AMD Ryzen 7 250 vs Intel Core Ultra 9 386H Comparison

The Verdict

The benchmark data presents a clear hierarchy between these two mobile processors. The Intel Core Ultra 9 386H dominates the comparison, winning 14 of the 15 recorded head-to-head tests, while the AMD Ryzen 7 250 manages a single victory. The Intel part holds an average benchmark score of 43210 against AMD's 38221, placing it in the 88th percentile of all CPUs compared to the Ryzen's 86th percentile. The database places the Intel chip alongside desktop-class rivals like the Intel Core i9-12900, which it edges by 0.7%, and the Core i9-12900KF, which it leads by 0.9%. The AMD Ryzen 7 250, by contrast, sits in a much lower performance tier, trading blows with the Intel Core Ultra 5 245T (0.1% ahead) and the Core i5-13600HX (0.1% behind).

The data implies a straightforward selection criterion. Buyers whose workloads demand heavy multi-threaded throughput, physics simulation, encryption, or floating-point mathematics should choose the Intel Core Ultra 9 386H without hesitation. Its wins are not marginal; they are frequently massive, reaching double-digit percentage advantages across most tests. The AMD Ryzen 7 250 only makes sense for a narrow set of integer-heavy tasks, where its 4.9% edge in PassMark integer math provides a specific, if limited, reason for selection. The Ryzen's lower 28 W TDP versus Intel's 25 W TDP does not translate into a performance advantage in any measured category except that single integer test, so the power envelope does not rescue its overall standing in the database.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from fundamentally different design philosophies and manufacturing ecosystems. The AMD Ryzen 7 250 uses the Zen 4 architecture under the Hawk Point codename, built on a 4 nm process at TSMC. Intel's Core Ultra 9 386H uses the Panther Lake architecture, built on a 3 nm process at Intel's own foundry. The process node difference is small in absolute terms, but the architectural gap is substantial. AMD's chip integrates 25,000 million transistors on a 178 mm² die, while the database records no transistor count or die size for the Intel part, making a direct density comparison impossible.

Core configurations diverge sharply. The AMD processor fields 8 cores and 16 threads, while the Intel processor fields 16 cores and 16 threads. This is a notable distinction: Intel's chip has twice the physical core count but no hyper-threading advantage, so thread counts match at 16. The core arrangement suggests Intel is relying on a wider physical core spread rather than simultaneous multithreading to achieve its throughput. Cache hierarchies also differ in structure. 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 per-core cache allocations are significantly larger at every level, which likely contributes to its single-thread performance edge.

Clock speeds tell a mixed story. The AMD chip has a higher base clock at 3.30 GHz and a higher boost clock at 5.10 GHz, compared to Intel's 2.10 GHz base and 4.90 GHz boost. Despite lower clocks, the Intel chip wins every single-threaded benchmark in the head-to-head set, indicating that its Panther Lake architecture extracts more instructions per clock than Zen 4, or that its larger cache hierarchy compensates for the clock deficit. The memory subsystem also favors Intel: both support dual-channel DDR5, but Intel's memory bandwidth is rated at 115.2 GB/s against AMD's 89.6 GB/s. Intel additionally supports LPDDR5X, while the AMD part lists only DDR5. PCIe connectivity differs as well, with AMD providing Gen 4 across 20 CPU lanes and Intel providing Gen 5 across 12 CPU lanes.

Where Each One Wins

The Intel Core Ultra 9 386H wins across almost every workload category in the database. Rendering benchmarks show its strength clearly: Cinebench R23 multi-core at 20547 points versus AMD's 14676 points, a 28.6% advantage. Single-core rendering also favors Intel, with 2071.5 points against 1715 points, a 17.2% gap. The Intel chip's dominance extends into data compression (352365 versus 300708, 14.7% ahead), encryption (27150 versus 17661, 35% ahead), and extended instruction workloads (29138 versus 21613, 25.8% ahead). The largest Intel wins come in prime number finding, where it scores 341 versus AMD's 73, a 78.6% margin, and floating-point math, where it scores 108527 versus 53285, a 50.9% margin. Physics simulation also heavily favors Intel at 3028 versus 1147, a 62.1% gap.

The AMD Ryzen 7 250 claims exactly one recorded victory: PassMark integer math, scoring 91565 against Intel's 87284, a 4.9% advantage. This is the sole workload where the AMD architecture demonstrates superiority. The margin is modest compared to Intel's sweeping wins, but it is a genuine, repeatable result in the database. For integer-heavy code that does not branch heavily and does not rely on floating-point units, the Ryzen 7 250 holds a measurable edge. Every other test in the head-to-head set belongs to Intel, making the AMD chip a specialized choice rather than a general-purpose competitor in this pairing. The percentile rankings reinforce this: Intel sits at 88th percentile, AMD at 86th, a two-point spread that understates the magnitude of Intel's benchmark victories.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has more cores?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 9 386H has 16 cores, while the AMD Ryzen 7 250 has 8 cores. Both processors support 16 threads.

Q: Does the AMD Ryzen 7 250 win any benchmark against the Intel Core Ultra 9 386H?

A: Yes, the AMD chip wins PassMark integer math with a score of 91565, a 4.9% advantage over Intel's 87284.

Q: How large is Intel's single-thread performance lead?

A: In Cinebench R23 single-core, Intel scores 2071.5 against AMD's 1715, a 17.2% lead. In PassMark single-thread, Intel scores 4218 against 3678, a 12.8% lead.

Q: What is the difference in memory bandwidth between the two?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 9 386H provides 115.2 GB/s of memory bandwidth, while the AMD Ryzen 7 250 provides 89.6 GB/s.

Q: Which processor has a higher boost clock?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 250 boosts to 5.10 GHz, which is higher than the Intel Core Ultra 9 386H's 4.90 GHz boost clock.

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

A: In Cinebench R23 multi-core, Intel scores 20547 against AMD's 14676, a 28.6% advantage. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, Intel scores 3223 against 2302, also a 28.6% advantage.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark set reveals a pattern of consistent, often overwhelming Intel superiority. The Cinebench R15 multi-core test opens the comparison with Intel at 3223 points and AMD at 2302 points, a 28.6% gap that establishes the multi-threaded hierarchy early. Cinebench R23 multi-core repeats the exact same 28.6% delta, with Intel at 20547 and AMD at 14676, showing that the relative performance gap is stable across rendering generations. Single-core results follow a similar but narrower trajectory: Cinebench R15 single-core shows Intel at 303.5 against 269, an 11.4% lead, while Cinebench R23 single-core shows Intel at 2071.5 against 1715, a 17.2% lead. The widening single-core gap in the newer benchmark suggests Intel's architectural efficiency becomes more pronounced under current-generation workload characteristics.

The PassMark suite provides the broadest coverage and the most dramatic separations. The largest delta in the entire comparison is PassMark find prime numbers, where Intel scores 341 against AMD's 73, a 78.6% margin. This test is notoriously sensitive to integer throughput and branch prediction, and the magnitude of Intel's win indicates a fundamental architectural advantage in this specific workload. Floating-point math shows the second-largest gap at 50.9%, with Intel scoring 108527 against 53285. Physics simulation delivers a 62.1% Intel win, scoring 3028 against 1147. Encryption favors Intel by 35%, with scores of 27150 versus 17661. Extended instructions give Intel a 25.8% edge, 29138 versus 21613. Multi-threaded PassMark shows Intel at 35399 versus 25089, a 29.1% lead. Random string sorting gives Intel a 14.9% win, 42135 versus 35861. Data compression is closer but still firmly Intel's, at 352365 versus 300708, a 14.7% margin.

The AMD Ryzen 7 250's single win in integer math, 91565 versus 87284, stands out as the lone counterpoint in an otherwise one-sided dataset. The 4.9% margin is the smallest of any delta in the comparison, indicating that even AMD's best case is a narrow victory. The single-thread tests show Intel at 4218 against 3678 in both PassMark single-thread and singlethread entries, a 12.8% lead. Across all 15 head-to-head tests, Intel's average advantage is substantial, and its wins range from the narrow 4.9% deficit it suffers in integer math to the 78.6% dominance in prime number finding. The data does not show a single workload category, aside from integer math, where the AMD chip closes the gap to single digits.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ across nearly every recorded specification field. Core count is the most fundamental split: AMD fields 8 cores, Intel fields 16 cores, though both support 16 threads. Base clocks differ by over a gigahertz, with AMD at 3.30 GHz and Intel at 2.10 GHz, while boost clocks sit closer at 5.10 GHz and 4.90 GHz respectively. Thermal design power is comparable, with AMD at 28 W and Intel at 25 W. The socket interfaces are incompatible: AMD uses Socket FP8, Intel uses BGA 2540. Architecture and process node differ completely, with AMD on Zen 4 at 4 nm TSMC and Intel on Panther Lake at 3 nm Intel. The AMD chip's die measures 178 mm² and contains 25,000 million transistors; Intel's die size and transistor count are not recorded in the database. Cache allocations are larger on Intel at every level: 192 KB L1 per core versus 64 KB, 2.5 MB L2 per core versus 1 MB, and 18 MB shared L3 versus 16 MB. Memory support differs, with Intel adding LPDDR5X alongside DDR5 while AMD lists only DDR5. Memory bandwidth favors Intel at 115.2 GB/s versus 89.6 GB/s. Both support dual-channel memory and neither supports ECC. PCIe generation and lane counts differ: AMD offers Gen 4 with 20 CPU lanes, Intel offers Gen 5 with 12 CPU lanes. Integrated graphics also diverge, with AMD using Radeon 780M and Intel using Xe3 Graphics. Neither processor has an unlocked multiplier, and both are active production mobile parts. The release dates are nearly a year apart, with AMD launching in January 2025 and Intel in January 2026.