AMD Ryzen 9 5980HX vs Intel Core Ultra 5 225H Comparison

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225H and AMD Ryzen 9 5980HX sit at nearly the same overall performance level, with average benchmark scores of 31508 and 31495 respectively, a difference of 0%. Both chips occupy the 82nd percentile of all CPUs. However, this statistical tie masks a fascinating divergence in workload-specific strengths. The data shows two very different architectural philosophies producing near-identical aggregate results, but with starkly different wins across individual tests.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225H claims 15 of the 19 head-to-head benchmark victories, and several of those wins are decisive. Its largest margin comes in PassMark's find prime numbers test, where it scores 220 against the AMD's 53, a 315.1% advantage. This is a dramatic outlier that highlights a fundamental difference in how each chip handles this particular integer workload. The Intel part also dominates floating-point math, scoring 86540 versus 50223, a 72.3% lead, and physics calculations, where it more than doubles the AMD score at 1877 versus 881, a 113.1% delta.

The Geekbench multicore result is another major win for Intel, with the 225H posting 11526 against the 5980HX's 7723, a 49.2% advantage. The single-core Geekbench test also favors Intel, 2151 versus 1930, an 11.5% lead. In PassMark's multithread test, Intel wins 28119 to 23356, a 20.4% margin, and the single-thread test shows a 28% advantage at 4258 versus 3326. The Cinebench R15 and R20 suites also lean Intel: R15 multicore goes 2397.5 to 2000 (19.9%), R20 multicore goes 10041 to 8337 (20.4%), and R20 single-core goes 1417 to 1176 (20.5%). Intel also takes data encryption (21428 vs 19221, 11.5%), extended instructions (21915 vs 21209, 3.3%), and random string sorting (33654 vs 32238, 4.4%).

The AMD Ryzen 9 5980HX wins only 4 tests, but its victories are substantial and concentrated. The most significant is Cinebench R23 multicore, where it scores 19850 against Intel's 14629.5, a 26.3% advantage. It also wins Cinebench R23 single-core decisively, 2802 versus 1969, a 29.7% lead. In PassMark data compression, AMD takes 310694 versus 283451, an 8.8% win. Its final victory is in integer math, where the 5980HX scores 89772 against Intel's 68520, a 23.7% margin. Notably, the Cinebench R15 and R20 results contradict the R23 outcome, with Intel winning those older multicore and single-core tests while AMD dominates the R23 version.

Architecture Differences

The two processors are built on fundamentally different designs. The Intel Core Ultra 5 225H uses the Arrow Lake architecture on a 3 nm process from TSMC, while the AMD Ryzen 9 5980HX uses the Zen 3 architecture on a 7 nm process, also from TSMC. This process-node gap of 3 nm versus 7 nm is a major differentiator, explaining much of the efficiency and performance character of each chip.

Core configurations diverge sharply. Intel packs 14 cores with 14 threads, meaning no hyperthreading, while AMD offers 8 cores with 16 threads, using simultaneous multithreading. The Intel part has a base clock of 1.70 GHz and a boost clock of 4.90 GHz, while the AMD runs at a higher 3.30 GHz base but a slightly lower 4.80 GHz boost. The Intel chip is rated at a 28 W TDP, compared to the AMD's 45 W TDP, a significant thermal design power difference.

Cache hierarchies also differ. Intel provides 192 KB of L1 cache per core, 3 MB of L2 per core, and 18 MB of shared L3 cache. AMD offers 64 KB L1 per core, 512 KB L2 per core, and 16 MB shared L3. The AMD chip has more total cache capacity per core given its lower core count, but Intel has a larger L3 pool overall. Memory support differs as well: Intel supports DDR5 and LPDDR5X on a dual-channel bus with 102.4 GB/s bandwidth, while AMD uses DDR4 on dual-channel with 68.3 GB/s bandwidth. PCIe connectivity shows Intel with Gen 5 and 8 CPU lanes, versus AMD's Gen 3 with 16 lanes. Integrated graphics differ, with Intel using Arc Graphics 130T and AMD using Radeon Vega 8. The AMD chip has its multiplier unlocked, while the Intel part does not.

Where Each One Wins

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225H is the clear choice for single-threaded responsiveness and modern, memory-bandwidth-hungry workloads. Its 28% PassMark single-thread lead and 11.5% Geekbench single-core win suggest snappier everyday application performance. The 49.2% Geekbench multicore margin is striking for a chip with fewer threads than its rival, indicating that Intel's higher clocks and newer architecture overcome the thread-count deficit in many real-world scenarios. The massive wins in floating-point math (72.3%), physics (113.1%), and prime-number finding (315.1%) point to workloads with heavy math, simulation, or scientific computing requirements. The 20.4% PassMark multithread result also shows strong overall throughput.

The AMD Ryzen 9 5980HX wins where its thread count and particular implementation shine. The Cinebench R23 results are its strongest statement: a 26.3% multicore advantage and a 29.7% single-core advantage. This suggests that certain rendering or 3D-modeling workloads, as represented by R23, respond very well to the Zen 3 architecture. The 23.7% win in integer math indicates strength in general processing tasks that rely on integer operations. The 8.8% data compression win shows an edge in archiving and compression workloads. The AMD chip also carries a higher 45 W TDP, meaning it has more power budget to draw from, though this comes with thermal and battery-life implications.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 225H has an average benchmark score of 31508, while the AMD Ryzen 9 5980HX scores 31495, a difference of 0%.

Q: How do the core counts compare between the two chips?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 225H has 14 cores and 14 threads, while the AMD Ryzen 9 5980HX has 8 cores and 16 threads.

Q: What is the largest single benchmark margin in this comparison?

A: The largest margin is in PassMark's find prime numbers test, where the Intel Core Ultra 5 225H scores 220 versus the AMD's 53, a 315.1% advantage.

Q: Does the AMD Ryzen 9 5980HX win any Cinebench tests?

A: Yes, the AMD chip wins both Cinebench R23 tests, taking multicore with 19850 versus 14629.5 (26.3% lead) and single-core with 2802 versus 1969 (29.7% lead).

Q: What memory types does each processor support?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 225H supports DDR5 and LPDDR5X, while the AMD Ryzen 9 5980HX supports DDR4. Both use dual-channel memory buses.

Q: Which chip has a higher boost clock speed?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 225H has a boost clock of 4.90 GHz, compared to the AMD Ryzen 9 5980HX's boost clock of 4.80 GHz.

Specification Differences

| Specification | Intel Core Ultra 5 225H | AMD Ryzen 9 5980HX |

|---|---|---|

| Cores | 14 | 8 |

| Threads | 14 | 16 |

| Base Clock | 1.70 GHz | 3.30 GHz |

| Boost Clock | 4.90 GHz | 4.80 GHz |

| TDP | 28 W | 45 W |

| Socket | Intel BGA 2049 | AMD Socket FP6 |

| Architecture | Arrow Lake | Zen 3 |

| Process Node | 3 nm | 7 nm |

| Transistors | N/A | 10,700 million |

| Die Size | N/A | 180 mm² |

| L1 Cache | 192 KB (per core) | 64 KB (per core) |

| L2 Cache | 3 MB (per core) | 512 KB (per core) |

| L3 Cache | 18 MB (shared) | 16 MB (shared) |

| Memory Support | DDR5, LPDDR5X | DDR4 |

| Memory Bandwidth | 102.4 GB/s | 68.3 GB/s |

| PCIe | Gen 5, 8 Lanes (CPU only) | Gen 3, 16 Lanes (CPU only) |

| Integrated Graphics | Arc Graphics 130T | Radeon Vega 8 |

| Release Date | 2025-01-12 | 2021-01-11 |

| Multiplier Unlocked | No | Yes |