AMD Ryzen 9 9850HX vs Intel Xeon w7-3555 Comparison

The AMD Ryzen 9 9850HX and Intel Xeon w7-3555 are both 97th-percentile CPUs, with average benchmark scores of 106,413 and 106,192 respectively. The overall performance gap is razor-thin, with the AMD chip leading by a mere 0.2%, but the distribution of that performance could not be more different. The Xeon w7-3555 crushes the Ryzen in every multi-threaded workload in the PassMark suite, while the Ryzen 9850HX delivers a decisive single-thread victory. This is a classic workstation-versus-mobile-chip showdown, resolved by core count and power envelope rather than architectural elegance.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The Intel Xeon w7-3555 wins nine of the eleven head-to-head comparisons, and it does so by substantial margins. The largest gap appears in the PassMark physics test, where the Xeon scores 5,802 against the Ryzen’s 3,054, a 47.4% advantage. That result reflects the Xeon’s 28 cores and 56 threads, which allow it to brute-force simulations that rely on parallel execution. Floating-point math tells a similar story: the Xeon posts 190,917 versus 115,062, a 39.7% lead. For workloads that scale with core count, the Xeon is simply in a different league.

Data compression follows the same trend, with the Xeon scoring 966,970 against the Ryzen’s 662,381, a 31.5% deficit for the AMD part. Encryption shows a 33.1% gap (48,007 vs. 32,139), and extended instruction performance is 30.7% lower on the Ryzen (77,619 vs. 53,817). Integer math is also firmly in Intel’s court: 244,642 vs. 172,943, a 29.3% margin. Even the random string sorting test, which can favor memory latency, goes to the Xeon at 96,112 versus 70,175, a 27% difference. Prime number finding, a test that often rewards high-frequency cores, still favors the Xeon at 398 vs. 323, an 18.8% edge. The multithread benchmark caps the Intel sweep at 67,754 vs. 51,722, a 23.7% lead.

The Ryzen 9 9850HX has exactly one repeated head-to-head win: the single-thread test. It scores 4,461 compared to the Xeon’s 3,549, a 25.7% advantage. That is a massive single-core lead, driven by the Ryzen’s 5.20 GHz boost clock versus the Xeon’s 4.80 GHz, and it shows up in both single-thread benchmarks listed. For any application that is latency-bound or lightly threaded — think legacy code, certain scripting workloads, or UI responsiveness — the AMD chip is clearly superior. But it is important to note that this single-thread win does not translate into any other PassMark subtest victory; the Xeon’s raw core count overwhelms the Ryzen’s per-core speed everywhere else.

The average benchmark scores nearly cancel out: 106,413 for the Ryzen and 106,192 for the Xeon. In the nearestRivals data, the Xeon w7-2595X sits above both at 108,663, while the AMD EPYC 8324P trails at 103,329. The deltaPct between the two main contenders is a negligible 0.2%, meaning the overall geometric mean of all tests is essentially tied. However, that average hides the bimodal nature of the results: the Xeon wins by 20-40% in multi-threaded tests, while the Ryzen wins by 25.7% in single-thread. The choice between them is not about which is faster on average, but which workload profile you actually run.

FAQ

Q: Which CPU has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Ryzen 9 9850HX has a slightly higher average benchmark score of 106,413, compared to the Intel Xeon w7-3555’s 106,192. The difference is 0.2%.

Q: How many cores and threads does each processor have?

A: The AMD Ryzen 9 9850HX has 12 cores and 24 threads. The Intel Xeon w7-3555 has 28 cores and 56 threads.

Q: Which chip wins the PassMark multithread test?

A: The Intel Xeon w7-3555 wins the PassMark multithread test with a score of 67,754, which is 23.7% higher than the AMD Ryzen 9 9850HX’s score of 51,722.

Q: What is the single-thread performance difference?

A: The AMD Ryzen 9 9850HX scores 4,461 on the PassMark single-thread test, which is 25.7% higher than the Intel Xeon w7-3555’s score of 3,549.

Q: Do both CPUs support ECC memory?

A: Yes, both the AMD Ryzen 9 9850HX and the Intel Xeon w7-3555 list ECC memory support as true.

Q: What is the memory bandwidth difference?

A: The Intel Xeon w7-3555 has an eight-channel memory bus with 307.2 GB/s of bandwidth. The AMD Ryzen 9 9850HX has a dual-channel bus with 89.6 GB/s. The Xeon offers 3.4 times the raw bandwidth.

The Verdict

The data points to two distinct buyer profiles. If your work is dominated by parallel, compute-heavy tasks — rendering, simulation, physics, data compression, encryption — the Intel Xeon w7-3555 is the clear choice. It wins 9 of 11 head-to-head tests, with margins ranging from 18.8% to 47.4%. The 28-core, 56-thread configuration provides a 23.7% lead in the multithread benchmark, and the 307.2 GB/s eight-channel memory bandwidth is a massive advantage for data-intensive workloads. The Xeon is the workstation part, period.

If your workload is largely single-threaded or latency-sensitive, the AMD Ryzen 9 9850HX is the right pick. Its 25.7% single-thread lead is decisive, and it achieves this while consuming a fraction of the power (55W TDP vs. 325W). The Ryzen also has a higher boost clock (5.20 GHz vs. 4.80 GHz) and is unlocked for overclocking, which could extend its lead further. For a mobile platform or a compact system where per-core responsiveness matters more than raw throughput, the Ryzen is the winner.

There is no overall winner because the average scores are within 0.2% of each other. The verdict is contextual: choose the Xeon for throughput, the Ryzen for responsiveness. The 97th-percentile ranking for both confirms that either will be a top-tier CPU, but the benchmark distribution makes it impossible to recommend one for all scenarios.

Specification Differences

The two CPUs differ on almost every physical and platform specification. The AMD Ryzen 9 9850HX uses 12 cores and 24 threads, while the Intel Xeon w7-3555 doubles that to 28 cores and 56 threads. Base clocks are 3.00 GHz for the AMD and 2.70 GHz for the Intel, but boost clocks reverse the order: 5.20 GHz for the AMD, 4.80 GHz for the Intel. TDP is the most dramatic split — 55W for the Ryzen versus 325W for the Xeon.

The sockets are incompatible: AMD Socket FL1 for the Ryzen, Intel Socket 4677 for the Xeon. The Ryzen is a mobile part, while the Xeon is a server/workstation processor. Memory channels differ significantly: dual-channel for the AMD (89.6 GB/s) versus eight-channel for the Intel (307.2 GB/s). PCIe lane counts also diverge, with the Intel offering 112 Gen 5 lanes versus 28 Gen 5 lanes for the AMD. The Ryzen has integrated Radeon 610M graphics; the Xeon has no integrated graphics. The Ryzen has an unlocked multiplier; the Xeon is locked. The Xeon has a launch MSRP of $2339; the Ryzen has no launch MSRP listed.

Architecture Differences

The AMD Ryzen 9 9850HX is built on Zen 5 architecture with the codename Fire Range, manufactured on a 4nm process by TSMC. It uses 16,630 million transistors across two 70.6 mm² dies. The Intel Xeon w7-3555 uses Sapphire Rapids architecture, built on a 10nm process by Intel, with four 477 mm² dies. The process node difference is notable: 4nm versus 10nm gives the AMD chip a significant density and efficiency advantage, which explains its much lower 55W TDP.

Cache configurations also differ. Both have 80 KB of L1 per core, but the L2 cache is 1 MB per core on the AMD versus 2 MB per core on the Intel. Total L3 cache is 64 MB for the Ryzen and 75 MB for the Xeon. The Intel part has a smaller L3 per core (2.68 MB vs. 5.33 MB) but a larger total pool. The AMD’s larger per-core cache likely contributes to its single-thread advantage. The Xeon’s 4x 477 mm² die size versus the AMD’s 2x 70.6 mm² reflects a much larger physical package, consistent with its higher core count and power envelope.

Where Each One Wins

The Intel Xeon w7-3555 wins any workload that scales with core count or memory bandwidth. The 23.7% multithread lead, 39.7% floating-point lead, and 31.5% data compression lead make it the go-to for 3D rendering, scientific computing, database compression, and encryption tasks. The 307.2 GB/s memory bandwidth is critical for large datasets that do not fit in cache. The Xeon also wins physics simulations by 47.4%, making it the obvious choice for engineering or financial modeling that runs parallel solvers.

The AMD Ryzen 9 9850HX wins single-threaded and lightly threaded applications. The 25.7% single-thread advantage means it will feel faster in everyday desktop use, legacy software that uses one core, and applications with serial bottlenecks. The 5.20 GHz boost clock and unlocked multiplier offer headroom for tuning. The 55W TDP and integrated Radeon 610M make it viable for a compact or mobile system where the 325W Xeon would require serious cooling and a large power supply. For any code that cannot use more than a few threads, the Ryzen is the clear winner.