Intel Core i5-12450HX vs AMD Ryzen 5 5600HS vs AMD Ryzen 5 5600H

Intel Core i5-12450HX

The Intel Core i5-12450HX is a fast mid-range mobile CPU for laptops based on the Alder Lake architecture (Alder Lake-S chip). It was announced in mid 2022 and offers 4 of the 8 performance cores (P-cores, Golden Cove architecture) and 4 of the 8 efficient cores (E-cores, Gracemont architecture). The P-cores support Hyper-Threading leading to 12 supported threads when combined with the E-cores. The clock rate ranges from 2.4 to 4.4 GHz on the performance cluster and 1.8 to 3.1 GHz on the efficiency cluster. The performance of the E-cores should be similar to old Skylake cores (compare with the Core i7-6920HQ). All cores can use up to 12 MB L3 cache. The CPU offers only limited overclocking capabilities and no support for vPro or ECC main memory.

Performance

Due to the similar specs, the performance of the 12450HX should be similar to the Core i5-12450H (45 W TDP). Thanks to the higher TDP, the sustained performance could be better (if the cooling of the laptop is sufficient). 

Features

The integrated memory controller supports various memory types up to DDR5-4800 and DDR4-3200. The Thread Director (in hardware) can support the operating system to decide which thread to use on the performance or efficient cores for the best performance. For AI tasks, the CPU also integrates GNA 3.0 and DL Boost (via AVX2). Quick Sync in version 8 is the same as in the Rocket Lake CPUs and supports MPEG-2, AVC, VC-1 decode, JPEG, VP8 decode, VP9, HEVC, and AV1 decode in hardware. The CPU supports 48 PCIe lanes consisting of 16 Gen5 (x16 or 2x8), 20 Gen4 and 12 Gen3.

The integrated graphics card is based on the Xe-architecture and offers only 16 of the 32 EUs (Execution Units) operating at up to 1.3 GHz.

The CPU is rated at 55 W base power (157 W PL2). The SoC is manufactured on a 10nm process at Intel, which is known as Intel 7.

AMD Ryzen 5 5600HS

The AMD Ryzen 5 5600HS is a processor for big (gaming) laptops based on the Cezanne generation. The R5 5600H integrates six of the eight cores based on the Zen 3 microarchitecture. They are clocked at 3 GHz (guaranteed base clock) to 4.2 GHz (Turbo) and support SMT / Hyperthreading (12 threads). The chip is manufactured in the modern 7 nm process at TSMC. Compared to the 5600H (up to 52 W), the 5600HS is configured to a TDP of 35W.

The new Zen 3 microarchitecture offers a significantly higher IPC (instructions per clock) compared to Zen 2. For desktop processors AMD claims 19 percent on average and in applications reviews showed around 12% gains at the same clock speed.

With the increased clock speed and IPC improvements thanks to Zen 3, the Ryzen 5 5600H should be clearly faster than the lower clocked Ryzen 7 4600H.

In addition to the six CPU cores, the APU also integrates a Radeon RX Vega 6  integrated graphics card with 6 CUs and up to 1800 MHz. The dual channel memory controller supports DDR4-3200 and energy efficient LPDDR4-4266 RAM. Furthermore, 16 MB level 3 cache can be found on the chip.

The TDP of the APU is specified at 35 Watt and therefore also suited for thin gaming laptops.

AMD Ryzen 5 5600H

The AMD Ryzen 5 5600H is a processor for big (gaming) laptops based on the Cezanne generation. The R5 5600H has six of the eight cores based on the Zen 3 microarchitecture. They are clocked at 3.3 GHz (guaranteed base clock) to 4.2 GHz (Turbo) and support SMT for a total of 12 threads. The chip is manufactured on the modern 7 nm TSMC process.

The new Zen 3 microarchitecture offers a significantly higher IPC (instructions per clock) compared to Zen 2. For desktop processors AMD claims 19 percent on average and in applications reviews showed around 12% gains at the same clock speed.

In addition to the six CPU cores, the APU also integrates a Radeon RX Vega 7 integrated graphics processor with 7 CUs running at up to 1800 MHz. The dual channel memory controller supports DDR4-3200 and energy efficient LPDDR4-4266 RAM. Furthermore, 16 MB of L3 cache can be found on the chip.

Performance

The average 5600H in our database is in the same league as the Ryzen 5 6600HS and the Core i7-1260P, as far as multi-thread benchmark scores are concerned.

Thanks to its decent cooling solution and a long-term CPU power limit of 45 W, the Lenovo Legion 5 17 is among the fastest laptops powered by the 5600H that we know of. It can be roughly 30% faster in CPU-bound workloads than the slowest system featuring the same chip in our database, as of August 2023.

Power consumption

This Ryzen 5 series chip has a default TDP (also known as the long-term power limit) of 45 W, a value that laptop makers are allowed to change to anything between 35 W and 54 W with clock speed and performance changing accordingly as a result. A high-performance cooling solution is a must for a CPU like this.

The hexa-core APU is built with the 7 nm TSMC process for decent, as of late 2022, energy efficiency.