AMD Ryzen 9 7845HX vs Intel Core Ultra 5 235 Comparison

The AMD Ryzen 9 7845HX and Intel Core Ultra 5 235 occupy the same performance percentile (89th), yet their benchmark profiles could hardly be more different. The AMD mobile flagship wins 9 of 15 head-to-head tests, dominating multi-threaded and integer workloads, while the Intel desktop part counters with 6 wins in single-thread and floating-point tasks. The data points to a clear split: the Ryzen 9 7845HX is the throughput king for heavily threaded workloads, while the Core Ultra 5 235 offers superior per-core speed and a more efficient process node. The 7845HX is the pick for rendering, compilation, and data processing; the 235 is better suited for lightly threaded responsiveness and FP-heavy math.

The Verdict

The benchmark data is unambiguous about the primary use case for each processor. The AMD Ryzen 9 7845HX delivers a 82% higher Cinebench R23 multi-core score (26876 vs 14769), a 190.3% higher Cinebench R15 multi-core score (4320 vs 1488), and a 19% higher Passmark multi-thread score (45010 vs 37816). Anyone selecting a CPU for video rendering, code compilation, or scientific simulation should choose the AMD part based on these metrics alone.

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235, meanwhile, wins every single-threaded comparison that matters. It leads by 12.9% in Passmark single-thread (4516 vs 3935) and by 11.2% in Cinebench R23 single-core (2085 vs 1852). For workloads that scale poorly across cores—legacy applications, UI responsiveness, or lightly threaded games—the Intel part provides measurably better performance. The 235 also wins Passmark floating-point math by 20.1% (117951 vs 94287), making it the better choice for physics simulations and FP-heavy numerical analysis.

The overall average benchmark scores are nearly identical (46654 for AMD vs 46062 for Intel, a 1.3% gap), and both sit at the 89th percentile. However, the shape of performance differs drastically. The 7845HX is a mobile part with 24 threads and massive L3 cache; the 235 is a desktop part with 14 threads and higher base clocks. The verdict is not about which is "better" but which fits the workload. Buy the AMD for parallel throughput, the Intel for single-threaded dominance and FP math.

Architecture Differences

The two processors represent fundamentally different design philosophies. The AMD Ryzen 9 7845HX is built on Zen 4 architecture, codenamed Dragon Range, using a 5 nm process at TSMC. It packs 12 cores and 24 threads, with a base clock of 3.00 GHz and a boost clock of 5.20 GHz. The chip contains 13,140 million transistors across two 71 mm² dies. Its cache hierarchy is notable: 64 KB L1 per core, 1 MB L2 per core, and a massive 64 MB shared L3 cache.

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 uses Arrow Lake architecture, specifically Arrow Lake-S, on a more advanced 3 nm TSMC process. It has 14 cores but only 14 threads—meaning no Hyper-Threading—with a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost of 5.00 GHz. The transistor count is higher at 17,800 million, but the die is a single 243 mm² piece. Cache is configured differently: 192 KB L1 per core, 3 MB L2 per core, and only 24 MB shared L3.

The AMD part's 64 MB L3 cache is a 2.67x advantage over Intel's 24 MB, which directly explains its dominance in data compression (39.1% lead) and random string sorting (29.1% lead). The Intel part's smaller L3 but larger per-core L2 (3 MB vs 1 MB) favors workloads with localized data access. The AMD chip also supports ECC memory, while the Intel does not. Both use DDR5 dual-channel memory, but Intel's bandwidth is rated higher at 102.4 GB/s vs AMD's 83.2 GB/s.

The AMD processor is unlocked (multiplier unlocked: true), while the Intel is locked. The AMD uses a mobile socket (AMD Socket FL1) and is categorized as a Mobile part; the Intel uses Intel Socket 1851 and is a Desktop part. The AMD features Radeon 610M integrated graphics; the Intel has Arc Xe-LPG Graphics 24EU. PCIe lanes differ: 28 for AMD vs 20 for Intel, both Gen 5.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The largest win for the AMD Ryzen 9 7845HX is in Cinebench R15 multi-core, where it scores 4320 against Intel's 1488—a 190.3% advantage. This is not a marginal difference; it is a near-tripling of performance. The R23 multi-core test shows a similar story: 26876 vs 14769, a 82% lead. The AMD chip also wins Passmark integer math by 76.4% (155118 vs 87948), indicating superior ALU throughput across all cores.

In data-intensive tasks, the AMD's large cache pays off. It leads by 39.1% in data compression (543539 vs 390711) and by 29.1% in random string sorting (63223 vs 48980). Extended instructions favor AMD by 25.2% (41020 vs 32752). Data encryption shows a smaller 11.9% AMD lead (32789 vs 29293). The Passmark multi-thread score, a broad measure, gives AMD a 19% win (45010 vs 37816).

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 wins the single-threaded battles decisively. Passmark single-thread shows 4516 vs 3935, a 12.9% lead. Cinebench R23 single-core gives Intel 2085 vs 1852, an 11.2% lead. The most striking Intel victory is in floating-point math: 117951 vs 94287, a 20.1% advantage. The Intel part also wins Passmark physics by 8.7% (2570 vs 2346) and find prime numbers by 11.3% (371 vs 329). Cinebench R15 single-core is the only single-thread test AMD wins, taking it by 40.5% (295 vs 210).

The pattern is consistent: AMD wins where thread count and cache size matter; Intel wins where per-core frequency (3.40 GHz base vs 3.00 GHz) and FP execution units matter. The AMD's 24 threads vs Intel's 14 threads explains the multi-core sweep. The Intel's higher base clock and newer 3 nm node explain its single-thread advantage.

Specification Differences

The two CPUs differ in nearly every physical and feature specification. The AMD Ryzen 9 7845HX has 12 cores and 24 threads; the Intel Core Ultra 5 235 has 14 cores and 14 threads. AMD's base clock is 3.00 GHz, Intel's is 3.40 GHz. AMD's boost is 5.20 GHz, Intel's is 5.00 GHz. TDP differs: 55 W for AMD vs 65 W for Intel. The AMD uses AMD Socket FL1; the Intel uses Intel Socket 1851.

Process node: AMD is 5 nm, Intel is 3 nm, both from TSMC. Transistors: 13,140 million (AMD) vs 17,800 million (Intel). Die size: 2x 71 mm² (AMD) vs 243 mm² (Intel). L1 cache: 64 KB per core (AMD) vs 192 KB per core (Intel). L2 cache: 1 MB per core (AMD) vs 3 MB per core (Intel). L3 cache: 64 MB shared (AMD) vs 24 MB shared (Intel). Memory bandwidth: 83.2 GB/s (AMD) vs 102.4 GB/s (Intel). ECC support: true for AMD, false for Intel. PCIe lanes: 28 (AMD) vs 20 (Intel), both Gen 5. Integrated graphics: Radeon 610M (AMD) vs Arc Xe-LPG Graphics 24EU (Intel). Multiplier unlocked: true (AMD) vs false (Intel). Release date: 2023-01-03 (AMD) vs 2025-01-06 (Intel). The Intel part has a launch MSRP of $257; the AMD part has no listed launch MSRP.

FAQ

Q: Which CPU is faster for multi-threaded rendering?

A: The AMD Ryzen 9 7845HX. It scores 26876 in Cinebench R23 multi-core, which is 82% higher than the Intel Core Ultra 5 235's 14769. The gap is even larger in Cinebench R15 multi-core (4320 vs 1488, a 190.3% lead).

Q: Does the Intel Core Ultra 5 235 win any benchmark?

A: Yes, it wins 6 of 15 head-to-head tests. It leads in Passmark single-thread by 12.9% (4516 vs 3935), Cinebench R23 single-core by 11.2% (2085 vs 1852), Passmark floating-point math by 20.1% (117951 vs 94287), Passmark physics by 8.7% (2570 vs 2346), and Passmark find prime numbers by 11.3% (371 vs 329).

Q: How do their overall average benchmark scores compare?

A: The AMD Ryzen 9 7845HX has an average benchmark score of 46654, while the Intel Core Ultra 5 235 scores 46062. That is a 1.3% difference, and both are at the 89th percentile of all CPUs.

Q: Which processor has more cache?

A: The AMD Ryzen 9 7845HX has 64 MB of shared L3 cache. The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 has only 24 MB of shared L3. However, Intel has larger per-core L1 (192 KB vs 64 KB) and L2 (3 MB vs 1 MB) caches.

Q: What are the core and thread counts?

A: The AMD Ryzen 9 7845HX has 12 cores and 24 threads. The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 has 14 cores but only 14 threads, meaning it lacks simultaneous multi-threading.

Q: Which CPU supports ECC memory?

A: Only the AMD Ryzen 9 7845HX supports ECC memory. The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 does not have ECC support enabled.