AMD Ryzen 7 7840H vs Intel Core Ultra 5 225T Comparison

FAQ

Q: Which processor has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 225T records an average benchmark score of 30468, while the AMD Ryzen 7 7840H records 29868. The Intel part also sits at the 82nd percentile of all CPUs, one point above the AMD part's 81st percentile.

Q: How do the two compare in Cinebench R23 multi-core performance?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 7840H scores 23731 in Cinebench R23 multi-core, which is 7.4% higher than the Intel Core Ultra 5 225T's 21971. The AMD chip wins every Cinebench R15, R20, and R23 test, both single-core and multi-core, by margins between 7.4% and 7.5%.

Q: Where does the Intel Core Ultra 5 225T show its biggest advantage?

A: The largest Intel win is in PassMark find prime numbers, where it scores 284 versus 83 for the AMD chip, a lead of 242.2%. It also wins PassMark floating point math by 40.9% (82751 vs 58724) and PassMark physics by 57.8% (2053 vs 1301).

Q: Which processor has more cores and threads?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 225T has 10 cores and 10 threads. The AMD Ryzen 7 7840H has 8 cores and 16 threads. Despite having fewer cores, the AMD chip's extra threads allow it to win most multi-threaded benchmarks in this comparison.

Q: What are the thermal design power ratings of each chip?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 225T has a TDP of 65 watts, while the AMD Ryzen 7 7840H has a TDP of 35 watts. The AMD part is rated for significantly lower power draw despite its higher boost clock.

Q: Which processor supports ECC memory?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 7840H supports ECC memory, while the Intel Core Ultra 5 225T does not. Both support DDR5 memory in a dual-channel configuration.

Architecture Differences

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225T is built on the Arrow Lake architecture, specifically Arrow Lake-S, and belongs to the Core Ultra Series 2 generation. It uses a 3 nm process node fabricated by TSMC, with 17,800 million transistors on a 243 mm² die. The chip is a desktop part using Intel Socket 1851. Its cache layout includes 192 KB of L1 per core, 3 MB of L2 per core, and 20 MB of shared L3 cache. The integrated graphics are Arc Xe-LPG Graphics with 16 execution units. The processor supports PCIe Gen 5 with 20 CPU lanes and has a memory bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s.

The AMD Ryzen 7 7840H is built on the Zen 4 architecture under the Phoenix codename, part of the 7000 series. It uses a 4 nm process node from TSMC, with 25,000 million transistors on a 178 mm² die. This is a mobile part using AMD Socket FP8. Its cache configuration is 64 KB of L1 per core, 1 MB of L2 per core, and 16 MB of shared L3 cache. The integrated graphics are the Radeon 780M. The chip supports PCIe Gen 4 with 20 CPU lanes and has a memory bandwidth of 89.6 GB/s.

The two chips differ in several fundamental design choices. Intel uses a more advanced 3 nm process but packs far fewer transistors onto a larger die, while AMD uses a denser 4 nm process and fits more transistors onto a smaller die. The Intel part has more physical cores (10 vs 8) but no simultaneous multithreading, so it runs 10 threads total. The AMD part has 8 cores with 16 threads, giving it a 6-thread advantage in parallel workloads. Intel's per-core cache amounts are larger, with 192 KB L1 and 3 MB L2 per core versus AMD's 64 KB L1 and 1 MB L2 per core, but AMD's shared L3 is only 4 MB smaller at 16 MB versus Intel's 20 MB.

The base and boost clocks tell a different story. The AMD Ryzen 7 7840H starts at 3.80 GHz and boosts to 5.10 GHz. The Intel Core Ultra 5 225T starts at 2.50 GHz and boosts to 4.90 GHz. The AMD part has the higher boost clock by 0.20 GHz, and its base clock is 1.30 GHz higher. This clock advantage, combined with the extra threads, underpins the AMD chip's lead in most rendering and compute workloads in this data set.

The memory controllers also differ. Intel claims 102.4 GB/s of memory bandwidth versus AMD's 89.6 GB/s. Both use DDR5 and dual-channel memory. Intel supports PCIe Gen 5, while AMD supports PCIe Gen 4. The AMD part supports ECC memory, the Intel part does not. The Intel part is a desktop product, the AMD part is a mobile product. Both are currently in active production and neither has an unlocked multiplier.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head data contains 17 benchmark comparisons. The AMD Ryzen 7 7840H wins 12 of them, while the Intel Core Ultra 5 225T wins 5. The average benchmark score favors the Intel chip, but the individual test results paint a more nuanced picture.

The AMD Ryzen 7 7840H dominates the Cinebench suite. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, it scores 2392 against 2214 for Intel, a 7.4% advantage. In R15 single-core, it scores 337 against 312, also 7.4% ahead. The pattern repeats in R20, where AMD wins multi-core 9967 to 9227 (7.4%) and single-core 1407 to 1302 (7.5%). In R23, AMD scores 23731 to Intel's 21971 in multi-core and 3350 to 3101 in single-core, both 7.4% ahead. These results indicate that the AMD chip holds a consistent, uniform lead across all three Cinebench generations, suggesting the architecture scales better in this rendering workload regardless of test version.

The PassMark suite splits the two processors more dramatically. The AMD chip wins data compression by a wide margin: 341520 versus 233998, a 31.5% lead. It also wins random string sorting with 38938 versus 28774, a 26.1% gap. In integer math, AMD scores 96692 against Intel's 59543, a 38.4% advantage. The AMD part wins extended instructions by 21.7% (25654 vs 20083) and data encryption by 9.3% (20162 vs 18289). The AMD chip also wins PassMark multithread by 9.2% (27919 vs 25358).

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225T, however, counters in several specialized tests. The most striking result is in PassMark find prime numbers, where Intel scores 284 versus AMD's 83, a lead of 242.2%. This is the single largest delta in the entire comparison. Intel also wins PassMark floating point math with 82751 against 58724, a 40.9% margin. In PassMark physics, Intel scores 2053 versus 1301, a 57.8% advantage. Finally, in PassMark single-thread, Intel scores 4348 against AMD's 3641, a 19.4% lead. This single-thread result is notable because it contradicts the Cinebench single-core results, where AMD was ahead by 7.4% to 7.5%. The PassMark single-thread test and the Cinebench single-core tests appear to measure different aspects of single-thread performance, and the Intel chip wins the former while losing the latter.

The pattern suggests that AMD's Zen 4 architecture excels in integer-heavy and compression-oriented workloads, while Intel's Arrow Lake architecture shows strength in prime number calculation, floating point math, and physics simulation. The AMD chip's consistent Cinebench wins indicate broad rendering competence, but the Intel chip's specialized wins show that the 10-core, 10-thread configuration can outperform the 8-core, 16-thread chip in certain computational patterns.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ across nearly every major specification category. The Intel Core Ultra 5 225T uses 10 cores and 10 threads, while the AMD Ryzen 7 7840H uses 8 cores and 16 threads. The Intel chip has a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.90 GHz. The AMD chip has a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 5.10 GHz. The TDP ratings differ substantially: 65 watts for Intel versus 35 watts for AMD.

The process nodes differ by one generation step. Intel uses a 3 nm process, AMD uses a 4 nm process, both from TSMC. Transistor counts are 17,800 million for Intel and 25,000 million for AMD. Die sizes are 243 mm² for Intel and 178 mm² for AMD. The cache hierarchies are different at every level: Intel has 192 KB L1 per core, 3 MB L2 per core, and 20 MB shared L3. AMD has 64 KB L1 per core, 1 MB L2 per core, and 16 MB shared L3.

The sockets differ: Intel Socket 1851 for the desktop part, AMD Socket FP8 for the mobile part. The market segments are likewise different, with Intel positioned as a desktop processor and AMD as a mobile processor. The integrated graphics are Arc Xe-LPG Graphics with 16 EU for Intel, and Radeon 780M for AMD. Memory bandwidth is 102.4 GB/s for Intel and 89.6 GB/s for AMD. ECC memory support is present on AMD but absent on Intel. PCIe support is Gen 5 on Intel and Gen 4 on AMD, both with 20 CPU lanes.

The release dates are not directly comparable, as the AMD part has no recorded release date in the database while the Intel part has a recorded release date. Both are active production parts with locked multipliers.

The Verdict

The data presents a clear split between two very different processor designs. The AMD Ryzen 7 7840H wins the majority of benchmarks, taking 12 of 17 head-to-head tests. Its Cinebench sweep is comprehensive, with a 7.4% to 7.5% lead across all six Cinebench tests. Its PassMark wins in data compression, integer math, random string sorting, extended instructions, data encryption, and multithread show that the 16-thread configuration is broadly effective for parallel compute and data-heavy tasks. The AMD chip also does this at a 35 watt TDP, which is 30 watts lower than the Intel part's 65 watt TDP.

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225T, however, is not without clear strengths. Its single-thread PassMark score of 4348 is 19.4% higher than the AMD chip's 3641. Its physics score of 2053 beats AMD's 1301 by 57.8%. Its floating point math result of 82751 beats AMD's 58724 by 40.9%. The 242.2% lead in prime number finding is exceptional. These results suggest the Intel chip has a specialized edge in workloads that rely on single-thread efficiency, floating point throughput, and certain algorithmic patterns.

The average benchmark scores slightly favor Intel, with 30468 versus 29868, a narrow margin that places the Intel chip at the 82nd percentile versus the AMD chip's 81st. But the head-to-head results favor AMD more often. The nearest rivals in the database help contextualize both chips. The Intel part sits within 0.3% of the AMD Ryzen 5 7640HS and the AMD Ryzen 7 7736U, and within 0.2% of the Intel Core i9-11980HK. The AMD part sits within 0.5% of the AMD Ryzen 5 9600X and within 0.3% of the AMD Ryzen 7 8845HS and the AMD Ryzen 7 7840HS.

For users prioritizing rendering workloads, Cinebench performance, compression tasks, and integer-heavy computation, the recorded data favors the AMD Ryzen 7 7840H. Its 16 threads and higher boost clock deliver consistent wins in those categories, and it does so at a lower TDP. For users prioritizing physics simulation, floating point math, prime number calculation, and the specific PassMark single-thread test, the Intel Core Ultra 5 225T is the stronger choice. The desktop versus mobile distinction also matters: the Intel part is designed for desktop systems using Socket 1851, while the AMD part is designed for mobile systems using Socket FP8. The choice between these two processors depends on which benchmark patterns match the intended workload, as neither chip dominates across all measured categories.