AMD Ryzen 7 170 vs Intel Core Ultra 5 225T Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data gives the Intel Core Ultra 5 225T a commanding lead in the head-to-head comparison, winning 9 of 11 benchmark categories, while the AMD Ryzen 7 170 claims victory in only 2. The Intel part is particularly dominant in single-threaded workloads, where a 28.1% delta separates the two: the Ultra 5 225T posts a passmark_single_thread score of 4348 against the Ryzen 7 170's 3128. That same margin appears in the duplicate passmark_singlethread entry, confirming the consistency of the result.

The widest gap in the entire comparison is in prime number calculation. The Intel chip scores 284 in passmark_find_prime_numbers, which is 82.7% ahead of the AMD part's 49. This is not a close contest; it is a category where the Intel architecture is categorically faster. Floating point math also favors Intel heavily, with the Ultra 5 225T scoring 82751 versus 44979 for the Ryzen 7 170, a 45.6% advantage. Physics simulation follows the same pattern, with Intel at 2053 and AMD at 890, a 56.6% delta. These three workloads point to a CPU that handles mathematical and physics-heavy computations with far greater efficiency.

Multithreaded performance also goes to Intel, though by a smaller margin. The Ultra 5 225T scores 25358 in passmark_multithread, which is 18.1% higher than the Ryzen 7 170's 20760. This is notable because the AMD part has 16 threads while the Intel part has only 10. Despite the thread deficit, Intel's cores are strong enough to overcome the numerical disadvantage. Data encryption and extended instructions also favor Intel: the Ultra 5 225T scores 18289 versus 16078 in encryption (12.1% ahead) and 20083 versus 18107 in extended instructions (9.8% ahead). Random string sorting goes to Intel by a slim 3.4% margin, 28774 against 27804.

The AMD Ryzen 7 170 wins its two categories by significant margins. In integer math, it scores 79738 against Intel's 59543, a 33.9% advantage. This is the largest win for AMD in the entire dataset. Data compression also goes to AMD, with 265920 against 233998, a 13.6% lead. These two wins show that the Ryzen 7 170 has specific strengths in integer-heavy and compression workloads, but they are isolated victories in a comparison otherwise controlled by Intel.

The overall average benchmark score reflects this split. The AMD part has an avgBenchmarkScore of 43689, while the Intel part sits at 30468. However, this average includes the AMD part's benchmark set, which does not contain the Cinebench results that the Intel part has. The Intel Ultra 5 225T records cinebench_r23_multicore at 21971 and cinebench_r23_singlecore at 3101, along with corresponding r15 and r20 scores. These Cinebench numbers are not present for the AMD part, so the average is not directly comparable across the two CPUs. What is comparable is the head-to-head data, and there Intel wins decisively.

The Verdict

The data indicates that the Intel Core Ultra 5 225T is the stronger processor for the majority of measured workloads. It wins 9 of 11 head-to-head categories, including all single-threaded tests, all math-heavy tests, and the multithreaded benchmark. The AMD Ryzen 7 170 is the better choice only for integer math and data compression, where it leads by 33.9% and 13.6% respectively. For users whose workloads depend on prime number calculation, floating point math, physics simulation, or encryption, the Intel part is clearly superior based on the recorded scores. The Ryzen 7 170's 16 threads do not compensate for the per-core performance gap in most tests. The Intel part also has a higher percentile ranking context: its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i9-11980HK and AMD Ryzen 5 7640HS, with deltas between -0.3% and 0.3%, placing it in a competitive mid-range desktop segment. The AMD part's nearest rivals are the Ryzen 7 PRO 7745 and Ryzen 7 260, with deltas around 0 to -0.1%, indicating it sits among higher-end mobile parts. The verdict from the data is straightforward: for general compute, Intel wins; for specific integer and compression tasks, AMD wins.

Architecture Differences

The two processors are built on fundamentally different architectures and process nodes. The AMD Ryzen 7 170 uses Zen 3+ under the codename Rembrandt-R, fabricated on a 6 nm process by TSMC. The Intel Core Ultra 5 225T uses Arrow Lake, part of the Core Ultra Series 2, fabricated on a 3 nm process, also by TSMC. The Intel part has 10 cores and 10 threads, while the AMD part has 8 cores and 16 threads. This means the AMD chip uses simultaneous multithreading, doubling its thread count, while the Intel chip runs one thread per core. The Intel part has a higher boost clock at 4.90 GHz versus 4.75 GHz, but the AMD part has a higher base clock at 3.20 GHz versus 2.50 GHz.

Cache hierarchies differ substantially. The AMD part has 64 KB of L1 per core, 512 KB of L2 per core, and 16 MB of shared L3. The Intel part has 192 KB of L1 per core, 3 MB of L2 per core, and 20 MB of shared L3. The Intel L2 is six times larger per core, which likely contributes to its strong single-thread performance. The Intel part also has a larger die at 243 mm² versus 210 mm², and its transistor count is listed at 17,800 million, while the AMD part has no transistor count in the database. Both use DDR5 memory in a dual-channel configuration, but the Intel part has higher memory bandwidth at 102.4 GB/s versus 76.8 GB/s for AMD.

The integrated graphics differ as well. The AMD part uses Radeon 680M, while the Intel part uses Arc Xe-LPG Graphics 16EU. The AMD part supports ECC memory, while the Intel part does not. PCIe support also differs: the AMD part uses Gen 4 with 20 lanes, while the Intel part uses Gen 5 with 20 lanes. The socket types are different, with AMD on Socket FP7 and Intel on Socket 1851. The AMD part is classified as a mobile segment processor, while the Intel part is a desktop segment processor. The AMD part was released on 2025-09-30, while the Intel part was released on 2024-12-31. Neither processor has a launch MSRP in the database, and neither has an unlocked multiplier.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has more threads?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 170 has 16 threads from 8 cores, while the Intel Core Ultra 5 225T has 10 threads from 10 cores. The AMD part uses simultaneous multithreading; the Intel part does not.

Q: Does the Intel part have a higher single-thread score?

A: Yes. The Intel Core Ultra 5 225T scores 4348 in passmark_single_thread, which is 28.1% higher than the AMD Ryzen 7 170's 3128.

Q: Which processor is faster in data compression?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 170 wins data compression with a score of 265920, which is 13.6% higher than the Intel Core Ultra 5 225T's 233998.

Q: What is the difference in memory bandwidth?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 225T has 102.4 GB/s of memory bandwidth, while the AMD Ryzen 7 170 has 76.8 GB/s. Both use dual-channel DDR5.

Q: Which processor supports ECC memory?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 170 supports ECC memory, while the Intel Core Ultra 5 225T does not.

Q: Which processor has a larger L3 cache?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 225T has 20 MB of shared L3 cache, while the AMD Ryzen 7 170 has 16 MB of shared L3 cache.

Where Each One Wins

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225T wins in the majority of benchmark categories, and the wins are concentrated in areas that benefit from high single-thread performance and strong math throughput. The passmark_find_prime_numbers result shows an 82.7% lead for Intel, which is the largest margin in the dataset. This indicates that prime number calculation, often used in cryptography and hashing, is heavily in Intel's favor. Floating point math and physics simulation also go to Intel by 45.6% and 56.6% respectively, making the Intel part the better option for scientific computing, physics engines, and simulation workloads. Encryption and extended instructions also favor Intel, with leads of 12.1% and 9.8%. The multithreaded benchmark goes to Intel by 18.1%, and the single-thread benchmark goes to Intel by 28.1%. Random string sorting is a narrow Intel win at 3.4%.

The AMD Ryzen 7 170 wins in two categories: integer math and data compression. The integer math score of 79738 is 33.9% ahead of Intel's 59543, which is the largest AMD win in the comparison. This suggests that integer-heavy workloads, such as some database operations, financial calculations, or general application logic, are better served by the AMD part. Data compression, with a 13.6% lead, indicates that the AMD part handles compression algorithms more efficiently. These two wins are significant for specific use cases, but they do not offset the broader Intel advantage. The AMD part also has a higher average benchmark score of 43689 versus 30468, but this is influenced by the different benchmark sets available for each processor, so it should not be read as a direct performance ranking.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ in nearly every specification category. The AMD Ryzen 7 170 has 8 cores and 16 threads, while the Intel Core Ultra 5 225T has 10 cores and 10 threads. The base clocks are 3.20 GHz for AMD and 2.50 GHz for Intel, while the boost clocks are 4.75 GHz for AMD and 4.90 GHz for Intel. The TDP is 35 watts for AMD and 65 watts for Intel, a notable difference for power-constrained systems. The sockets are different: AMD uses Socket FP7, Intel uses Socket 1851. The architectures are Zen 3+ (Rembrandt-R) for AMD and Arrow Lake (Arrow Lake-S) for Intel. The process nodes are 6 nm for AMD and 3 nm for Intel, both from TSMC. The die sizes are 210 mm² for AMD and 243 mm² for Intel, with Intel's transistor count listed at 17,800 million.

Cache specifications are distinctly different. The AMD part has 64 KB of L1 per core, 512 KB of L2 per core, and 16 MB of shared L3. The Intel part has 192 KB of L1 per core, 3 MB of L2 per core, and 20 MB of shared L3. Memory support is DDR5 for both, with dual-channel buses, but the memory bandwidth is 76.8 GB/s for AMD and 102.4 GB/s for Intel. ECC memory is supported by AMD but not by Intel. PCIe is Gen 4 with 20 lanes for AMD and Gen 5 with 20 lanes for Intel. The integrated graphics are Radeon 680M for AMD and Arc Xe-LPG Graphics 16EU for Intel. The market segments are mobile for AMD and desktop for Intel. The release dates are 2025-09-30 for AMD and 2024-12-31 for Intel. Neither has a launch MSRP, and neither has an unlocked multiplier. The part number for AMD is 100-000000989, while the Intel part number is unknown.