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AMD Ryzen 5 8640U vs Intel Core Ultra 5 125U: Comparison
AMD Ryzen 5 8640U vs Intel Core Ultra 5 125U: the total cores difference
These two are close on paper, and total cores is the only measure that separates them at all: AMD Ryzen 5 8640U 6 against Intel Core Ultra 5 125U 12. Measured rather than claimed: in Cinebench 2024 (Multi-Core) the AMD Ryzen 5 8640U returns 596 against 516, a 13% lead. AMD Ryzen 5 8640U also leads on l3 cache, 16 MB on the AMD Ryzen 5 8640U versus 12 MB on the Intel Core Ultra 5 125U.
AMD Ryzen 5 8640U vs Intel Core Ultra 5 125U: which one fits your build
The AMD Ryzen 5 8640U suits midrange thin-and-light laptops and office work, browsing and video calls, though it is not built for modern games at high settings without a dedicated GPU and copilot+ PC AI features, which need a 40+ TOPS NPU. It is the wrong buy for heavy video rendering or 3D work, where 8-core chips finish much sooner. The Intel Core Ultra 5 125U is the one to take for everyday laptop computing and on-device AI features, though it is the wrong buy for gaming laptops and heavy sustained workloads. Our rating of the AMD Ryzen 5 8640U (7.8/10): the AMD Ryzen 5 8640U is a well-balanced ultraportable chip that prioritizes battery life and everyday responsiveness. Our rating of the Intel Core Ultra 5 125U (7.9/10): the Intel Core Ultra 5 125U is a efficiency-oriented Meteor Lake mobile chip, well suited to thin-and-light everyday laptops.
Frequently asked questions
Do the AMD Ryzen 5 8640U and Intel Core Ultra 5 125U differ on performance cores?
Yes. Performance Cores reads 6 on the AMD Ryzen 5 8640U versus 2 on the Intel Core Ultra 5 125U.
Is the Integrated Graphics the same on the AMD Ryzen 5 8640U and Intel Core Ultra 5 125U?
It is. Both are listed at Yes, so it is not a reason to pick one over the other.
Specs and benchmarks
Form Factor
- AMD Ryzen 5 8640U
- Laptop
- Intel Core Ultra 5 125U
- Laptop
Codename
- AMD Ryzen 5 8640U
- Hawk Point
- Intel Core Ultra 5 125U
- Meteor Lake
Release Year
- AMD Ryzen 5 8640U
- 2023
- Intel Core Ultra 5 125U
- 2023
TDP
- AMD Ryzen 5 8640U
- 28 W
- Intel Core Ultra 5 125U
- 15 W
iGPU
- AMD Ryzen 5 8640U
- AMD Radeon 740M/760M/780M Graphics (RDNA 3)
- Intel Core Ultra 5 125U
- Intel Graphics
Market Segment
- AMD Ryzen 5 8640U
- Laptop
- Intel Core Ultra 5 125U
- Laptop
Microarchitecture
- AMD Ryzen 5 8640U
- Zen 4 (Phoenix/Hawk Point)
- Intel Core Ultra 5 125U
- Meteor Lake
Socket
- AMD Ryzen 5 8640U
- BGA (soldered, mobile)
- Intel Core Ultra 5 125U
- FCBGA2049
Process Node
- AMD Ryzen 5 8640U
- 4 nm
- Intel Core Ultra 5 125U
- 4 nm
Total Cores
- AMD Ryzen 5 8640U
- 6
- Intel Core Ultra 5 125U
- 12Best
Performance Cores
- AMD Ryzen 5 8640U
- 6Best
- Intel Core Ultra 5 125U
- 2
Efficiency Cores
- AMD Ryzen 5 8640U
- 0
- Intel Core Ultra 5 125U
- 10Best
Total Threads
- AMD Ryzen 5 8640U
- 12
- Intel Core Ultra 5 125U
- 14Best
SMT Enabled
- AMD Ryzen 5 8640U
- Yes
- Intel Core Ultra 5 125U
- Yes
P-Core Base Clock
- AMD Ryzen 5 8640U
- 1.7 GHz
- Intel Core Ultra 5 125U
- 1.3 GHz
P-Core Boost Clock
- AMD Ryzen 5 8640U
- 4.9 GHz
- Intel Core Ultra 5 125U
- 4.3 GHz
L3 Cache
- AMD Ryzen 5 8640U
- 16 MBBest
- Intel Core Ultra 5 125U
- 12 MB-25%
Base Power
- AMD Ryzen 5 8640U
- 28 W
- Intel Core Ultra 5 125U
- 15 W
Memory Type
- AMD Ryzen 5 8640U
- DDR5, LPDDR5x
- Intel Core Ultra 5 125U
- DDR5, LPDDR5/X
Integrated Graphics
- AMD Ryzen 5 8640U
- Yes
- Intel Core Ultra 5 125U
- Yes
Benchmarks
- General CPU
Cinebench 2024 (Multi-Core)
- AMD Ryzen 5 8640U
- 596Best
- Intel Core Ultra 5 125U
- 516-13%
Renders a 3D scene on every core. Shows speed in rendering and other heavy work.
Which one should you pick?
Choose 8640U if you want the higher L3 cache (16 MB vs 12 MB) and the higher cinebench 2024 (Multi-Core) (596 vs 516).
Choose 125U if you already have it on hand or find it at a lower price.
Verdict
AMD Ryzen 5 8640U
7.8 / 10 Expert Rating
The AMD Ryzen 5 8640U is a well-balanced ultraportable chip that prioritizes battery life and everyday responsiveness.
Intel Core Ultra 5 125U
7.9 / 10 Expert Rating
The Intel Core Ultra 5 125U is a efficiency-oriented Meteor Lake mobile chip, well suited to thin-and-light everyday laptops.