AMD Ryzen 3 30 vs Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus Comparison

FAQ

Q: How do the two processors compare in overall average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Ryzen 3 30 records an average benchmark score of 20,137, placing it in the 74th percentile of all CPUs. The Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus records 66,855, placing it in the 93rd percentile. The Intel part sits 3.3 times higher in raw average score.

Q: Which processor has the larger performance gap in a single benchmark?

A: The largest delta appears in the PassMark find prime numbers test. The AMD scores 20, while the Intel scores 486, a delta of -95.9% for the AMD part. That is the widest margin in the head-to-head set.

Q: Are the benchmark results consistent across all tests, or does one chip win some?

A: The head-to-head data shows 11 wins for the Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus and 0 wins for the AMD Ryzen 3 30. There is no test in the recorded set where the AMD processor posts a higher score.

Q: What is the closest margin between the two in any benchmark?

A: The single-thread and singlethread PassMark tests both show the Intel at 4,757 versus the AMD at 2,465, a delta of -48.2%. That is the narrowest deficit for the AMD part, though it still loses by nearly half.

Q: How does the Intel processor compare to its nearest rival in the database?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus has a nearest rival in the Intel Core Ultra 5 250KF Plus with an average score of 66,159, a delta of 1.1% in favor of the 250K Plus. The next closest is the AMD EPYC 4465P at 66,925, a delta of -0.1%.

Q: How does the AMD processor compare to its nearest rival in the database?

A: The AMD Ryzen 3 30 sits near the Intel Core Ultra 7 165U, which scores 20,249, a delta of -0.6% for the AMD part. The AMD EPYC 7713P scores 20,024, a delta of 0.6% in favor of the AMD chip.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from different design lineages. The AMD Ryzen 3 30 uses the Zen 2 architecture with the Mendocino codename, built on a 6 nm process at TSMC. It has 4 cores and 8 threads, meaning it relies on simultaneous multithreading to reach that thread count. The Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus uses the Arrow Lake Refresh codename, part of the Core Ultra Series 2, built on a 3 nm process also at TSMC. It has 18 cores and 18 threads, which indicates a design without hyperthreading or with performance cores only, as thread count equals core count.

The cache hierarchies differ sharply. The AMD part provides 64 KB of L1 per core, 512 KB of L2 per core, and 4 MB of shared L3. The Intel part provides 192 KB of L1 per core, 3 MB of L2 per core, and 30 MB of shared L3. That L3 difference alone is 7.5 times larger on the Intel side. The Intel processor also carries 17,800 million transistors on a 243 mm² die, while the AMD die measures 100 mm² with no transistor count recorded.

Memory support diverges. The AMD chip uses LPDDR5 with a dual-channel bus and 88.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The Intel chip uses DDR5 with a dual-channel bus and 115.2 GB/s of bandwidth. ECC memory is not supported on the AMD part, while the Intel part supports it. PCIe connectivity also differs: the AMD offers Gen 3 with 4 lanes from the CPU, while the Intel offers Gen 5 with 20 lanes from the CPU.

The integrated graphics differ: AMD uses the Radeon 610M, Intel uses Arc Xe-LPG Graphics 64EU. The AMD market segment is mobile, the Intel is desktop. The AMD socket is AMD Socket FT6, the Intel socket is Intel Socket 1851. The AMD processor has a locked multiplier, while the Intel multiplier is unlocked. Production status for both is active. The AMD release date is September 30, 2025; the Intel release date is March 10, 2026.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded head-to-head data shows a complete sweep for the Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus across all 11 benchmark entries. The starting point is PassMark data compression, where Intel scores 568,721 against AMD's 135,834, a delta of -76.1%. Data encryption follows a similar pattern: Intel at 42,144, AMD at 6,461, a delta of -84.7%. Extended instructions show Intel at 44,565 versus AMD at 6,075, a delta of -86.4%.

The find prime numbers test delivers the biggest proportional gap. Intel scores 486, AMD scores 20, a delta of -95.9%. Floating point math shows Intel at 162,692 versus AMD at 14,448, a delta of -91.1%. Integer math has Intel at 125,091 and AMD at 29,846, a delta of -76.1%. The multithread PassMark test records Intel at 51,596 and AMD at 9,027, a delta of -82.5%.

Physics simulation shows Intel at 3,494 and AMD at 436, a delta of -87.5%. Random string sorting has Intel at 69,090 and AMD at 14,431, a delta of -79.1%. The two single-thread entries, labeled passmark_single_thread and passmark_singlethread, both show Intel at 4,757 and AMD at 2,465, a delta of -48.2%. That is the smallest deficit, but it still leaves the AMD processor behind by a substantial margin.

The average benchmark score reinforces the gap. AMD's 20,137 average places it near the Intel Core Ultra 7 165U at 20,249 and the Intel Core i7-9700K at 20,271. Intel's 66,855 average places it near the AMD EPYC 4465P at 66,925 and the Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX at 67,469. The two products operate in different performance strata entirely.

Specification Differences

The specification table shows every field where the two parts differ. Cores: AMD has 4, Intel has 18. Threads: AMD has 8, Intel has 18. Base clock: AMD at 2.40 GHz, Intel at 4.20 GHz. Boost clock: AMD at 4.10 GHz, Intel at 5.30 GHz. TDP: AMD at 15 watts, Intel at 125 watts. Socket: AMD Socket FT6 versus Intel Socket 1851. Architecture: Zen 2 for AMD, no architecture field for Intel. Codename: Mendocino versus Arrow Lake Refresh. Generation: Ryzen 3 (Zen 2 Mendocino) versus Ultra 5 (Arrow Lake). Process node: 6 nm versus 3 nm. Transistors: not recorded for AMD, 17,800 million for Intel. Die size: 100 mm² versus 243 mm².

Cache: L1 per core is 64 KB for AMD and 192 KB for Intel. L2 per core is 512 KB for AMD and 3 MB for Intel. L3 shared is 4 MB for AMD and 30 MB for Intel. Memory support: LPDDR5 versus DDR5. Memory bandwidth: 88.0 GB/s versus 115.2 GB/s. ECC memory: false versus true. PCIe: Gen 3 with 4 lanes versus Gen 5 with 20 lanes. Integrated graphics: Radeon 610M versus Arc Xe-LPG Graphics 64EU. Market segment: mobile versus desktop. Release date: September 30, 2025 versus March 10, 2026. Launch MSRP: none recorded for AMD, $199 for Intel. Multiplier unlocked: false for AMD, true for Intel. Part number: unknown for AMD, SA4UZ for Intel.

Where Each One Wins

Based on the recorded benchmark data, the Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus wins every benchmark in the head-to-head set. The wins span all workload categories: data compression, encryption, extended instructions, prime number finding, floating point math, integer math, multithread, physics, random string sorting, and single-thread. The smallest margin is 48.2% in single-thread, the largest is 95.9% in find prime numbers. No benchmark category favors the AMD processor.

The AMD Ryzen 3 30 does not win any benchmark in the comparison set. Its closest position is in single-thread performance, where it trails by 48.2%. In multithread it trails by 82.5%. In physics it trails by 87.5%. The AMD part's percentile ranking of 74 versus the Intel's 93 also shows that the database places the AMD chip lower among all CPUs.

The AMD part does have a lower TDP at 15 watts versus 125 watts, which suggests a different thermal envelope, but the benchmark data does not include any efficiency metric. The AMD part also uses a smaller process node at 6 nm versus the Intel's 3 nm, though the Intel still delivers far higher scores.

The Verdict

The data points to a clear separation. The Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus delivers higher scores in every recorded benchmark, with an average benchmark score of 66,855 versus 20,137 for the AMD Ryzen 3 30. The Intel part holds a 93rd percentile ranking against the AMD's 74th. The nearest rivals for the Intel part, such as the AMD EPYC 4465P at 66,925 and the Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX at 67,469, all sit in a similar performance band. The AMD part's nearest rivals, including the Intel Core Ultra 7 165U at 20,249 and the Intel Core i7-9700K at 20,271, sit close to its own score.

The Intel part is the choice for workloads that demand high throughput: multithreaded number crunching, data compression, encryption, and physics simulation all show deltas above 80% in its favor. The single-thread advantage of 48.2% also makes it the better pick for lightly threaded tasks. The AMD part offers a lower TDP and a smaller die, but the benchmark results do not show any performance category where it leads.

The Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus carries a launch MSRP of $199. The AMD processor has no recorded launch MSRP. The Intel part also has an unlocked multiplier, while the AMD does not. For users selecting purely on measured performance, the Intel processor is the only option that the head-to-head data supports. The AMD Ryzen 3 30 remains a functional mobile processor, but the recorded scores place it far behind the Intel desktop part in every test.