AMD Ryzen 5 230 vs Intel Core Ultra 5 336H Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded benchmark data shows a decisive overall advantage for the Intel Core Ultra 5 336H. Across 17 head-to-head comparisons, the Intel part wins 16, while the AMD Ryzen 5 230 takes a single victory. The magnitude of Intel's wins varies widely, from modest single-thread margins to overwhelming leads in math-heavy workloads.

In Cinebench testing, the Intel Core Ultra 5 336H leads every single entry. In Cinebench R23 multicore, Intel scores 23991 against AMD's 17857, a 25.6% advantage. The same 25.6% gap appears in Cinebench R23 singlecore, where Intel posts 3387 versus AMD's 2521. Cinebench R20 follows the identical pattern: Intel scores 10076 multicore and 1422 singlecore, while AMD scores 7499 and 1058 respectively, again a 25.6% delta. Cinebench R15 mirrors this exactly, with Intel at 2418 multicore and 341 singlecore, AMD at 1799 and 253, a 25.6% gap in both.

PassMark results show a broader spread. The largest Intel win comes in PassMark find prime numbers, where Intel scores 299 against AMD's 66, a 77.9% delta. PassMark physics shows Intel at 2682 versus 958, a 64.3% lead. Floating point math favors Intel heavily as well: 82415 versus 38993, a 52.7% margin. Data encryption gives Intel 21291 against 13280, a 37.6% lead, and extended instructions show 24542 versus 15618, a 36.4% advantage.

PassMark multithread places Intel at 28545 versus AMD's 19411, a 32% gap. Random string sorting favors Intel 34402 to 26019, a 24.4% margin. Data compression gives Intel 280340 versus 218588, a 22% lead. PassMark single thread shows a closer contest: Intel at 4013 versus AMD's 3558, an 11.3% advantage, the smallest Intel win in the entire data set.

The sole AMD victory is PassMark integer math. AMD scores 67257, Intel scores 62070, giving AMD an 8.4% edge. This single result indicates that the Ryzen 5 230 maintains a specific strength in integer arithmetic despite trailing in nearly every other measured category.

The average benchmark score tells a similar story. Intel's average is 34485, AMD's is 25782. Intel sits at the 84th percentile among all CPUs, AMD at the 78th. Intel's nearest rival in the database is the Intel Core i7-13700HX, with an average score of 34554 and a delta of -0.2%, meaning the Core Ultra 5 336H essentially matches that desktop-class chip. AMD's nearest rival is the AMD Ryzen AI 5 340, at 25981 with a -0.8% delta, placing the Ryzen 5 230 in the same performance tier as that part.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from fundamentally different design philosophies. The AMD Ryzen 5 230 uses the Zen 4 architecture, codenamed Hawk Point, built on a 4 nm process at TSMC. It packs 6 cores and 12 threads, relying on simultaneous multithreading to reach that thread count. The Intel Core Ultra 5 336H uses the Panther Lake architecture, built on a 3 nm process at Intel, with 16 cores and 16 threads. Intel does not use multithreading here; the core count alone provides the thread count.

The transistor and die data are only available for AMD. The Ryzen 5 230 contains 25,000 million transistors on a 178 mm² die. Intel's transistor count and die size are not recorded in the database, leaving that comparison incomplete.

Cache structures differ significantly. AMD allocates 64 KB of L1 per core, 1 MB of L2 per core, and 16 MB of shared L3. Intel allocates 192 KB of L1 per core, 2.5 MB of L2 per core, and 18 MB of shared L3. Intel's larger per-core L1 and L2 allocations, combined with more total L3, give it a substantial cache capacity advantage, which helps explain its lead in cache-sensitive workloads.

Clock speeds favor AMD on paper. AMD's base clock is 3.50 GHz with a boost of 4.90 GHz. Intel's base is 1.90 GHz with a boost of 4.60 GHz. Despite the lower clocks, Intel wins nearly every benchmark, indicating that architectural efficiency and core count outweigh the raw clock deficit.

Memory support differs as well. AMD supports DDR5 only, over a dual-channel bus, with 89.6 GB/s of bandwidth. Intel supports both DDR5 and LPDDR5X, also dual-channel, with 115.2 GB/s of bandwidth. Intel's higher memory bandwidth likely contributes to its wins in data compression and encryption tasks.

PCIe connectivity shows a clear generational split. AMD uses PCIe Gen 4 with 20 lanes from the CPU. Intel uses PCIe Gen 5 with 12 lanes from the CPU. The interface generation differs, though lane counts favor AMD.

Integrated graphics also differ. AMD pairs the CPU with the Radeon 760M. Intel uses Intel Xe3 Graphics. The database records no graphics benchmarks, so no performance comparison is possible.

Power targets are close. AMD has a 28 W TDP, Intel a 25 W TDP. Both are mobile parts, with AMD on Socket FP8 and Intel on BGA 2540. Both are active production parts, both lack an unlocked multiplier, and neither supports ECC memory.

Release dates differ by roughly a year. AMD's release date is recorded as 2025-01-05, Intel's as 2026-01-04. The part numbers are 100-000001726 for AMD and SA4RD for Intel. Neither part has a recorded launch MSRP.

The Verdict

The benchmark data points to a clear performance hierarchy. The Intel Core Ultra 5 336H dominates the AMD Ryzen 5 230 in almost every measured workload. The only exception is integer math, where AMD leads by 8.4%. For any user prioritizing raw compute performance, the Intel part is the obvious choice.

The performance gap is largest in workloads that scale with core count and memory bandwidth. Intel's 16 cores versus AMD's 6 cores, plus Intel's higher memory bandwidth, produce leads of 52.7% in floating point math, 64.3% in physics, and 32% in multithreaded PassMark. Cinebench multicore shows a consistent 25.6% gap across all three versions of the test.

Single-thread performance also favors Intel, though by a smaller margin. PassMark single thread shows an 11.3% lead for Intel, while Cinebench singlecore tests show a 25.6% lead. The Cinebench singlecore results are surprisingly large given the close PassMark single-thread scores, but the direction is consistent.

AMD's 8.4% win in integer math is the one bright spot. Integer math performance matters for certain types of calculations, but the database provides no further breakdown to indicate which real-world applications would benefit. The single win does not offset Intel's dominance across 16 other comparisons.

The percentile data reinforces the verdict. Intel sits at the 84th percentile, AMD at the 78th. Intel's average score of 34485 places it alongside the Intel Core i7-13700HX, a high-end mobile HX chip. AMD's average of 25782 places it alongside the AMD Ryzen AI 5 340, a mid-range mobile part. The performance tiers are distinct.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ in nearly every major specification category. Core count: AMD has 6 cores, Intel has 16. Thread count: AMD has 12 threads, Intel has 16. Base clock: AMD runs at 3.50 GHz, Intel at 1.90 GHz. Boost clock: AMD reaches 4.90 GHz, Intel 4.60 GHz. TDP: AMD draws 28 W, Intel 25 W.

Process node: AMD uses 4 nm from TSMC, Intel uses 3 nm from Intel. Socket: AMD uses AMD Socket FP8, Intel uses Intel BGA 2540. Architecture: AMD uses Zen 4, Intel uses Panther Lake. Codename: AMD is Hawk Point, Intel is Panther Lake. Generation: AMD is listed as Ryzen 5 (Zen 4 (Hawk Point)), Intel is Ultra 5 (Panther Lake-H).

Cache: AMD has 64 KB L1 per core, Intel has 192 KB L1 per core. AMD has 1 MB L2 per core, Intel has 2.5 MB L2 per core. AMD has 16 MB shared L3, Intel has 18 MB shared L3. Transistors: AMD has 25,000 million, Intel has no recorded value. Die size: AMD is 178 mm², Intel has no recorded value.

Memory: AMD supports DDR5 only, Intel supports DDR5 and LPDDR5X. Both use dual-channel memory. Memory bandwidth: AMD has 89.6 GB/s, Intel has 115.2 GB/s. PCIe: AMD uses Gen 4 with 20 lanes, Intel uses Gen 5 with 12 lanes. Integrated graphics: AMD uses Radeon 760M, Intel uses Intel Xe3 Graphics.

Release date: AMD is 2025-01-05, Intel is 2026-01-04. Part number: AMD is 100-000001726, Intel is SA4RD. Both parts are mobile, active, locked, and non-ECC.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has more cores and threads?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 336H has 16 cores and 16 threads. The AMD Ryzen 5 230 has 6 cores and 12 threads. Intel does not use multithreading, AMD does.

Q: Which processor is faster in Cinebench R23 multicore?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 336H scores 23991, while the AMD Ryzen 5 230 scores 17857. Intel leads by 25.6%.

Q: Is there any benchmark where the AMD Ryzen 5 230 wins?

A: Yes. In PassMark integer math, the AMD Ryzen 5 230 scores 67257, while the Intel Core Ultra 5 336H scores 62070. AMD leads by 8.4%.

Q: How do the two processors compare in memory bandwidth?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 336H has 115.2 GB/s of memory bandwidth, while the AMD Ryzen 5 230 has 89.6 GB/s. Intel also supports LPDDR5X in addition to DDR5, while AMD supports DDR5 only.

Q: What is the largest performance gap between the two?

A: The largest gap is in PassMark find prime numbers, where the Intel Core Ultra 5 336H scores 299 versus 66 for the AMD Ryzen 5 230, a 77.9% difference in Intel's favor.

Q: How do the average benchmark scores compare?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 336H has an average benchmark score of 34485, placing it at the 84th percentile. The AMD Ryzen 5 230 has an average score of 25782, placing it at the 78th percentile.

Where Each One Wins

The Intel Core Ultra 5 336H wins in every measured category except one. Its 16 cores and 18 MB of shared L3 give it a substantial advantage in heavily parallel workloads. The PassMark multithread score of 28545 versus 19411 demonstrates this clearly. The physics score of 2682 versus 958 shows the same pattern, as does the floating point math result of 82415 versus 38993.

Intel's higher memory bandwidth of 115.2 GB/s against AMD's 89.6 GB/s supports its wins in memory-sensitive tasks. Data compression shows Intel at 280340 versus 218588. Data encryption shows 21291 versus 13280. Random string sorting shows 34402 versus 26019. These workloads depend on moving data quickly, and Intel's bandwidth advantage shows up directly.

The Intel part also wins in single-thread performance. PassMark single thread shows 4013 versus 3558, an 11.3% lead. Cinebench singlecore tests show a larger 25.6% gap. Even with a lower boost clock of 4.60 GHz versus AMD's 4.90 GHz, Intel's Panther Lake architecture delivers higher per-thread performance.

The AMD Ryzen 5 230 wins only in PassMark integer math, scoring 67257 against 62070. This 8.4% edge suggests the Zen 4 architecture handles integer-heavy instruction streams efficiently. The Ryzen 5 230 also has a higher boost clock at 4.90 GHz and more PCIe lanes at 20 versus 12, though the database records no benchmarks that isolate these advantages.

The overall picture is one-sided. Intel wins 16 of 17 head-to-head comparisons, with wins ranging from 11.3% to 77.9%. AMD's single win is the narrowest of all the recorded margins at 8.4%. For workloads that depend on integer arithmetic, the Ryzen 5 230 has a measurable but modest edge. For everything else in the recorded data, the Core Ultra 5 336H is the faster processor.