AMD Ryzen 9 9900X vs Intel Core Ultra 5 336H Comparison

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X and Intel Core Ultra 5 336H occupy different corners of the processor market, but their benchmark data reveals a clear performance hierarchy. The Ryzen 9 9900X, a desktop part, and the Core Ultra 5 336H, a mobile chip, share little in common beyond their active production status. The recorded measurements show the AMD processor winning 14 of the 15 head-to-head comparisons, with the Intel part taking a single, notable victory.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The most decisive win for the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X comes in PassMark integer math, where its score of 181,056 dwarfs the Intel Core Ultra 5 336H’s 62,070, a delta of 191.7%. This is the largest percentage gap in the entire comparison set. Data compression follows closely, with the AMD part scoring 683,579 against 280,340, a 143.8% advantage. Extended instruction workloads show a similar pattern: 55,243 versus 24,542, a 125.1% lead. Random string sorting also favors AMD heavily, at 72,013 versus 34,402, which is a 109.3% difference.

Cinebench R15 multicore performance places the Ryzen 9 9900X at 5,008 points compared to 2,418 for the Intel chip, a 107.1% advantage. PassMark multithread results show 54,643 against 28,545, a 91.4% lead for the AMD processor. Data encryption shows a 57% gap, with scores of 33,421 and 21,291. Prime number finding, floating point math, and physics tests all favor the AMD part with deltas of 45.8%, 45.7%, and 26.1% respectively.

The single-threaded picture is more nuanced. In Cinebench R15 single-core, the Ryzen 9 9900X edges out a 3.5% win with 353 points versus 341. PassMark single-thread tests show a 16.4% lead for the AMD processor, scoring 4,672 against 4,013. However, the Intel Core Ultra 5 336H secures its only victory in Cinebench R23 single-core, posting 3,387 points against the AMD chip’s 2,253, a 33.5% margin in Intel’s favor. This single result highlights a specific workload where the newer mobile architecture outperforms the desktop part. The average benchmark score for the Ryzen 9 9900X sits at 57,498, placing it in the 92nd percentile of all CPUs. The Core Ultra 5 336H averages 34,485, which lands in the 84th percentile.

Architecture Differences

The two processors are built on fundamentally different foundations. The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X uses the Zen 5 architecture under the Granite Ridge codename, fabricated on a 4 nm process at TSMC. The Intel Core Ultra 5 336H uses the Panther Lake architecture, produced on a 3 nm process at Intel’s own foundry. The AMD chip is a desktop part with an AMD Socket AM5, while the Intel chip is a mobile processor with an Intel BGA 2540 socket. The AMD processor has 12 cores and 24 threads, whereas the Intel processor has 16 cores and 16 threads, indicating that the Intel part lacks simultaneous multithreading.

Cache hierarchies differ substantially. The AMD processor allocates 80 KB of L1 cache per core and 1 MB of L2 per core, with 64 MB of shared L3. The Intel processor provides 192 KB of L1 per core and 2.5 MB of L2 per core, but only 18 MB of shared L3. The AMD chip benefits from a much larger total L3 pool. Memory support also diverges: the AMD part supports DDR5 with 89.6 GB/s of bandwidth, while the Intel part supports both DDR5 and LPDDR5X with 115.2 GB/s. ECC memory is supported on the AMD processor but not on the Intel part. PCIe lanes differ as well, with the AMD processor offering Gen 5 with 24 lanes, while the Intel processor provides Gen 5 with 12 lanes. Integrated graphics are present on both, with AMD using Radeon Graphics and Intel using Xe3 Graphics.

Clock speeds and power targets diverge sharply. The AMD processor has a base clock of 4.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz with a TDP of 120 watts. The Intel processor has a base clock of 1.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.60 GHz with a TDP of 25 watts. The Intel chip’s lower power envelope explains its lower sustained multithreaded performance despite having more physical cores. The AMD processor has an unlocked multiplier, while the Intel processor does not. The AMD part carries a launch MSRP of $499; no launch MSRP is recorded for the Intel part. The AMD processor was released in August 2024, while the Intel processor has a release date in January 2026.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has more physical cores?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 336H has 16 cores, while the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X has 12 cores. However, the AMD processor supports 24 threads versus 16 for the Intel part.

Q: Does the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X always outperform the Intel Core Ultra 5 336H?

A: No. In the head-to-head benchmark set, the Intel processor wins one test: Cinebench R23 single-core, where it scores 3,387 against 2,253, a 33.5% margin. The AMD processor wins the other 14 tests.

Q: What is the largest performance difference between the two?

A: The largest delta is in PassMark integer math, where the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X scores 181,056 versus 62,070 for the Intel Core Ultra 5 336H, a 191.7% advantage.

Q: How does the average benchmark score compare?

A: The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X has an average benchmark score of 57,498, which places it in the 92nd percentile. The Intel Core Ultra 5 336H averages 34,485, placing it in the 84th percentile.

Q: Which processor supports ECC memory?

A: The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X supports ECC memory. The Intel Core Ultra 5 336H does not.

Q: What are the TDP ratings for each processor?

A: The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X has a TDP of 120 watts, while the Intel Core Ultra 5 336H has a TDP of 25 watts.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ across nearly every specification field. The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X is a desktop part with 12 cores and 24 threads; the Intel Core Ultra 5 336H is a mobile part with 16 cores and 16 threads. Base clocks are 4.40 GHz for AMD versus 1.90 GHz for Intel. Boost clocks are 5.60 GHz versus 4.60 GHz. TDP is 120 watts versus 25 watts. The AMD part uses AMD Socket AM5, while the Intel part uses Intel BGA 2540. The AMD architecture is Zen 5 with codename Granite Ridge; the Intel architecture is Panther Lake with the same codename. Process nodes are 4 nm from TSMC for AMD and 3 nm from Intel for the Intel chip. The AMD processor has 16,630 million transistors and a die size of 2x 70.6 mm²; no transistor count or die size is recorded for the Intel processor. L1 cache is 80 KB per core for AMD and 192 KB per core for Intel. L2 cache is 1 MB per core for AMD and 2.5 MB per core for Intel. L3 cache is 64 MB for AMD and 18 MB shared for Intel. Memory support is DDR5 for AMD and DDR5/LPDDR5X for Intel. Memory bandwidth is 89.6 GB/s for AMD and 115.2 GB/s for Intel. ECC memory support is present on AMD but absent on Intel. PCIe is Gen 5 with 24 lanes for AMD and Gen 5 with 12 lanes for Intel. Integrated graphics are Radeon Graphics on AMD and Intel Xe3 Graphics on Intel. The multiplier is unlocked on AMD and locked on Intel. The AMD part number is 100-000000662; the Intel part number is SA4RD. The AMD release date is August 2024; the Intel release date is January 2026. The AMD launch MSRP is $499; no MSRP is recorded for Intel.

The Verdict

The data indicates a clear split along use-case lines. For desktop workloads where power draw is not a constraint, the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X delivers substantially higher throughput in nearly every measured category. Its 107.1% lead in Cinebench R15 multicore and 191.7% lead in PassMark integer math make it the stronger choice for compute-heavy tasks. The 120 watt TDP and 24 threads support sustained multi-threaded performance that the 25 watt Intel part cannot match.

The Intel Core Ultra 5 336H belongs in a mobile context, where its 25 watt TDP and 16 cores offer a different balance. Its single victory in Cinebench R23 single-core, a 33.5% margin, shows that its newer 3 nm Panther Lake architecture has strong single-thread efficiency. The higher memory bandwidth of 115.2 GB/s and support for LPDDR5X also suit a mobile platform. However, its average benchmark score of 34,485 against 57,498 for the AMD part, and its lower 84th percentile ranking, place it well behind in raw performance. The choice depends on whether the workload demands desktop-class throughput from the Ryzen 9 9900X or mobile efficiency from the Core Ultra 5 336H.