AMD Ryzen 5 150 vs Intel Core Ultra 7 165H Comparison

The AMD Ryzen 5 150 and Intel Core Ultra 7 165H occupy the same performance percentile in the database, both sitting at the 84th percentile against all measured CPUs. That shared percentile, however, masks a decisive performance gap in the recorded benchmarks. The Intel Core Ultra 7 165H wins all 11 head-to-head tests, with the AMD Ryzen 5 150 trailing by margins that range from modest single-threaded gaps to massive deficits in multi-threaded and specialized workloads. The data indicates that while both processors are positioned in the same broad performance class, the Intel part delivers consistently higher scores across every measured category, making it the clear performance leader in this comparison.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The most striking difference appears in the PassMark physics test, where the Intel Core Ultra 7 165H scores 1806 against the AMD Ryzen 5 150's 806, a 55.4% advantage. This workload, which typically stresses core count and memory bandwidth heavily, shows the Intel part's 16 cores and 22 threads flexing their muscles. The AMD processor, with 6 cores and 12 threads, cannot keep pace in this highly parallel scenario.

Similarly, the prime number finding test shows a 60.2% gap, with Intel scoring 118 versus AMD's 47. This test is often sensitive to instruction-level parallelism and memory latency, and the Intel architecture's higher boost clock and larger cache appear to deliver a substantial edge. The floating-point math test follows the same pattern: Intel scores 66273, AMD scores 35118, a 47% difference that indicates the Intel part has nearly double the floating-point throughput in this measurement.

In integer math, the Intel Core Ultra 7 165H scores 89415 versus the AMD Ryzen 5 150's 62151, a 30.5% advantage. The multithread benchmark shows a 32.5% gap, with Intel at 25933 and AMD at 17492. These results align with the core count disparity: the Intel part has 16 cores versus 6, and 22 threads versus 12, so the parallel workloads naturally favor it. The random string sorting test shows Intel ahead by 33.1%, scoring 33473 against AMD's 22382.

Data compression is another clear win for Intel, scoring 291161 against AMD's 211289, a 27.4% margin. Data encryption shows a 21.8% gap, with Intel at 17169 and AMD at 13425. Extended instructions tests put Intel at 17299 versus AMD's 14675, a 15.2% advantage. These three tests often rely on both the execution core efficiency and the memory subsystem, and the Intel part wins all of them comfortably.

The narrowest margin is in the single-thread test, where Intel scores 3509 and AMD scores 3155, a 10.1% difference. This is the only head-to-head metric where the two processors are relatively close, suggesting that per-core efficiency is more comparable than the multi-threaded results would imply. Still, the Intel part holds a measurable single-core advantage, which contributes to its overall sweep of the benchmark suite.

Where Each One Wins

The recorded data shows no benchmark wins for the AMD Ryzen 5 150, so its strengths must be inferred from its specification profile rather than measured victories. The AMD part operates at a lower 35W TDP versus Intel's 28W, but the AMD processor is built on a 6nm process from TSMC, which may offer power efficiency benefits in sustained workloads. The AMD's Radeon 660M integrated graphics and its 20 PCIe Gen 4 lanes could be relevant for certain mobile platform configurations, but the benchmark records do not capture those aspects.

The Intel Core Ultra 7 165H wins across every measured category, making it the stronger choice for compute-intensive tasks. Its 89.6 GB/s memory bandwidth, compared to AMD's 76.8 GB/s, likely contributes to its wins in data compression, encryption, and random string sorting, all of which are memory-latency sensitive. The Intel part also shows a 10.1% single-thread advantage, which matters for applications that rely on responsiveness rather than raw core count.

For users running heavily threaded workloads, such as video rendering, scientific simulations, or software compilation, the Intel part's multithread score of 25933 versus AMD's 17492 indicates a 32.5% throughput advantage. The physics test, with its 55.4% gap, suggests the Intel part is particularly strong in simulations that scale with core count. The floating-point math result, nearly double AMD's score, points to advantages in numerical processing workloads.

The AMD Ryzen 5 150 may still be relevant in scenarios where its lower TDP and 6nm process lead to better thermal behavior in compact chassis, but the database contains no benchmark evidence to support a performance win. Its 84th percentile ranking places it in the same class as the Intel Core Ultra 7 165H, but within that class, the Intel part consistently outperforms it.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from fundamentally different design philosophies. The AMD Ryzen 5 150 uses the Zen 3+ architecture, codenamed Rembrandt-R, built on TSMC's 6nm process. It has 6 cores and 12 threads, with a base clock of 3.30 GHz and a boost clock of 4.55 GHz. The Intel Core Ultra 7 165H uses the Meteor Lake architecture, built on Intel's 7nm process, with 16 cores and 22 threads, base clock of 3.80 GHz and boost clock of 5.00 GHz. The core count difference is the single largest architectural diverge: the Intel part has more than double the cores and nearly double the threads.

Cache configurations also differ substantially. The AMD part offers 64 KB of L1 cache per core, 512 KB of L2 per core, and 16 MB of shared L3 cache. The Intel part provides 112 KB of L1 per core, 2 MB of L2 per core, and 24 MB of shared L3 cache. The Intel L2 cache is four times larger per core, and the total L3 cache is 50% larger, which helps explain its wins in cache-sensitive workloads like prime number finding and random string sorting.

Memory support shows another key difference. Both use dual-channel DDR5 memory, but the Intel part records a memory bandwidth of 89.6 GB/s versus AMD's 76.8 GB/s, a 16.7% advantage for Intel. This bandwidth gap contributes to the Intel lead in data compression and encryption tests, which are often bandwidth-limited. The AMD part uses an AMD Socket FP7, while the Intel part uses Intel BGA 2049, so they are not socket-compatible.

PCIe support also diverges: the AMD part offers PCIe Gen 4 with 20 lanes from the CPU, while the Intel part provides PCIe Gen 5 with 8 lanes. The Intel part's Gen 5 interface provides higher per-lane bandwidth, which may be relevant for certain storage or GPU configurations, but the AMD part has more total lanes. The integrated graphics differ as well, with AMD using Radeon 660M and Intel using Arc Xe-LPG 128EU, though the benchmark data does not compare these iGPUs directly.

FAQ

Q: Which CPU has the higher single-thread performance?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 7 165H scores 3509 in the PassMark single-thread test, while the AMD Ryzen 5 150 scores 3155, giving Intel a 10.1% advantage in this metric.

Q: How do the two CPUs compare in multi-threaded workloads?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 7 165H scores 25933 in the PassMark multithread test, which is 32.5% higher than the AMD Ryzen 5 150's 17492. The Intel part also wins the physics test by 55.4%, scoring 1806 versus 806.

Q: What is the core and thread count difference?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 7 165H has 16 cores and 22 threads, while the AMD Ryzen 5 150 has 6 cores and 12 threads. The Intel part has more than double the cores and nearly double the threads.

Q: Which CPU has more L3 cache?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 7 165H has 24 MB of shared L3 cache, while the AMD Ryzen 5 150 has 16 MB of shared L3 cache. The Intel part also has a larger L2 cache per core: 2 MB versus 512 KB.

Q: Are these CPUs in the same performance percentile?

A: Yes, both are at the 84th percentile against all CPUs in the database. However, the Intel part's average benchmark score is 34083, while the AMD part's average is 34881, making the AMD part slightly higher on average, though this is driven by the specific benchmark set.

Q: What is the memory bandwidth difference?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 7 165H records 89.6 GB/s memory bandwidth, while the AMD Ryzen 5 150 records 76.8 GB/s, giving Intel a 16.7% advantage in this metric.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ across several key specification fields. The AMD Ryzen 5 150 has 6 cores and 12 threads, while the Intel Core Ultra 7 165H has 16 cores and 22 threads. Base clocks differ: the AMD part runs at 3.30 GHz, the Intel at 3.80 GHz. Boost clocks also differ: the AMD part reaches 4.55 GHz, the Intel reaches 5.00 GHz. TDP ratings vary, with the AMD at 35W and the Intel at 28W.

The socket types are incompatible: the AMD uses AMD Socket FP7, the Intel uses Intel BGA 2049. The architecture and process node differ, with AMD on Zen 3+ at 6nm from TSMC, and Intel on Meteor Lake at 7nm from Intel Foundry. Cache sizes diverge: AMD has 64 KB L1 per core, 512 KB L2 per core, and 16 MB shared L3; Intel has 112 KB L1 per core, 2 MB L2 per core, and 24 MB shared L3.

Memory bandwidth differs, with AMD at 76.8 GB/s and Intel at 89.6 GB/s. PCIe support differs: AMD offers Gen 4 with 20 lanes, Intel offers Gen 5 with 8 lanes. Integrated graphics differ, with AMD using Radeon 660M and Intel using Arc Xe-LPG 128EU. The Intel part has a launch MSRP of $460, while the AMD part has no recorded launch MSRP. The release dates also differ, with Intel launching on 2023-12-13 and AMD on 2025-09-30. The part numbers are distinct: AMD is 100-000000990(FP7r2), Intel is SRMZ3.