AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 7745 vs Intel Core i9-12950HX Comparison

The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 7745 and Intel Core i9-12950HX represent two different philosophies in high-end computing: a desktop workstation part built on a modern 5 nm node versus a mobile HX-series flagship built on Intel’s 10 nm process. The head-to-head data shows a decisive split: the AMD chip wins 13 of 17 benchmark comparisons, while the Intel chip takes 4. However, the margins and the nature of those wins reveal that neither part is universally dominant, and the choice depends heavily on workload characteristics.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The most dramatic differential appears in Cinebench R23 single-core, where the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 7745 scores 3935 against the Intel Core i9-12950HX’s 1885. That is a 108.8% advantage, meaning the AMD part more than doubles the Intel chip’s single-threaded Cinebench score. Similarly, in Cinebench R15 single-core, the AMD part leads 396 to 274, a 44.5% margin. These are not incremental gains; they indicate a fundamental difference in per-core performance under this rendering workload.

Multi-core Cinebench results are more nuanced. In R23 multi-core, the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 7745 scores 27877 versus 20263 for the Intel part, a 37.6% advantage. In R20 multi-core, the AMD chip leads 11708 to 11061, a 5.8% margin. However, in R15 multi-core, the Intel Core i9-12950HX wins 3107 to 2809, a 9.6% lead for Intel. This reversal across Cinebench versions suggests that the Intel part’s higher thread count (24 threads versus 16) can overcome the AMD part’s per-core advantage in some older rendering tests, but not in the newer R20 and R23 workloads.

The Passmark suite shows a similar split. The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 7745 wins in data compression (386829 vs 367930, a 5.1% lead), data encryption (22821 vs 21395, a 6.7% lead), extended instructions (29216 vs 22163, a 31.8% lead), find prime numbers (166 vs 135, a 23% lead), multithread (32733 vs 31673, a 3.3% lead), random string sorting (46759 vs 41209, a 13.5% lead), and single-thread (3849 vs 3778, a 1.9% lead). The Intel part counters with wins in floating point math (80402 vs 63332, a 21.2% lead), integer math (109586 vs 103330, a 5.7% lead), and physics (2084 vs 1699, an 18.5% lead).

The data shows that the AMD part’s biggest wins are in single-core and extended instruction workloads, while the Intel part’s wins are concentrated in math-heavy and physics simulations. The average benchmark scores reflect this: the AMD part’s average is 43704, and the Intel part’s is 42487. Both sit at the 88th percentile of all CPUs in the database, meaning they are statistically peers in overall performance despite the individual benchmark swings.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap is significant. The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 7745 is built on a 5 nm process at TSMC, while the Intel Core i9-12950HX uses Intel’s 10 nm node. The AMD chip is a desktop-class part on the AMD Socket AM5, with 8 cores and 16 threads. The Intel chip is a mobile part on Intel BGA 1964, with 16 cores and 24 threads. The Intel part’s core count advantage is offset by its lower boost clock: 5.00 GHz versus the AMD part’s 5.30 GHz. The AMD part also has a higher base clock at 3.80 GHz versus 2.30 GHz for the Intel chip.

Cache layouts differ substantially. The AMD chip has 64 KB of L1 per core and 1 MB of L2 per core, with 32 MB of shared L3. The Intel chip has 80 KB of L1 per core and 1.25 MB of L2 per core, with 30 MB of shared L3. The AMD part’s larger shared L3 (32 MB vs 30 MB) and smaller per-core L2 (1 MB vs 1.25 MB) suggest a design optimized for shared data access, while the Intel part’s larger per-core caches may benefit single-threaded locality.

The AMD part supports DDR5 memory only, with a dual-channel bus and a recorded memory bandwidth of 83.2 GB/s. The Intel part supports both DDR4 and DDR5, also dual-channel, but no memory bandwidth figure is recorded in the database. Both support ECC memory. The AMD chip offers PCIe Gen 5 with 24 lanes from the CPU, while the Intel chip offers PCIe Gen 5 with 20 lanes. The AMD part’s integrated graphics are Radeon Graphics, while the Intel part uses UHD Graphics 770.

The Intel part has a launch MSRP of $590. The AMD part has no recorded launch MSRP. The AMD part is marked as a Server/Workstation segment part, while the Intel part is marked as Mobile. The AMD chip’s die size is 71 mm², while the Intel chip’s die size is 215 mm². The AMD part has 6,570 million transistors, while the Intel part has no transistor count recorded. The AMD part was released on 2023-06-12, and the Intel part was released on 2022-05-09.

The Verdict

Based strictly on the recorded data, the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 7745 is the better choice for single-threaded and rendering workloads, particularly in Cinebench R23 where it leads by 108.8% in single-core and 37.6% in multi-core. The data also shows the AMD part wins in data compression, encryption, extended instructions, prime number finding, multithread, random string sorting, and single-thread Passmark tests. The Intel Core i9-12950HX is the better choice for floating point math, integer math, physics, and Cinebench R15 multi-core.

For a user prioritizing modern rendering engines, the AMD part’s 37.6% lead in Cinebench R23 multi-core and its 108.8% lead in R23 single-core are decisive. For a user running physics simulations or heavy math workloads, the Intel part’s 21.2% lead in floating point math and 18.5% lead in physics make it the stronger candidate. The Intel part’s 16 cores and 24 threads give it a structural advantage in raw parallel throughput, but the AMD part’s higher boost clock and newer node compensate in most measured tests.

The data does not support a single overall winner. The AMD part wins 13 of 17 head-to-head comparisons, but the Intel part’s wins are in specialized domains. The average benchmark scores are close: 43704 for AMD versus 42487 for Intel, a difference of roughly 2.9% in favor of AMD. Both parts sit at the 88th percentile, so neither is a step below the other in the database’s overall ranking.

FAQ

Q: Which CPU has the higher single-core Cinebench R23 score?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 7745 scores 3935, which is 108.8% higher than the Intel Core i9-12950HX’s 1885.

Q: How does the Intel part win in floating point math?

A: The Intel Core i9-12950HX scores 80402 in Passmark floating point math, while the AMD part scores 63332, giving Intel a 21.2% lead.

Q: Does the AMD part have more cores than the Intel part?

A: No. The Intel Core i9-12950HX has 16 cores and 24 threads, while the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 7745 has 8 cores and 16 threads.

Q: Which CPU supports both DDR4 and DDR5?

A: The Intel Core i9-12950HX supports DDR4 and DDR5. The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 7745 supports DDR5 only.

Q: What is the average benchmark score difference between the two?

A: The AMD part’s average benchmark score is 43704, and the Intel part’s is 42487. The AMD part is 2.9% higher.

Q: How many head-to-head tests does each CPU win?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 7745 wins 13 tests, and the Intel Core i9-12950HX wins 4 tests.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 7745 is the clear pick for users who rely on Cinebench R23 rendering. Its 37.6% multi-core lead and 108.8% single-core lead over the Intel chip are the largest margins in the entire comparison. The AMD part also dominates in extended instructions (31.8% lead), prime number finding (23% lead), and random string sorting (13.5% lead). For data compression and encryption, the AMD part leads by 5.1% and 6.7% respectively. These workloads favor the AMD part’s modern Zen 4 architecture, which is built on a smaller 5 nm node and runs at a higher boost clock of 5.30 GHz.

The Intel Core i9-12950HX is the better option for floating point math, where it leads by 21.2%, and physics, where it leads by 18.5%. Its integer math score is 5.7% higher than the AMD part. The Intel chip also wins in Cinebench R15 multi-core with a 9.6% lead, which indicates that older rendering workloads that scale well with thread count can benefit from its 16 cores and 24 threads. The Intel part’s higher TDP of 55 watts versus 65 watts for the AMD part is not a performance metric, but the data shows that the Intel chip’s extra cores do translate into wins in math-heavy and physics-based tasks.

For single-thread performance in the Passmark suite, the AMD part wins narrowly by 1.9%, but the Cinebench single-core results are far more decisive. The AMD part’s 44.5% lead in R15 single-core and 108.8% lead in R23 single-core suggest that any workload that is not fully multi-threaded will strongly favor the AMD chip. The Intel part’s wins are confined to workloads that can use all 24 threads effectively and that are not limited by per-core speed. Users running physics simulations, complex math libraries, or legacy multi-threaded renderers may prefer the Intel chip. Users running modern rendering, encryption, compression, or any single-threaded application should choose the AMD part based on the recorded benchmark data.