AMD Ryzen 7 8745HX vs Intel Core i9-13900 Comparison

The Intel Core i9-13900 and the AMD Ryzen 7 8745HX are both 92nd-percentile performers, but they achieve that status through radically different designs. The data shows a complete sweep: the Intel part wins all 11 head-to-head benchmark comparisons, with margins ranging from a modest 11.1% in single-threaded tests to a massive 94.4% in floating-point math. However, this is not a simple story of one chip being categorically superior. The Ryzen 7 8745HX is a mobile processor with a 55 TDP, while the Core i9-13900 is a desktop part with a 65 TDP, and their benchmark averages are separated by only 1%. The real question is not which is faster—the Intel chip is—but which environment and workload profile makes each the sensible choice.

Where Each One Wins

The Intel Core i9-13900 wins every single benchmark category in the head-to-head comparison, making it the default choice for any task that prioritizes raw throughput. Its largest advantages come in compute-heavy workloads: floating-point math shows a 94.4% lead, integer math is 75.5% ahead, and data encryption is 61.4% faster. For users running scientific simulations, financial modeling, or code compilation, the Intel part is unequivocally the stronger option. The passmark multithread score of 45,680 versus 31,517 for the AMD chip, a 44.9% gap, reinforces this positioning for heavily threaded professional applications.

The AMD Ryzen 7 8745HX, despite losing every benchmark, still holds a clear use-case advantage: mobility. It is a mobile-segment part with a 55 TDP, designed for laptops on the AMD Socket FL1, whereas the Intel chip is a desktop part on Intel Socket 1700. There is no head-to-head comparison where the AMD chip wins, but its entire value proposition is that it delivers 92nd-percentile performance in a form factor the Intel desktop chip cannot occupy. For a laptop user who needs strong multi-threaded performance without a desktop tower, the Ryzen 7 is the only one of these two that is feasible. The data does not show a single workload where the AMD chip is faster, but it shows a platform advantage that no benchmark score can capture.

Architecture Differences

The two processors are built on fundamentally different architectures and process nodes. The Intel Core i9-13900 uses Raptor Lake-S, a 10 nm design from Intel, featuring a hybrid layout with 24 cores and 32 threads. Its cache hierarchy is generous: 80 KB of L1 per core, 2 MB of L2 per core, and 36 MB of shared L3. The AMD Ryzen 7 8745HX is built on Zen 4 under the Dragon Range codename, fabricated by TSMC on a 5 nm process. It houses 8 cores and 16 threads, with 64 KB of L1 per core, 1 MB of L2 per core, and 32 MB of shared L3. The AMD chip packs 6,570 million transistors into a 71 mm² die, while the Intel chip uses a 257 mm² die with no listed transistor count.

Clock speeds tell part of the performance story. The Intel part has a base clock of 2000 MHz and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz, while the AMD chip has a higher base of 3.60 GHz but a lower boost of 5.10 GHz. The Intel chip's higher boost clock contributes to its 11.1% single-thread advantage. Memory support also diverges: the Intel chip supports both DDR4 and DDR5 with dual-channel memory, while the AMD chip supports only DDR5 but lists a specific memory bandwidth of 83.2 GB/s. The Intel chip supports ECC memory; the AMD chip does not. PCIe connectivity favors AMD with 28 Gen 5 lanes versus Intel's 16 Gen 5 lanes, a notable difference for expansion-heavy mobile workstations. Integrated graphics also differ—Intel includes UHD Graphics 770, while AMD includes Radeon 610M.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The most striking result is in floating-point math, where the Intel Core i9-13900 scores 120,492 against the AMD Ryzen 7 8745HX's 61,972, a 94.4% advantage. This is nearly double the performance and indicates a decisive edge in scientific and engineering workloads that rely on FPU throughput. Integer math is similarly lopsided: 176,107 versus 100,328, a 75.5% lead for Intel. These two tests alone demonstrate that the Intel chip has roughly 1.7-1.9 times the compute throughput of the AMD part in pure number-crunching tasks.

The encryption test shows a 61.4% gap, with Intel scoring 35,242 against AMD's 21,840. This suggests Intel's AES-NI or related instruction paths are substantially more effective. Data compression follows a similar pattern: 577,285 versus 363,759, a 58.7% difference. The multithread test, which is often a proxy for overall parallel performance, shows Intel ahead by 44.9% (45,680 vs 31,517). Physics simulation is 47.8% faster on Intel (2,484 vs 1,681), and random string sorting is 44.7% faster (64,396 vs 44,494).

Even in the tests where the AMD chip is closest, it still loses. The extended instructions test shows Intel at 32,760 versus AMD's 27,638, an 18.5% gap. Find prime numbers is 17% faster on Intel (186 vs 159). The single-thread test is the narrowest margin: Intel scores 4,309 versus AMD's 3,879, an 11.1% difference. This means that even in a lightly threaded scenario, the Intel chip's higher boost clock of 5.60 GHz outpaces the AMD chip's 5.10 GHz boost. The data is unambiguous: across every measurable dimension, the Intel chip is faster, with the largest gaps in the most compute-intensive categories.

The Verdict

The Intel Core i9-13900 is the clear performance winner for any user who can accommodate a desktop platform. It wins all 11 head-to-head benchmarks, with an average benchmark score of 60,676 that places it just 1% above the AMD chip's 60,104. But that 1% average obscures the extreme variance: in floating-point and integer math, the Intel chip is 94.4% and 75.5% faster, respectively. For a workstation or high-end desktop build where thermal and power constraints are relaxed, the Intel chip is the obvious choice. Its 24 cores and 32 threads provide massive parallel throughput, and its 65 TDP is modest for the performance delivered. The launch MSRP is $549, which positions it as a premium desktop part.

The AMD Ryzen 7 8745HX is the right choice for a laptop buyer who needs 92nd-percentile performance on the go. It has a lower TDP of 55, uses the mobile Socket FL1, and is built on a more efficient 5 nm TSMC process. Its 8 cores and 16 threads are fewer than the Intel chip's, but they operate at a higher base clock of 3.60 GHz. The AMD chip also offers more PCIe lanes (28 Gen 5 vs 16 Gen 5) and a compact 71 mm² die, making it better suited for thermally constrained mobile designs. No benchmark shows it winning, but no benchmark can show it fitting into a laptop chassis. The verdict from the data is simple: pick Intel for absolute performance, pick AMD for mobile deployment.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has more cores and threads?

A: The Intel Core i9-13900 has 24 cores and 32 threads, while the AMD Ryzen 7 8745HX has 8 cores and 16 threads.

Q: What is the largest performance gap between the two in the head-to-head tests?

A: The largest gap is in floating-point math, where the Intel chip scores 120,492 against AMD's 61,972, a 94.4% difference.

Q: In which benchmark is the AMD Ryzen 7 8745HX closest to the Intel Core i9-13900?

A: The closest result is in the single-thread test, where Intel scores 4,309 and AMD scores 3,879, a margin of 11.1%.

Q: Do both processors support the same memory types?

A: No. The Intel chip supports DDR4 and DDR5, while the AMD chip supports only DDR5. The AMD chip lists a memory bandwidth of 83.2 GB/s, while the Intel chip does not list a bandwidth figure.

Q: Which processor is built on a smaller manufacturing process?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 8745HX is built on a 5 nm process by TSMC, while the Intel Core i9-13900 uses a 10 nm process by Intel.

Q: What are the average benchmark scores for each processor?

A: The Intel Core i9-13900 has an average benchmark score of 60,676, and the AMD Ryzen 7 8745HX has an average score of 60,104, a difference of 1%.