AMD Ryzen 9 270 vs Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head data presents a striking asymmetry. The Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus wins 15 of the 17 recorded benchmark comparisons, while the AMD Ryzen 9 270 takes only 2. The magnitude of those Intel wins is often substantial, but the AMD victories reveal a specific strength in older single-threaded Cinebench workloads.

Starting with the multi-threaded Cinebench suite, the Intel part dominates. In Cinebench R15 multicore, Intel scores 4640 against AMD's 2664, a gap of 42.6%. The R20 multicore test shows a similar pattern: Intel at 18442 versus 11103, a 39.8% difference. Interestingly, the R23 multicore margin narrows considerably. Intel still wins with 30867 against 26438, but the delta shrinks to 14.3%. This compression suggests the AMD processor scales relatively better as the rendering workload becomes more sustained or complex, though it never overtakes the Intel chip.

The single-core Cinebench results are where the two chips split sharply. In R15 single-core, AMD wins with 376 versus 328, a 14.6% advantage. In R23 single-core, AMD's lead expands dramatically: 3732 versus 2261, a 65.1% margin. Yet in R20 single-core, the result flips entirely. Intel scores 2603 against AMD's 1567, a 39.8% lead for Intel. This inconsistency across Cinebench versions is unusual. The R23 result in particular, a 65.1% AMD win, stands out as the largest single-core margin in the dataset, while the R20 result contradicts that trend. The data does not explain the cause, but the pattern is consistent across the two chips: AMD wins two of three single-core Cinebench tests, and Intel wins two of three multi-core tests.

PassMark tests tell a more one-sided story. Intel wins every single PassMark subtest. The largest margin comes in find prime numbers, where Intel scores 486 versus AMD's 88, a staggering 81.9% difference. Floating point math also shows a massive gap: Intel at 162692, AMD at 60122, a 63% deficit for AMD. Physics follows with Intel at 3494 and AMD at 1365, a 60.9% gap. Data encryption favors Intel by 50.5% (42144 versus 20852), and extended instructions by 40% (44565 versus 26729). Even the closer contests favor Intel. Integer math shows Intel at 125091 versus 98266, a 21.4% lead. Single-thread PassMark has Intel at 4757 against 3784, a 20.5% edge. Data compression, multithread, and random string sorting all land between 38% and 43.6% in Intel's favor.

The aggregate scores reflect this dominance. Intel's average benchmark score sits at 66855, while AMD's is 40246. The percentile rankings place Intel at 93 among all CPUs, AMD at 87. Intel's nearest rivals in the database include the AMD EPYC 4465P at just 0.1% higher average score, the Intel Xeon 6515P at 0.2% higher, and the Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX at 0.9% higher. AMD's closest competitors include the Intel Core i9-13905H at 0.2% higher average, the Intel Xeon 6369P at 0.2% higher, and the AMD Ryzen 7 7700 at 0.4% higher. These placements show Intel operating in a higher performance tier overall, despite AMD's occasional single-core victories.

FAQ

Q: Which processor wins more head-to-head benchmarks?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus wins 15 of the 17 recorded tests. The AMD Ryzen 9 270 wins only 2, both in Cinebench single-core tests (R15 and R23).

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

A: PassMark find prime numbers shows the biggest gap. Intel scores 486, AMD scores 88, giving Intel an 81.9% advantage.

Q: Does the AMD chip win any multi-threaded tests?

A: No. Every multi-threaded benchmark in the dataset goes to Intel, including Cinebench R15, R20, R23 multicore and PassMark multithread.

Q: How do the two compare in average benchmark score?

A: Intel's average benchmark score is 66855. AMD's is 40246. Intel also ranks in the 93rd percentile among all CPUs, while AMD ranks in the 87th.

Q: Are the single-core Cinebench results consistent across versions?

A: No. AMD wins R15 single-core by 14.6% and R23 single-core by 65.1%, but Intel wins R20 single-core by 39.8%.

Q: Which chip has the higher boost clock?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus has a boost clock of 5.30 GHz. The AMD Ryzen 9 270 has a boost clock of 5.20 GHz.

Where Each One Wins

The Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus is the clear choice for compute-heavy workloads. The PassMark suite shows broad dominance: data compression, data encryption, extended instructions, find prime numbers, floating point math, integer math, multithread, physics, random string sorting, and single-thread all favor Intel. The physics result, 3494 versus 1365, and the floating point result, 162692 versus 60122, point to strong performance in scientific and simulation tasks. Data encryption at 42144 versus 20852 suggests an edge in security-related workloads. The multithread score of 51596 versus 29089 indicates substantial capacity for parallel processing.

The AMD Ryzen 9 270 wins in two specific older single-core Cinebench tests. The R15 single-core result, 376 versus 328, and the R23 single-core result, 3732 versus 2261, show AMD holding an advantage in legacy Cinebench single-threaded rendering. The 65.1% margin in R23 single-core is particularly notable. However, this advantage does not carry into the PassMark single-thread test, where Intel leads by 20.5%. The AMD chip also trails in Cinebench R20 single-core by 39.8%, so its single-core strength is not universal.

For users prioritizing multi-core rendering, video encoding, or general parallel workloads, the recorded data points strongly to Intel. For workloads that resemble older Cinebench single-threaded rendering, the AMD chip shows a narrow but real edge. The overall percentile rankings, 93 for Intel versus 87 for AMD, reinforce that Intel occupies a higher performance tier in the database's broader CPU landscape.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ across nearly every major specification category. The AMD Ryzen 9 270 has 8 cores and 16 threads. The Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus has 18 cores and 18 threads. Intel has more than double the core count and no hyper-threading, while AMD relies on simultaneous multithreading to reach 16 threads from 8 cores.

Base clocks are close: AMD at 4.00 GHz, Intel at 4.20 GHz. Boost clocks are closer still: AMD at 5.20 GHz, Intel at 5.30 GHz. The thermal design power differs sharply. AMD is rated at 45 W, Intel at 125 W. This is a major separation in power envelope, though the database does not record actual power consumption.

The sockets are incompatible. AMD uses AMD Socket FP8, Intel uses Intel Socket 1851. The AMD chip is a mobile part, while the Intel chip targets desktop. The AMD processor has a locked multiplier; the Intel processor has an unlocked multiplier. The AMD part number is 100-000001836, the Intel part number is SA4UZ. The Intel chip has a launch MSRP of $199.

Memory support is DDR5 for both, with dual-channel buses. The memory bandwidth differs: AMD at 89.6 GB/s, Intel at 115.2 GB/s. ECC memory support also differs. The AMD chip does not support ECC, while the Intel chip does. PCIe generations differ: AMD uses Gen 4 with 20 lanes (CPU only), Intel uses Gen 5 with 20 lanes (CPU only). Integrated graphics differ as well: AMD uses Radeon 780M, Intel uses Arc Xe-LPG Graphics 64EU. Release dates are separated by over a year, with AMD at 2025-01-05 and Intel at 2026-03-10. Both are listed as active production parts.

Architecture Differences

The architectures diverge fundamentally. The AMD Ryzen 9 270 uses Zen 4 under the codename Hawk Point, belonging to the Ryzen 9 generation. The Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus uses the Arrow Lake Refresh codename, belonging to the Core Ultra Series 2. Intel's architecture field is recorded as null, so the database does not assign a named microarchitecture, but the codename places it in the Arrow Lake family.

The process nodes differ. AMD is built on a 4 nm process, Intel on a 3 nm process. Both use TSMC as the foundry. Transistor counts go in opposite directions from what the core counts might suggest. AMD packs 25,000 million transistors on a 178 mm² die. Intel has 17,800 million transistors on a 243 mm² die. Despite having fewer transistors, Intel's die is larger.

Cache hierarchies are very different. AMD offers 64 KB of L1 per core, 1 MB of L2 per core, and 16 MB of shared L3. Intel offers 192 KB of L1 per core, 3 MB of L2 per core, and 30 MB of shared L3. Intel's per-core caches are larger at every level, and its shared L3 is nearly double AMD's. Neither chip uses 3D V-Cache.

The core count disparity likely explains much of the multi-threaded benchmark gap. Intel's 18 cores versus AMD's 8 cores gives Intel a raw parallelism advantage that shows up in every multi-threaded test. The higher TDP, 125 W versus 45 W, also suggests Intel can sustain higher power draw for longer periods, though the database does not record actual sustained clocks. The memory bandwidth difference, 115.2 GB/s versus 89.6 GB/s, may contribute to the data compression and encryption results. The process node difference, 3 nm versus 4 nm, does not translate into a clear benchmark advantage for Intel, since AMD wins some single-core tests despite the older node.

The Verdict

The benchmark data supports a straightforward split. The Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus is the stronger processor in the vast majority of recorded workloads. It wins 15 of 17 head-to-head tests, holds a 93rd percentile ranking versus AMD's 87th, and posts an average benchmark score of 66855 against 40246. The 18-core configuration, larger caches, higher memory bandwidth, and Gen 5 PCIe support align with its multi-threaded dominance. The 125 W TDP and unlocked multiplier indicate a desktop part designed for sustained performance and overclocking.

The AMD Ryzen 9 270 wins only in Cinebench R15 single-core and Cinebench R23 single-core, with the latter being a 65.1% margin. Its 45 W TDP, 8-core/16-thread layout, and mobile socket position it as a lower-power, mobile-oriented processor. Its strengths appear in specific legacy single-threaded rendering tests, not in the broader PassMark suite or multi-threaded Cinebench tests. The data does not support choosing AMD for general compute tasks, data processing, or parallel workloads.

For users seeking maximum multi-threaded throughput, physics simulation, floating point math, or data encryption, the Intel part is the clear pick. For users running workloads that resemble older Cinebench single-threaded rendering, the AMD chip shows an advantage in two of the three single-core Cinebench versions. The Intel chip also carries a launch MSRP of $199, which the database records as its sole pricing detail. The overall data points to Intel as the higher-performing processor across the recorded benchmark suite, with AMD holding only a narrow, workload-specific edge.