AMD Ryzen 9 9850HX vs Intel Core Ultra 5 250KF Plus Comparison

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Ryzen 9 9850HX and Intel Core Ultra 5 250KF Plus split their benchmark wins almost evenly, with Intel taking six of the eleven head-to-head tests and AMD taking five. The split is not cosmetic: each processor dominates in a distinct category of work, and the patterns are consistent across the recorded data.

The AMD Ryzen 9 9850HX wins in integer-heavy and data-processing tasks. Its largest victory is in integer math, where it scores 172,943 against Intel's 123,030, a 40.6% advantage. That is the single biggest margin in the entire comparison. The AMD chip also leads in data compression (662,381 vs. 553,155, a 19.7% edge) and extended instructions (53,817 vs. 42,880, a 25.5% edge). Multithreaded performance also favors AMD: 51,722 vs. 50,146, a 3.1% win, and random string sorting goes to AMD as well (70,175 vs. 67,209, a 4.4% edge). These are workloads that rely on high core counts, efficient thread scheduling, and large shared caches, all of which align with AMD's 12-core/24-thread configuration and 64 MB of L3 cache.

The Intel Core Ultra 5 250KF Plus wins in floating-point, encryption, prime-number finding, physics simulation, and single-thread performance. Its standout result is floating-point math: 159,824 vs. 115,062, a 28% advantage. Data encryption shows a 22.2% lead (41,292 vs. 32,139), and find prime numbers shows a 28.5% lead (452 vs. 323). Physics simulation is close but Intel takes it (3,183 vs. 3,054, a 4.1% edge). In single-thread tests, Intel scores 4,698 vs. AMD's 4,461, a 5% advantage. These wins point to Intel's higher base clock (4.20 GHz vs. 3.00 GHz), higher boost clock (5.30 GHz vs. 5.20 GHz), and its 18-core/18-thread design, which trades simultaneous multithreading for raw core count.

The overall average benchmark score tells a different story than the head-to-head wins. AMD's average is 106,413, while Intel's is 66,159. That large gap reflects the fact that AMD's average includes its PassMark scores, which are much higher than Intel's Cinebench scores, not that AMD is universally faster. The head-to-head table, which uses only common PassMark tests, is the fairer comparison: five wins for AMD, six for Intel, with AMD winning the multithread test but Intel winning single-thread.

The Verdict

The data supports a clear split based on workload type. For integer math, data compression, extended instruction sets, and multithreaded throughput, the AMD Ryzen 9 9850HX is the stronger processor. Its 40.6% lead in integer math and 25.5% lead in extended instructions are decisive, and its 3.1% multithread win, though modest, confirms that 24 threads outperform 18 threads in heavily parallel tasks.

For floating-point math, encryption, prime-number finding, physics simulation, and single-thread responsiveness, the Intel Core Ultra 5 250KF Plus is the stronger processor. Its 28% lead in floating-point math and 28.5% lead in prime-number finding are large, and its 5% single-thread advantage means faster per-core execution in lightly threaded applications.

The AMD part belongs in a mobile system (Socket FL1, 55 W TDP, Radeon 610M integrated graphics) and targets users who need maximum multithreaded throughput per watt. The Intel part is a desktop processor (Socket 1851, 125 W TDP, no integrated graphics) with a launch MSRP of $184, aimed at users who prioritize single-thread speed and floating-point workloads. Neither chip is a universal winner; the choice depends on whether the workload leans integer-heavy (choose AMD) or floating-point/single-thread-heavy (choose Intel).

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The largest margins in the comparison belong to AMD in integer math. AMD scores 172,943, Intel scores 123,030, a 40.6% difference. This is a dominant result and suggests AMD's Zen 5 architecture with 24 threads handles integer operations far more efficiently than Intel's 18-thread Arrow Lake design.

AMD also wins extended instructions by a wide margin: 53,817 vs. 42,880, a 25.5% edge. Data compression follows at 19.7% (662,381 vs. 553,155). These three results account for AMD's three largest wins and show a consistent pattern in data-processing and instruction-heavy workloads.

Intel's largest wins are in floating-point math and prime-number finding. Floating-point math goes to Intel at 159,824 vs. 115,062, a 28% margin. Find prime numbers shows Intel at 452 vs. 323, a 28.5% margin. Data encryption is also strongly Intel-favored: 41,292 vs. 32,139, a 22.2% edge.

The multithread test is close. AMD scores 51,722, Intel scores 50,146, a 3.1% win for AMD. This is surprising given Intel's 18 cores versus AMD's 12 cores, but AMD's 24 threads and 64 MB L3 cache appear to compensate. Random string sorting is also close: AMD wins 70,175 vs. 67,209, a 4.4% margin.

Physics simulation favors Intel narrowly: 3,183 vs. 3,054, a 4.1% edge. Single-thread performance also favors Intel: 4,698 vs. 4,461, a 5% margin. Both single-thread tests (passmark_single_thread and passmark_singlethread) record identical scores, confirming the result.

The overall win count is 6 for Intel and 5 for AMD, but the magnitude of AMD's wins in integer math, extended instructions, and data compression is larger than Intel's wins in most categories. Intel's floating-point and prime-number wins are large too, but AMD's integer win is the single most decisive result in the dataset.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has more cores and threads?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 250KF Plus has 18 cores and 18 threads. The AMD Ryzen 9 9850HX has 12 cores and 24 threads. AMD uses simultaneous multithreading to double its thread count, while Intel does not.

Q: Which processor has the higher boost clock?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 250KF Plus has a boost clock of 5.30 GHz. The AMD Ryzen 9 9850HX has a boost clock of 5.20 GHz. Intel also has a higher base clock: 4.20 GHz vs. 3.00 GHz.

Q: Which processor wins in single-thread performance?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 250KF Plus scores 4,698 in the single-thread test, compared to AMD's 4,461, a 5% advantage. Both processors record the same score in the two single-thread tests listed.

Q: Which processor has the larger L3 cache?

A: The AMD Ryzen 9 9850HX has 64 MB of L3 cache. The Intel Core Ultra 5 250KF Plus has 30 MB of shared L3 cache. AMD's larger cache likely contributes to its wins in data compression and integer math.

Q: Which processor supports ECC memory?

A: Both processors support ECC memory. Both also support DDR5 memory and dual-channel memory buses.

Q: Which processor has integrated graphics?

A: The AMD Ryzen 9 9850HX includes Radeon 610M integrated graphics. The Intel Core Ultra 5 250KF Plus has no integrated graphics (N/A).

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from different architectural lineages. AMD uses the Zen 5 architecture, codenamed Fire Range, belonging to the Ryzen 9 generation. Intel uses the Arrow Lake Refresh architecture, belonging to the Core Ultra Series 2 generation.

The process nodes differ: AMD is built on a 4 nm process, Intel on a 3 nm process. Both are manufactured by TSMC. Transistor counts are close: AMD has 16,630 million transistors across a die size of 2x 70.6 mm², while Intel has 17,800 million transistors on a 243 mm² die.

Cache layouts differ significantly. AMD provides 80 KB of L1 per core, 1 MB of L2 per core, and 64 MB of shared L3. Intel provides 192 KB of L1 per core, 3 MB of L2 per core, and 30 MB of shared L3. AMD's L3 is more than double Intel's, while Intel's per-core L1 and L2 are larger.

PCIe support differs: AMD offers Gen 5 with 28 lanes (CPU only), Intel offers Gen 5 with 20 lanes (CPU only). Both support DDR5 memory, but memory bandwidth differs: AMD lists 89.6 GB/s, Intel lists 115.2 GB/s.

The AMD processor is a mobile part (Socket FL1, 55 W TDP) with Radeon 610M integrated graphics. The Intel processor is a desktop part (Socket 1851, 125 W TDP) with no integrated graphics. Both have unlocked multipliers and are currently marked active in production.

Specification Differences

The recorded specifications show clear differences between the two processors.

| Specification | AMD Ryzen 9 9850HX | Intel Core Ultra 5 250KF Plus |

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

| Cores | 12 | 18 |

| Threads | 24 | 18 |

| Base clock | 3.00 GHz | 4.20 GHz |

| Boost clock | 5.20 GHz | 5.30 GHz |

| TDP | 55 W | 125 W |

| Socket | AMD Socket FL1 | Intel Socket 1851 |

| Process node | 4 nm | 3 nm |

| L1 cache | 80 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 | 89.6 GB/s | 115.2 GB/s |

| PCIe lanes | Gen 5, 28 Lanes (CPU only) | Gen 5, 20 Lanes (CPU only) |

| Integrated graphics | Radeon 610M | N/A |

| Market segment | Mobile | Desktop |

| Launch MSRP | None | $184 |

The market segment difference is fundamental: AMD targets mobile systems with a 55 W TDP, Intel targets desktop systems with a 125 W TDP. That explains the higher clocks on Intel (4.20 GHz base, 5.30 GHz boost) and the higher memory bandwidth (115.2 GB/s vs. 89.6 GB/s). AMD compensates with more threads (24 vs. 18) and a much larger L3 cache (64 MB vs. 30 MB). The release dates also differ: AMD launched on 2025-01-05, Intel on 2026-03-10.