AMD Ryzen Embedded V2748 vs Intel Core i9-10900 Comparison

The Intel Core i9-10900 and AMD Ryzen Embedded V2748 present a fascinating study in contrasting design philosophies, despite both landing at the 58th percentile among all CPUs. The head-to-head benchmark data is remarkably consistent, showing the Intel part winning all six shared Cinebench tests, yet the margins are surprisingly narrow. In Cinebench R23 multi-core, the i9-10900 scores 16219 against the V2748’s 15668, a 3.5% advantage. Single-core results follow the same pattern: the i9-10900’s 2289 in R23 single-core edges out the V2748’s 2212 by 3.5%. This uniformity extends across the entire suite—R15 multi-core shows a 3.5% lead (1634 vs 1579), R20 multi-core shows 3.5% (6811 vs 6580), and even the R15 single-core test, which favors Intel’s architecture, only yields a 3.6% gap (230 vs 222). The data suggests a consistent, but not overwhelming, performance advantage for the desktop-oriented Core i9 across all measured workloads.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark results tell a clear story of incremental dominance rather than a decisive knockout. The Intel Core i9-10900 wins all six head-to-head comparisons, yet the largest margin is a modest 3.6% in Cinebench R15 single-core. In multi-threaded workloads, the i9-10900 consistently maintains a 3.5% lead across Cinebench R15, R20, and R23, with scores of 1634 vs 1579, 6811 vs 6580, and 16219 vs 15668 respectively. This consistency is noteworthy—it suggests that the performance gap scales evenly with thread count rather than favoring one processor at specific load levels. The single-core results show a nearly identical pattern, with a 3.6% lead in R15 (230 vs 222) and a 3.5% lead in R23 (2289 vs 2212). Interestingly, the Intel chip’s raw benchmark scores from the broader dataset show it hitting 8083 in 3dmark_max_threads and 815 in single-thread tests, though these have no direct V2748 equivalent for comparison. What the data implies is that the i9-10900’s higher boost clock of 5.20 GHz, compared to the V2748’s 4.25 GHz, translates into a consistent edge that neither architectural efficiency nor core count advantages can overcome in these specific tests.

Architecture Differences

The architectural divide between these two processors is substantial and explains much of their performance behavior. The Intel Core i9-10900 uses the Comet Lake architecture on a 14 nm process node manufactured by Intel itself, while the AMD Ryzen Embedded V2748 leverages the Zen 2 architecture on a 7 nm node from TSMC. This generational process difference is stark: the V2748 packs 9,800 million transistors into a 156 mm² die, whereas the i9-10900’s transistor count and die size are not listed in the data. The core configurations also differ meaningfully—the i9-10900 offers 10 cores and 20 threads, while the V2748 provides 8 cores and 16 threads. Cache hierarchies reveal another divergence: both share 64 KB L1 per core, but the V2748 doubles the L2 to 512 KB per core versus the i9-10900’s 256 KB, while the Intel part counters with a much larger 20 MB shared L3 cache against the AMD’s 8 MB. Memory bandwidth slightly favors AMD at 51.2 GB/s versus 46.9 GB/s for Intel, and the V2748 supports ECC memory while the i9-10900 does not. The integrated graphics differ as well, with Intel’s UHD Graphics 630 facing AMD’s Radeon Graphics 448SP. Perhaps most tellingly for their intended markets, the Intel chip’s 65W TDP and Socket 1200 contrast sharply with the V2748’s 35W TDP and Socket FP6, highlighting the embedded processor’s efficiency focus.

Where Each One Wins

Based strictly on the benchmark data, the Intel Core i9-10900 wins in every measured category. The six head-to-head Cinebench tests—spanning single-core and multi-core across R15, R20, and R23—all favor Intel, with win margins between 3.4% and 3.6%. This suggests the i9-10900 is the stronger choice for any CPU-bound workload that these tests represent, whether that be rendering, video encoding, or general productivity. However, the data also shows the V2748 is not far behind, and its advantages lie in areas not captured by these benchmarks. The AMD chip’s 35W TDP versus Intel’s 65W implies significantly lower power consumption, which the benchmark scores do not reflect. Similarly, the V2748’s 51.2 GB/s memory bandwidth exceeds the i9-10900’s 46.9 GB/s, and its 20 PCIe Gen 3 lanes (versus 16 on Intel) offer more expansion headroom. The V2748 also supports ECC memory, a critical feature for embedded and reliability-focused applications that the i9-10900 cannot offer. In scenarios where power efficiency, ECC support, or additional PCIe lanes outweigh raw computational speed, the V2748 presents a compelling case despite losing all benchmark comparisons.

FAQ

Q: Which processor is faster in multi-core workloads?

A: The Intel Core i9-10900 wins all multi-core Cinebench tests, with a 3.5% lead in R23 multi-core (16219 vs 15668) and identical 3.5% margins in R15 (1634 vs 1579) and R20 (6811 vs 6580).

Q: Is the AMD Ryzen Embedded V2748 competitive in single-threaded performance?

A: The V2748 trails by 3.6% in Cinebench R15 single-core (222 vs 230) and 3.5% in R23 single-core (2212 vs 2289), indicating a small but consistent deficit.

Q: How do their core counts and cache sizes compare?

A: The i9-10900 has 10 cores and 20 threads with 256 KB L2 per core and 20 MB shared L3. The V2748 has 8 cores and 16 threads with 512 KB L2 per core and 8 MB shared L3.

Q: Do these processors support ECC memory?

A: Yes for the V2748, which explicitly supports ECC memory. The i9-10900 does not list ECC support.

Q: What are the power consumption differences?

A: The Intel i9-10900 has a 65W TDP, while the AMD V2748 has a 35W TDP, making the AMD part significantly more power-efficient on paper.

Q: Which processor has better memory bandwidth?

A: The AMD V2748 provides 51.2 GB/s of memory bandwidth, which is higher than the Intel i9-10900’s 46.9 GB/s, despite the Intel chip winning all computational benchmarks.

The Verdict

The data presents a clear performance hierarchy: the Intel Core i9-10900 is the faster processor in every benchmark comparison available. With a perfect 6-0 win record in head-to-head tests and margins hovering around 3.5%, there is no ambiguity in raw compute performance. The i9-10900’s 10 cores and 20 threads outperform the V2748’s 8 cores and 16 threads in multi-threaded workloads, while its 5.20 GHz boost clock dominates the V2748’s 4.25 GHz in single-threaded tasks. However, the verdict becomes nuanced when considering the full specification context. The V2748’s 35W TDP is nearly half the Intel chip’s 65W TDP, its memory bandwidth is 9.2% higher at 51.2 GB/s, and it offers ECC support and 20 PCIe Gen 3 lanes—features the i9-10900 lacks. For users building a desktop system where maximum performance is the sole criterion, the Intel part is the data-backed choice. For embedded applications, fanless designs, or scenarios requiring ECC memory or more PCIe lanes, the V2748’s benchmark deficits may be an acceptable trade-off for its efficiency and feature set. The percentile rankings are identical at 58, and the average benchmark scores are close—4614 for Intel versus 4532 for AMD—reinforcing that this is a narrow performance gap with significant feature-based divergences.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ across nearly every major specification category. The Intel Core i9-10900 uses a 14 nm process from Intel, while the AMD Ryzen Embedded V2748 uses a 7 nm process from TSMC, with the latter containing 9,800 million transistors on a 156 mm² die. Core counts differ at 10 vs 8, and threads at 20 vs 16. Clock speeds favor Intel: the i9-10900 has a 2.80 GHz base and 5.20 GHz boost, versus the V2748’s 2.90 GHz base and 4.25 GHz boost. TDP is a major differentiator at 65W for Intel and 35W for AMD. The Intel part uses Socket 1200 while AMD uses Socket FP6. Cache configurations diverge with the i9-10900 offering 256 KB L2 per core and 20 MB shared L3, while the V2748 provides 512 KB L2 per core and 8 MB shared L3. Memory bandwidth favors AMD at 51.2 GB/s versus 46.9 GB/s. ECC memory is supported only on the V2748. PCIe lane counts differ at 16 for Intel and 20 for AMD, both Gen 3. Integrated graphics are UHD Graphics 630 on Intel and Radeon Graphics 448SP on AMD. The i9-10900 launched on 2020-04-29 with a launch MSRP of $483 and is end-of-life, while the V2748 launched on 2020-11-09 and remains active. The Intel part’s part number is SRH8Z, the AMD’s is 100-000000245. Neither processor has an unlocked multiplier.