AMD Ryzen 7 8840HX vs Intel Core i9-14901E Comparison

The AMD Ryzen 7 8840HX and Intel Core i9-14901E present a clear contrast in design philosophy and benchmark behavior. The Ryzen 7 is a 12-core, 24-thread mobile processor built on a 5 nm process, while the Core i9 is an 8-core, 16-thread desktop chip on a 10 nm node. Their recorded scores show a split personality: Intel leads in single-thread and physics tests, while AMD dominates in data-heavy and multi-threaded workloads. The database shows 8 wins for the AMD part and 5 for the Intel part across the head-to-head benchmark set.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has the higher boost clock?

A: The Intel Core i9-14901E boosts to 5.60 GHz, compared to the AMD Ryzen 7 8840HX's 5.10 GHz.

Q: What is the difference in core count between the two?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 8840HX has 12 cores and 24 threads, while the Intel Core i9-14901E has 8 cores and 16 threads.

Q: Which chip wins in Cinebench R23 single-core performance?

A: The Intel Core i9-14901E scores 3635 versus 1857 for the AMD, a delta of -48.9% from AMD's perspective, meaning Intel is nearly twice as fast in that test.

Q: How much faster is AMD in data compression?

A: The Ryzen 7 8840HX scores 496427 in PassMark data compression, a 71.9% advantage over the Intel's 288777.

Q: Do both processors support the same memory types?

A: No. The Intel Core i9-14901E supports both DDR4 and DDR5, while the AMD Ryzen 7 8840HX supports DDR5 only.

Q: Which chip has a higher overall benchmark percentile?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 8840HX sits at the 94th percentile of all CPUs, while the Intel Core i9-14901E is at the 86th percentile.

Architecture Differences

The two processors diverge fundamentally in their manufacturing and design targets. The AMD Ryzen 7 8840HX uses the Zen 4 architecture on a 5 nm process from TSMC, with a codename of Dragon Range. It is a mobile part, fitting AMD Socket FL1, and its die is composed of two 71 mm² chiplets, totaling 13,140 million transistors. The Intel Core i9-14901E uses the Raptor Lake architecture on a 10 nm process from Intel, with a codename of Raptor Lake-R. It is a desktop processor on Intel Socket 1700, with a monolithic die size of 257 mm².

Cache organization also differs. The AMD chip provides 64 KB of L1 per core and 1 MB of L2 per core, with 64 MB of shared L3. The Intel chip offers 80 KB of L1 per core and 2 MB of L2 per core, but only 36 MB of shared L3. This gives AMD a substantial L3 advantage, which likely contributes to its wins in data-heavy workloads. The Intel part has a larger per-core L1 and L2, which may help its single-thread performance.

Other structural differences include memory support and PCIe lanes. The Ryzen 7 supports DDR5 with dual-channel memory and a recorded bandwidth of 83.2 GB/s, and it lacks ECC support. The Core i9 supports both DDR4 and DDR5, also dual-channel, but has no memory bandwidth figure recorded; it does support ECC memory. The AMD chip provides PCIe Gen 5 with 28 lanes from the CPU, while the Intel chip provides PCIe Gen 5 with 16 lanes. The AMD processor has an unlocked multiplier, whereas the Intel part is locked. Integrated graphics differ as well: the Ryzen 7 uses Radeon 610M, and the Core i9 uses UHD Graphics 770.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The Cinebench R23 results show a near tie in multi-core but a massive gap in single-core. In multi-core, the Intel Core i9-14901E scores 25753 against the AMD's 25265, a slim 1.9% difference in Intel's favor. In single-core, the Intel chip scores 3635 versus 1857, a 48.9% lead, which is the largest single-test margin in the dataset. This suggests the Intel architecture has a significantly stronger per-thread execution capability.

The PassMark suite tells a different story. In data compression, the AMD Ryzen 7 8840HX scores 496427, which is 71.9% ahead of Intel's 288777. Data encryption shows a 61.1% AMD advantage (29919 versus 18571). The extended instructions test is the biggest win for AMD: 36527 versus 17249, a 111.8% margin. Prime number finding favors AMD by 60.8% (304 versus 189). Floating point math is closer, with AMD ahead by 7% (86747 versus 81089). Integer math shows AMD at 146506 versus 112736, a 30% lead. Random string sorting goes to AMD by 48.1% (57971 versus 39138). Multithreaded performance in PassMark also favors AMD, 41732 versus 30298, a 37.7% advantage.

The Intel chip wins in PassMark physics, scoring 3041 against AMD's 2185, a 28.1% margin. In single-thread PassMark tests, Intel scores 4354 versus 3958, a 9.1% lead. These two wins, along with the Cinebench single-core result, define Intel's strength in latency-sensitive and lightly threaded tasks. The data indicates that AMD's wins are larger in magnitude on average, while Intel's wins are concentrated in single-core and physics scenarios.

The Verdict

The benchmark results point to distinct usage profiles. The AMD Ryzen 7 8840HX delivers superior performance in compression, encryption, extended instructions, prime number calculation, integer math, random string sorting, and multithreaded PassMark workloads. Its 94th percentile ranking and average benchmark score of 71797 place it well above the Intel part, which has an average score of 37911 and sits at the 86th percentile. The AMD chip's nearest rivals include the Intel Core Ultra 7 265KF with a delta of -0.2%, and the Intel Xeon 6517P at -0.8%, indicating it competes at a higher performance tier.

The Intel Core i9-14901E wins in Cinebench R23 single-core, PassMark physics, and PassMark single-thread tests. Its 5.60 GHz boost clock and larger per-core cache appear to drive these results. The Intel chip's nearest rivals, such as the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 with a 0% delta and the AMD Ryzen 7 9700X at -0.1%, show it sits in a lower average performance class. For workloads that rely on many threads and data throughput, the AMD part is the clear choice. For single-thread responsiveness and physics calculations, the Intel part has the edge. The data does not support a universal winner; the choice depends on the workload mix.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ in nearly every core specification. The AMD Ryzen 7 8840HX has 12 cores and 24 threads, while the Intel Core i9-14901E has 8 cores and 16 threads. Base clocks are close: 2.90 GHz for AMD versus 2.80 GHz for Intel, but boost clocks diverge at 5.10 GHz versus 5.60 GHz. Thermal design power differs, with AMD at 55 watts and Intel at 65 watts. The process node is 5 nm for AMD and 10 nm for Intel. The AMD die size is listed as 2x 71 mm², while the Intel die is 257 mm². Transistor count is only recorded for AMD at 13,140 million.

Cache configurations differ in all levels. AMD uses 64 KB L1 per core, 1 MB L2 per core, and 64 MB shared L3. Intel uses 80 KB L1 per core, 2 MB L2 per core, and 36 MB shared L3. Memory support shows AMD limited to DDR5, while Intel supports both DDR4 and DDR5. Memory bandwidth is recorded only for AMD at 83.2 GB/s. ECC memory support is absent on AMD and present on Intel. PCIe lane counts differ: 28 lanes for AMD versus 16 lanes for Intel, both Gen 5. The integrated graphics are Radeon 610M for AMD and UHD Graphics 770 for Intel. The AMD multiplier is unlocked, while Intel's is locked. Release dates also differ, with AMD releasing on 2025-04-22 and Intel on 2024-06-30.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Ryzen 7 8840HX wins in all data-processing and encryption-related tests. Its 71.9% lead in data compression and 61.1% lead in data encryption indicate strengths in archiving, database, and security workloads. The 111.8% advantage in extended instructions suggests heavy SIMD or specialized instruction usage benefits AMD. Prime number finding, up 60.8%, and integer math, up 30%, point to computational throughput advantages. Random string sorting, up 48.1%, and multithreaded PassMark, up 37.7%, confirm AMD's edge in parallel task execution. The floating point math win, though smaller at 7%, still favors AMD in scientific calculations. The Ryzen 7 also carries a 94th percentile ranking, placing it among top-tier CPUs for overall performance.

The Intel Core i9-14901E wins where single-thread speed matters most. Its 48.9% Cinebench R23 single-core lead is substantial, and its 9.1% PassMark single-thread lead reinforces that pattern. The physics test, up 28.1%, suggests Intel's architecture handles physics simulation better, possibly due to higher per-core cache. The Intel chip's higher boost clock of 5.60 GHz likely contributes to these wins. Its 36 MB of L3 is smaller, but the per-core L1 and L2 are larger, which may explain its single-thread efficiency. For users running physics engines, lightly threaded applications, or tasks that depend on clock speed, the Core i9-14901E delivers the recorded wins. The AMD part, with its 12 cores and 64 MB L3, is the better fit for multi-threaded data processing, encryption, and compression workloads.