AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX vs Intel Core Ultra 5 336H Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data presents a clear split between the AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX and the Intel Core Ultra 5 336H. The AMD part wins 12 of the 15 head-to-head benchmark comparisons, while Intel takes 3. The margins, however, tell a more nuanced story than the raw win count.

The largest advantage for AMD appears in PassMark integer math, where the Ryzen 9 9955HX scores 212598 against 62070 for the Intel chip, a 242.5% delta. This is the single biggest gap in the entire comparison. Data compression follows closely, with AMD at 731998 versus 280340, a 161.1% lead. Extended instructions show a 136.1% advantage (57946 vs 24542), and random string sorting comes in at 126.4% (77890 vs 34402). These four workloads are all throughput-oriented, and the AMD processor simply overwhelms the Intel part.

Multi-threaded rendering benchmarks reinforce this pattern. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX scores 5905 against 2418 for the Core Ultra 5 336H, a 144.2% delta. Cinebench R23 multi-core shows a 54.9% advantage with scores of 37159 and 23991 respectively. PassMark multithread confirms the trend at 96.8% (56171 vs 28545). Floating-point math gives AMD a 65.8% edge (136682 vs 82415), and data encryption shows a 75.3% lead (37330 vs 21291). Even the closest multi-threaded victory, PassMark physics, goes to AMD by just 1.4% (2720 vs 2682).

Intel's wins are concentrated in single-core and specific integer workloads. The most striking is Cinebench R23 single-core, where Intel scores 3387 against AMD's 2174, a 35.8% advantage. This is the largest Intel win by far. Cinebench R15 single-core goes to Intel by a narrow 1.5% margin (341 vs 336). PassMark find prime numbers also favors Intel, 299 against 287, a 4% edge.

The one benchmark where AMD wins but by a modest margin is PassMark single-thread: 4393 versus 4013, a 9.5% lead. Interestingly, this contradicts the Cinebench single-core results. The Cinebench R23 single-core test appears to be an outlier in Intel's favor, while the PassMark single-thread test favors AMD. The data indicates that single-threaded performance depends heavily on the specific workload and instruction mix.

Overall, the average benchmark score for the AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX is 91199, placing it at the 96th percentile of all CPUs in the database. The Intel Core Ultra 5 336H averages 34485, at the 84th percentile. The AMD part's nearest rivals in the database include the Intel Xeon 654 (0.5% higher average score) and the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 392 (0.7% higher), while the Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus sits 2.8% above the AMD chip. The Intel Core Ultra 5 336H, by contrast, trades nearly evenly with the Intel Core i7-13700HX (0.2% behind), the Intel Core i5-13450HX (0.4% ahead), the AMD Ryzen 7 3700X (0.7% ahead), and the AMD Ryzen AI 7 350 (0.8% ahead).

FAQ

Q: Which processor wins more head-to-head benchmarks?

A: The AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX wins 12 of the 15 recorded head-to-head comparisons, while the Intel Core Ultra 5 336H wins 3.

Q: What is the largest single benchmark margin between the two?

A: PassMark integer math shows the biggest gap, with the AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX scoring 212598 versus 62070 for the Intel Core Ultra 5 336H, a 242.5% delta.

Q: Does the Intel chip win any benchmarks?

A: Yes, the Intel Core Ultra 5 336H wins Cinebench R23 single-core (3387 vs 2174, a 35.8% lead), Cinebench R15 single-core (341 vs 336, a 1.5% lead), and PassMark find prime numbers (299 vs 287, a 4% lead).

Q: How do the two compare in multi-threaded rendering?

A: The AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX leads by 144.2% in Cinebench R15 multi-core (5905 vs 2418) and by 54.9% in Cinebench R23 multi-core (37159 vs 23991).

Q: What are the percentile rankings?

A: The AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX sits at the 96th percentile of all CPUs, while the Intel Core Ultra 5 336H sits at the 84th percentile.

Q: How close are their nearest rivals?

A: The AMD part's closest rival is the Intel Xeon 654 with a 0.5% higher average score. The Intel part's closest rival is the Intel Core i7-13700HX, with the Core Ultra 5 336H sitting 0.2% lower in average score.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from fundamentally different design philosophies. The AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX uses the Zen 5 architecture under the Fire Range codename, part of the 9000 series. It is built on a 4 nm process at TSMC with 16,630 million transistors across a dual-chip die layout of 2x 70.6 mm². The Intel Core Ultra 5 336H uses the Panther Lake architecture, part of the Core Ultra Series 3 generation, built on a 3 nm process at Intel.

Cache organization differs sharply. The AMD part provides 80 KB of L1 per core, 1 MB of L2 per core, and 64 MB of shared L3 cache. The Intel part provides 192 KB of L1 per core, 2.5 MB of L2 per core, and only 18 MB of shared L3. Intel's larger per-core L1 and L2 caches contrast with AMD's much larger L3 pool, which likely contributes to the AMD processor's dominance in data-heavy multi-threaded workloads.

Memory support also diverges. The AMD chip supports DDR5 over a dual-channel bus with 89.6 GB/s of memory bandwidth and ECC memory enabled. The Intel chip supports both DDR5 and LPDDR5X over a dual-channel bus with 115.2 GB/s of memory bandwidth, but without ECC. Intel's higher memory bandwidth, 115.2 GB/s versus 89.6 GB/s, is notable given that the AMD part still wins most memory-sensitive benchmarks.

PCIe connectivity differs as well. The AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX provides Gen 5 with 28 lanes from the CPU, while the Intel Core Ultra 5 336H provides Gen 5 with only 12 lanes. The integrated graphics are distinct: AMD uses Radeon 610M, Intel uses Xe3 Graphics. The AMD processor has an unlocked multiplier, while the Intel processor does not. The AMD part belongs to the Ryzen 9 generation (Zen 5, Fire Range), whereas the Intel part belongs to the Ultra 5 generation (Panther Lake-H).

Process node and foundry also separate the two. AMD relies on TSMC's 4 nm process, while Intel uses its own 3 nm process. The transistor count for the Intel chip is not recorded in the database, nor is its die size, making a direct transistor-density comparison impossible from the available data.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ across several recorded specification fields.

The AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX and Intel Core Ultra 5 336H both have 16 cores, but the AMD chip supports 32 threads while the Intel chip supports only 16. This 2:1 thread ratio explains much of the multi-threaded performance gap. Clock speeds differ substantially: the AMD part has a 2.50 GHz base clock and a 5.40 GHz boost clock, while the Intel part has a 1.90 GHz base clock and a 4.60 GHz boost clock.

Thermal design power differs significantly. The AMD processor is rated at 55 W TDP, while the Intel processor is rated at 25 W TDP. The AMD part consumes more power but delivers substantially higher multi-threaded performance. The socket differs: AMD uses Socket FL1, Intel uses BGA 2540.

Cache specifications differ as described above: AMD uses 80 KB L1 per core, 1 MB L2 per core, and 64 MB shared L3. Intel uses 192 KB L1 per core, 2.5 MB L2 per core, and 18 MB shared L3.

Memory bandwidth favors Intel at 115.2 GB/s versus AMD's 89.6 GB/s. ECC memory support is present on the AMD chip but absent on the Intel chip. PCIe lanes favor AMD at 28 Gen 5 lanes versus Intel's 12 Gen 5 lanes. Integrated graphics differ: Radeon 610M on the AMD side, Intel Xe3 Graphics on the Intel side.

The multiplier is unlocked on the AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX and locked on the Intel Core Ultra 5 336H. Release dates also differ: the AMD processor was released on 2025-01-05, while the Intel processor was released on 2026-01-04. Part numbers are recorded as 100-000001028 for AMD and SA4RD for Intel.

The Verdict

The benchmark data indicates that the AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX is the stronger processor for multi-threaded and throughput-heavy workloads. It wins 12 of 15 head-to-head comparisons, with margins exceeding 100% in four tests (integer math at 242.5%, data compression at 161.1%, Cinebench R15 multi-core at 144.2%, and extended instructions at 136.1%). Its average benchmark score of 91199 places it at the 96th percentile, far above the Intel part's 34485 average at the 84th percentile.

The Intel Core Ultra 5 336H has a clear strength in single-core Cinebench workloads, particularly Cinebench R23 single-core where it leads by 35.8%. It also edges out the AMD chip in Cinebench R15 single-core and PassMark find prime numbers, though by much smaller margins. The Intel part's lower 25 W TDP and higher memory bandwidth of 115.2 GB/s are notable advantages, but the recorded benchmark data does not show these translating into overall performance wins.

For workloads that depend on many threads, large shared cache, or heavy integer and floating-point math, the AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX is the clear choice based on the recorded measurements. For single-core rendering tasks, particularly those similar to Cinebench R23 single-core, the Intel Core Ultra 5 336H shows a decisive edge. The 16-core, 32-thread configuration of the AMD part, combined with 64 MB of shared L3 cache, gives it a structural advantage that the Intel part's larger per-core caches and higher memory bandwidth cannot overcome in aggregate.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX dominates in multi-threaded compute. Cinebench R15 multi-core shows a 144.2% lead, Cinebench R23 multi-core shows a 54.9% lead, and PassMark multithread shows a 96.8% lead. Data-heavy workloads favor AMD heavily: data compression at 161.1%, integer math at 242.5%, extended instructions at 136.1%, and random string sorting at 126.4%. Encryption and floating-point math also go to AMD with 75.3% and 65.8% leads respectively. Even the narrowest AMD win in physics (1.4%) and the 9.5% single-thread lead in PassMark indicate broad superiority across most measured categories.

The Intel Core Ultra 5 336H wins in three specific areas. Cinebench R23 single-core is its strongest showing at 35.8% ahead, which suggests an advantage in single-threaded rendering workloads of that type. Cinebench R15 single-core goes to Intel by 1.5%, a small but consistent result within the same benchmark family. PassMark find prime numbers gives Intel a 4% edge, indicating a slight advantage in prime-number computation specifically.

The practical split is clear. Users running heavily parallel workloads, large data sets, encryption tasks, or integer-heavy computations should look to the AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX based on the recorded data. Users whose primary workload resembles Cinebench single-core rendering, or who prioritize the lower 25 W TDP of the Intel part, would find the Intel Core Ultra 5 336H competitive in those narrow scenarios. The overall benchmark average, 91199 for AMD versus 34485 for Intel, summarizes the performance hierarchy: the AMD part is in a different performance class, while the Intel part offers a more power-efficient alternative with specific single-core strengths.