AMD Ryzen 9 8945HS vs Intel Core Ultra 5 225H Comparison

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225H and AMD Ryzen 9 8945HS are both active mobile processors targeting the same performance tier, with each earning 82nd percentile scores among all CPUs. Their average benchmark scores are close — 31,508 for the Intel part versus 31,074 for the AMD part — yet the underlying workloads they excel at are sharply divided. The data shows a 14-core Intel design trading blows with an 8-core AMD part that relies on higher clocks and simultaneous multithreading, producing a head-to-head record of 9 wins for Intel and 8 for AMD.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The most decisive Intel victory comes in PassMark’s find prime numbers test, where the Core Ultra 5 225H scores 220 against the Ryzen 9 8945HS’s 92 — a 139.1% advantage. This is not a marginal edge; it is the largest delta in the entire comparison. Floating-point math also favors Intel heavily, with a score of 86,540 versus 61,821, a 40% lead. The Intel part further wins PassMark’s physics test by 30.9% (1,877 vs 1,434) and PassMark single-thread by 10.6% (4,258 vs 3,850).

In Cinebench, the split is equally telling. The Intel chip wins single-core tests across the board: R15 single-core by 2.7% (288.5 vs 281), R23 single-core by 9.1% (1,969 vs 1,805), and Geekbench single-core by 1.7% (2,151 vs 2,116). The Ryzen 9 8945HS, however, dominates multi-core Cinebench. It leads R15 multi-core by 9.2% (2,640 vs 2,397.5) and R23 multi-core by 12.9% (16,795 vs 14,629.5). Geekbench multi-core also goes to AMD, with a 6.1% margin (12,276 vs 11,526).

PassMark’s integer math is a clear AMD stronghold: 101,226 versus 68,520, a 32.3% deficit for Intel. Data compression similarly favors AMD by 20.5% (356,508 vs 283,451), and random string sorting goes to AMD by 22.1% (43,202 vs 33,654). Extended instructions show an 18.7% AMD lead (26,964 vs 21,915). PassMark multi-thread is closer, with AMD ahead by 5.6% (29,780 vs 28,119). Data encryption is essentially a tie, with Intel winning by 0.5% (21,428 vs 21,323).

The pattern is consistent: Intel wins single-threaded and math-heavy tasks, while AMD wins integer, compression, and multi-threaded workloads. The average scores place the Core Ultra 5 225H within 0% of the Intel Core i5-13500 and AMD Ryzen 9 5980HX, while the Ryzen 9 8945HS sits within 0% of the Intel Core i7-12700F and 0.1% of the Intel Core 7 240H. Neither chip is a clear overall winner; they are specialists in different domains.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has the higher boost clock?

A: The AMD Ryzen 9 8945HS boosts to 5.20 GHz, while the Intel Core Ultra 5 225H boosts to 4.90 GHz. The AMD chip also has a higher base clock at 4.00 GHz versus 1.70 GHz for Intel.

Q: How do the core and thread counts compare?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 225H has 14 cores and 14 threads, meaning no simultaneous multithreading. The AMD Ryzen 9 8945HS has 8 cores and 16 threads, meaning each core supports two threads.

Q: Which processor wins in Cinebench R23 multi-core?

A: The AMD Ryzen 9 8945HS wins Cinebench R23 multi-core with a score of 16,795, which is 12.9% higher than the Intel Core Ultra 5 225H’s 14,629.5.

Q: What is the difference in PassMark single-thread performance?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 225H scores 4,258 in PassMark single-thread, which is 10.6% higher than the Ryzen 9 8945HS’s 3,850. The same delta applies to the PassMark singlethread test.

Q: Which processor has the larger L3 cache?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 225H has 18 MB of shared L3 cache, while the AMD Ryzen 9 8945HS has 16 MB of shared L3 cache. Intel also has a larger per-core L2 cache at 3 MB versus 1 MB for AMD.

Q: How do memory bandwidth figures compare?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 225H supports dual-channel DDR5 and LPDDR5X with a memory bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s. The AMD Ryzen 9 8945HS supports dual-channel DDR5 only, with a memory bandwidth of 89.6 GB/s.

The Verdict

The data indicates that the choice between these two processors depends entirely on workload priority. For users whose tasks are single-threaded or heavily reliant on floating-point math, the Intel Core Ultra 5 225H is the stronger option. Its 9.1% lead in Cinebench R23 single-core and 40% lead in PassMark floating-point math are substantial, as is its 139.1% dominance in prime number finding. The Intel chip also wins PassMark physics by 30.9%, suggesting advantages in simulation or physics-based workloads.

For multi-threaded productivity, the AMD Ryzen 9 8945HS is the clear pick. Its 12.9% lead in Cinebench R23 multi-core, 20.5% lead in data compression, and 32.3% lead in integer math make it better suited for rendering, compression tasks, and general parallel compute. The AMD chip also wins extended instructions by 18.7% and random string sorting by 22.1%, indicating strengths in cryptography and data manipulation.

The average benchmark scores are nearly identical, with Intel at 31,508 and AMD at 31,074. The overall percentiles are equal at 82. Users should not expect a generational gap; instead, they should match the chip to their specific application mix. If the workload is primarily single-threaded or floating-point intensive, the Intel Core Ultra 5 225H is the data-backed choice. If the workload is multi-threaded, integer-heavy, or involves compression, the AMD Ryzen 9 8945HS is the better fit.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ in nearly every core specification. The Intel Core Ultra 5 225H has 14 cores and 14 threads, while the AMD Ryzen 9 8945HS has 8 cores and 16 threads. Base clocks are 1.70 GHz for Intel and 4.00 GHz for AMD. Boost clocks are 4.90 GHz for Intel and 5.20 GHz for AMD. Thermal design power differs, with Intel at 28 W and AMD at 45 W. The Intel part uses an Intel BGA 2049 socket, while AMD uses an AMD Socket FP8.

Memory support differs: Intel supports both DDR5 and LPDDR5X, while AMD supports only DDR5. Memory bandwidth is higher on Intel at 102.4 GB/s versus 89.6 GB/s for AMD. PCIe support also differs, with Intel offering Gen 5 with 8 CPU lanes and AMD offering Gen 4 with 20 CPU lanes. The integrated graphics are different as well: Intel uses Arc Graphics 130T, while AMD uses Radeon 780M.

The process nodes are not identical: Intel uses a 3 nm node, while AMD uses a 4 nm node, both from TSMC. The AMD chip has published transistor and die size figures — 25,000 million transistors and a 178 mm² die — while the Intel chip does not list these in the data. Both have dual-channel memory buses and do not support ECC memory.

Architecture Differences

The architectural split is fundamental. The Intel Core Ultra 5 225H is built on Arrow Lake, part of the Core Ultra Series 2, and uses the Arrow Lake-H codename. The AMD Ryzen 9 8945HS is built on Zen 4, part of the 8000 series, with the Hawk Point codename. These are different designs from different generations, and the data reflects their distinct strengths.

Cache hierarchies differ sharply. Intel allocates 192 KB of L1 per core and 3 MB of L2 per core, with 18 MB of shared L3. AMD allocates 64 KB of L1 per core and 1 MB of L2 per core, with 16 MB of shared L3. The Intel L2 cache is three times larger per core, which may contribute to its single-threaded advantage. The AMD chip compensates with simultaneous multithreading, effectively doubling its thread count from 8 to 16, which explains its multi-threaded wins despite fewer physical cores.

The Intel part has a lower base clock (1.70 GHz) but a boost clock of 4.90 GHz, while AMD runs at a much higher base (4.00 GHz) and boosts to 5.20 GHz. The Intel chip uses a 3 nm process versus AMD’s 4 nm process, and the TDP difference (28 W vs 45 W) suggests the Intel part is designed for lower power envelopes. Neither chip has an unlocked multiplier, and both are mobile market segments. The Intel chip was released in January 2025, while the AMD chip was released in December 2023.

Where Each One Wins

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225H wins in scenarios that favor single-thread performance and floating-point operations. Its 10.6% lead in PassMark single-thread and 9.1% lead in Cinebench R23 single-core make it the choice for lightly threaded applications such as legacy software, most games that rely on a few fast cores, and spreadsheet or scripting tasks. The 40% lead in floating-point math is relevant for scientific simulations, 3D rendering that uses FPU-heavy code, and audio processing. The 139.1% lead in prime number finding is extreme and suggests a significant advantage in certain number-theoretic or cryptographic workloads. The 30.9% win in PassMark physics points to better performance in physics simulation engines.

The AMD Ryzen 9 8945HS wins in multi-threaded and integer-heavy workloads. Its 12.9% lead in Cinebench R23 multi-core makes it the better option for video rendering, 3D scene compilation, and other tasks that scale with thread count. The 32.3% lead in integer math is decisive for compression, encryption, and file archiving. The 20.5% lead in data compression and 22.1% lead in random string sorting reinforce this. Extended instructions show an 18.7% AMD advantage, which benefits code that uses SIMD or specialized instruction sets. PassMark multi-thread is 5.6% better on AMD, and the Geekbench multi-core lead of 6.1% confirms its general multi-threaded superiority.

The data shows a clean division: Intel for single-thread and FPU, AMD for multi-thread and integer. The 9-to-8 win count for Intel is misleading because the workloads are so different. A user running a single-threaded benchmark suite would see Intel ahead; a user running a multi-threaded suite would see AMD ahead. The average scores are within 1.4% of each other, so neither chip is a bad choice — but the right choice is workload-dependent.