cache, 512 KB of L2 cache, and 4 MB of shared L3 cache. The Intel processor supports LPDDR4X memory in a single-channel configuration, providing 17.1 GB/s of memory bandwidth. It offers PCIe Gen 3 with 6 lanes from the CPU. The integrated graphics are UHD Graphics 64EU.

The AMD Ryzen Embedded R1606G is built on the Zen architecture, specifically the Zen (Banded Kestrel) generation, using a 14 nm process from GlobalFoundries. It has 2 cores and 4 threads, with a base clock of 2.60 GHz and a boost clock of 3.50 GHz. The AMD chip contains 3,500 million transistors on a die size of 148 mm². Its cache arrangement is different: 96 KB of L1 cache per core, 512 KB of L2 cache per core, and 4 MB of shared L3 cache. Memory support is DDR4 in a dual-channel configuration, which doubles the memory bandwidth to 38.4 GB/s. The PCIe support is Gen 3 with 8 lanes from the CPU. The integrated graphics are Radeon Vega 3.

The transistor counts are close, with Intel at 4,050 million and AMD at 3,500 million, but the die sizes differ substantially. Intel's 82 mm² die is much smaller than AMD's 148 mm² die, which reflects the denser 10 nm process versus the 14 nm process. The core counts differ in an unusual way: the Intel part has more physical cores (5 versus 2) but the same number of threads per core is not matched, as Intel has 5 threads total and AMD has 4 threads total. The AMD part has higher base and boost clocks. The memory architecture is a major differentiator, with AMD supporting dual-channel DDR4 and a much higher bandwidth figure. The Intel part is limited to single-channel LPDDR4X.

The production status also differs. The Intel Core i5-L16G7 is marked as end-of-life, while the AMD Ryzen Embedded R1606G is active. The AMD part has a release date recorded as 2020-02-24, while the Intel part has no release date in the database. The Intel part has a launch MSRP of $281, while the AMD part has no recorded launch MSRP.

The Verdict

Looking strictly at the recorded data, the choice between these two processors depends heavily on the workload. For single-threaded performance, the AMD Ryzen Embedded R1606G is the clear winner. It leads in both Cinebench R15 single-core and Cinebench R23 single-core by substantial margins. The R23 single-core advantage is particularly large, with the AMD part scoring 888 versus 394 for Intel, a delta of -55.6%. For anyone running applications that rely on single-core speed, the data points decisively to the AMD processor.

For multi-threaded workloads, the results are mixed. The AMD part wins the older Cinebench R15 multi-core test, but the Intel part wins the newer R23 multi-core test by a very large margin. The R23 multi-core score of 2793 for Intel versus 1842 for AMD is a delta of +51.6%. This suggests that the Intel processor is better suited for modern multi-threaded rendering workloads, at least as measured by Cinebench R23. The fact that the Intel part has more cores (5 versus 2) likely contributes to this result.

The average benchmark scores are very close: 816 for Intel and 797 for AMD. The percentile rankings are also nearly identical, at 22nd and 21st percentile respectively. This indicates that across the full benchmark suite in the database, the two processors perform at a similar overall level. The head-to-head record favors AMD with three wins, but the single Intel win in R23 multi-core is the largest margin of victory in either direction. The data suggests that users prioritizing single-core performance should choose the AMD Ryzen Embedded R1606G, while those prioritizing modern multi-core rendering should choose the Intel Core i5-L16G7.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ in several key specifications. The Intel Core i5-L16G7 has 5 cores and 5 threads, while the AMD Ryzen Embedded R1606G has 2 cores and 4 threads. The base clock for Intel is 1400.00 MHz, compared to 2.60 GHz for AMD. The boost clock for Intel is 3.00 GHz, compared to 3.50 GHz for AMD. The thermal design power differs significantly: Intel is rated at 7 watts, while AMD is rated at 25 watts. The socket is only specified for AMD, which uses AMD Socket FP5; the Intel socket is not recorded.

The process node differs: Intel uses 10 nm, while AMD uses 14 nm. The foundry for Intel is Intel itself, while AMD uses GlobalFoundries. The transistor counts are 4,050 million for Intel and 3,500 million for AMD. The die size is 82 mm² for Intel and 148 mm² for AMD. The L1 cache is 80 KB for Intel and 96 KB per core for AMD. The L2 cache is 512 KB for Intel and 512 KB per core for AMD. Both have 4 MB of shared L3 cache.

Memory support differs: Intel uses LPDDR4X, while AMD uses DDR4. The memory bus is single-channel for Intel and dual-channel for AMD. Memory bandwidth is 17.1 GB/s for Intel and 38.4 GB/s for AMD. Neither supports ECC memory. PCIe support is Gen 3 with 6 lanes for Intel and Gen 3 with 8 lanes for AMD. The integrated graphics are UHD Graphics 64EU for Intel and Radeon Vega 3 for AMD.

The production status is end-of-life for Intel and active for AMD. The Intel part has a launch MSRP of $281, while the AMD part has no launch MSRP recorded. The part numbers also differ: Intel's are SRH4U and SRJGA, while AMD's is YE1606C4T2OFG. Neither processor has an unlocked multiplier.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Ryzen Embedded R1606G wins in all single-core benchmarks recorded. In Cinebench R15 single-core, it scores 139 versus 89.5 for Intel, a delta of -35.6%. In Cinebench R23 single-core, it scores 888 versus 394, a delta of -55.6%. This makes the AMD part the clear choice for single-threaded applications, legacy software, and tasks that cannot utilize multiple cores effectively. The AMD part also wins the Cinebench R15 multi-core test, scoring 317 versus 281, although this margin is smaller.

The Intel Core i5-L16G7 wins only the Cinebench R23 multi-core test, but it wins by a large margin. The score of 2793 versus 1842 represents a delta of +51.6%. This indicates that the Intel processor is better suited for modern multi-threaded rendering workloads as measured by Cinebench R23. The higher core count of 5 versus 2 likely contributes to this advantage.

For overall use cases, the data suggests a split. If the workload is dominated by single-core performance, the AMD Ryzen Embedded R1606G is the better choice, given its overwhelming advantage in both single-core tests. If the workload involves modern multi-threaded rendering, the Intel Core i5-L16G7 is the better choice, given its large lead in R23 multi-core. The AMD part also has the advantage of being active in production, while the Intel part is end-of-life. The AMD part has higher clock speeds and dual-channel memory support, which may benefit certain memory-intensive tasks. The Intel part has a lower TDP of 7 watts versus 25 watts, which could be relevant for power-constrained designs, but the data does not include any power consumption benchmarks to quantify this difference.