AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 8945HS vs Intel Core 5 315 Comparison

Where Each One Wins

The benchmark data splits these two mobile processors into two very different use-case profiles. The AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 8945HS wins 14 of 17 head-to-head tests, including every Cinebench multi-core and single-core workload, plus the majority of PassMark's compute-focused tests. The Intel Core 5 315 takes only 3 wins, but those wins are concentrated in specific single-threaded PassMark tests and one prime-number calculation workload.

For sustained multi-threaded productivity, the AMD part is the clear choice. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 25165 versus 12981 for the Intel chip represents a 93.9% advantage, which translates to roughly double the rendering throughput. The PassMark multi-thread score of 30378 versus 15272 shows a 98.9% gap, again nearly double. Data compression, integer math, and random string sorting all favor AMD by margins ranging from 152.4% to 226.3%. These are workloads where core count, thread count, and memory bandwidth dominate, and the AMD processor's 8 cores with 16 threads overwhelm the Intel part's 6 cores with 6 threads.

The Intel Core 5 315 wins the PassMark single-thread test with 4021 versus 3920, a modest 2.5% edge. It also wins the find prime numbers test with 112 versus 91, an 18.7% advantage. These results indicate that for lightly threaded workloads that rely on high per-core frequency and efficient instruction execution, the Intel design has a narrow but real edge. However, that edge is small in single-thread performance and does not carry over to Cinebench single-core tests, where AMD leads by 93.9% (3552 versus 1832 in R23 single-core). The difference likely stems from the Cinebench workload exercising the full core architecture including cache hierarchy, while the PassMark single-thread test measures a more specific instruction mix.

For floating-point math, AMD leads 63490 versus 42441, a 49.6% advantage. For extended instructions, AMD leads 27714 versus 13143, a 110.9% gap. Physics simulation favors AMD by 23% (1430 versus 1163). Data encryption shows AMD at 21820 versus 11119, a 96.2% lead. These results place the AMD processor as the dominant compute engine across the board, with the Intel chip only showing competitiveness in narrow single-threaded scenarios and prime number finding.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from different manufacturing and design philosophies. AMD builds the Ryzen 9 PRO 8945HS on a 4 nm TSMC process with Zen 4 architecture, codenamed Hawk Point. It belongs to the 8000 series and the Ryzen 9 generation. The die size is 178 mm² with 25,000 million transistors. Intel builds the Core 5 315 on a 3 nm Intel process with Wildcat Lake codename, belonging to the Core 5 generation.

The core configurations diverge significantly. AMD provides 8 cores and 16 threads with simultaneous multithreading. Intel provides 6 cores and 6 threads with no hyperthreading. This explains the massive multi-threaded performance gap. The AMD base clock is 4.00 GHz with a boost of 5.20 GHz. The Intel base clock is 1.50 GHz with a boost of 4.40 GHz. The lower base clock on Intel likely reflects its 15 W TDP design target versus AMD's 45 W TDP.

Cache hierarchies differ in structure and capacity. AMD allocates 64 KB L1 per core, 1 MB L2 per core, and 16 MB shared L3. Intel provides 192 KB L1 total, 2.5 MB L2 total, and 6 MB shared L3. The AMD L3 cache is nearly three times larger, which contributes to its dominance in cache-sensitive workloads like Cinebench and data compression.

Memory support also differs. AMD uses dual-channel DDR5 with 89.6 GB/s bandwidth and supports ECC memory. Intel uses single-channel DDR5 and LPDDR5X with 59.7 GB/s bandwidth and no ECC support. The memory bandwidth gap of roughly 50% (89.6 versus 59.7 GB/s) reinforces AMD's advantage in memory-intensive tasks. PCIe connectivity differs as well: AMD provides Gen 4 with 20 CPU lanes, while Intel provides Gen 4 with 6 CPU lanes.

Integrated graphics differ. AMD uses Radeon 780M, while Intel uses Intel Xe3 Graphics with 2 Xe cores. The database does not include graphics benchmark scores, so the comparison remains limited to the CPU-side data. Production status for both is Active, with AMD's release date of 2024-04-15 and Intel's of 2026-04-15. The Intel part has a launch MSRP of $340. The AMD part has no launch MSRP recorded.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The largest win for AMD comes in PassMark integer math, where it scores 103390 versus 31690, a 226.3% advantage. This workload heavily depends on core count and per-core integer execution units. The 8-core AMD design with 16 threads processes integer operations at more than three times the rate of the 6-core Intel chip.

Data compression shows a 152.4% lead for AMD (368884 versus 146143). Random string sorting follows with a 154.5% lead (44668 versus 17551). Extended instructions show a 110.9% lead (27714 versus 13143). Data encryption shows a 96.2% lead (21820 versus 11119). Multi-threaded performance shows a 98.9% lead (30378 versus 15272).

Cinebench results are consistent across all versions. R15 multi-core: 2536 versus 1308, a 93.9% lead. R15 single-core: 357 versus 184, a 94% lead. R20 multi-core: 10569 versus 5452, a 93.9% lead. R20 single-core: 1491 versus 769, a 93.9% lead. R23 multi-core: 25165 versus 12981, a 93.9% lead. R23 single-core: 3552 versus 1832, a 93.9% lead. The consistency of the 93.9% delta across all Cinebench versions indicates the performance ratio is stable across different workload intensities within that benchmark suite.

Floating-point math shows AMD at 63490 versus 42441, a 49.6% lead. Physics simulation shows AMD at 1430 versus 1163, a 23% lead. These are smaller margins than the integer and compression tests but still decisive.

The Intel wins are narrow. PassMark single-thread: 4021 versus 3920, a 2.5% lead. The duplicate test name "singlethread" shows the same result. Find prime numbers: 112 versus 91, an 18.7% lead. These three wins represent the only areas where Intel outperforms AMD. The prime number test likely benefits from the Intel chip's higher single-core boost behavior relative to its base clock, though the absolute scores are low for both parts.

The Verdict

The data is unambiguous. The AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 8945HS outperforms the Intel Core 5 315 in 14 of 17 benchmarks, with margins ranging from 23% to 226.3% in its favor. The Intel chip wins only 3 tests, with a maximum margin of 18.7% in one workload and a 2.5% margin in the other two. The average benchmark score places AMD at 41963 versus Intel at 18188, a gap of roughly 2.3 times. AMD's percentile ranking of 88 versus Intel's 72 confirms the overall performance tier difference.

The AMD processor's advantages in core count (8 versus 6), thread count (16 versus 6), cache size (16 MB versus 6 MB L3), memory bandwidth (89.6 versus 59.7 GB/s), dual-channel versus single-channel memory, and higher TDP (45 W versus 15 W) all contribute to its dominance. The Intel part's advantages are limited to a smaller process node (3 nm versus 4 nm), a higher PassMark single-thread score by 2.5%, and a better prime number finding result by 18.7%.

For applications that scale with cores, threads, cache, and memory bandwidth, the AMD processor is the appropriate choice. For workloads that stress single-threaded execution of specific instruction patterns, the Intel processor shows a marginal edge. The overall data does not support choosing the Intel part for general productivity, rendering, compression, encryption, or math-heavy tasks. The AMD part is the higher-performing processor in the recorded benchmark suite, and the margins are substantial in most categories.

FAQ

Q: How many more cores does the AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 8945HS have compared to the Intel Core 5 315?

A: The AMD processor has 8 cores and 16 threads, while the Intel processor has 6 cores and 6 threads. The thread count difference is 10, which explains the large multi-threaded performance gap.

Q: Which processor has higher single-thread performance in PassMark?

A: The Intel Core 5 315 scores 4021 in PassMark single-thread, which is 2.5% higher than the AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 8945HS at 3920. However, the AMD chip wins all Cinebench single-core tests by 93.9%.

Q: What is the memory bandwidth difference?

A: The AMD processor supports dual-channel DDR5 with 89.6 GB/s bandwidth. The Intel processor supports single-channel DDR5 and LPDDR5X with 59.7 GB/s bandwidth. AMD has roughly 50% more bandwidth.

Q: Which processor supports ECC memory?

A: The AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 8945HS supports ECC memory. The Intel Core 5 315 does not support ECC memory.

Q: What is the largest performance margin recorded in the head-to-head benchmarks?

A: The largest margin is in PassMark integer math, where the AMD processor scores 103390 versus 31690 for Intel, a 226.3% advantage.

Q: What is the launch MSRP of the Intel Core 5 315?

A: The launch MSRP of the Intel Core 5 315 is $340. No launch MSRP is recorded for the AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 8945HS.

Specification Differences

| Specification | AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 8945HS | Intel Core 5 315 |

|---|---|---|

| Cores | 8 | 6 |

| Threads | 16 | 6 |

| Base Clock | 4.00 GHz | 1.50 GHz |

| Boost Clock | 5.20 GHz | 4.40 GHz |

| TDP | 45 W | 15 W |

| Process Node | 4 nm (TSMC) | 3 nm (Intel) |

| L1 Cache | 64 KB per core | 192 KB total |

| L2 Cache | 1 MB per core | 2.5 MB total |

| L3 Cache | 16 MB shared | 6 MB shared |

| Memory Support | DDR5 | DDR5, LPDDR5X |

| Memory Bus | Dual-channel | Single-channel |

| Memory Bandwidth | 89.6 GB/s | 59.7 GB/s |

| ECC Memory | Yes | No |

| PCIe | Gen 4, 20 Lanes | Gen 4, 6 Lanes |

| Integrated Graphics | Radeon 780M | Intel Xe3 Graphics (2 Xe) |

| Launch MSRP | Not recorded | $340 |