AMD Ryzen 5 7400F vs Intel Core 5 221TE Comparison

Where Each One Wins

The benchmark data presents a completely one-sided comparison. The AMD Ryzen 5 7400F wins all 17 recorded head-to-head tests, while the Intel Core 5 221TE does not secure a single victory. This is not a close contest where different workloads favor different processors; the AMD part dominates across the entire testing suite, covering both multi-threaded and single-threaded workloads, as well as specialized instruction and math tests.

The AMD Ryzen 5 7400F's dominance is most pronounced in computationally intensive tasks. The largest deltas appear in prime number finding and extended instruction workloads, where the AMD processor leads by 223.7% and 125.2% respectively. These are substantial margins that indicate a fundamental performance gap rather than a marginal difference. The AMD chip also leads by 112.7% in single-threaded PassMark tests, confirming that its advantage is not limited to multi-core scaling but extends to per-core efficiency.

For general productivity workloads, the AMD Ryzen 5 7400F maintains a strong but slightly narrower lead. Data encryption shows an 86.5% advantage, data compression shows an 85.1% advantage, and multithreaded PassMark performance shows a 92.8% advantage. Integer math performance is 76.7% higher, while floating-point math is 44.7% higher. Even the smallest delta in the entire suite, floating-point math at 44.7%, represents a massive performance gap.

The Intel Core 5 221TE, by contrast, finds no workload category where it can match the AMD processor. Its best relative showing is in floating-point math, but even there it trails by nearly half. The recorded data indicates that the Intel part is competitive only within its own performance class, as its average benchmark score of 17,860 places it near the AMD Ryzen 5 3600XT and Intel Core 5 120U, both of which are within 0.2% to 0.5% of its score.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from different architectural lineages and manufacturing processes. The AMD Ryzen 5 7400F uses the Zen 4 architecture with the Raphael codename, built on a 5 nm process at TSMC. The Intel Core 5 221TE uses the Bartlett Lake codename on a 10 nm process fabricated by Intel. This process node difference helps explain why the AMD chip achieves significantly higher performance despite having fewer cores.

Core and thread counts differ considerably. The AMD Ryzen 5 7400F has 6 cores and 12 threads, while the Intel Core 5 221TE has 10 cores and 16 threads. Despite having 4 fewer cores and 4 fewer threads, the AMD part delivers substantially higher benchmark scores in every test. This indicates that the Zen 4 architecture's per-core performance advantage more than compensates for the core count deficit.

Clock speeds also favor the AMD processor. The Ryzen 5 7400F has a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 4.70 GHz. The Intel Core 5 221TE has a base clock of 1.80 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz. While the Intel chip has a higher boost ceiling, its much lower base clock and slower sustained performance likely contribute to its lower benchmark results.

Cache configurations differ in both size and organization. The AMD Ryzen 5 7400F has 64 KB of L1 cache per core, 1 MB of L2 cache per core, and 32 MB of shared L3 cache. The Intel Core 5 221TE has 80 KB of L1 cache per core, 1.25 MB of L2 cache per core, but only 24 MB of shared L3 cache. The AMD processor's larger L3 cache provides a meaningful advantage in workloads that benefit from larger shared memory pools.

Memory support also diverges. The AMD Ryzen 5 7400F supports DDR5 memory exclusively with dual-channel configuration and a peak memory bandwidth of 83.2 GB/s. The Intel Core 5 221TE supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory with dual-channel configuration and a peak bandwidth of 76.8 GB/s. The AMD part's higher memory bandwidth is consistent with its superior performance in memory-sensitive workloads.

The AMD processor has no integrated graphics, while the Intel part includes UHD Graphics 730. The AMD chip uses an unlocked multiplier, whereas the Intel chip has a locked multiplier. Both processors support ECC memory. The AMD Ryzen 5 7400F uses the AMD Socket AM5 platform with 24 PCIe Gen 5 lanes, while the Intel Core 5 221TE uses the Intel Socket 1700 platform with 16 PCIe Gen 5 lanes.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The Cinebench suite reveals consistent performance gaps across every version. In Cinebench R15, the AMD Ryzen 5 7400F scores 2,193 in multi-core and 309 in single-core, while the Intel Core 5 221TE scores 1,139 and 160 respectively. The deltas are 92.5% for multi-core and 93.1% for single-core. Cinebench R20 shows a similar pattern: the AMD part scores 9,141 multi-core and 1,290 single-core versus 4,748 and 670 for the Intel part, with both deltas at 92.5%. Cinebench R23 continues the trend with the AMD processor at 21,765 multi-core and 3,072 single-core, compared to 11,305 and 1,596 for the Intel part, again with a 92.5% delta.

The PassMark suite shows even wider variations. The largest gap appears in prime number finding, where the AMD Ryzen 5 7400F scores 191 against the Intel Core 5 221TE's 59, a delta of 223.7%. Extended instructions testing shows a 125.2% delta, with scores of 21,747 versus 9,655. Random string sorting shows a 107.3% delta with scores of 35,096 versus 16,929. Single-threaded PassMark results show a 112.7% delta, with the AMD part scoring 3,689 against 1,734.

The AMD Ryzen 5 7400F's multithreaded PassMark score of 25,645 exceeds the Intel Core 5 221TE's 13,301 by 92.8%. Data compression shows a score of 289,999 versus 156,682, a delta of 85.1%. Data encryption shows 16,712 versus 8,963, a delta of 86.5%. Integer math shows 74,745 versus 42,303, a delta of 76.7%. Floating-point math shows the narrowest gap at 44.7%, with scores of 45,799 versus 31,661. Physics testing shows a 69.9% delta, with scores of 1,660 versus 977.

The percentile rankings place the AMD Ryzen 5 7400F at the 83rd percentile among all CPUs, while the Intel Core 5 221TE sits at the 71st percentile. The average benchmark score for the AMD part is 32,750, which is 83.4% higher than the Intel part's average of 17,860.

The Verdict

The recorded data supports a clear conclusion: the AMD Ryzen 5 7400F is the superior processor in every measured category. Its 17 wins out of 17 head-to-head tests, combined with its higher percentile ranking and average benchmark score, make the performance hierarchy unambiguous.

The AMD Ryzen 5 7400F's nearest rivals, based on average benchmark score, are the Intel Core i5-14600T at 32,707 (0.1% behind), the Intel Core Ultra 7 155H at 32,697 (0.2% behind), the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 6850H at 32,812 (0.2% ahead), and the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 360 at 32,662 (0.3% behind). These deltas are all within 0.3%, placing the AMD part in a tight performance cluster among much more expensive or higher-tier processors.

The Intel Core 5 221TE's nearest rivals tell a different story. Its average score of 17,860 places it alongside the AMD Ryzen 5 3600XT at 17,891 (0.2% behind), the Intel Core 5 120U at 17,898 (0.2% behind), the Intel Core 7 350 at 17,779 (0.5% ahead), and the AMD Ryzen 5 1600 at 17,994 (0.7% behind). These are older or lower-tier processors, which explains why the Intel part cannot keep pace with the AMD Ryzen 5 7400F.

For users who prioritize raw compute performance, the AMD Ryzen 5 7400F is the only rational choice based on this data. The Intel Core 5 221TE offers a lower base clock, smaller L3 cache, and lower memory bandwidth, all of which are reflected in its benchmark results. The Intel part does include integrated graphics and a higher boost clock of 5.00 GHz, but these features do not translate into benchmark wins.

The AMD Ryzen 5 7400F also benefits from an unlocked multiplier, which allows for overclocking, while the Intel Core 5 221TE is locked. The AMD part's 5 nm process node and larger L3 cache provide architectural advantages that the Intel part cannot overcome despite having more cores and threads.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has more cores and threads?

A: The Intel Core 5 221TE has 10 cores and 16 threads, while the AMD Ryzen 5 7400F has 6 cores and 12 threads.

Q: Which processor has the higher boost clock?

A: The Intel Core 5 221TE has a boost clock of 5.00 GHz, while the AMD Ryzen 5 7400F has a boost clock of 4.70 GHz.

Q: Which processor has more L3 cache?

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 7400F has 32 MB of shared L3 cache, while the Intel Core 5 221TE has 24 MB of shared L3 cache.

Q: Which processor has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 7400F has an average benchmark score of 32,750, while the Intel Core 5 221TE has an average score of 17,860.

Q: Which processor supports DDR4 memory?

A: The Intel Core 5 221TE supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory, while the AMD Ryzen 5 7400F supports only DDR5 memory.

Q: Which processor includes integrated graphics?

A: The Intel Core 5 221TE includes UHD Graphics 730, while the AMD Ryzen 5 7400F has no integrated graphics.

Q: Which processor has the higher percentile ranking?

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 7400F ranks in the 83rd percentile among all CPUs, while the Intel Core 5 221TE ranks in the 71st percentile.

Specification Differences

| Specification | AMD Ryzen 5 7400F | Intel Core 5 221TE |

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

| Cores | 6 | 10 |

| Threads | 12 | 16 |

| Base Clock | 3.70 GHz | 1.80 GHz |

| Boost Clock | 4.70 GHz | 5.00 GHz |

| TDP | 65 W | 45 W |

| Socket | AMD Socket AM5 | Intel Socket 1700 |

| Codename | Raphael | Bartlett Lake |

| Process Node | 5 nm | 10 nm |

| Foundry | TSMC | Intel |

| Die Size | 71 mm² | 215 mm² |

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

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

| L3 Cache | 32 MB (shared) | 24 MB (shared) |

| Memory Support | DDR5 | DDR4, DDR5 |

| Memory Bandwidth | 83.2 GB/s | 76.8 GB/s |

| ECC Memory | Yes | Yes |

| PCIe | Gen 5, 24 Lanes (CPU only) | Gen 5, 16 Lanes (CPU only) |

| Integrated Graphics | N/A | UHD Graphics 730 |

| Multiplier Unlocked | Yes | No |

| Launch MSRP | $229 | $232 |