AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX vs Intel Core i7-14701E Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded head-to-head data shows a decisive overall victory for the AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX, which claims 14 wins across the benchmark suite compared to 3 wins for the Intel Core i7-14701E. The margin in many of those wins is substantial, often exceeding 90% in the Cinebench suites.

In Cinebench R23 multi-core, the AMD processor scores 42,713 against Intel's 22,195, a 92.4% advantage. The same pattern holds in Cinebench R20 multi-core (17,939 vs 9,321, a 92.5% delta) and Cinebench R15 multi-core (4,305 vs 2,237, a 92.4% delta). Single-core Cinebench results follow suit: R23 single-core shows 6,030 vs 3,133 (92.5% ahead), R20 single-core shows 2,532 vs 1,315 (92.5% ahead), and R15 single-core shows 607 vs 315 (92.7% ahead). The consistency of these deltas across all Cinebench versions indicates a structural performance gap rather than a workload-specific anomaly.

PassMark results reinforce the AMD processor's dominance in compute-heavy tasks. Integer math scores 195,180 vs 81,325, a 140% delta. Floating point math scores 117,453 vs 61,873, an 89.8% delta. Extended instructions (SIMD-heavy workloads) show 49,823 vs 18,528, a 168.9% delta. Data compression delivers 677,755 vs 282,939 (139.5% ahead), and random string sorting shows 78,781 vs 29,158 (170.2% ahead). Data encryption is the single largest relative gap at 174.8% (40,836 vs 14,862). The PassMark multi-thread score lands at 51,405 vs 26,112, a 96.9% delta, while find prime numbers shows a more modest 48.9% advantage (262 vs 176).

The Intel processor wins two distinct tests: PassMark single-thread and its duplicate singlethread entry, both scoring 4,305 vs 3,907, a 9.2% advantage. It also wins PassMark physics, scoring 2,399 vs 2,168, a 9.6% margin. These are the only three tests where Intel leads, and they represent a narrow but real edge in lightly threaded and physics simulation workloads.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from fundamentally different design philosophies. The AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX is built on Zen 4 architecture with the Dragon Range codename, part of the 8000 series. It uses a 5 nm process from TSMC, with 13,140 million transistors spread across a die size of 2x 71 mm². The Intel Core i7-14701E uses Raptor Lake architecture with the Raptor Lake-R codename, part of Core 14th Gen, on Intel's 10 nm process with a die size of 257 mm².

Core counts differ sharply: AMD provides 16 cores and 32 threads, while Intel provides 8 cores and 16 threads. This 2:1 ratio in both cores and threads explains the large multi-threaded deltas. Cache hierarchies also diverge. AMD allocates 64 KB of L1 per core, 1 MB of L2 per core, and 64 MB of L3 total. Intel allocates 80 KB of L1 per core, 2 MB of L2 per core, and 33 MB of shared L3. Despite Intel's larger per-core L1 and L2, AMD's larger total L3 and double core count shift the balance.

Clock speeds are identical at the top end: both boost to 5.40 GHz. Base clocks differ slightly, with AMD at 2.50 GHz and Intel at 2.60 GHz. Thermal design power differs, with AMD rated at 55 and Intel at 65, though the database does not link these figures to measured power draw.

Memory support diverges. AMD supports DDR5 only, with dual-channel memory and a recorded bandwidth of 83.2 GB/s. Intel supports both DDR4 and DDR5, also dual-channel, but the database does not list a bandwidth figure for it. Intel supports ECC memory, while AMD does not. PCIe lanes also differ: AMD provides Gen 5 with 28 lanes (CPU only), while Intel provides Gen 5 with 16 lanes (CPU only).

Integrated graphics differ as well. AMD ships the Radeon 610M, while Intel ships UHD Graphics 770. The market segments differ: AMD is classified as Mobile with an AMD Socket FL1, while Intel is classified as Desktop with Intel Socket 1700. AMD has an unlocked multiplier, Intel does not. AMD's release date is recorded as 2025-04-22, while Intel's is 2024-06-30.

FAQ

Q: How much faster is the AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX in multi-core rendering?

A: In Cinebench R23 multi-core, the AMD scores 42,713 compared to Intel's 22,195, a 92.4% advantage. Similar margins appear in Cinebench R20 multi-core (92.5%) and Cinebench R15 multi-core (92.4%).

Q: Does Intel win any benchmark at all?

A: Yes. Intel wins PassMark single-thread (4,305 vs 3,907, a 9.2% delta) and PassMark physics (2,399 vs 2,168, a 9.6% delta). These are the only two distinct tests where Intel leads, with one duplicate entry for single-thread.

Q: What explains the large performance gap in multi-threaded tests?

A: The AMD processor has 16 cores and 32 threads, while Intel has 8 cores and 16 threads. This doubling of core and thread count, combined with AMD's 64 MB of L3 cache versus Intel's 33 MB, produces the consistent 90%+ deltas in Cinebench and PassMark multi-thread tests.

Q: Are the single-core scores also in AMD's favor?

A: In Cinebench tests, yes. AMD leads by 92.5% to 92.7% across R15, R20, and R23 single-core versions. However, in PassMark single-thread, Intel leads by 9.2%, showing that the Cinebench single-core advantage does not extend to all single-threaded workloads.

Q: Which processor has higher base clock speed?

A: Intel has the higher base clock at 2.60 GHz, while AMD's base clock is 2.50 GHz. Both processors boost to the same maximum of 5.40 GHz.

Q: What are the memory and ECC differences?

A: AMD supports only DDR5 with dual-channel memory and lists 83.2 GB/s bandwidth. Intel supports both DDR4 and DDR5 with dual-channel memory but has no listed bandwidth figure. Intel supports ECC memory, while AMD does not.

Specification Differences

The database records the following differences between the two processors:

• Cores: AMD has 16, Intel has 8.
• Threads: AMD has 32, Intel has 16.
• Base clock: AMD at 2.50 GHz, Intel at 2.60 GHz.
• TDP: AMD at 55, Intel at 65.
• Socket: AMD Socket FL1 vs Intel Socket 1700.
• Architecture: Zen 4 vs Raptor Lake.
• Codename: Dragon Range vs Raptor Lake-R.
• Process node: 5 nm (TSMC) vs 10 nm (Intel).
• Transistors: AMD at 13,140 million, Intel not listed.
• Die size: AMD at 2x 71 mm², Intel at 257 mm².
• L1 cache: AMD 64 KB per core, Intel 80 KB per core.
• L2 cache: AMD 1 MB per core, Intel 2 MB per core.
• L3 cache: AMD 64 MB, Intel 33 MB shared.
• Memory support: AMD DDR5 only, Intel DDR4 and DDR5.
• Memory bandwidth: AMD listed at 83.2 GB/s, Intel not listed.
• ECC memory: AMD false, Intel true.
• PCIe: AMD Gen 5 with 28 lanes, Intel Gen 5 with 16 lanes.
• Integrated graphics: Radeon 610M vs UHD Graphics 770.
• Market segment: Mobile vs Desktop.
• Release date: AMD 2025-04-22, Intel 2024-06-30.
• Multiplier unlocked: AMD true, Intel false.
• Part number: AMD 100-000001848, Intel Q49FSRNJK.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX dominates in every multi-threaded and compute-heavy category. Cinebench multi-core across R15, R20, and R23 shows consistent 92%+ leads, making it the clear choice for rendering, video encoding, and any workload that scales with core count. PassMark integer math, floating point math, and extended instructions all show 89.8% to 168.9% advantages, indicating strong performance in scientific computing, financial modeling, and SIMD-heavy applications. Data compression and encryption tests show the largest gaps at 139.5% and 174.8% respectively, making the AMD processor particularly suited for archiving, database operations, and secure communication workloads. Random string sorting at 170.2% ahead further supports its use in data processing pipelines. The 96.9% multi-thread delta confirms broad scaling across parallel workloads.

The Intel Core i7-14701E wins in PassMark single-thread, scoring 4,305 vs 3,907, a 9.2% margin. This indicates an advantage in lightly threaded applications such as legacy software, some game engines, and tasks with strict single-core dependencies. Its PassMark physics win (2,399 vs 2,168, a 9.6% delta) suggests a small edge in physics simulation workloads, which may benefit certain game or engineering applications. Additionally, Intel supports ECC memory, making it viable for error-tolerant computing environments, and supports DDR4 memory, which may simplify system integration where DDR5 is unavailable. Its desktop market segment and locked multiplier position it for fixed-configuration systems, while AMD's mobile segment and unlocked multiplier target high-end laptops and overclocking scenarios.

The overall benchmark record shows AMD with 14 wins and Intel with 3 wins. AMD's average benchmark score of 76,212 places it at the 95th percentile of all CPUs, while Intel's average of 33,206 places it at the 83rd percentile. AMD's nearest rivals include the Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX at 76,155 (0.1% delta) and the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D at 75,779 (0.6% delta), indicating it sits among top-tier processors. Intel's nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 6950H at 33,201 (0% delta) and the AMD Ryzen 5 8645HS at 33,244 (-0.1% delta), placing it in a mid-range performance band.