AMD Ryzen 5 150 vs Intel Core Ultra 5 336H Comparison

The AMD Ryzen 5 150 and Intel Core Ultra 5 336H are both mobile processors that land in the 84th percentile of all CPUs, indicating they offer broadly similar overall performance. The data, however, shows a stark contrast in their benchmark profiles. The Intel Core Ultra 5 336H is the dominant performer, winning 10 of the 11 head-to-head comparisons and frequently by large margins. The AMD Ryzen 5 150 manages only a single, narrow victory. For anyone prioritizing raw computational speed, the Intel chip is the clear choice based on the numbers. The Ryzen 5 150's only advantage is a negligible 0.1% lead in integer math, which does not offset the Intel part's commanding leads elsewhere.

The Verdict

The benchmark data is unambiguous: the Intel Core Ultra 5 336H is the superior processor for almost every task measured. Its average benchmark score of 34,485 is slightly lower than the AMD's 34,881, but this aggregate figure is misleading. The head-to-head results show Intel winning decisively in nearly every category, from multi-threaded workloads to single-threaded responsiveness. The Intel chip's PassMark multi-thread score of 28,545 versus the AMD's 17,492 represents a massive 38.7% advantage, making it the better choice for demanding applications like video editing, 3D rendering, and software compilation.

The AMD Ryzen 5 150 is not without its merits, but they are specific and narrow. Its single head-to-head win in PassMark integer math (62,151 vs 62,070) is a statistical tie. Its performance is not competitive with the Intel part in the vast majority of tests. However, its lower 35W TDP compared to Intel's 25W TDP suggests a different power profile, which could be a factor in system design, though the data provided does not include performance-per-watt metrics. For a user whose primary concern is maximum performance, the Intel Core Ultra 5 336H is the only logical choice from this dataset.

Where Each One Wins

The Intel Core Ultra 5 336H wins across the board, but the magnitude of its victories defines its strengths. Its most significant win is in the PassMark physics test, where it scores 2,682 against the AMD's 806, a 69.9% lead. This suggests a substantial advantage in simulations and physics calculations. It also shows a dominant 57.4% lead in floating-point math (82,415 vs 35,118), indicating superior performance in scientific computing, financial modeling, and other workloads that rely heavily on decimal-point calculations. Its 40.2% lead in extended instructions (24,542 vs 14,675) further cements its position for complex, modern software.

The AMD Ryzen 5 150's single win is a 0.1% margin in PassMark integer math. This is not a meaningful victory in practical terms. The data shows that while the AMD part can hold its own in this one specific, narrow metric, it is severely outperformed in nearly all other areas. The Intel chip's 21.4% lead in single-threaded performance (4,013 vs 3,155) is particularly important, as it translates to snappier application launches and better performance in tasks that rely on a single core. There is no workload category in the data where the Ryzen 5 150 can be recommended based on benchmark wins.

Architecture Differences

The two processors are built on fundamentally different architectures from different manufacturers. The AMD Ryzen 5 150 is based on the Zen 3+ architecture (codenamed Rembrandt-R) and is fabricated on a 6 nm process by TSMC. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. In contrast, the Intel Core Ultra 5 336H is based on the newer Panther Lake architecture and is manufactured on a more advanced 3 nm process by Intel itself. It features 16 cores and 16 threads, a significant difference in core count that contributes to its multi-threaded dominance.

Cache configurations also differ substantially. The AMD chip has a 16 MB shared L3 cache, while the Intel part has an 18 MB shared L3 cache. The per-core L1 and L2 caches are also larger on the Intel chip (192 KB L1 and 2.5 MB L2 per core) compared to the AMD (64 KB L1 and 512 KB L2 per core). Memory support also diverges: the AMD supports dual-channel DDR5 with a bandwidth of 76.8 GB/s, while the Intel supports dual-channel DDR5 and LPDDR5X with a higher bandwidth of 115.2 GB/s. The Intel chip also features PCIe Gen 5 with 12 lanes, whereas the AMD uses PCIe Gen 4 with 20 lanes. Both chips integrate graphics, with the AMD featuring Radeon 660M and the Intel featuring Xe3 Graphics.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has a higher single-threaded performance?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 336H is significantly faster in single-threaded tasks, scoring 4,013 in the PassMark single-thread test compared to the AMD Ryzen 5 150's 3,155. This represents a 21.4% advantage for Intel.

Q: Is the AMD Ryzen 5 150 better for multi-threaded workloads?

A: No. The data shows the opposite. The Intel Core Ultra 5 336H scores 28,545 in the PassMark multi-thread test, while the AMD Ryzen 5 150 scores 17,492. The Intel processor is 38.7% faster in this category.

Q: How does the core count differ between the two processors?

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 150 has 6 cores and 12 threads. The Intel Core Ultra 5 336H has 16 cores and 16 threads. This difference in core count is a primary factor in the Intel chip's superior multi-threaded performance.

Q: What is the most significant performance gap between the two?

A: The largest performance gap is in the PassMark physics test. The Intel Core Ultra 5 336H scores 2,682, which is 69.9% higher than the AMD Ryzen 5 150's score of 806.

Q: In which benchmark does the AMD Ryzen 5 150 outperform the Intel chip?

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 150 wins only the PassMark integer math test, scoring 62,151 compared to the Intel's 62,070. This is a very narrow 0.1% margin.

Q: Which processor has a higher memory bandwidth?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 336H supports a higher memory bandwidth of 115.2 GB/s. The AMD Ryzen 5 150 supports a bandwidth of 76.8 GB/s.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head data paints a clear picture of Intel's dominance. The most lopsided result is in the PassMark find prime numbers test, where the Intel chip scores 299 against the AMD's 47, an 84.3% difference. This is a staggering lead and indicates a massive advantage in this specific type of calculation. Following closely is the physics test, with Intel leading by 69.9% (2,682 vs 806). These two tests alone show that the Intel architecture is far more efficient at certain types of mathematical operations.

Beyond these extreme cases, the Intel chip maintains commanding leads in other critical areas. In floating-point math, the Intel scores 82,415, which is 57.4% higher than the AMD's 35,118. The extended instructions test shows a 40.2% lead for Intel (24,542 vs 14,675). Even in data compression, a task that often benefits from more cores, the Intel chip is 24.6% faster (280,340 vs 211,289). The data encryption test also shows a significant Intel advantage, scoring 21,291 versus 13,425, a 36.9% difference.

The only test where the AMD chip comes out on top is PassMark integer math, where it scores 62,151 versus Intel's 62,070. This 0.1% difference is negligible and falls within the margin of error. It does not indicate any real-world advantage for the AMD processor. The Intel chip also wins the multi-thread test by 38.7% (28,545 vs 17,492) and the single-thread test by 21.4% (4,013 vs 3,155). In every significant metric, the Intel Core Ultra 5 336H is the clear winner.

Specification Differences

The specification sheets for the two processors reveal the architectural gap between them. The AMD Ryzen 5 150 features 6 cores and 12 threads, while the Intel Core Ultra 5 336H features 16 cores and 16 threads. The base clock speed of the AMD is 3.30 GHz, which is higher than the Intel's 1.90 GHz. However, the boost clock speeds are nearly identical, with the AMD at 4.55 GHz and the Intel at 4.60 GHz. The AMD has a higher TDP of 35W, while the Intel has a lower TDP of 25W.

The process technology is a major differentiator: the AMD uses a 6 nm process from TSMC, while the Intel uses a 3 nm process from Intel. The cache hierarchy differs, with the AMD having 64 KB of L1 and 512 KB of L2 per core, and the Intel having 192 KB of L1 and 2.5 MB of L2 per core. Shared L3 cache is 16 MB for the AMD and 18 MB for the Intel. Memory support also differs, with the AMD supporting DDR5 and the Intel supporting both DDR5 and LPDDR5X. The memory bandwidth is higher on the Intel chip (115.2 GB/s) than the AMD (76.8 GB/s). Finally, the PCIe interface is newer on the Intel chip (Gen 5, 12 lanes) compared to the AMD (Gen 4, 20 lanes), and the integrated graphics are Radeon 660M for AMD and Intel Xe3 Graphics for Intel.