AMD Ryzen 9 3900X vs Intel Core i7-12850HX Comparison

The Intel Core i7-12850HX and AMD Ryzen 9 3900X are two very different processors that land within 0.7% of each other in average benchmark score (42,470 vs 42,772). The Intel part is a 16-core mobile chip built on Alder Lake, while the AMD part is a 12-core desktop chip from the Zen 2 generation. Despite the core-count and platform differences, the head-to-head data shows a surprisingly balanced contest, with the AMD winning 12 of 17 benchmarks and the Intel taking the remaining five. This analysis breaks down the architecture, benchmark performance, and specification differences to help determine which processor suits which workload.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has more cores?

A: The Intel Core i7-12850HX has 16 cores, while the AMD Ryzen 9 3900X has 12 cores. Both have 24 threads.

Q: Which processor wins the majority of the head-to-head benchmarks?

A: The AMD Ryzen 9 3900X wins 12 of the 17 listed benchmarks, including all six Cinebench tests and several Passmark workloads. The Intel Core i7-12850HX wins the remaining five.

Q: How large is the single-thread performance gap?

A: In the Passmark single-thread test, the Intel Core i7-12850HX scores 3,683 versus 2,703 for the AMD Ryzen 9 3900X, a 36.3% advantage for Intel.

Q: Do both processors support ECC memory?

A: No. The Intel Core i7-12850HX lists ECC memory as supported, while the AMD Ryzen 9 3900X does not support ECC.

Q: Which processor has a larger L3 cache?

A: The AMD Ryzen 9 3900X has 64 MB of L3 cache, while the Intel Core i7-12850HX has 25 MB shared L3.

Q: Which processor has a higher boost clock?

A: The Intel Core i7-12850HX has a boost clock of 4.80 GHz, compared to 4.60 GHz for the AMD Ryzen 9 3900X.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from fundamentally different architectures and process nodes. The Intel Core i7-12850HX uses the Alder Lake architecture (codename Alder Lake-HX) fabricated on Intel’s 10 nm process, while the AMD Ryzen 9 3900X uses the Zen 2 architecture (codename Matisse) built on TSMC’s 7 nm process. The AMD chip integrates 7,600 million transistors across two 74 mm² dies, whereas the Intel chip has a single 215 mm² die (transistor count not listed).

Core and cache layouts also differ significantly. The Intel part has 16 cores with 80 KB of L1 cache per core and 1.25 MB of L2 per core, plus a shared 25 MB L3. The AMD part has 12 cores with 64 KB L1 per core, 512 KB L2 per core, and a larger 64 MB L3. Although the Intel chip has more cores and larger per-core L1/L2, the AMD chip compensates with a much larger L3 pool.

Memory and I/O capabilities diverge as well. The Intel Core i7-12850HX supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory (dual-channel) and includes ECC support, while the AMD Ryzen 9 3900X is limited to DDR4 (dual-channel) with no ECC. The AMD chip has a listed memory bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s, while no bandwidth figure is given for the Intel part. PCIe support also differs: Intel offers Gen 5 with 20 lanes (CPU only), while AMD offers Gen 4 with 24 lanes. The Intel processor includes integrated UHD Graphics 770, whereas the AMD chip has no integrated graphics. The Intel part is a mobile processor (BGA 1964 socket) with a 55 W TDP, while the AMD part is a desktop processor (AM4 socket) with a 105 W TDP.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head results reveal a clear split in workload preferences. The AMD Ryzen 9 3900X dominates every Cinebench test, winning by a consistent 5.9% margin across R15, R20, and R23 in both single-core and multi-core runs. For example, in Cinebench R23 multi-core, the AMD scores 27,662 against the Intel’s 26,025; in R23 single-core, AMD scores 3,905 against 3,674. This uniform 5.9% advantage suggests a fundamental IPC or efficiency edge in the AMD design for these rendering workloads.

Beyond Cinebench, the AMD chip also wins several Passmark tests. Data compression shows a 18.5% advantage (448,906 vs 365,829), data encryption is 26.1% higher (28,586 vs 21,120), and extended instructions are 23.9% ahead (29,221 vs 22,227). The largest single margin is in the find prime numbers test, where AMD leads by 48.1% (214 vs 111). Random string sorting also favors AMD by 16.5% (48,300 vs 40,327), and the multithread test shows a 5.9% win for AMD (32,544 vs 30,627).

The Intel Core i7-12850HX, however, strikes back in a few key areas. The most dramatic win is in single-thread performance: the Passmark single-thread test shows Intel at 3,683 versus 2,703 for AMD, a 36.3% lead. This is the same margin seen in the single-thread test (also listed as 36.3%). Floating-point math is another strong Intel area, with a 35.8% advantage (79,337 vs 58,434). Integer math goes to Intel by 8.5% (108,076 vs 99,628), and physics is a narrow 1.1% win for Intel (1,813 vs 1,794).

Overall, the data indicates that AMD holds a broad lead in multi-threaded, compression, and encryption workloads, while Intel excels in single-threaded tasks and floating-point/integer math. The average benchmark score for the two parts is nearly identical—42,470 for Intel and 42,772 for AMD—with the AMD being just 0.7% higher. Both processors sit at the 91st percentile among all CPUs.

Specification Differences

The following specifications differ between the two processors:

• Cores: 16 (Intel) vs 12 (AMD)
• Base clock: 2.10 GHz (Intel) vs 3.80 GHz (AMD)
• Boost clock: 4.80 GHz (Intel) vs 4.60 GHz (AMD)
• TDP: 55 W (Intel) vs 105 W (AMD)
• Socket: Intel BGA 1964 vs AMD Socket AM4
• Architecture: Alder Lake vs Zen 2
• Codename: Alder Lake-HX vs Matisse
• Process node: 10 nm (Intel) vs 7 nm (TSMC)
• Foundry: Intel vs TSMC
• Transistors: Not listed for Intel; 7,600 million for AMD
• Die size: 215 mm² (Intel) vs 2x 74 mm² (AMD)
• L1 cache: 80 KB per core (Intel) vs 64 KB per core (AMD)
• L2 cache: 1.25 MB per core (Intel) vs 512 KB per core (AMD)
• L3 cache: 25 MB shared (Intel) vs 64 MB (AMD)
• Memory support: DDR4, DDR5 (Intel) vs DDR4 only (AMD)
• Memory bandwidth: Not listed for Intel; 51.2 GB/s for AMD
• ECC memory: Supported (Intel) vs not supported (AMD)
• PCIe: Gen 5, 20 lanes (Intel) vs Gen 4, 24 lanes (AMD)
• Integrated graphics: UHD Graphics 770 (Intel) vs none (AMD)
• Market segment: Mobile (Intel) vs Desktop (AMD)
• Release date: 2022-05-09 (Intel) vs 2019-07-06 (AMD)
• Launch MSRP: $428 (Intel) vs $499 (AMD)
• Part number: SRLGH (Intel) vs 100-000000023100-100000023BOX100-100000023MPK (AMD)

Both processors have unlocked multipliers, dual-channel memory buses, and are listed as active in production. They share the same thread count (24) and the same percentile ranking (91st).

The Verdict

The benchmark data points to a clear division of labor. The AMD Ryzen 9 3900X is the better choice for multi-threaded rendering, data compression, encryption, and any workload that benefits from a large L3 cache or high memory bandwidth. It wins every Cinebench test, the Passmark multithread test, and several specialized Passmark workloads, often by double-digit margins. For users running video encoding, 3D rendering, or server-style tasks that can utilize all threads, the AMD part’s consistent 5.9% lead in Cinebench and its 26.1% advantage in encryption make it the stronger option.

The Intel Core i7-12850HX, on the other hand, is clearly superior in single-threaded performance, with a 36.3% lead in the Passmark single-thread test. It also wins floating-point math by 35.8% and integer math by 8.5%, making it a better fit for scientific computing, financial modeling, or any workload that relies heavily on scalar or vector arithmetic. Its 1.1% edge in physics is marginal, but it does add an integrated GPU and ECC support, which the AMD chip lacks.

Given that the average benchmark scores are nearly identical (AMD is only 0.7% ahead), the decision should hinge on the specific workload. If the priority is raw multi-threaded throughput and the user can tolerate a higher TDP and desktop-only platform, the AMD Ryzen 9 3900X is the data-supported winner. If single-thread responsiveness, floating-point performance, or integrated graphics are more important—and the mobile form factor is a requirement—the Intel Core i7-12850HX is the better fit. The data shows no universal champion, only a clear trade-off between multi-threaded dominance and single-threaded agility.