AMD Ryzen 9 7945HX vs Intel Core i9-13900KF Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The Intel Core i9-13900KF dominates the head-to-head comparison, winning 18 of the 23 recorded benchmarks against the AMD Ryzen 9 7945HX. The most decisive Intel victories come in single-threaded workloads, where the desktop part’s high boost clock delivers enormous margins. In Cinebench R23 single-core, Intel scores 6897 against AMD’s 1940, a 255.5% advantage. The Cinebench R15 single-core test shows a similar pattern: Intel at 695 versus AMD at 308, a 125.6% lead. These results indicate that the Intel chip has a fundamental per-core performance advantage that no amount of AMD’s efficiency can offset.

The Intel CPU also wins multi-threaded tests that scale with raw core count and clock speed. Cinebench R23 multi-core sees Intel at 48855 versus AMD at 33459, a 46% lead. Geekbench multi-core goes to Intel 22486 against 18254, a 23.2% margin. In 3DMark’s max-threads test, Intel scores 15405 compared to AMD’s 13612, a 13.2% win. The pattern holds across 3DMark’s thread scaling: Intel wins the 2-thread test by 14.1%, the 4-thread test by 16.9%, the 8-thread test by 15.7%, and the 16-thread test is the one exception where AMD wins by 12.2%. That AMD victory at 16 threads is notable, as it suggests the Ryzen’s Zen 4 architecture handles moderate thread counts efficiently, but it does not translate into overall multi-thread dominance.

AMD’s wins are fewer but concentrated in specific workloads. The Ryzen 9 7945HX takes Cinebench R15 multi-core with 5289 versus Intel’s 4924, a 6.9% margin. PassMark extended instructions goes to AMD 51834 against 46084, an 11.1% win, indicating better performance on AVX-512 or similar instruction sets. PassMark find prime numbers sees AMD at 284 versus Intel’s 225, a 20.8% advantage, suggesting superior integer throughput in that specific test. PassMark integer math is essentially a tie, with AMD at 207524 and Intel at 206859, a 0.3% difference. The remaining AMD win is the aforementioned 3DMark 16-thread test. These wins show that AMD’s chip is not without merit, but they are narrow and workload-specific.

In the broader benchmark suite, Intel wins PassMark multi-thread 57729 to 54548 (5.8%), PassMark single-thread 4584 to 4040 (13.5%), PassMark floating-point math 150869 to 123390 (22.3%), PassMark physics 2956 to 2500 (18.2%), and PassMark data compression 786218 to 707249 (11.2%). Intel also takes data encryption 46186 to 42703 (8.2%) and random string sorting 86510 to 81736 (5.8%). The average benchmark score reflects this overall dominance: Intel sits at 61841, while AMD trails at 60099. Intel’s percentile ranking among all CPUs is 93, versus AMD’s 92, a small but consistent edge.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has the higher single-thread performance?

A: The Intel Core i9-13900KF wins every recorded single-thread test. In Cinebench R23 single-core, it scores 6897 against AMD’s 1940, a 255.5% lead. Geekbench single-core goes to Intel 2668 versus 2391 (11.6%), and PassMark single-thread goes to Intel 4584 versus 4040 (13.5%).

Q: How does the AMD Ryzen 9 7945HX compare in multi-threaded workloads?

A: The AMD chip wins Cinebench R15 multi-core by 6.9% (5289 vs 4924) and the 3DMark 16-thread test by 12.2% (12737 vs 11177). However, Intel wins Cinebench R23 multi-core by 46% (48855 vs 33459) and Geekbench multi-core by 23.2% (22486 vs 18254). Overall, Intel leads in most multi-thread tests.

Q: What is the biggest performance gap between the two chips?

A: The largest margin is in Cinebench R23 single-core, where Intel leads by 255.5%. The second-largest is Cinebench R15 single-core at 125.6%. The smallest margin is PassMark integer math, where AMD leads by only 0.3%.

Q: Does AMD win any benchmark by a large margin?

A: Yes, AMD’s largest win is PassMark find prime numbers at 20.8% (284 vs 225). Its other wins are smaller: 3DMark 16-thread at 12.2%, PassMark extended instructions at 11.1%, and Cinebench R15 multi-core at 6.9%.

Q: Which processor has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The Intel Core i9-13900KF has an average benchmark score of 61841, while the AMD Ryzen 9 7945HX scores 60099. Intel also ranks in the 93rd percentile of all CPUs, compared to AMD’s 92nd percentile.

Q: Are the two processors closely matched in any test?

A: PassMark integer math is nearly identical, with AMD at 207524 and Intel at 206859, a difference of just 0.3%. This indicates that for pure integer arithmetic, the two chips perform essentially the same.

Architecture Differences

The Intel Core i9-13900KF is built on Raptor Lake architecture, specifically the Raptor Lake-S die, using a 10 nm process node from Intel’s own foundry. It packs 24 cores and 32 threads, with a base clock of 3.00 GHz and a boost clock of 5.80 GHz. The die size is 257 mm². Its cache hierarchy includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 2 MB of L2 per core, and 36 MB of shared L3 cache. The chip supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory in a dual-channel configuration, with ECC memory support enabled. PCIe connectivity is Gen 5 with 20 CPU lanes. It has no integrated graphics, which is typical for the KF suffix. The multiplier is unlocked, and the launch MSRP is $564.

The AMD Ryzen 9 7945HX uses Zen 4 architecture under the Dragon Range codename, built on a 5 nm process from TSMC. It has 16 cores and 32 threads, with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz. The transistor count is 13,140 million, spread across two chiplets with a combined die size of 2x 71 mm². The cache layout differs significantly: 64 KB of L1 per core, 1 MB of L2 per core, and a much larger 64 MB of shared L3 cache. Memory support is limited to DDR5 in a dual-channel configuration, with a stated memory bandwidth of 83.2 GB/s. ECC memory is supported. PCIe connectivity is Gen 5 with 28 CPU lanes, which is 8 more lanes than Intel. The AMD chip includes integrated Radeon 610M graphics, a feature entirely absent from the Intel part. The multiplier is also unlocked.

These architectural choices explain the benchmark results. Intel’s higher boost clock of 5.80 GHz versus AMD’s 5.40 GHz, combined with a larger L2 cache per core (2 MB vs 1 MB), drives its massive single-thread wins. AMD’s larger L3 cache (64 MB vs 36 MB) and 5 nm process allow for better efficiency in certain workloads, as seen in the extended instructions and prime number tests. The Intel chip’s higher TDP of 125 W versus AMD’s 55 W indicates a power-hungry desktop design, while AMD’s lower TDP reflects its mobile segment target.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ in every major specification category. Core count: Intel has 24 cores, AMD has 16. Thread count is identical at 32 each. Base clock: Intel at 3.00 GHz, AMD at 2.50 GHz. Boost clock: Intel at 5.80 GHz, AMD at 5.40 GHz. TDP: Intel at 125 W, AMD at 55 W. Socket: Intel Socket 1700 versus AMD Socket FL1. Process node: 10 nm for Intel, 5 nm for AMD. Foundry: Intel versus TSMC. Die size: 257 mm² for Intel, 2x 71 mm² for AMD. Transistors: Intel does not report a figure, AMD reports 13,140 million.

Cache differences are pronounced. L1 per core: Intel 80 KB, AMD 64 KB. L2 per core: Intel 2 MB, AMD 1 MB. L3 shared: Intel 36 MB, AMD 64 MB. Memory support: Intel supports both DDR4 and DDR5, AMD only DDR5. Memory bandwidth: Intel does not list a figure, AMD lists 83.2 GB/s. PCIe lanes: Intel 20, AMD 28. Integrated graphics: Intel has none, AMD has Radeon 610M. Market segment: Intel is desktop, AMD is mobile. Release date: Intel on 2022-09-26, AMD on 2023-01-03. Launch MSRP: Intel at $564, AMD has no recorded launch MSRP. The Intel part number is SRMBJ, while AMD is 100-000000870.

Where Each One Wins

The Intel Core i9-13900KF is the clear choice for single-threaded and lightly-threaded workloads. Its wins in Cinebench R23 single-core (255.5% lead), Cinebench R15 single-core (125.6%), Geekbench single-core (11.6%), and PassMark single-thread (13.5%) make it superior for applications that rely on per-core speed, such as gaming, web browsing, and many productivity tasks. It also wins heavily in multi-threaded rendering and encoding, as shown by Cinebench R23 multi-core (46% lead) and Geekbench multi-core (23.2%). The PassMark physics test (18.2% lead) and floating-point math (22.3% lead) further indicate strength in simulation and scientific workloads.

The AMD Ryzen 9 7945HX wins in specific scenarios. Its Cinebench R15 multi-core victory (6.9%) suggests it handles older multi-threaded benchmarks efficiently. The PassMark extended instructions win (11.1%) indicates better performance on advanced instruction sets like AVX-512, which matters for certain encryption, AI, and scientific workloads. The PassMark find prime numbers win (20.8%) points to superior integer throughput in primality testing. The 3DMark 16-thread win (12.2%) shows it handles moderate thread counts well, which could benefit some game engines that scale to 16 threads. Its lower TDP of 55 W versus Intel’s 125 W also makes it a more appropriate choice for laptops and other power-constrained environments.

For data compression, Intel wins by 11.2%, and for data encryption by 8.2%, so the Intel chip is better for archiving and security tasks. Random string sorting goes to Intel by 5.8%, and PassMark multi-thread overall goes to Intel by 5.8%. The AMD chip’s integer math performance is virtually identical to Intel (0.3% difference), so neither has a meaningful edge there.

The Verdict

The Intel Core i9-13900KF is the superior processor for most users based on the recorded data. It wins 18 of 23 benchmarks, holds a 2.9% higher average benchmark score (61841 vs 60099), and ranks one percentile higher among all CPUs (93 vs 92). The single-thread dominance is staggering, with leads of 255.5% and 125.6% in Cinebench single-core tests. For anyone building a desktop workstation that prioritizes raw performance in rendering, encoding, and general productivity, the Intel chip is the data-backed choice.

The AMD Ryzen 9 7945HX should be selected by users who need its specific strengths. Its wins in extended instructions, prime number finding, and Cinebench R15 multi-core suggest it handles certain scientific and encryption workloads better. Its 64 MB L3 cache and 5 nm process also make it more efficient, as indicated by the 55 W TDP versus Intel’s 125 W. For laptop buyers, the AMD chip is the only reasonable option given its mobile segment designation. Its integrated Radeon 610M graphics provide a display output that the Intel KF part lacks entirely.

Users who prioritize maximum single-thread performance, heavy multi-threaded rendering, or data compression should choose the Intel Core i9-13900KF. Users who need extended instruction set performance, efficient mobile operation, or a larger L3 cache should choose the AMD Ryzen 9 7945HX. The data does not support a close contest: Intel wins the majority of tests by wide margins, while AMD’s victories are narrow and specialized. The verdict is unambiguous for desktop workloads: Intel leads, and the AMD chip is a capable but niche alternative.