AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX vs Intel Core Ultra 7 270HX Plus Comparison

The Verdict

The recorded benchmark data separates these two mobile processors into distinct roles. The AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX wins 12 of 17 head-to-head tests, while the Intel Core Ultra 7 270HX Plus wins 5. The AMD part holds a decisive edge in most multithreaded and integer workloads, with its largest victories reaching 59.4% over Intel in PassMark integer math. The Intel part answers with equally dramatic wins in physics simulation, floating-point math, prime number finding, and single-thread PassMark tests, where its lead reaches 18%.

The database places the AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX at the 95th percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 76212. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX, scores 76155, a delta of 0.1%. The Intel Core Ultra 7 270HX Plus sits at the 93rd percentile with an average score of 61834, placing it alongside desktop parts like the Intel Core i9-13900KF (61841, 0% delta) and the Intel Core i9-13900K (61766, 0.1% delta). The average score gap between the two mobile chips is 14378 points, a substantial margin that reflects the AMD part's broader dominance across the benchmark suite.

For users who need sustained multithreaded throughput, data compression, encryption, or integer-heavy work, the AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX is the clear choice from this data. For workloads that stress single-thread responsiveness, physics calculations, or floating-point throughput, the Intel Core Ultra 7 270HX Plus delivers the stronger results.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX wins every Cinebench test in the database, both single-core and multi-core. In Cinebench R23 multi-core, it scores 42713 against Intel's 41913, a 1.9% lead. The same 1.9% delta appears across R15, R20, and R23 single-core and multi-core variants, indicating a consistent architectural advantage in rendering workloads. The PassMark multithread test shows a 6.5% AMD lead (51405 vs 48270), and data compression shows a massive 37.4% gap (677755 vs 493179). Data encryption favors AMD by 8% (40836 vs 37813), and extended instructions by 26.8% (49823 vs 39283). Random string sorting goes to AMD by 31.3% (78781 vs 60020), and integer math by 59.4% (195180 vs 122449).

The Intel Core Ultra 7 270HX Plus wins the remaining five tests. PassMark physics shows a 43.6% Intel advantage (3843 vs 2168). Floating-point math favors Intel by 28.2% (163567 vs 117453). Prime number finding goes to Intel by 45.6% (482 vs 262). The PassMark single-thread test gives Intel an 18% lead (4764 vs 3907), which appears twice in the database under two test names. These wins suggest the Intel part has a different execution profile, one that excels at scalar and floating-point throughput but falls behind in memory-intensive and integer-heavy tasks.

The pattern is not a simple core-count story. Intel has 20 cores but only 20 threads, while AMD has 16 cores and 32 threads. The AMD part's simultaneous multithreading gives it a scheduling advantage in heavily threaded workloads, which shows in the multithread and Cinebench results. The Intel part's higher single-thread PassMark score, despite a lower boost clock (5.30 GHz vs 5.40 GHz), indicates better per-clock execution in certain workloads.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from different design philosophies. The AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX uses Zen 4 architecture on the Dragon Range codename, built on a 5 nm process at TSMC. It contains 13,140 million transistors across a 2x 71 mm² die configuration. The Intel Core Ultra 7 270HX Plus uses the Arrow Lake-HX Refresh codename from Core Ultra Series 2, built on a 3 nm process, also at TSMC. Intel's die is 243 mm² with 17,800 million transistors. The smaller AMD die pair totals 142 mm² but packs fewer transistors, while the larger Intel die packs more.

Cache hierarchies differ substantially. AMD allocates 64 KB L1 per core, 1 MB L2 per core, and 64 MB L3. Intel allocates 192 KB L1 per core, 3 MB L2 per core, and 30 MB shared L3. The AMD L3 cache is more than double Intel's, which likely contributes to its data compression and random string sorting wins. Intel's larger per-core L1 and L2 caches may help its single-thread performance in the PassMark tests. Both support DDR5 memory on a dual-channel bus, but Intel's memory bandwidth is 102.4 GB/s while AMD's is 83.2 GB/s, a 19.2 GB/s gap that does not prevent AMD from winning memory-sensitive benchmarks.

The AMD part uses AMD Socket FL1, while Intel uses Intel BGA 2114. Both have unlocked multipliers. Both lack ECC memory support. The integrated graphics differ: AMD uses Radeon 610M, Intel uses Arc Xe-LPG Graphics 64EU. PCIe lanes favor AMD with Gen 5, 28 lanes (CPU only), versus Intel's Gen 5, 20 lanes (CPU only). Release dates in the database show AMD launching on 2025-04-22 and Intel on 2026-03-16, a roughly 11-month gap. Neither has a launch MSRP recorded.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has more cores and threads?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 7 270HX Plus has 20 cores and 20 threads. The AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX has 16 cores and 32 threads. AMD uses simultaneous multithreading, which doubles its thread count, while Intel does not.

Q: Which processor is faster in Cinebench rendering tests?

A: The AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX wins all six Cinebench tests (R15, R20, R23, each single-core and multi-core) with a consistent 1.9% delta over Intel. In Cinebench R23 multi-core, AMD scores 42713 versus Intel's 41913.

Q: Which processor wins the PassMark single-thread test?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 7 270HX Plus scores 4764 in PassMark single-thread, an 18% lead over AMD's 3907. The same Intel score appears under both "passmark_single_thread" and "passmark_singlethread" test names.

Q: Where does the Intel processor show its largest advantages?

A: Intel's largest wins are in PassMark physics (3843 vs 2168, a 43.6% lead), prime number finding (482 vs 262, a 45.6% lead), and floating-point math (163567 vs 117453, a 28.2% lead).

Q: Where does the AMD processor show its largest advantages?

A: AMD's largest wins are in PassMark integer math (195180 vs 122449, a 59.4% lead), data compression (677755 vs 493179, a 37.4% lead), and random string sorting (78781 vs 60020, a 31.3% lead).

Q: How do the two processors compare in overall database percentile?

A: The AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX is at the 95th percentile among all CPUs, while the Intel Core Ultra 7 270HX Plus is at the 93rd percentile. AMD's average benchmark score is 76212, Intel's is 61834.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The Cinebench results form a perfect block for AMD. Every test, from R15 multi-core (4305 vs 4224) to R23 single-core (6030 vs 5917), shows a 1.9% delta in AMD's favor. The consistency across generations of the Cinebench suite suggests a stable architectural advantage rather than a workload-specific outlier. The R20 multi-core result of 17939 vs 17603 and the R20 single-core result of 2532 vs 2485 both confirm the same pattern.

The PassMark suite tells a more complex story. AMD dominates integer math by 59.4%, scoring 195180 against Intel's 122449. Data compression shows AMD at 677755 against Intel's 493179, a 37.4% gap. Random string sorting gives AMD 78781 against 60020, a 31.3% lead. Extended instructions favor AMD by 26.8% (49823 vs 39283). Data encryption favors AMD by 8% (40836 vs 37813). The PassMark multithread test gives AMD a 6.5% win (51405 vs 48270).

Intel's wins are concentrated in four PassMark tests plus the duplicate single-thread entry. Physics shows Intel at 3843 against AMD's 2168, a 43.6% margin. Floating-point math gives Intel 163567 against AMD's 117453, a 28.2% margin. Prime number finding gives Intel 482 against AMD's 262, a 45.6% margin. The single-thread test gives Intel 4764 against AMD's 3907, an 18% margin.

The test count stands at 12 wins for AMD and 5 for Intel, but the margin analysis shows both processors have areas of clear superiority. AMD's multithreaded and memory-sensitive workloads show leads from 1.9% to 59.4%. Intel's scalar and floating-point workloads show leads from 18% to 45.6%. The average benchmark score, 76212 for AMD versus 61834 for Intel, reflects a 23.3% overall gap, which aligns with AMD's higher percentile ranking (95th vs 93rd).

Specification Differences

The core and thread counts differ significantly: AMD uses 16 cores and 32 threads, Intel uses 20 cores and 20 threads. AMD's base clock is 2.50 GHz with a 5.40 GHz boost; Intel's base is 2.40 GHz with a 5.30 GHz boost. Both have a 55 W TDP. AMD uses Zen 4 architecture with the Dragon Range codename; Intel uses the Arrow Lake-HX Refresh codename with no architecture field recorded. Process nodes differ: AMD is 5 nm, Intel is 3 nm, both at TSMC.

Transistor counts differ: AMD has 13,140 million, Intel has 17,800 million. Die size differs: AMD is 2x 71 mm², Intel is 243 mm². Cache configurations differ: AMD has 64 KB L1 per core, 1 MB L2 per core, and 64 MB L3; Intel has 192 KB L1 per core, 3 MB L2 per core, and 30 MB shared L3. Memory bandwidth favors Intel: 102.4 GB/s versus AMD's 83.2 GB/s, both on dual-channel DDR5.

Sockets differ: AMD uses AMD Socket FL1, Intel uses Intel BGA 2114. PCIe lanes differ: AMD has Gen 5 with 28 lanes (CPU only), Intel has Gen 5 with 20 lanes (CPU only). Integrated graphics differ: AMD uses Radeon 610M, Intel uses Arc Xe-LPG Graphics 64EU. Both have unlocked multipliers, no ECC support, and no launch MSRP recorded. Release dates differ: AMD on 2025-04-22, Intel on 2026-03-16. Both are active production mobile parts.