AMD Ryzen 9 8940HX vs Intel Core Ultra 7 270HX Plus Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data splits these two mobile processors almost evenly, with Intel Core Ultra 7 270HX Plus taking 8 benchmark wins and AMD Ryzen 9 8940HX taking 7. The most decisive AMD victory comes in PassMark integer math, where the Ryzen 9 8940HX scores 189221 against 122449, a 54.5% advantage. Data compression also favors AMD heavily: 650984 versus 493179, a 32% gap. The Ryzen chip leads in random string sorting by 25.6% (75381 vs 60020), extended instructions by 21.7% (47802 vs 39283), and multithread by a narrow 3% (49731 vs 48270). Data encryption shows a modest 4% edge for AMD (39318 vs 37813).

Intel's wins are equally pronounced but concentrated in different areas. The largest single-core margin appears in Cinebench R23 single-core, where Intel scores 5917 against AMD's 1917, a 67.6% lead. Cinebench R15 single-core shows Intel ahead by 51% (596 vs 292), and Cinebench R23 multi-core gives Intel a 22.4% advantage (41913 vs 32521). In PassMark physics, Intel leads 3843 vs 2104, a 45.3% margin. Floating point math favors Intel by 30.4% (163567 vs 113921), and prime number finding shows Intel at 482 versus 251, a 47.9% lead. PassMark single-thread results put Intel at 4764 against 3874, an 18.7% edge.

The overall average benchmark score tells a different story than the head-to-head wins. AMD Ryzen 9 8940HX averages 81103, placing it in the 95th percentile of all CPUs. Intel Core Ultra 7 270HX Plus averages 61834, placing it in the 93rd percentile. AMD's nearest rival is Intel Xeon w5-3535X at 81115 (0% delta), while Intel's nearest rival is Core i9-13900KF at 61841 (0% delta). Despite Intel winning more individual tests, AMD's aggregate score is substantially higher, indicating that AMD's wins tend to be in heavier-weight workloads.

Where Each One Wins

AMD Ryzen 9 8940HX dominates integer-heavy and data-processing tasks. The 54.5% integer math margin and 32% data compression lead show that the Zen 4 architecture's 16 cores with 32 threads handle parallel integer workloads efficiently. Random string sorting, a classic multi-threaded sorting test, confirms this pattern with a 25.6% advantage. The extended instructions score (47802 vs 39283) suggests AMD also handles AVX and similar workloads better in this comparison. The multithread score, though close, still goes to AMD, reinforcing the thread-count advantage.

Intel Core Ultra 7 270HX Plus excels in single-threaded and physics-oriented tasks. The Cinebench R23 single-core margin of 67.6% is the largest recorded difference in any test. PassMark single-thread confirms this with an 18.7% lead. Physics scores show Intel at 3843 versus 2104, a 45.3% advantage, and floating point math favors Intel by 30.4%. Prime number finding, which relies on per-core throughput, also goes to Intel by 47.9%. The Cinebench R23 multi-core result (41913 vs 32521) is notable because Intel wins a multi-threaded render test despite having fewer threads (20 vs 32), indicating strong per-core efficiency in that workload.

Cinebench R15 multi-core is the exception: AMD wins it by 26.8% (5355 vs 4224), which contrasts sharply with the R23 multi-core result where Intel wins by 22.4%. This suggests the two processors scale differently across render iterations, with AMD's older benchmark performance being stronger relative to its newer benchmark performance.

Architecture Differences

AMD Ryzen 9 8940HX uses Zen 4 architecture on the Dragon Range codename, built on a 5 nm TSMC process. It has 16 cores and 32 threads, with a base clock of 2.40 GHz and boost clock of 5.30 GHz. The cache layout includes 64 KB L1 per core, 1 MB L2 per core, and 64 MB L3. The die consists of 2x 71 mm² sections, totaling 13,140 million transistors. It uses AMD Socket FL1 and supports DDR5 memory with dual-channel bus and 83.2 GB/s bandwidth. PCIe connectivity is Gen 5 with 28 CPU lanes. Integrated graphics are Radeon 610M.

Intel Core Ultra 7 270HX Plus uses Arrow Lake-HX Refresh codename from Core Ultra Series 2. It has 20 cores and 20 threads, meaning no hyper-threading, with the same base clock of 2.40 GHz and boost of 5.30 GHz. The process node is 3 nm from TSMC, with 17,800 million transistors on a single 243 mm² die. Cache differs significantly: 192 KB L1 per core, 3 MB L2 per core, and 30 MB shared L3. Memory support is DDR5 dual-channel with 102.4 GB/s bandwidth, higher than AMD's 83.2 GB/s. PCIe is Gen 5 with 20 CPU lanes. Integrated graphics are Arc Xe-LPG Graphics 64EU.

Both processors share a 55 TDP, unlocked multipliers, and active production status. Neither supports ECC memory. The release dates differ: AMD released on 2025-04-22, Intel on 2026-03-16. Neither has a launch MSRP recorded in the database. The Intel part has a larger transistor count (17,800 million vs 13,140 million) and a smaller process node (3 nm vs 5 nm). The core count difference is significant: Intel has 20 physical cores but no simultaneous multithreading, while AMD has 16 physical cores with 32 threads.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has more cores?

A: Intel Core Ultra 7 270HX Plus has 20 cores, while AMD Ryzen 9 8940HX has 16 cores. However, AMD has 32 threads versus Intel's 20 threads.

Q: Which processor wins in single-threaded performance?

A: Intel Core Ultra 7 270HX Plus wins all single-thread tests. Cinebench R23 single-core shows Intel at 5917 vs 1917 (67.6% lead), and PassMark single-thread shows 4764 vs 3874 (18.7% lead).

Q: Why does AMD win more PassMark tests despite having a lower single-core score?

A: AMD's 32 threads allow it to excel in multi-threaded PassMark workloads. The data shows AMD winning integer math (54.5% lead), data compression (32% lead), random string sorting (25.6% lead), and multithread (3% lead), which are tasks that scale with thread count.

Q: What is the memory bandwidth difference?

A: Intel Core Ultra 7 270HX Plus supports 102.4 GB/s, while AMD Ryzen 9 8940HX supports 83.2 GB/s. Both use DDR5 dual-channel memory.

Q: Which processor has a higher overall benchmark average?

A: AMD Ryzen 9 8940HX has an average benchmark score of 81103, compared to Intel's 61834. AMD ranks in the 95th percentile of all CPUs, while Intel ranks in the 93rd.

Q: Do both processors have the same clock speeds?

A: Yes, both have a base clock of 2.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz.

Specification Differences

| Specification | AMD Ryzen 9 8940HX | Intel Core Ultra 7 270HX Plus |

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

| Cores | 16 | 20 |

| Threads | 32 | 20 |

| Socket | AMD Socket FL1 | Intel BGA 2114 |

| Architecture | Zen 4 | Arrow Lake-HX Refresh |

| Process Node | 5 nm | 3 nm |

| Transistors | 13,140 million | 17,800 million |

| Die Size | 2x 71 mm² | 243 mm² |

| L1 Cache | 64 KB (per core) | 192 KB (per core) |

| L2 Cache | 1 MB (per core) | 3 MB (per core) |

| L3 Cache | 64 MB | 30 MB (shared) |

| Memory Bandwidth | 83.2 GB/s | 102.4 GB/s |

| PCIe Lanes | 28 (Gen 5) | 20 (Gen 5) |

| Integrated Graphics | Radeon 610M | Arc Xe-LPG Graphics 64EU |

| Release Date | 2025-04-22 | 2026-03-16 |

The Verdict

The data directs different users toward each processor based on workload type. AMD Ryzen 9 8940HX is the choice for integer-heavy, data-intensive, and highly parallel workloads. Its 32 threads deliver a 54.5% integer math advantage, a 32% data compression advantage, and a 25.6% random string sorting advantage over Intel. The 95th percentile ranking and 81103 average score position it among top-tier desktop processors like Intel Xeon w5-3535X and Core i9-14900KS, both at nearly identical average scores. For users running compression workloads, encryption tasks, or multi-threaded integer processing, the AMD part shows clear superiority.

Intel Core Ultra 7 270HX Plus is the choice for single-threaded performance and physics/floating-point workloads. The 67.6% Cinebench R23 single-core lead and 45.3% physics advantage are substantial margins that matter for applications relying on per-core speed. The 20-core design without hyper-threading still manages to win Cinebench R23 multi-core by 22.4%, indicating strong core efficiency. The 102.4 GB/s memory bandwidth and 3 nm process node give it architectural advantages in memory-bound and power-efficient scenarios. Its 93rd percentile ranking and 61834 average score place it alongside desktop Core i9-13900K/KF parts.

For render workloads, the results are mixed: AMD wins Cinebench R15 multi-core by 26.8%, but Intel wins Cinebench R23 multi-core by 22.4%. Users should check which Cinebench version their workflow uses. The overall average score favors AMD by a wide margin (81103 vs 61834), suggesting that across a broad mix of tasks, the AMD processor delivers more aggregate compute. However, the individual test distribution shows Intel winning more tests overall (8 vs 7), so the "better" processor depends entirely on the specific application mix. Neither processor has a recorded launch MSRP, and both share the same 55 TDP and clock speeds, making power envelope and peak frequency equal. The deciding factors are thread count versus per-core efficiency, and the benchmark data shows each approach winning in its respective domain.