AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D vs Intel Core Ultra X7 368H Comparison

The data presents a clear split between two processors designed for entirely different environments. The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D is a desktop part with a 120 TDP, while the Intel Core Ultra X7 368H is a mobile part with a 25 TDP. The benchmark results show a consistent pattern: the AMD processor wins all 17 head-to-head comparisons, but the context of each chip’s intended use case is critical for interpretation. The Ryzen 9 9900X3D sits at the 91st percentile of all CPUs, while the Core Ultra X7 368H sits at the 87th percentile, indicating both are strong performers within their respective categories, even if the desktop chip’s raw scores are much higher.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D dominates every single benchmark in the head-to-head comparison, but the nature of those wins reveals where each processor is best deployed. The Ryzen 9 9900X3D wins by massive margins in heavily multithreaded workloads. In Cinebench R23 multicore, it scores 47737 against the Intel’s 28221, a 69.2% advantage. This pattern repeats across PassMark multithread, integer math, and data compression tests. The Ryzen 9 9900X3D delivers a 104% advantage in integer math and a 118.9% advantage in data compression. These are workloads that scale with core count, threads, and cache, all areas where the desktop chip is substantially stronger.

The Intel Core Ultra X7 368H, while losing every comparison, shows its relative strength in specific areas. Its narrowest loss is in floating point math, where it trails by only 13.2%. The single-thread gap is also relatively small at 16%, and the encryption gap is 31.9%. These smaller deltas suggest the mobile chip’s architecture is more balanced relative to the desktop part in tasks that do not scale perfectly with core count. The Intel part’s 16 cores and 16 threads, combined with its 5.00 GHz boost clock, keep it competitive in lightly threaded and floating-point workloads, even though it cannot match the Ryzen’s 12 cores and 24 threads in highly parallel tasks.

The Ryzen 9 9900X3D’s wins are not just about core count. Its 128 MB of L3 cache provides a substantial advantage in data compression, where it scores 685074 against the Intel’s 312927. The extended instructions test shows a 115.9% advantage, and random string sorting shows an 88.7% advantage. These results indicate the Ryzen 9 9900X3D excels in memory-heavy and instruction-heavy workloads, while the Intel Core Ultra X7 368H is a capable mobile processor that loses by smaller margins in single-threaded and floating-point tasks.

Architecture Differences

The two processors are built on fundamentally different architectures and manufacturing processes. The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D uses the Zen 5 architecture with the Granite Ridge codename, built on a 4 nm process at TSMC. The Intel Core Ultra X7 368H uses the Panther Lake architecture, built on a 3 nm process at Intel foundries. The process node difference is minimal, but the design philosophies diverge sharply.

The Ryzen 9 9900X3D features 12 cores and 24 threads, enabling simultaneous multithreading. The Intel Core Ultra X7 368H has 16 cores but only 16 threads, meaning it lacks hyper-threading. The Ryzen 9 9900X3D has a base clock of 4.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.50 GHz, while the Intel chip has a base clock of 2.00 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz. The higher base clock on the AMD part reflects its desktop power envelope of 120 watts, compared to the Intel’s mobile-oriented 25 watts.

Cache configurations differ dramatically. The Ryzen 9 9900X3D has 80 KB of L1 per core, 1 MB of L2 per core, and 128 MB of L3 cache. The Intel Core Ultra X7 368H has 192 KB of L1 per core, 2.5 MB of L2 per core, and only 18 MB of shared L3 cache. The Intel chip has more L1 and L2 per core, but the AMD chip’s massive L3 cache is a decisive factor in many benchmarks. The Ryzen 9 9900X3D uses a dual-channel DDR5 memory bus with 89.6 GB/s bandwidth, while the Intel chip uses dual-channel LPDDR5X with 153.6 GB/s bandwidth. The Intel mobile chip actually has higher memory bandwidth, but the AMD chip’s larger cache compensates in many workloads.

The Ryzen 9 9900X3D supports ECC memory, while the Intel chip does not. The AMD chip uses AMD Socket AM5 and has 24 PCIe Gen 5 lanes, while the Intel chip uses Intel BGA 2540 and has only 4 PCIe Gen 5 lanes. The Intel chip integrates Arc B390 graphics, while the AMD chip includes Radeon Graphics. The Ryzen 9 9900X3D has an unlocked multiplier, while the Intel chip does not. The Ryzen 9 9900X3D is part of the 9000 series and uses the Granite Ridge design, while the Intel chip is part of the Core Ultra Series 3 and uses the Panther Lake-H design.

The Verdict

The benchmark data indicates that the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D is the superior processor for raw performance in every measured category. It wins 17 of 17 head-to-head benchmarks, with advantages ranging from 13.2% in floating point math to 118.9% in data compression. Its average benchmark score is 54762, compared to the Intel’s 40518, a substantial gap that places the AMD chip in the 91st percentile and the Intel chip in the 87th percentile.

The Intel Core Ultra X7 368H is not a direct competitor in the traditional sense. Its 25 watt TDP and mobile BGA 2540 socket indicate it is designed for laptops and portable systems, while the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D is a desktop processor with a 120 watt TDP. The Intel chip’s 16 cores and 16 threads, along with its 153.6 GB/s memory bandwidth, make it a strong mobile option, but the data shows it cannot match the desktop chip’s performance. The Ryzen 9 9900X3D’s nearest rivals include the Intel Core Ultra 5 245KF, which is 0.6% slower on average, and the Intel Core Ultra 5 245K, which is 1.3% slower. The Intel Core Ultra X7 368H’s nearest rivals include the Intel Core 7 253PE, which is 0.1% faster, and the AMD Ryzen 9 7940H, which is 0.2% slower.

The choice between these two processors depends entirely on the target platform. For a desktop system where power consumption is not a constraint, the Ryzen 9 9900X3D is the clear choice based on the data. For a mobile system where the 25 watt TDP and integrated Arc B390 graphics are priorities, the Intel Core Ultra X7 368H is the appropriate option despite its lower benchmark scores. The data does not suggest the Intel chip is a weak processor; it simply operates in a different performance class due to its power envelope and form factor.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has more cores?

A: The Intel Core Ultra X7 368H has 16 cores, while the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D has 12 cores. However, the AMD chip has 24 threads due to simultaneous multithreading, while the Intel chip has 16 threads.

Q: What is the L3 cache difference?

A: The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D has 128 MB of L3 cache, while the Intel Core Ultra X7 368H has 18 MB of shared L3 cache.

Q: Which processor has a higher boost clock?

A: The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D has a boost clock of 5.50 GHz, while the Intel Core Ultra X7 368H has a boost clock of 5.00 GHz.

Q: Which processor has higher memory bandwidth?

A: The Intel Core Ultra X7 368H has a memory bandwidth of 153.6 GB/s, which is higher than the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D’s 89.6 GB/s. The Intel chip uses LPDDR5X memory, while the AMD chip uses DDR5.

Q: How large is the performance gap in Cinebench R23 multicore?

A: The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D scores 47737 in Cinebench R23 multicore, which is 69.2% higher than the Intel Core Ultra X7 368H’s score of 28221.

Q: Do both processors support ECC memory?

A: No. The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D supports ECC memory, while the Intel Core Ultra X7 368H does not.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head data shows a clean sweep for the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D across all 17 compared benchmarks. The largest single advantage appears in PassMark data compression, where the AMD chip scores 685074 against the Intel’s 312927, a delta of 118.9%. This result strongly correlates with the AMD chip’s 128 MB L3 cache, which is over seven times larger than the Intel’s 18 MB. The extended instructions test shows a similar pattern, with the AMD chip scoring 55426 versus 25669, a 115.9% advantage.

Integer math is another area of massive divergence. The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D scores 179727, while the Intel Core Ultra X7 368H scores 88083, a 104% difference. This result reflects the AMD chip’s 24 threads versus the Intel’s 16 threads, as integer math scales well with thread count. The random string sorting test shows an 88.7% advantage for the AMD chip, with scores of 71864 and 38093 respectively. Physics testing shows an 86.9% advantage, with the AMD chip scoring 5340 against the Intel’s 2857.

The Cinebench suite shows consistent 69.2% to 69.3% advantages for the AMD chip across R15, R20, and R23 in both single-core and multi-core tests. In Cinebench R23 multicore, the AMD chip scores 47737 versus 28221. In single-core, the AMD chip scores 6739 versus 3984. The PassMark multithread test shows a 70.4% advantage, with scores of 56154 and 32956.

The narrowest margins appear in floating point math, where the AMD chip leads by only 13.2%, scoring 119622 against the Intel’s 105681. The single-thread tests show a 16% advantage, with the AMD chip scoring 4646 and the Intel chip scoring 4005 in both passmark_single_thread and passmark_singlethread. Data encryption shows a 31.9% advantage for the AMD chip, with scores of 33282 and 25228. Prime number finding shows a 69.5% advantage, with scores of 544 and 321.

The Intel Core Ultra X7 368H’s strongest relative performance comes in floating point math, where its 105681 score is close to the AMD chip’s 119622. This suggests the Intel chip’s architecture handles floating-point workloads efficiently, even with fewer threads. The single-thread gap of 16% is also noteworthy, as it indicates the Intel chip’s 5.00 GHz boost clock keeps it competitive in lightly threaded tasks. However, the overall pattern is clear: the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D delivers substantially higher performance across every benchmark category in this comparison.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ in nearly every major specification. The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D has 12 cores and 24 threads, while the Intel Core Ultra X7 368H has 16 cores and 16 threads. The AMD chip has a base clock of 4.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.50 GHz, while the Intel chip has a base clock of 2.00 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz. The TDP differs significantly: the AMD chip is rated at 120 watts, while the Intel chip is rated at 25 watts.

The sockets are incompatible. The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D uses AMD Socket AM5, while the Intel Core Ultra X7 368H uses Intel BGA 2540. The process nodes are close but different: the AMD chip uses 4 nm TSMC fabrication, while the Intel chip uses 3 nm Intel fabrication. Cache configurations differ per core and in total. The AMD chip has 80 KB L1 per core and 1 MB L2 per core, while the Intel chip has 192 KB L1 per core and 2.5 MB L2 per core. The L3 cache is the biggest difference: 128 MB for the AMD chip versus 18 MB shared for the Intel chip.

Memory support differs. The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D supports DDR5 with a dual-channel bus and 89.6 GB/s bandwidth, while the Intel Core Ultra X7 368H supports LPDDR5X with a dual-channel bus and 153.6 GB/s bandwidth. The AMD chip supports ECC memory, but the Intel chip does not. PCIe lanes differ dramatically: the AMD chip has 24 PCIe Gen 5 lanes, while the Intel chip has 4 PCIe Gen 5 lanes.

Integrated graphics differ. The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D includes Radeon Graphics, while the Intel Core Ultra X7 368H includes Arc B390. The market segments are different: the AMD chip is a desktop processor, while the Intel chip is a mobile processor. The AMD chip has an unlocked multiplier, while the Intel chip does not. The AMD chip has a launch MSRP of $599, while the Intel chip has no launch MSRP listed. The transistor count for the AMD chip is 16,630 million, while the Intel chip’s transistor count is not listed. The AMD chip’s die size is 2x 70.6 mm², while the Intel chip’s die size is not listed.