AMD Ryzen 7 5800U vs Intel Core i5-11400T Comparison

# AMD Ryzen 7 5800U vs Intel Core i5-11400T

The AMD Ryzen 7 5800U and Intel Core i5-11400T present a fascinating study in contrasting design philosophies: a 15-watt mobile processor built on TSMC's 7 nm process versus a 35-watt desktop chip fabricated on Intel's 14 nm node. The benchmark data reveals a surprisingly complex picture, with the mobile AMD part winning four of six head-to-head tests while the desktop Intel chip claims victory in the two most demanding multi-threaded workloads. This matchup defies simple expectations about mobile versus desktop performance hierarchies.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The most striking result comes from Cinebench R15, where the AMD Ryzen 7 5800U dominates decisively. In the multicore test, the 5800U scores 1613 against the i5-11400T's 1120 — a 44% advantage. The single-core R15 result is even more lopsided: 229 versus 157, representing a 45.9% lead for AMD. These are enormous margins that suggest the Zen 3 architecture's efficiency advantages are fully realized even at a 15-watt power envelope.

Geekbench results reinforce AMD's superiority in most workloads. The 5800U posts 7132 in Geekbench multicore versus 5591 for the i5-11400T, a 27.6% difference. Single-core Geekbench shows a narrower but still meaningful gap: 1656 versus 1597, with AMD ahead by 3.7%. The consistency of AMD's wins across both Cinebench R15 and Geekbench suggests architectural efficiency rather than any single workload quirk.

However, the narrative shifts dramatically in Cinebench R23. Here, the Intel i5-11400T reverses the trend with a multicore score of 11113 against the 5800U's 8154 — a 26.6% advantage for Intel. The single-core R23 test also favors Intel, with 1569 versus 1427, a 9.1% gap. This reversal is remarkable: the same architectural matchup produces opposite outcomes depending on the benchmark generation. The R23 multicore result is particularly notable because Intel's six-core, twelve-thread configuration outperforms AMD's eight-core, sixteen-thread part by over 2,900 points.

The wins split 4-2 in favor of AMD, but the magnitude of Intel's R23 victory raises questions about workload scaling. The i5-11400T's 35-watt desktop power budget likely allows sustained boost clocks that the 15-watt mobile chip cannot match under prolonged load, even though the 5800U's higher peak boost clock of 4.40 GHz versus 3.70 GHz suggests superior single-thread burst capability.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Ryzen 7 5800U demonstrates its strengths in legacy and general-purpose benchmarks. Its Cinebench R15 victories, both single and multi-core, point to excellent responsiveness in older applications and short-duration workloads. The Geekbench results — particularly the 27.6% multicore margin — indicate strong performance in everyday computing tasks like web browsing, office productivity, and light content creation where burst performance and cache efficiency matter more than sustained throughput.

The Intel Core i5-11400T claims its territory in sustained, heavily multi-threaded workloads. The Cinebench R23 multicore result of 11113 versus 8154 shows that when a rendering task runs for an extended period, the desktop chip's higher thermal and power headroom allows it to pull ahead significantly. The 9.1% single-core R23 advantage further suggests that Intel's Rocket Lake architecture delivers competitive per-thread performance when allowed to run at higher sustained clocks.

This split has practical implications. The 5800U would excel in a thin-and-light laptop where battery life and thermals limit sustained performance, while the i5-11400T suits a compact desktop where consistent multi-core throughput for rendering or compiling is the priority. The data indicates that the 5800U's efficiency-driven design wins short bursts, but the i5-11400T's power budget wins the marathon.

Architecture Differences

The two processors embody fundamentally different architectural approaches. The AMD Ryzen 7 5800U uses Zen 3 architecture on TSMC's 7 nm process, featuring 8 cores and 16 threads. Its codename is Cezanne-U, and it belongs to the 5000 series. The chip integrates 10,700 million transistors on a 180 mm² die, with a base clock of 1900 MHz boosting to 4.40 GHz. The process node advantage is significant: 7 nm versus Intel's 14 nm allows AMD to pack more transistors while consuming far less power.

The Intel Core i5-11400T uses Rocket Lake architecture on Intel's 14 nm process, with 6 cores and 12 threads. Its die size is 276 mm² — substantially larger than AMD's 180 mm² despite having fewer cores. No transistor count is available for the Intel part. The base clock of 1300 MHz is notably lower than AMD's 1900 MHz, but the boost clock of 3.70 GHz also trails AMD's 4.40 GHz. Despite these clock disadvantages, the Intel chip manages to win Cinebench R23 multicore, suggesting that its desktop platform allows more aggressive sustained power delivery.

Cache configurations differ markedly. The 5800U provides 64 KB of L1 per core, 512 KB of L2 per core, and 16 MB of shared L3 cache. The i5-11400T offers 80 KB of L1 per core, 512 KB of L2 per core, but only 12 MB of shared L3. The larger L3 cache on the AMD part likely contributes to its Geekbench superiority, while Intel's larger L1 cache may help in certain latency-sensitive workloads.

Both processors integrate graphics: the 5800U features Radeon Vega 8, while the i5-11400T includes UHD Graphics 730. Neither supports ECC memory, and both use dual-channel DDR4 with identical 51.2 GB/s memory bandwidth. PCIe support differs substantially, with Intel offering Gen 4 with 20 lanes versus AMD's Gen 3 with 8 lanes.

Specification Differences

The most critical specification difference is power consumption: the 5800U draws 15 watts TDP versus the i5-11400T's 35 watts. This 20-watt gap explains much of the performance divergence. The AMD part is designed for mobile platforms with the FP6 socket, while Intel uses the desktop LGA 1200 socket. The 5800U has a base clock of 1900 MHz and boost of 4.40 GHz; the i5-11400T runs at 1300 MHz base and 3.70 GHz boost.

Core and thread counts differ: 8 cores/16 threads for AMD versus 6 cores/12 threads for Intel. The process nodes are 7 nm (TSMC) versus 14 nm (Intel), and die sizes are 180 mm² versus 276 mm². The i5-11400T carries a launch MSRP of $182; no MSRP is available for the 5800U, which is typical for mobile processors sold to OEMs rather than retail.

Production status also differs: the 5800U is active, while the i5-11400T is end-of-life. Release dates are close — January 11, 2021 for AMD and March 15, 2021 for Intel. The 5800U's part number is 100-000000285; Intel's is SRKP2. The i5-11400T is unlocked? No — both have locked multipliers. PCIe capabilities favor Intel (Gen 4, 20 lanes versus Gen 3, 8 lanes), which matters for desktop expansion but is less relevant for mobile.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has more cores and threads?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 5800U has 8 cores and 16 threads, while the Intel Core i5-11400T has 6 cores and 12 threads.

Q: Why does the Intel chip win Cinebench R23 multicore despite having fewer cores?

A: The i5-11400T scores 11113 versus 8154 for the 5800U, a 26.6% advantage. The likely explanation is its 35-watt TDP versus 15 watts, allowing sustained boost clocks under load, even though the 5800U has a higher boost clock of 4.40 GHz versus 3.70 GHz.

Q: How do their average benchmark scores compare?

A: The 5800U has an average benchmark score of 3369, while the i5-11400T averages 3309. Both sit at the 54th percentile among all CPUs. The 5800U's nearest rival is the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 7530U (3394, -0.7%), while the i5-11400T's closest competitor is the AMD Ryzen 3 5300G (3303, +0.2%).

Q: What are the memory bandwidth capabilities?

A: Both processors support dual-channel DDR4 with identical 51.2 GB/s memory bandwidth. Neither supports ECC memory.

Q: Which processor has a larger L3 cache?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 5800U has 16 MB of shared L3 cache, while the Intel Core i5-11400T has 12 MB. However, Intel has a larger L1 cache per core at 80 KB versus 64 KB for AMD.

Q: Are there differences in PCIe support?

A: Yes, the Intel i5-11400T supports PCIe Gen 4 with 20 lanes, while the AMD 5800U supports PCIe Gen 3 with only 8 lanes.

Q: What is the production status of each processor?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 5800U is currently active, while the Intel Core i5-11400T is end-of-life.

The Verdict

The benchmark data presents a clear but nuanced recommendation. For users prioritizing mobile efficiency, the AMD Ryzen 7 5800U is the obvious choice. It wins four of six head-to-head tests, including commanding 44-45.9% margins in Cinebench R15 and a 27.6% lead in Geekbench multicore. Its 8-core/16-thread configuration, larger 16 MB L3 cache, and 7 nm process make it ideal for thin-and-light laptops where battery life and thermal constraints dominate. The 5800U's 54th percentile ranking and average score of 3369 edge out the i5-11400T by 60 points.

For desktop users who need sustained multi-core performance, the Intel Core i5-11400T proves its worth. Its Cinebench R23 multicore score of 11113 is 26.6% higher than AMD's, and it also wins single-core R23 by 9.1%. The 35-watt power budget, while double AMD's, enables the sustained boost behavior that lengthy rendering or compilation tasks demand. The i5-11400T's PCIe Gen 4 support with 20 lanes also offers greater expansion capability for desktop systems.

The choice ultimately hinges on workload duration and platform. Short-burst, everyday tasks favor the 5800U. Extended multi-threaded workloads favor the i5-11400T. The data shows that mobile processors have closed the gap with desktop parts in many scenarios, but the desktop chip still claims the performance crown where sustained throughput matters most. Users who need a general-purpose mobile processor should select the 5800U; those building a compact desktop for heavy rendering should choose the i5-11400T.