AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840HS vs Intel Core Ultra 5 338H Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark data in the database shows a clear overall victory for the Intel Core Ultra 5 338H, which wins 12 of the 15 recorded head-to-head tests. The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840HS takes 3 wins, but the margin and distribution of those wins reveal a distinct division of labor between the two processors.

The largest single victory for the AMD part comes in PassMark integer math, where it scores 93342 against Intel's 64934, a dominant 43.7% advantage. This is the biggest delta in either direction across the entire benchmark set. The AMD chip also leads in data compression with a score of 311199 versus 276539, a 12.5% edge, and in random string sorting with 37922 versus 34082, an 11.3% lead. These three wins cluster around integer-heavy, data-manipulation workloads, suggesting a strong core design for that class of task.

Every other benchmark goes to the Intel Core Ultra 5 338H, and several of those wins are substantial. The most extreme case is PassMark find prime numbers, where Intel scores 304 against AMD's 84, a 72.4% advantage. That is the most lopsided result in the entire comparison. PassMark physics also shows a massive gap: Intel posts 2697 versus AMD's 1351, a 49.9% lead. Floating point math follows with Intel at 84067 against AMD's 55739, a 33.7% margin.

Cinebench results consistently favor Intel as well. In Cinebench R23 single-core, Intel scores 2044 versus AMD's 1724, a 15.7% advantage. The R23 multi-core test shows Intel at 16331 versus AMD's 14784, a 9.5% lead. Cinebench R15 single-core gives Intel 305 against AMD's 271.5, an 11% gap, while R15 multi-core is nearly even: Intel 2504 versus AMD 2458, only a 1.8% difference. PassMark single-thread also favors Intel at 4180 versus 3692, an 11.7% edge. PassMark multithread goes to Intel at 28717 against AMD's 26646, a 7.2% lead. Intel also wins data encryption (21367 versus 18838, an 11.8% margin) and extended instructions (23906 versus 22298, a 6.7% gap).

The overall average benchmark score confirms the hierarchy: AMD's average is 39603 against Intel's 33989. The percentile ranking is close, with AMD at the 87th percentile of all CPUs and Intel at the 84th. AMD's nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen AI 7 450 (average 39485, 0.3% behind) and the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8845HS (average 39325, 0.7% behind), while Intel's nearest rivals include the Intel Core Ultra 7 165H (average 34083, 0.3% ahead) and the Intel Xeon 6353P (average 33844, 0.4% behind). Both chips sit within a tight competitive cluster, but Intel's wins are more numerous and often larger.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from fundamentally different design lineages. The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840HS uses Zen 4 architecture under the Hawk Point codename, part of the 8000 series, built on a 4 nm process at TSMC with 25,000 million transistors on a 178 mm² die. The Intel Core Ultra 5 338H uses Panther Lake architecture, also its codename, part of the Core Ultra Series 3, built on a 3 nm process at Intel with no transistor or die size data recorded in the database.

Core and thread counts diverge sharply. The AMD chip has 8 cores and 16 threads, while the Intel chip has 12 cores and 12 threads. Intel opts for more physical cores but no hyperthreading, while AMD relies on simultaneous multithreading to reach 16 threads. The cache structures also differ. 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 larger per-core L1 and L2 allocations likely contribute to its single-thread and physics benchmark dominance.

Clock speeds show a trade-off. AMD's base clock is 3.30 GHz with a boost of 5.10 GHz, while Intel's base clock is 1.90 GHz with a boost of 4.70 GHz. AMD holds the higher frequency envelope, yet Intel still wins most throughput tests. The TDP values are close: AMD at 28 watts, Intel at 25 watts. Both use dual-channel memory, but the standards differ. AMD supports DDR5 with 89.6 GB/s bandwidth and ECC memory, while Intel supports LPDDR5X with 136.5 GB/s bandwidth and no ECC. Intel's memory bandwidth advantage is substantial on paper.

PCIe generations differ as well. AMD provides Gen 4 with 20 CPU-only lanes, while Intel provides Gen 5 with 4 CPU-only lanes. Integrated graphics also diverge: AMD uses the Radeon 780M, while Intel uses the Arc B370. The sockets are incompatible: AMD Socket FP7 for the AMD part, Intel BGA 2540 for the Intel part. Neither chip has an unlocked multiplier. AMD's release date is recorded as April 15, 2024, while Intel's is January 4, 2026. AMD's part numbers include 100-000001353 (FP7r2) and 100-000001381 (FP7), while Intel's is SA4REQ9EW.

The Verdict

The recorded data indicates that the Intel Core Ultra 5 338H is the stronger processor for most workloads. It wins 12 of 15 head-to-head benchmarks, including all three Cinebench tests, all single-thread tests, and the majority of PassMark workload tests. Its wins in physics (49.9% ahead), find prime numbers (72.4% ahead), and floating point math (33.7% ahead) are decisive. For rendering, physics simulation, encryption, and general single-thread responsiveness, the data points clearly to Intel.

The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840HS, however, has specific strengths that should not be ignored. Its 43.7% lead in integer math is the largest margin of any test in either direction. It also wins data compression and random string sorting by double-digit margins. For workloads dominated by integer arithmetic, data compression, or string sorting, the AMD part delivers meaningfully better results. Its 87th percentile ranking versus Intel's 84th also indicates that, despite losing the head-to-head count, it sits higher in the overall CPU distribution.

Memory and platform considerations favor AMD in some areas. AMD supports ECC memory, while Intel does not. AMD's PCIe Gen 4 with 20 CPU lanes offers far more connectivity than Intel's Gen 5 with 4 lanes. AMD's higher base and boost clocks also stand out in the specifications. The choice depends on workload: Intel for physics, floating point, encryption, and single-thread tasks; AMD for integer-heavy data processing and ECC-supported systems.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has more cores?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 338H has 12 cores, while the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840HS has 8 cores. However, AMD has 16 threads versus Intel's 12.

Q: Which processor is faster in single-core performance?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 338H wins all single-thread benchmarks. In Cinebench R23 single-core it scores 2044 against AMD's 1724, a 15.7% lead. PassMark single-thread shows Intel at 4180 versus AMD's 3692, an 11.7% edge.

Q: Where does the AMD processor win?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840HS wins three tests: PassMark integer math (93342 versus 64934, 43.7% ahead), PassMark data compression (311199 versus 276539, 12.5% ahead), and PassMark random string sorting (37922 versus 34082, 11.3% ahead).

Q: What is the largest benchmark margin between the two?

A: The largest margin is in PassMark find prime numbers, where Intel scores 304 against AMD's 84, a 72.4% advantage.

Q: Do both processors support ECC memory?

A: No. The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840HS supports ECC memory, while the Intel Core Ultra 5 338H does not.

Q: What is the TDP of each processor?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840HS has a TDP of 28 watts, and the Intel Core Ultra 5 338H has a TDP of 25 watts.

Where Each One Wins

The Intel Core Ultra 5 338H dominates compute-heavy and physics-oriented workloads. Its PassMark physics score of 2697 is nearly double AMD's 1351, a 49.9% gap. Floating point math also heavily favors Intel at 84067 versus 55739, a 33.7% lead. The find prime numbers test is not close: Intel at 304 versus AMD's 84. For rendering workloads, Cinebench R23 multi-core gives Intel 16331 against AMD's 14784, a 9.5% win, and R15 multi-core is close but still Intel's at 2504 versus 2458. Encryption work goes to Intel at 21367 versus 18838, an 11.8% lead. Extended instructions also favor Intel at 23906 versus 22298, a 6.7% margin. Single-thread performance across the board belongs to Intel, with PassMark single-thread at 4180 versus 3692 and Cinebench R23 single-core at 2044 versus 1724.

The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840HS wins in three specific domains. Integer math is its strongest area: 93342 versus 64934, a 43.7% advantage that is the single largest win for either chip. Data compression also goes to AMD at 311199 versus 276539, a 12.5% lead. Random string sorting completes AMD's set of wins at 37922 versus 34082, an 11.3% edge. These are all data-processing tasks that rely heavily on integer throughput. AMD's higher base clock of 3.30 GHz and boost clock of 5.10 GHz, along with its 16 threads, likely support these results. The overall average benchmark score still favors AMD at 39603 versus 33989, and AMD's 87th percentile ranking is above Intel's 84th, even though Intel wins most individual tests.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ across nearly every major specification field. The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840HS belongs to the 8000 series and uses Zen 4 architecture under the Hawk Point codename, while the Intel Core Ultra 5 338H belongs to the Core Ultra Series 3 and uses Panther Lake architecture under the Panther Lake codename. AMD is manufactured by TSMC on a 4 nm process with 25,000 million transistors on a 178 mm² die; Intel is manufactured by Intel on a 3 nm process with no transistor or die size data recorded.

Core counts differ: AMD has 8 cores and 16 threads, Intel has 12 cores and 12 threads. Base clocks are 3.30 GHz for AMD and 1.90 GHz for Intel; boost clocks are 5.10 GHz for AMD and 4.70 GHz for Intel. TDP is 28 watts for AMD and 25 watts for Intel. AMD uses AMD Socket FP7, Intel uses Intel BGA 2540. Cache allocations differ at every level: AMD has 64 KB L1 per core, 1 MB L2 per core, and 16 MB shared L3; Intel has 192 KB L1 per core, 2.5 MB L2 per core, and 18 MB shared L3. Memory support is DDR5 for AMD and LPDDR5X for Intel, both dual-channel, with bandwidth of 89.6 GB/s for AMD and 136.5 GB/s for Intel. AMD supports ECC memory, Intel does not. PCIe is Gen 4 with 20 CPU-only lanes for AMD and Gen 5 with 4 CPU-only lanes for Intel. Integrated graphics are Radeon 780M for AMD and Arc B370 for Intel. Both are mobile segments, both are active in production, and neither has an unlocked multiplier. AMD's release date is April 15, 2024; Intel's is January 4, 2026.