AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX vs Intel Core 5 221TE Comparison

The AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX and the Intel Core 5 221TE occupy completely different tiers of performance. The benchmark data shows a one-sided contest, with the AMD part winning all 17 recorded head-to-head comparisons. The margins are massive, ranging from a 121.9% advantage in PassMark physics to a 416% lead in extended instructions. This is not a close race; it is a demonstration of architectural and core-count superiority.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The most striking results come from the Cinebench suite, which measures both multi-threaded and single-threaded rendering performance. In Cinebench R23 multi-core, the Ryzen 9 8945HX scores 42,713 against the Intel Core 5 221TE’s 11,305, a 277.8% lead. The single-core test shows a similar pattern: 6,030 versus 1,596, also a 277.8% delta. These results are consistent across the older Cinebench versions, with R20 multi-core showing 17,939 versus 4,748 (277.8%) and R15 multi-core showing 4,305 versus 1,139 (278%). The consistency across these versions indicates a fundamental throughput advantage, not a workload-specific quirk.

The PassMark suite reinforces this dominance. In integer math, the AMD processor scores 195,180 against Intel’s 42,303, a delta of 361.4%. Floating point math shows 117,453 versus 31,661, a 271% advantage. The data encryption test shows an even larger gap: 40,836 versus 8,963, a 355.6% lead. The largest single delta is in extended instructions, where AMD scores 49,823 versus Intel’s 9,655, a 416% difference. This suggests the AMD part has substantially more headroom for SIMD and specialized instruction workloads.

The multithreaded PassMark score is 51,405 for AMD versus 13,301 for Intel, a 286.5% advantage. This aligns with the Cinebench multi-core results and confirms that the Ryzen 9 8945HX excels in heavily threaded scenarios. The single-thread PassMark score shows a smaller but still decisive gap: 3,907 versus 1,734, a 125.3% lead. This is the narrowest margin in the entire set, but it still represents a clear win for AMD in single-threaded performance.

Other notable results include random string sorting, where AMD scores 78,781 versus 16,929 (365.4% lead), and data compression, where AMD scores 677,755 versus 156,682 (332.6% lead). The physics test shows a 121.9% advantage (2,168 versus 977). The find prime numbers test shows a 344.1% lead (262 versus 59). The AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX wins every single benchmark, and the average benchmark score in the database is 76,212 for AMD versus 17,860 for Intel.

The Verdict

The data shows that the AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX is the clear choice for any workload that benefits from high core counts and strong multi-threaded performance. Its 16 cores and 32 threads deliver scores that are roughly 3 to 4 times higher than the Intel Core 5 221TE across most tests. The 95th percentile ranking for the AMD part places it among the top processors in the database, while the Intel part sits at the 71st percentile.

The Intel Core 5 221TE is not without merit, but the data does not support it as a performance alternative. Its 10 cores and 16 threads produce scores that are closer to older mid-range desktop parts; its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 5 3600XT and the Intel Core 5 120U. The AMD part’s nearest rivals are the Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX and the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D, which places it in a completely different performance class.

For a user whose primary concern is raw compute throughput, rendering, compilation, or scientific simulation, the AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX is the only logical choice based on these measurements. The Intel part would only be relevant if the workload is extremely light, where the lower power draw might be a secondary consideration, but even then the performance gap is so large that it is difficult to recommend the Intel part for any compute-intensive task.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has the higher multi-core performance?

A: The AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX wins all multi-core tests. In Cinebench R23 multi-core, it scores 42,713 versus 11,305 for the Intel Core 5 221TE, a 277.8% delta. The PassMark multithread test shows 51,405 versus 13,301, a 286.5% advantage.

Q: How large is the single-core performance gap?

A: The AMD part leads by 125.3% in the PassMark single-thread test (3,907 versus 1,734). In Cinebench R23 single-core, the lead is 277.8% (6,030 versus 1,596).

Q: Does the Intel part win any benchmark at all?

A: No. The recorded data shows the AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX wins all 17 head-to-head benchmark comparisons, with a 17 to 0 win count.

Q: What is the difference in the average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX has an average benchmark score of 76,212, while the Intel Core 5 221TE has an average score of 17,860.

Q: How does the Intel Core 5 221TE compare to its own rivals?

A: The Intel part’s average score of 17,860 is within 0.2% of the AMD Ryzen 5 3600XT (17,891) and within 0.5% of the Intel Core 7 350 (17,779). It is effectively in the same performance tier as those older parts.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ in almost every fundamental specification. The AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX has 16 cores and 32 threads, while the Intel Core 5 221TE has 10 cores and 16 threads. The AMD base clock is 2.50 GHz and boost clock is 5.40 GHz; the Intel base clock is 1.80 GHz and boost clock is 5.00 GHz. The AMD TDP is 55 watts, the Intel TDP is 45 watts.

The sockets are different: AMD uses Socket FL1, while Intel uses Socket 1700. The AMD part is an unlocked multiplier, the Intel part is locked. Memory support differs: AMD supports DDR5 only, Intel supports both DDR4 and DDR5. The memory bandwidth is 83.2 GB/s for AMD and 76.8 GB/s for Intel. The AMD part does not support ECC memory, while the Intel part does. The PCIe configurations differ: AMD offers Gen 5 with 28 lanes, Intel offers Gen 5 with 16 lanes. The integrated graphics are Radeon 610M for AMD and UHD Graphics 730 for Intel. The launch MSRP for the Intel part is $232; the AMD part has no recorded launch MSRP.

Architecture Differences

The AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX is built on Zen 4 architecture with the Dragon Range codename. It is manufactured on a 5 nm process by TSMC. The die size is listed as 2x 71 mm², with 13,140 million transistors. The Intel Core 5 221TE uses the Bartlett Lake codename and is manufactured on a 10 nm process by Intel, with a die size of 215 mm². The AMD part has a 64 MB L3 cache, while the Intel part has a 24 MB shared L3 cache. The L1 and L2 caches also differ: AMD has 64 KB L1 and 1 MB L2 per core, while Intel has 80 KB L1 and 1.25 MB L2 per core.

The AMD processor is marked as a mobile segment product, released on 2025-04-22. The Intel processor is a desktop segment product, released on 2025-01-12. The AMD part is part of the 8000 series, while the Intel part has no series designation. The AMD processor uses Zen 4 generation labeling, and the Intel uses Core 5 generation labeling. The process node difference, 5 nm versus 10 nm, is a key factor in the power and performance characteristics, though the exact impact is not directly measured in these benchmarks.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX wins in every measurable category. The largest margins are in extended instructions (416% lead), integer math (361.4% lead), and random string sorting (365.4% lead). These results indicate a strong advantage in compute-heavy, data-processing, and encryption workloads. The Cinebench results show a consistent 277.8% lead across all versions and core counts, confirming that rendering and 3D modeling tasks will run significantly faster on the AMD part.

The Intel Core 5 221TE has no benchmark wins. Its only relative advantage is in the narrower single-thread gap (125.3% versus the multi-thread gaps of 270-360%), which indicates that for purely single-threaded applications, the Intel part is less severely outclassed, but still loses decisively. The Intel part’s support for DDR4 memory and ECC may be a system-level advantage for specific legacy or reliability-focused configurations, but the performance data does not show a corresponding compute benefit. The AMD processor is the clear winner for any workload where processing speed matters, which the data indicates is all of them.