AMD Ryzen 9 8940HX vs Intel Core Ultra 5 338H Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data splits this comparison into two clear domains. AMD Ryzen 9 8940HX wins 9 of the 15 head-to-head benchmark tests, while Intel Core Ultra 5 338H takes 6. The margin of victory tells the real story.

The AMD part dominates multi-threaded workloads. In Cinebench R23 multi-core, it scores 32,521 against Intel's 16,331, a 99.1% advantage. Cinebench R15 multi-core shows an even larger gap: 5,355 versus 2,504, a 113.9% lead. The PassMark multi-thread test confirms the pattern with 49,731 against 28,717, a 73.2% edge.

Integer math is the single biggest discrepancy. AMD scores 189,221 in PassMark integer math, while Intel manages 64,934. That is a 191.4% difference, the largest delta in the entire benchmark set. Data compression follows a similar path: 650,984 versus 276,539, a 135.4% advantage. Random string sorting also favors AMD heavily, 75,381 versus 34,082, a 121.2% lead. Extended instructions show exactly a 100% gap, with AMD at 47,802 and Intel at 23,906.

Floating-point math is closer but still favors AMD. The Ryzen scores 113,921 against Intel's 84,067, a 35.5% advantage. Data encryption also goes AMD's way, 39,318 versus 21,367, an 84% delta.

Intel's wins are all in single-thread or lighter workloads. PassMark single-thread shows Intel ahead at 4,180 versus 3,874, a 7.3% edge. Cinebench R23 single-core gives Intel 2,044 against AMD's 1,917, a 6.2% lead. Cinebench R15 single-core is narrower: 305 versus 292, only 4.3% apart. PassMark physics goes to Intel, 2,697 versus 2,104, a 22% advantage. The last Intel win is find prime numbers, 304 versus 251, a 17.4% lead.

The overall benchmark averages reflect this split. AMD's average benchmark score is 81,103, placing it in the 95th percentile of all CPUs. Intel's average is 33,989, which lands in the 84th percentile. The nearest rivals in the database confirm the positioning: AMD sits alongside Intel Xeon w5-3535X (delta 0%), Intel Core i9-14900KS (delta 0%), and AMD Ryzen AI Max+ PRO 395 (delta 0.4%). Intel's nearest rivals are Intel Core Ultra 7 165H (delta -0.3%), Intel Core i7-12800HX (delta 0.3%), Intel Xeon 6353P (delta 0.4%), and AMD EPYC 4244P (delta -0.7%).

The Verdict

The data indicates two different tools for two different jobs. AMD Ryzen 9 8940HX is the multi-threaded workhorse. Its 16 cores and 32 threads produce roughly double the multi-core performance of the Intel part in Cinebench tests, and the integer math score is nearly triple. Any workload that scales across cores will favor AMD by a wide margin.

Intel Core Ultra 5 338H is the efficiency-focused single-thread leader. It wins every single-thread benchmark in the set, though by modest margins. The physics test is its largest win at 22%, which suggests an advantage in lightly threaded physics simulation tasks. The 12-core, 12-thread configuration with a 25W TDP points toward a design for power-conscious mobile systems.

For a user who renders, compiles, encodes, or runs heavy batch processing, the AMD part is the clear choice based on the recorded numbers. The 99.1% Cinebench R23 multi-core lead and the 191.4% integer math advantage are decisive. For a user who prioritizes single-thread responsiveness and lighter power draw, the Intel part has a measurable but smaller edge.

Neither part dominates completely. The benchmark results show AMD winning 9 tests and Intel winning 6. But the magnitude of AMD's wins dwarfs Intel's. Intel's largest margin is 22% in physics; AMD's smallest win is 35.5% in floating-point math. The average benchmark score difference, 81,103 versus 33,989, is more than double in AMD's favor.

Where Each One Wins

AMD Ryzen 9 8940HX wins in every multi-threaded category. Cinebench R15 and R23 multi-core tests, PassMark multi-thread, integer math, floating-point math, data compression, data encryption, extended instructions, and random string sorting all go to AMD. The 16-core, 32-thread Zen 4 design with 64 MB of L3 cache provides the resources for parallel workloads. The 5.30 GHz boost clock helps sustain performance across those cores. The 55W TDP is the cost of that capability.

Intel Core Ultra 5 338H wins in single-thread tests and physics. Cinebench R15 single-core, R23 single-core, PassMark single-thread, PassMark physics, and find prime numbers all go to Intel. The 4.70 GHz boost clock on the Panther Lake architecture delivers higher per-core performance in these lighter tests. The 25W TDP makes it a more power-efficient option for systems where battery life and thermals matter more than raw throughput.

The use-case split is straightforward. Render farms, video encoding, software compilation, and data processing favor AMD. Light productivity, general desktop responsiveness, and physics-based applications favor Intel. The data does not suggest a single universal winner; it suggests a tradeoff between core count and per-core efficiency.

FAQ

Q: Which CPU has higher multi-core performance?

A: AMD Ryzen 9 8940HX. It leads by 113.9% in Cinebench R15 multi-core, 99.1% in Cinebench R23 multi-core, and 73.2% in PassMark multi-thread.

Q: Which CPU has higher single-core performance?

A: Intel Core Ultra 5 338H. It leads by 7.3% in PassMark single-thread, 6.2% in Cinebench R23 single-core, and 4.3% in Cinebench R15 single-core.

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

A: PassMark integer math. AMD scores 189,221 versus Intel's 64,934, a 191.4% difference in AMD's favor.

Q: How do the average benchmark scores compare?

A: AMD's average is 81,103, placing it in the 95th percentile of all CPUs. Intel's average is 33,989, placing it in the 84th percentile.

Q: Does Intel win any multi-threaded tests?

A: No. All multi-threaded benchmark tests in the data go to AMD. Intel's wins are limited to single-thread tests and physics.

Q: What are the TDP ratings for each?

A: AMD Ryzen 9 8940HX has a 55W TDP. Intel Core Ultra 5 338H has a 25W TDP.

Architecture Differences

AMD Ryzen 9 8940HX uses the Zen 4 architecture under the Dragon Range codename. It is built on a 5 nm process at TSMC, containing 13,140 million transistors across a dual-chip design with each die measuring 71 mm². The 16 cores and 32 threads rely on a per-core L1 cache of 64 KB, per-core L2 of 1 MB, and a shared 64 MB L3 cache. Memory support is DDR5 over a dual-channel bus with 83.2 GB/s bandwidth. PCIe connectivity is Gen 5 with 28 lanes from the CPU. Integrated graphics come from the Radeon 610M. The multiplier is unlocked, and the part uses AMD Socket FL1.

Intel Core Ultra 5 338H uses the Panther Lake architecture under the Panther Lake codename. It is built on a 3 nm process at Intel. The 12 cores and 12 threads use a per-core L1 cache of 192 KB, per-core L2 of 2.5 MB, and a shared 18 MB L3 cache. Memory support is LPDDR5X over a dual-channel bus with 136.5 GB/s bandwidth. PCIe connectivity is Gen 5 with only 4 lanes from the CPU. Integrated graphics come from Arc B370. The multiplier is locked, and the part uses Intel BGA 2540. Transistor count and die size are not recorded in the database.

The architectural gap is significant. Zen 4 provides more cores, more threads, and more L3 cache. Panther Lake provides a denser process node, faster memory bandwidth, and larger per-core caches. The LPDDR5X memory support gives Intel a 136.5 GB/s bandwidth figure against AMD's 83.2 GB/s, which helps explain Intel's single-thread wins despite lower core counts.

Specification Differences

| Specification | AMD Ryzen 9 8940HX | Intel Core Ultra 5 338H |

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

| Cores | 16 | 12 |

| Threads | 32 | 12 |

| Base clock | 2.40 GHz | 1.90 GHz |

| Boost clock | 5.30 GHz | 4.70 GHz |

| TDP | 55W | 25W |

| Socket | AMD Socket FL1 | Intel BGA 2540 |

| Process node | 5 nm | 3 nm |

| 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 shared | 18 MB shared |

| Memory support | DDR5 | LPDDR5X |

| Memory bandwidth | 83.2 GB/s | 136.5 GB/s |

| PCIe lanes | 28 (Gen 5) | 4 (Gen 5) |

| Integrated graphics | Radeon 610M | Arc B370 |

| Unlocked multiplier | Yes | No |

| Generation | Ryzen 9 (Zen 4, Dragon Range) | Ultra 5 (Panther Lake-H) |

The core and thread count difference is the most consequential spec. AMD has 4 more cores and 20 more threads. Intel's thread count equals its core count, meaning no simultaneous multi-threading. The base clocks favor AMD, but the boost clocks are closer. Intel's process node advantage (3 nm versus 5 nm) and higher memory bandwidth do not translate into multi-threaded wins in the recorded data. The TDP difference, 55W against 25W, explains the performance distribution but also indicates Intel's target platform is more power-constrained.