AMD Ryzen 9 8940HX vs Intel Core Ultra 5 336H Comparison

The Verdict

The benchmark data splits these two mobile processors into very different roles. The AMD Ryzen 9 8940HX is the heavy-lifting compute engine, winning 9 of 15 head-to-head comparisons with massive margins in multi-threaded work. The Intel Core Ultra 5 336H counters with 6 wins, all in single-thread and light-thread tests, and does so while operating at a much lower thermal envelope. The AMD part sits at the 95th percentile of all CPUs in the database with an average benchmark score of 81103, while the Intel part reaches the 84th percentile with an average score of 34485. That gap in average score, roughly 135% higher for AMD, reflects the fundamental difference in design intent. The AMD Ryzen 9 8940HX is for users who need serious multi-core throughput in a laptop: rendering, compiling, encoding, and data processing. The Intel Core Ultra 5 336H is for users who prioritize responsiveness in everyday tasks, battery-conscious operation, and single-threaded application performance, where it beats AMD by 43.4% in Cinebench R23 single-core. The Intel chip also fits into systems with a 25 TDP versus AMD's 55 TDP, which points to thinner, lighter, and quieter laptops that run cooler under sustained load. The choice is not about which is "better" in absolute terms; it is about which workload profile matches the machine's purpose.

Architecture Differences

The AMD Ryzen 9 8940HX uses the Zen 4 architecture on the Dragon Range codename, 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 cache hierarchy is per-core: 64 KB L1 per core, 1 MB L2 per core, and a large 64 MB L3 pool shared across the chip. The die is composed of two 71 mm² chiplets, totaling 13,140 million transistors. It supports DDR5 memory on a dual-channel bus with 83.2 GB/s bandwidth. PCIe connectivity is Gen 5 with 28 lanes from the CPU. The integrated graphics are the Radeon 610M. The multiplier is unlocked, allowing overclocking on supported platforms.

The Intel Core Ultra 5 336H is a fundamentally different design. It belongs to the Core Ultra Series 3, uses the Panther Lake architecture (codename Panther Lake), and is fabricated on Intel's 3 nm process. It also has 16 cores, but only 16 threads, meaning no simultaneous multithreading. Base clock is 1.90 GHz, boost clock is 4.60 GHz. The cache layout differs: 192 KB L1 per core, 2.5 MB L2 per core, and 18 MB of shared L3. Memory support includes both DDR5 and LPDDR5X on a dual-channel bus, with a higher memory bandwidth of 115.2 GB/s. PCIe is Gen 5 with 12 lanes from the CPU. The integrated graphics are Intel Xe3 Graphics. The multiplier is locked, so no overclocking. The Intel chip also lacks published transistor count and die size data in the database, while AMD's figures are fully documented.

The most consequential architectural difference is thread count: AMD's 32 threads versus Intel's 16 threads at the same core count. That doubles the parallel work capacity for AMD in heavily threaded workloads. The Intel chip compensates with a newer 3 nm process and higher single-thread performance, as the benchmark results confirm. The L3 cache difference is also stark: 64 MB for AMD versus 18 MB for Intel. This large cache helps AMD in data-heavy tasks like compression and encryption, which the scores reflect. The memory bandwidth advantage goes to Intel at 115.2 GB/s versus 83.2 GB/s, which supports its faster single-thread memory operations.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The Cinebench results show the split personality of these two chips. In Cinebench R23 multi-core, AMD delivers 32521 points against Intel's 23991, a 35.6% advantage. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the margin is even larger: 5355 versus 2418, a 121.5% lead for AMD. But in single-core tests, Intel dominates. Cinebench R23 single-core shows Intel at 3387 versus AMD's 1917, a 43.4% lead. Cinebench R15 single-core shows Intel at 341 versus 292, a 14.4% lead. These are not small differences; they indicate that Intel's single-core performance is in a different class, likely due to the newer process and higher IPC per thread.

The Passmark suite reinforces the multi-thread story. In integer math, AMD scores 189221 against Intel's 62070, a 204.9% advantage. That is the largest single delta in the entire comparison. Data compression shows AMD at 650984 versus 280340, a 132.2% lead. Random string sorting goes to AMD by 119.1% (75381 versus 34402). Extended instructions favor AMD by 94.8% (47802 versus 24542). Data encryption shows AMD ahead by 84.7% (39318 versus 21291). Floating point math is AMD's by 38.2% (113921 versus 82415). The multi-thread aggregate in Passmark shows AMD at 49731 versus 28545, a 74.2% lead.

Intel wins the remaining Passmark tests, but with narrower margins. Physics goes to Intel at 2682 versus 2104, a 21.6% lead. Prime number finding goes to Intel at 299 versus 251, a 16.1% lead. Single-thread Passmark shows Intel at 4013 versus 3874, a 3.5% lead. That single-thread margin is small, but it is consistent across both Passmark and Cinebench, confirming Intel's per-core advantage. The data shows that Intel wins 6 of 15 tests, but those wins are concentrated in single-thread and physics-type workloads. AMD wins 9 tests, and its wins are typically by much larger margins, often exceeding 70% and sometimes exceeding 200%.

Specification Differences

| Specification | AMD Ryzen 9 8940HX | Intel Core Ultra 5 336H |

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

| Series | 8000 series | Core Ultra Series 3 |

| Architecture | Zen 4 | Panther Lake |

| Codename | Dragon Range | Panther Lake |

| Process node | 5 nm (TSMC) | 3 nm (Intel) |

| Threads | 32 | 16 |

| Base clock | 2.40 GHz | 1.90 GHz |

| Boost clock | 5.30 GHz | 4.60 GHz |

| TDP | 55 | 25 |

| L1 cache | 64 KB per core | 192 KB per core |

| L2 cache | 1 MB per core | 2.5 MB per core |

| L3 cache | 64 MB | 18 MB shared |

| Memory support | DDR5 | DDR5, LPDDR5X |

| Memory bandwidth | 83.2 GB/s | 115.2 GB/s |

| PCIe lanes (CPU) | Gen 5, 28 Lanes | Gen 5, 12 Lanes |

| Integrated graphics | Radeon 610M | Intel Xe3 Graphics |

| Multiplier | Unlocked | Locked |

| Transistors | 13,140 million | Not published |

| Die size | 2x 71 mm² | Not published |

| Socket | AMD Socket FL1 | Intel BGA 2540 |

FAQ

Q: Which processor has more threads?

A: The AMD Ryzen 9 8940HX has 32 threads, while the Intel Core Ultra 5 336H has 16 threads. Both have 16 cores, but AMD enables simultaneous multithreading and Intel does not.

Q: Why does the Intel chip win single-thread benchmarks despite lower boost clock?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 336H boosts to 4.60 GHz versus AMD's 5.30 GHz, yet it still leads in Cinebench R23 single-core by 43.4% and in Passmark single-thread by 3.5%. The newer 3 nm process and Panther Lake architecture deliver higher instructions per clock, which compensates for the lower frequency.

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

A: The largest delta is in Passmark integer math, where AMD scores 189221 versus Intel's 62070, a 204.9% advantage. The next largest are Cinebench R15 multi-core at 121.5% and data compression at 132.2%, both favoring AMD.

Q: How do the memory subsystems compare?

A: Intel supports both DDR5 and LPDDR5X with 115.2 GB/s bandwidth, while AMD supports DDR5 with 83.2 GB/s. Intel's memory bandwidth is 38.5% higher, which contributes to its single-thread and physics performance.

Q: Is the AMD chip overclockable?

A: Yes, the AMD Ryzen 9 8940HX has an unlocked multiplier. The Intel Core Ultra 5 336H has a locked multiplier, so it cannot be overclocked.

Q: How does the TDP difference affect system design?

A: The AMD chip has a 55 TDP, more than double Intel's 25 TDP. This means AMD requires more substantial cooling and power delivery, while Intel enables thinner and potentially quieter laptop designs with longer battery life under load.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Ryzen 9 8940HX wins in every multi-threaded and data-intensive workload in the dataset. Its 204.9% lead in integer math makes it the clear choice for software compilation, financial modeling, and scientific simulations that rely on integer operations. The 132.2% advantage in data compression and 119.1% lead in random string sorting point to file archiving, database operations, and text processing. Encryption workloads, which are common in VPNs, secure storage, and network services, show an 84.7% lead for AMD. The 94.8% advantage in extended instructions supports cryptography, multimedia codecs, and specialized math libraries. Floating point math, the foundation of 3D rendering, physics simulation, and scientific computing, is 38.2% ahead on AMD. The multi-thread aggregate score of 49731 versus 28545 confirms that any workload that can use many threads will finish substantially faster on the AMD part.

The Intel Core Ultra 5 336H wins in single-thread and light-thread scenarios. Its 43.4% lead in Cinebench R23 single-core and 3.5% lead in Passmark single-thread make it the better match for applications that rely on one or two fast cores: web browsing, office productivity, code editing with instant linting, and interactive workloads where latency matters. The 21.6% lead in physics tests suggests better performance in gaming physics calculations and lightweight simulation tasks that do not scale across many threads. The 16.1% lead in prime number finding indicates an advantage in certain number-theoretic computations and single-thread math workloads. The 25 TDP versus 55 TDP means the Intel chip can sustain its performance in compact laptops without thermal throttling, making it the practical choice for ultraportable machines where the AMD chip would require a thicker chassis and more aggressive cooling. The Intel chip also supports LPDDR5X memory, enabling lower-power memory configurations that extend battery life.

The final split is clean: AMD for throughput, Intel for responsiveness and efficiency. The database shows 9 wins for AMD and 6 for Intel, but the margin of victory matters more than the count. AMD's wins are often by 2x or 3x, while Intel's wins are mostly narrow, under 22%, with the single-core Cinebench result being the notable exception. A user who runs batch rendering, code compiles, or data analysis should choose the AMD Ryzen 9 8940HX. A user who values instant application response, low fan noise, and all-day battery should choose the Intel Core Ultra 5 336H. The two chips are not direct competitors; they serve adjacent markets within the mobile segment.