AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX3D vs Intel Core 5 330 Comparison

The AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX3D and Intel Core 5 330 occupy different corners of the mobile processor market, and the benchmark data reflects a clear performance hierarchy between them. The AMD part is a 16-core, 32-thread flagship built on the Zen 5 architecture, while the Intel part is a 6-core, 6-thread chip aimed at efficiency-focused systems. Across the recorded head-to-head tests, the Ryzen 9 wins all 15 comparisons, with margins ranging from a modest 10.3% in single-threaded workloads to a dominant 569% in integer math. The gap in multi-core performance is stark, but the single-core results show a closer contest, suggesting the Intel chip holds its own in lightly threaded tasks.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The data shows a consistent and often overwhelming advantage for the AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX3D across every benchmark category. The largest margin appears in PassMark integer math, where the AMD chip scores 222503 against Intel's 33258, a delta of 569%. This indicates a massive throughput advantage in arithmetic-heavy workloads, likely stemming from the AMD chip's 16 cores and 32 threads versus the Intel chip's 6 cores and 6 threads.

In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the Ryzen 9 delivers 6042.5 points versus 1325 for the Core 5 330, a 356% difference. The R23 multi-core test shows a similar pattern with the AMD chip scoring 38161.5 against 13150, a 190.2% lead. These results confirm that the Ryzen 9 is in a different class for fully threaded rendering and compute tasks. The PassMark multithread test reinforces this, with the AMD chip at 62674 and the Intel chip at 15471, a 305.1% gap.

Data compression and encryption also skew heavily toward AMD. The Ryzen 9 scores 785811 in data compression versus 145287 for Intel, a 440.9% margin, and 39446 versus 11076 in encryption, a 256.1% margin. Extended instructions follow the trend with 62813 versus 12808, a 390.4% lead. Random string sorting shows a 369.8% gap, with the AMD chip at 83497 and Intel at 17771.

The closest contest is in PassMark single-thread tests, where the Ryzen 9 scores 4511 and the Core 5 330 scores 4088, a 10.3% lead for AMD. Cinebench R23 single-core is also relatively tight, with the AMD chip at 2159.5 and Intel at 1856, a 16.4% margin. These single-thread results suggest that the Intel chip, while heavily outgunned in multi-core, is not completely outclassed in per-core performance. The R15 single-core test shows a 78.5% gap (332 versus 186), which is larger than the other single-thread tests, but still the smallest relative margin outside of the PassMark single-thread results.

Physics and floating-point math also favor AMD heavily. The Ryzen 9 scores 4687 in PassMark physics versus 1201 for Intel, a 290.3% lead, and 144122 versus 43885 in floating-point math, a 228.4% margin. Prime number finding shows a 360.5% gap (525 versus 114). Every recorded test ends with the same winner, and the average benchmark score for the Ryzen 9 is 97453 against 18345 for the Intel chip, placing them at the 96th and 72nd percentiles of all CPUs respectively.

Architecture Differences

The two processors are built on fundamentally different architectures and process nodes. The AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX3D uses the Zen 5 architecture with the Fire Range codename, fabricated on a 4 nm process by TSMC. The Intel Core 5 330 uses the Wildcat Lake codename, fabricated on a 3 nm process by Intel itself. The transistor counts and die sizes are not listed for the Intel chip, while the AMD chip has 16,630 million transistors on a dual-die layout of 2x 70.6 mm².

The core configurations differ drastically. The AMD chip has 16 cores and 32 threads, with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz. The Intel chip has 6 cores and 6 threads, meaning no simultaneous multithreading, with a base clock of 1.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.60 GHz. The cache hierarchy also reflects the performance gap. The AMD chip has 80 KB of L1 cache per core, 1 MB of L2 cache per core, and a massive 128 MB of L3 cache. The Intel chip has 192 KB of L1 cache total, 2.5 MB of L2 cache, and only 6 MB of shared L3 cache.

Memory support differs as well. The AMD chip supports DDR5 in a dual-channel configuration with a bandwidth of 89.6 GB/s, while the Intel chip supports both DDR5 and LPDDR5X but in a single-channel configuration with a bandwidth of 59.7 GB/s. The AMD chip also supports ECC memory, which the Intel chip does not. PCIe connectivity is another differentiator: the AMD chip uses Gen 5 with 28 lanes (CPU only), while the Intel chip uses Gen 4 with 6 lanes (CPU only).

The integrated graphics are distinct, with the AMD chip featuring a Radeon 610M and the Intel chip featuring Intel Xe3 Graphics with 2 Xe cores. The power envelopes are also very different, with the AMD chip rated at 55 W TDP and the Intel chip at 15 W TDP. The AMD chip has an unlocked multiplier, while the Intel chip does not. The release dates are separated by over a year, with the AMD chip launching on 2025-01-05 and the Intel chip on 2026-04-15.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has a higher single-core score in Cinebench R23?

A: The AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX3D scores 2159.5 in Cinebench R23 single-core, while the Intel Core 5 330 scores 1856, giving the AMD chip a 16.4% lead.

Q: How much larger is the L3 cache on the AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX3D compared to the Intel Core 5 330?

A: The AMD chip has 128 MB of L3 cache, while the Intel chip has 6 MB of shared L3 cache, a substantial difference that contributes to the AMD chip's performance in cache-sensitive workloads.

Q: Does the Intel Core 5 330 support ECC memory?

A: No, the Intel Core 5 330 does not support ECC memory, while the AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX3D does.

Q: What is the TDP difference between the two processors?

A: The AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX3D has a TDP of 55 W, while the Intel Core 5 330 has a TDP of 15 W, indicating a much lower power envelope for the Intel chip.

Q: Which processor has more PCIe lanes?

A: The AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX3D has 28 PCIe Gen 5 lanes (CPU only), while the Intel Core 5 330 has 6 PCIe Gen 4 lanes (CPU only).

Q: How does the Intel Core 5 330 compare to its nearest rival in average benchmark score?

A: The Intel Core 5 330 has an average benchmark score of 18345, which is 0.1% higher than the Intel Core i3-14100 and 0.2% lower than the Intel Core 7 360.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ in nearly every specification category. The AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX3D has 16 cores and 32 threads, while the Intel Core 5 330 has 6 cores and 6 threads. The base clocks are 2.50 GHz versus 1.50 GHz, and the boost clocks are 5.40 GHz versus 4.60 GHz. The TDP is 55 W for the AMD chip and 15 W for the Intel chip.

The sockets differ, with the AMD chip using AMD Socket FL1 and the Intel chip using Intel BGA 1516. The process nodes are 4 nm (TSMC) for AMD and 3 nm (Intel) for Intel. Cache configurations are entirely different: the AMD chip has 80 KB L1 per core and 1 MB L2 per core, while the Intel chip has 192 KB L1 total and 2.5 MB L2 total. The L3 cache is 128 MB on the AMD chip versus 6 MB shared on the Intel chip.

Memory support shows the AMD chip using DDR5 dual-channel with 89.6 GB/s bandwidth and ECC support, while the Intel chip uses DDR5 and LPDDR5X single-channel with 59.7 GB/s bandwidth and no ECC. PCIe connectivity is Gen 5 with 28 lanes on the AMD chip versus Gen 4 with 6 lanes on the Intel chip. Integrated graphics are Radeon 610M versus Intel Xe3 Graphics with 2 Xe cores. The AMD chip has an unlocked multiplier, while the Intel chip is locked. The Intel chip has a launch MSRP of $309, while the AMD chip has no listed launch MSRP.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX3D wins every benchmark in the recorded data, so its advantage is absolute across all tested categories. The largest margins are in integer math (569%), data compression (440.9%), and extended instructions (390.4%), indicating a massive lead in compute-heavy, multi-threaded workloads. The multi-core Cinebench tests show a 356% margin in R15 and a 190.2% margin in R23, confirming the AMD chip is the clear choice for rendering, compilation, and any task that scales with core count.

The Intel Core 5 330, while losing every test, shows its smallest deficits in single-threaded workloads. The PassMark single-thread score is only 10.3% behind, and the Cinebench R23 single-core score is 16.4% behind. This suggests that for lightly threaded tasks, the Intel chip offers a more competitive per-core performance relative to its multi-core deficit. The Intel chip also operates at a much lower TDP of 15 W versus 55 W, which points to a use case in power-constrained systems where the AMD chip's performance would be unnecessary or impractical.

The Intel chip's integrated graphics with 2 Xe cores might provide a different feature set for media playback or basic display output, but the benchmark data does not include any graphics tests. For any workload measured in the database, the AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX3D is the superior part. The Intel chip's advantage lies only in its lower power envelope and its competitive single-thread scores relative to its size.

The Verdict

The data clearly indicates that the AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX3D is the higher-performing processor in every benchmark recorded. With an average benchmark score of 97453 versus 18345, the AMD chip sits at the 96th percentile of all CPUs, while the Intel chip sits at the 72nd percentile. The nearest rivals for the AMD chip include the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 5965WX (1.1% lower average score) and the AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 9945 (1.4% higher average score), placing it in a high-end workstation class. The Intel chip's nearest rivals are the Intel Core i3-14100 and Intel Core i3-13100, both within 0.2% of its average score, indicating a more mainstream positioning.

The AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX3D is the appropriate choice for users who need maximum multi-threaded performance in a mobile platform, as evidenced by its 190.2% or greater lead in all multi-core Cinebench tests and its 305.1% lead in PassMark multithread. Its 128 MB of L3 cache and dual-channel DDR5 support with 89.6 GB/s bandwidth provide a strong foundation for data-heavy workloads. The Intel Core 5 330, with its 15 W TDP and single-channel memory, is suited for systems where power efficiency is paramount and peak performance is not the primary requirement. Its single-thread scores, while behind, are within 16.4% in Cinebench R23 and 10.3% in PassMark, making it a viable option for basic productivity tasks that do not stress multiple cores. The performance gap is decisive, and the benchmark data does not show any scenario where the Intel chip outperforms the AMD chip.