AMD Ryzen 7 170 vs AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 Comparison

Where Each One Wins

The benchmark data presents a one-sided picture: the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 wins every recorded head-to-head comparison against the AMD Ryzen 7 170. Across the eleven shared PassMark tests, the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 takes all eleven, with no test favoring the Ryzen 7 170. The closest margin is in single-threaded work, where the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 leads by 21.3%, while the widest gap appears in prime number finding, where it leads by 61.1%.

The Ryzen 7 170 does hold a notable advantage in the database's overall ranking context. It sits at the 88th percentile among all CPUs, while the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 sits at the 86th percentile. Its average benchmark score of 43689 places it slightly ahead of the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370's average of 37904. This discrepancy between the aggregate score and the head-to-head results reflects the different benchmark suites each processor was tested with, as the Ryzen 7 170 was evaluated on a PassMark-only set while the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 includes Cinebench, Geekbench, and 3DMark results in its average.

The use-case split is therefore clear. For workloads that stress multi-threaded throughput, integer math, floating point math, encryption, compression, or physics simulation, the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 is the stronger part. For workloads that resemble the specific PassMark mix captured in the Ryzen 7 170's benchmark list, the Ryzen 7 170's aggregate score suggests it competes effectively in its own segment, landing within 0.6% of the AMD Ryzen AI 9 465 and within 0.8% of the AMD Ryzen AI Max PRO 385.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from different architectural generations and use different manufacturing processes. The Ryzen 7 170 is built on Zen 3+ architecture with the Rembrandt-R codename, fabricated on TSMC's 6 nm process. The Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 uses Zen 5 architecture with the Strix Point codename, fabricated on TSMC's 4 nm process. The die sizes differ as well: the Ryzen 7 170 measures 210 mm², while the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 measures 233 mm².

Core counts differ substantially. The Ryzen 7 170 offers 8 cores and 16 threads, while the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 offers 12 cores and 24 threads, a 50% increase in both cores and threads. The Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 generation is described as a hybrid configuration of Zen 5 and Zen 5c cores, whereas the Ryzen 7 170 uses a uniform Zen 3+ layout.

Clock speeds show a trade-off between efficiency and peak performance. The Ryzen 7 170 has a base clock of 3.20 GHz and a boost clock of 4.75 GHz. The Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 has a lower base clock of 2.00 GHz but a higher boost clock of 5.10 GHz. The Ryzen 7 170 carries a 35 W TDP, while the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 carries a 28 W TDP, meaning the newer part delivers more cores and a higher boost clock within a lower thermal envelope.

Cache structures also differ. The Ryzen 7 170 provides 64 KB of L1 cache per core, 512 KB of L2 cache per core, and 16 MB of shared L3 cache. The Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 provides 80 KB of L1 cache per core, 1 MB of L2 cache per core, and 16 MB of L3 cache. The larger per-core L1 and L2 allocations on the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 contribute to its per-thread performance advantage.

Memory support differs in both type and bandwidth. The Ryzen 7 170 supports DDR5 only on a dual-channel bus with 76.8 GB/s bandwidth. The Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 supports both DDR5 and LPDDR5X on a dual-channel bus with 89.6 GB/s bandwidth. The Ryzen 7 170 supports ECC memory; the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 does not.

The integrated graphics also differ. The Ryzen 7 170 uses the Radeon 680M, while the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 uses the Radeon 890M. PCIe connectivity favors the Ryzen 7 170 in lane count, with Gen 4 and 20 CPU lanes versus Gen 4 and 16 CPU lanes on the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The PassMark data compression test shows the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 scoring 445719 against the Ryzen 7 170's 265920, a 40.3% advantage. This is one of the larger gaps in the comparison and reflects both the core count difference and the newer architecture's efficiency with data throughput tasks.

In data encryption, the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 scores 22252 versus 16078, a 27.7% lead. Extended instructions show a 42.8% gap, with scores of 31653 versus 18107. The prime number finding test produces the largest relative difference: 126 versus 49, a 61.1% advantage for the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370.

Floating point math results in a 41.5% gap, with the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 at 76892 and the Ryzen 7 170 at 44979. Integer math shows a 35.1% difference, 122933 versus 79738. The multi-thread PassMark score of 35148 versus 20760 represents a 40.9% lead. Physics simulation shows a 52.7% gap, 1881 versus 890. Random string sorting yields a 42.9% difference, 48723 versus 27804.

Single-thread performance shows the smallest gap but still favors the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 decisively: 3973 versus 3128, a 21.3% lead. This result appears twice in the data, under both passmark_single_thread and passmark_singlethread, with identical scores and delta values.

The Ryzen AI 9 HX 370's additional benchmark results, which the Ryzen 7 170 does not share, provide further context for its capability. In Cinebench R23, it scores 21761 multi-core and 2018 single-core. In Cinebench R15, it scores 3409.5 multi-core and 306.5 single-core. Geekbench results show 15242 multi-core and 2407 single-core. The 3DMark results scale from 1153 single-thread to 9725 max-threads, with intermediate scores of 2179 for 2 threads, 3970 for 4 threads, 6992 for 8 threads, and 9365 for 16 threads.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has more cores and threads?

A: The AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 has 12 cores and 24 threads. The AMD Ryzen 7 170 has 8 cores and 16 threads.

Q: How large is the single-thread performance gap?

A: The Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 scores 3973 in PassMark single-thread testing, while the Ryzen 7 170 scores 3128. The Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 leads by 21.3%.

Q: Which processor has the higher boost clock?

A: The Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 boosts to 5.10 GHz, while the Ryzen 7 170 boosts to 4.75 GHz. The Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 also has a lower base clock of 2.00 GHz versus 3.20 GHz.

Q: Do the two processors support the same memory types?

A: No. The Ryzen 7 170 supports DDR5 only, while the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 supports both DDR5 and LPDDR5X. The Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 also has higher memory bandwidth at 89.6 GB/s versus 76.8 GB/s.

Q: Which processor supports ECC memory?

A: The Ryzen 7 170 supports ECC memory. The Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 does not.

Q: How do their overall percentile rankings compare?

A: The Ryzen 7 170 ranks at the 88th percentile among all CPUs, while the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 ranks at the 86th percentile. The Ryzen 7 170 also has a higher average benchmark score of 43689 versus 37904.

Specification Differences

| Specification | AMD Ryzen 7 170 | AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 |

|----------------|-----------------|------------------------|

| Cores | 8 | 12 |

| Threads | 16 | 24 |

| Base Clock | 3.20 GHz | 2.00 GHz |

| Boost Clock | 4.75 GHz | 5.10 GHz |

| TDP | 35 W | 28 W |

| Socket | AMD Socket FP7 | AMD Socket FP8 |

| Architecture | Zen 3+ | Zen 5 |

| Codename | Rembrandt-R | Strix Point |

| Process Node | 6 nm | 4 nm |

| Die Size | 210 mm² | 233 mm² |

| L1 Cache | 64 KB (per core) | 80 KB (per core) |

| L2 Cache | 512 KB (per core) | 1 MB (per core) |

| L3 Cache | 16 MB (shared) | 16 MB |

| Memory Support | DDR5 | DDR5, LPDDR5X |

| Memory Bandwidth | 76.8 GB/s | 89.6 GB/s |

| ECC Memory | Yes | No |

| PCIe | Gen 4, 20 Lanes (CPU only) | Gen 4, 16 Lanes (CPU only) |

| Integrated Graphics | Radeon 680M | Radeon 890M |

| Avg Benchmark Score | 43689 | 37904 |

| Percentile vs All CPUs | 88 | 86 |

| Release Date | 2025-09-30 | 2024-06-30 |

| Part Number | 100-000000989 | 100-000000994 |