AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U vs Intel Core 5 221E Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data presents a clear hierarchy between the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U and the Intel Core 5 221E. Across 17 benchmark comparisons, the Intel part wins 16, while the AMD claims a single victory. The margin of Intel's dominance varies significantly by workload, from narrow single-digit gaps to swings exceeding 50 percent.

In the Cinebench suite, the pattern is remarkably consistent. For Cinebench R15 multicore, Intel scores 2613 against AMD's 2041, a 21.9 percent advantage. The single-core result tells the same story: 368 versus 288, also a 21.7 percent gap. Moving to Cinebench R20, Intel again leads by 21.9 percent in both multicore (10891 vs 8506) and single-core (1537 vs 1200). Cinebench R23 repeats the exact 21.9 percent delta in both categories, with Intel posting 25933 multicore and 3661 single-core against AMD's 20254 and 2859. This uniformity across render workloads suggests a structural advantage rather than workload-specific behavior.

The Passmark suite reveals where Intel's lead expands and where it narrows. The most dramatic difference appears in Passmark find prime numbers, where Intel scores 173 against AMD's 76, a 56.1 percent deficit for the Ryzen. Passmark physics shows a similar chasm: 2230 versus 1174, a 47.4 percent gap. Floating point math also favors Intel heavily, 79028 versus 50746, a 35.8 percent lead. Integer math follows with a 25 percent advantage (117813 vs 88339). Intel's multithread score of 30510 beats AMD's 23850 by 21.8 percent, closely matching the Cinebench multicore deltas.

The gaps narrow in memory or I/O-adjacent workloads. Passmark data compression shows Intel ahead by 15.9 percent (324285 vs 272664). Data encryption is closer still, with Intel's 19205 leading AMD's 16441 by 14.4 percent. Random string sorting shows a 12.1 percent Intel edge (37686 vs 33109). Single-thread performance in Passmark gives Intel a 12.2 percent lead (4147 vs 3641), a smaller margin than the Cinebench single-core gap.

The lone AMD win comes in Passmark extended instructions, where the Ryzen scores 19132 against Intel's 18216, a 5 percent advantage. This is the only test where AMD's architecture demonstrates a measurable superiority, and the margin is modest compared to the double-digit losses elsewhere.

Where Each One Wins

The Intel Core 5 221E is the clear winner in rendering, physics simulation, prime number calculation, encryption, compression, sorting, and general multithreaded throughput. Its wins in Cinebench R15, R20, and R23 across both multicore and single-core indicate that Intel's core design delivers higher per-thread performance in addition to its thread count advantage. The 56.1 percent lead in find prime numbers and 47.4 percent lead in physics suggest Intel's integer and branch-heavy workloads benefit disproportionately from its architecture.

The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U wins only in extended instructions, where its 5 percent edge over Intel indicates a more capable SIMD or specialized instruction pipeline. For workloads that leverage these extended instruction sets, the AMD part holds a narrow but real advantage. However, this single win does not offset the pattern elsewhere.

The use-case split therefore favors Intel for almost every compute-intensive task in the benchmark suite. AMD's niche is narrow: applications that depend heavily on extended instruction throughput. For general productivity, rendering, simulation, and even single-threaded responsiveness, the data consistently points to Intel.

Architecture Differences

The two processors diverge substantially in their underlying designs. The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U uses a Zen 4 architecture on the Hawk Point codename, built on a 4 nm process at TSMC with 25,000 million transistors on a 178 mm² die. It has 8 cores and 16 threads, with a base clock of 3.30 GHz and a boost clock of 5.10 GHz. The cache layout is 64 KB of L1 per core, 1 MB of L2 per core, and 16 MB of shared L3.

The Intel Core 5 221E uses the Bartlett Lake codename, built on a 10 nm process at Intel with a 257 mm² die. It has 14 cores and 20 threads, with a base clock of 2.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.20 GHz. Its cache is larger: 80 KB of L1 per core, 2 MB of L2 per core, and 24 MB of shared L3. The die size difference is notable: Intel's is 79 mm² larger, which correlates with its higher core count and larger caches.

Memory support also differs. AMD supports DDR5 only, while Intel supports both DDR4 and DDR5. Both use dual-channel memory buses and deliver identical 89.6 GB/s bandwidth. Both support ECC memory. PCIe connectivity differs: AMD offers Gen 4 with 20 lanes, while Intel offers Gen 5 with 16 lanes. The integrated graphics differ as well, with AMD using Radeon 780M and Intel using UHD Graphics 730.

The process node gap is substantial: AMD's 4 nm versus Intel's 10 nm. This explains part of the power and efficiency difference, though the benchmark data does not include power measurements. AMD's transistor count of 25,000 million on a smaller die indicates a denser design. Intel's larger die with no listed transistor count suggests a less dense layout, consistent with the older 10 nm process.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has the higher boost clock?

A: The Intel Core 5 221E boosts to 5.20 GHz, while the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U boosts to 5.10 GHz. Intel's advantage is 0.10 GHz.

Q: How many cores and threads does each processor have?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U has 8 cores and 16 threads. The Intel Core 5 221E has 14 cores and 20 threads.

Q: Which processor has more L3 cache?

A: The Intel Core 5 221E has 24 MB of shared L3 cache, while the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U has 16 MB. Intel's L3 is 8 MB larger.

Q: What is the largest performance gap between the two in the recorded benchmarks?

A: The largest gap is in Passmark find prime numbers, where Intel scores 173 versus AMD's 76, a 56.1 percent difference.

Q: Does the AMD processor win any benchmark?

A: Yes, the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U wins Passmark extended instructions, scoring 19132 against Intel's 18216, a 5 percent advantage.

Q: Do both processors support ECC memory?

A: Yes, both the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U and the Intel Core 5 221E support ECC memory.

Specification Differences

| Specification | AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U | Intel Core 5 221E |

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

| Cores | 8 | 14 |

| Threads | 16 | 20 |

| Base Clock | 3.30 GHz | 2.70 GHz |

| Boost Clock | 5.10 GHz | 5.20 GHz |

| TDP | 28 W | 65 W |

| Socket | AMD Socket FP7 | Intel Socket 1700 |

| Architecture | Zen 4 | Not listed |

| Codename | Hawk Point | Bartlett Lake |

| Process Node | 4 nm | 10 nm |

| Foundry | TSMC | Intel |

| Die Size | 178 mm² | 257 mm² |

| Transistors | 25,000 million | Not listed |

| L1 Cache | 64 KB per core | 80 KB per core |

| L2 Cache | 1 MB per core | 2 MB per core |

| L3 Cache | 16 MB shared | 24 MB shared |

| Memory Support | DDR5 | DDR4, DDR5 |

| PCIe | Gen 4, 20 lanes | Gen 5, 16 lanes |

| Integrated Graphics | Radeon 780M | UHD Graphics 730 |

| Market Segment | Mobile | Desktop |

| Release Date | 2024-04-15 | 2025-01-12 |

| Launch MSRP | Not listed | $232 |

The Verdict

The benchmark data indicates that the Intel Core 5 221E is the faster processor in nearly every measured workload. Its 14 cores and 20 threads provide a raw throughput advantage over AMD's 8 cores and 16 threads, and its higher boost clock of 5.20 GHz contributes to a single-threaded lead of 12.2 to 21.9 percent depending on the test. The largest gap, 56.1 percent in prime number finding, suggests that Intel's integer execution pipeline handles branch-heavy algorithms far more efficiently.

The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U does have a stronger position in extended instructions, where its 5 percent win indicates a specialized capability that Intel lacks. Its significantly lower TDP of 28 W versus Intel's 65 W also suggests a power efficiency advantage, though the database does not include power consumption measurements. For mobile or thermally constrained systems, that efficiency difference could matter despite the performance deficit.

The Intel part's support for both DDR4 and DDR5 memory gives it broader platform compatibility, while AMD's DDR5-only support limits its memory options. Intel's Gen 5 PCIe with 16 lanes versus AMD's Gen 4 with 20 lanes presents a tradeoff: newer bandwidth per lane versus more lanes total. The Intel part also has a larger L3 cache (24 MB vs 16 MB) and larger per-core L1 and L2 caches.

For users prioritizing raw compute performance across rendering, physics, encryption, and general multithreaded tasks, the Intel Core 5 221E is the clear choice based on the recorded data. For workloads that rely on extended instruction sets, the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U offers a narrow but real advantage. The AMD part's lower TDP and mobile market segment positioning also suggest it is designed for a different class of system, while Intel's desktop segment and higher power envelope indicate a focus on performance over efficiency. The data does not support a recommendation for AMD outside of its single extended-instruction win.