AMD Ryzen 9 8940HX vs Intel Core i7-14701E Comparison

FAQ

Q: Which processor wins the majority of the recorded benchmark comparisons?

A: The AMD Ryzen 9 8940HX wins 10 of the 15 head-to-head tests, while the Intel Core i7-14701E takes 5.

Q: How large is the performance gap in Cinebench R23 multi-core?

A: The AMD Ryzen 9 8940HX scores 32,521 versus 22,195 for the Intel Core i7-14701E, a 46.5% advantage.

Q: Does the Intel chip have any single-thread advantage?

A: Yes. The Intel Core i7-14701E leads in Cinebench R23 single-core (3,133 vs. 1,917, a 38.8% margin) and in PassMark single-thread (4,305 vs. 3,874, a 10% margin).

Q: What is the difference in overall benchmark percentile ranking?

A: The AMD Ryzen 9 8940HX sits at the 95th percentile among all CPUs, while the Intel Core i7-14701E ranks at the 83rd percentile.

Q: Which part has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Ryzen 9 8940HX averages 81,103, versus 33,206 for the Intel Core i7-14701E.

Q: Do both processors support the same memory types?

A: No. The AMD chip supports only DDR5, while the Intel chip supports both DDR4 and DDR5.

Architecture Differences

The AMD Ryzen 9 8940HX uses the Zen 4 architecture, codenamed Dragon Range, built on a 5 nm process at TSMC. It packs 16 cores and 32 threads with a base clock of 2.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz. The Intel Core i7-14701E, by contrast, uses the Raptor Lake architecture (Raptor Lake-R), fabricated on a 10 nm process at Intel, with 8 cores and 16 threads, a base clock of 2.60 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz.

The AMD part is a mobile segment chip on AMD Socket FL1, while the Intel part is a desktop segment chip on Intel Socket 1700. The AMD processor offers 28 PCIe Gen 5 lanes (CPU only), whereas the Intel processor offers 16 PCIe Gen 5 lanes (CPU only). The AMD chip has an unlocked multiplier, the Intel chip does not. The AMD chip has a 55 W TDP, the Intel chip a 65 W TDP.

Cache layouts differ substantially. AMD provides 64 KB of L1 per core, 1 MB of L2 per core, and 64 MB of L3. Intel provides 80 KB of L1 per core, 2 MB of L2 per core, and 33 MB of shared L3. The AMD die is listed as 2x 71 mm² with 13,140 million transistors, while the Intel die is 257 mm² with no transistor count listed.

Memory support diverges: AMD uses dual-channel DDR5 with a measured bandwidth of 83.2 GB/s and no ECC support. Intel uses dual-channel DDR4 and DDR5, lists no memory bandwidth figure, and supports ECC memory. Integrated graphics differ as well: AMD uses Radeon 610M, Intel uses UHD Graphics 770. The AMD processor was released in April 2025, the Intel processor in June 2024.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The AMD Ryzen 9 8940HX dominates the multi-threaded workloads. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, AMD scores 5,355 against Intel's 2,237, a 139.4% lead. In Cinebench R23 multi-core, AMD scores 32,521 versus 22,195, a 46.5% lead. PassMark multithread shows AMD at 49,731 and Intel at 26,112, a 90.5% difference.

The encryption and compression tests heavily favor AMD. PassMark data encryption shows AMD at 39,318 versus 14,862, a 164.6% advantage. PassMark data compression shows AMD at 650,984 versus 282,939, a 130.1% lead. PassMark extended instructions gives AMD 47,802 against 18,528, a 158% margin. PassMark integer math shows AMD at 189,221 versus 81,325, a 132.7% advantage. PassMark random string sorting gives AMD 75,381 versus 29,158, a 158.5% lead. PassMark floating point math shows AMD at 113,921 versus 61,873, an 84.1% margin.

PassMark find prime numbers favors AMD, 251 to 176, a 42.6% lead. The Intel Core i7-14701E wins the remaining tests. Cinebench R15 single-core goes to Intel, 315 versus 292, a 7.3% margin. Cinebench R23 single-core goes to Intel, 3,133 versus 1,917, a 38.8% margin. PassMark physics goes to Intel, 2,399 versus 2,104, a 12.3% margin. PassMark single-thread (and the duplicate singlethread entry) goes to Intel, 4,305 versus 3,874, a 10% margin.

The data shows a clear split: AMD wins every multi-threaded and math-heavy test by large margins, while Intel wins only single-core and physics tests, with its largest single-core win being 38.8% in Cinebench R23.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ on nearly every core specification. The AMD Ryzen 9 8940HX has 16 cores and 32 threads; the Intel Core i7-14701E has 8 cores and 16 threads. Base clocks are 2.40 GHz for AMD and 2.60 GHz for Intel. Boost clocks are 5.30 GHz for AMD and 5.40 GHz for Intel. TDP is 55 W for AMD and 65 W for Intel.

The process nodes differ: AMD uses 5 nm at TSMC, Intel uses 10 nm at Intel. The AMD die is listed as 2x 71 mm², the Intel die as 257 mm². The AMD chip has 13,140 million transistors; Intel's count is not listed. L1 cache is 64 KB per core for AMD and 80 KB per core for Intel. L2 cache is 1 MB per core for AMD and 2 MB per core for Intel. L3 cache is 64 MB for AMD and 33 MB shared for Intel.

Memory support: AMD is DDR5 only, Intel is DDR4 and DDR5. Memory bandwidth is 83.2 GB/s for AMD, not listed for Intel. ECC support is absent for AMD and present for Intel. PCIe lanes: AMD has 28 Gen 5 lanes, Intel has 16 Gen 5 lanes. Integrated graphics: AMD uses Radeon 610M, Intel uses UHD Graphics 770. Market segment: mobile for AMD, desktop for Intel. Multiplier unlocked: yes for AMD, no for Intel. Release dates: April 2025 for AMD, June 2024 for Intel.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Ryzen 9 8940HX is the clear winner for heavily parallel workloads. Its 16 cores and 32 threads drive a 139.4% lead in Cinebench R15 multi-core and a 90.5% lead in PassMark multithread. Data compression, encryption, extended instructions, integer math, floating point math, random string sorting, and prime number finding all go to AMD by margins ranging from 42.6% to 164.6%. The 95th percentile ranking places it among the top processors in the database, with an average benchmark score of 81,103, close to rivals like the Intel Xeon w5-3535X (81,115) and Intel Core i9-14900KS (81,127).

The Intel Core i7-14701E wins only in single-core and physics scenarios. Its Cinebench R23 single-core score of 3,133 beats AMD's 1,917 by 38.8%, and its PassMark single-thread score of 4,305 beats AMD's 3,874 by 10%. It also takes PassMark physics, 2,399 versus 2,104, a 12.3% margin. The Intel chip's 83rd percentile ranking puts it alongside AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 6950H (33,201) and AMD Ryzen 5 8645HS (33,244), with an average score of 33,206.

The use-case split is straightforward. The AMD Ryzen 9 8940HX suits rendering, encoding, scientific computing, and any workload that scales across many threads, given its 46.5% to 139.4% wins in multi-core Cinebench tests and its massive leads in math and compression. The Intel Core i7-14701E suits lightly threaded applications, legacy code, and tasks where single-core latency matters, as its 38.8% single-core Cinebench R23 win indicates. The physics test result also points to Intel for simulation workloads that favor its per-core performance. The data does not show any test where both chips are close; every head-to-head comparison has a clear winner, with the smallest margin being 7.3% in Cinebench R15 single-core.