AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 8945HS vs Intel Core Ultra 7 356H Comparison

The AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 8945HS and Intel Core Ultra 7 356H are two very different mobile processors that target overlapping performance segments but achieve their results through opposite design philosophies. Benchmark data shows the Intel part wins 11 of 17 head-to-head tests, while the AMD chip takes 6, yet the margin and nature of those victories paint a nuanced picture. The AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 8945HS is a high-clock, 8-core Zen 4 part, while the Intel Core Ultra 7 356H is a lower-power, 16-core Panther Lake chip with a 3 nm process. This analysis breaks down where each processor excels, the architectural reasons behind those splits, and which workloads favor which silicon.

Where Each One Wins

The Intel Core Ultra 7 356H dominates in heavily parallel, throughput-oriented workloads that stress raw core count and memory bandwidth. Its most decisive victories come in PassMark physics simulation, where it scores 2895 against the AMD's 1430, a 50.6% advantage. Floating point math is another Intel stronghold, with a score of 103128 versus 63490, a 38.4% lead. The Intel part also wins the Cinebench R20 multicore test with 12153 points compared to 10569 for AMD, a 13% edge, and takes PassMark multithread with 33978 versus 30378, a 10.6% margin. Data encryption also favors Intel (26345 vs 21820, a 17.2% lead), as does the find prime numbers test (327 vs 91, a massive 72.2% gap). These results indicate Intel's design is better suited for rendering, scientific computation, and encryption workloads.

Conversely, the AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 8945HS has its wins concentrated in single-core efficiency and integer-heavy tasks. Its most striking victory is in Cinebench R23 single-core, where it scores 3552 versus Intel's 2040, a 74.1% lead. It also wins Cinebench R23 multicore decisively (25165 vs 18395, a 36.8% advantage), which is surprising given Intel's R20 win. The AMD chip takes PassMark integer math (103390 vs 83111, a 24.4% lead), data compression (368884 vs 336177, a 9.7% edge), and random string sorting (44668 vs 40990, a 9% win). The AMD also wins Cinebench R15 single-core (357 vs 303, a 17.8% lead). This split suggests AMD's higher boost clock and Zen 4 architecture deliver superior per-thread performance and strong integer throughput, while Intel's many-core design wins in floating point and physics.

Architecture Differences

The two processors are built on fundamentally different nodes and configurations. The AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 8945HS uses TSMC's 4 nm process, packing 25,000 million transistors into a 178 mm² die. It features 8 cores and 16 threads, with a base clock of 4.00 GHz and a boost clock of 5.20 GHz. Its cache hierarchy includes 64 KB of L1 per core, 1 MB of L2 per core, and 16 MB of shared L3 cache. The AMD part supports dual-channel DDR5 memory with 89.6 GB/s bandwidth and includes ECC memory support. It uses AMD Socket FP7 and offers PCIe Gen 4 with 20 lanes. Its integrated graphics is Radeon 780M.

The Intel Core Ultra 7 356H is built on Intel's 3 nm process and uses the Panther Lake architecture, codenamed Panther Lake-H. It has 16 cores and 16 threads, which means it lacks simultaneous multithreading, but offers double the physical core count of the AMD. Base clock is 1.90 GHz and boost is 4.70 GHz, both significantly lower than AMD's clocks. The cache design is different: 192 KB of L1 per core, 2.5 MB of L2 per core, and 18 MB of shared L3. Intel supports DDR5 and LPDDR5X memory with dual-channel 115.2 GB/s bandwidth, which is 28.6% higher than AMD's. It does not support ECC memory and uses Intel BGA 2540 socket with PCIe Gen 5 and 12 lanes. Its integrated graphics is Intel Xe3 Graphics. The Intel part has a 25 W TDP versus AMD's 45 W, indicating a much lower power envelope.

The core count difference is the most critical architectural divergence. Intel's 16 cores and higher memory bandwidth (115.2 vs 89.6 GB/s) explain its dominance in floating point and physics, which scale well with parallelism. AMD's higher clock speeds (5.20 vs 4.70 GHz boost) explain its single-core superiority, which is particularly evident in the Cinebench R23 single-core test. The lack of SMT on Intel means its 16 threads come from 16 physical cores, while AMD's 16 threads come from 8 cores with SMT. This affects how workloads are scheduled and why Intel's raw multithread results are inconsistent across different Cinebench versions.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The most dramatic single-core result is Cinebench R23, where AMD wins with 3552 points versus Intel's 2040, a 74.1% advantage. This is the largest delta in the entire benchmark suite and highlights AMD's clock-for-clock efficiency. However, Intel flips the script in Cinebench R20 single-core, winning 1715 to 1491, a 13.1% lead. The discrepancy between R20 and R23 results is notable and suggests workload-specific behavior in the benchmark versions.

In multicore tests, the results are contradictory. Intel wins Cinebench R15 multicore (3055 vs 2536, a 17% lead) and R20 multicore (12153 vs 10569, a 13% lead). Yet AMD wins Cinebench R23 multicore with 25165 versus 18395, a 36.8% margin. This reversal indicates that the R23 test is more sensitive to sustained boost behavior, which favors AMD's higher clocks, while R15 and R20 may be more responsive to core count.

The PassMark suite shows Intel's strength in specific math and physics operations. The 50.6% lead in physics (2895 vs 1430) is a clear indicator of Intel's core count advantage. Floating point math shows a 38.4% lead (103128 vs 63490). The find prime numbers test shows Intel's 327 versus AMD's 91, a 72.2% gap, which is a specialized integer workload that scales intensely with core count. However, AMD wins integer math broadly (103390 vs 83111, a 24.4% lead), showing that not all integer tasks favor Intel.

Single-thread PassMark results are close: Intel wins 4072 to 3920, a 3.7% margin. This suggests Intel's 3 nm process allows for competitive single-thread performance despite lower clocks, though the Cinebench R23 single-core result contradicts this. Data compression and random string sorting both go to AMD (9.7% and 9% leads respectively), indicating memory-latency sensitivity that AMD handles better. Extended instructions are nearly tied, with Intel winning by just 0.7% (27898 vs 27714).

The Verdict

The data indicates the Intel Core Ultra 7 356H is the better choice for pure multithreaded compute, particularly in physics simulation, floating-point math, and encryption. Its 16 cores deliver a 50.6% lead in physics and a 38.4% lead in floating point, making it the superior option for engineering workloads, scientific computing, and 3D rendering. The lower 25 W TDP is a bonus for thin-and-light laptops, and its 115.2 GB/s memory bandwidth supports these heavy workloads effectively.

The AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 8945HS is the better choice for single-core performance and integer-intensive tasks. Its 74.1% lead in Cinebench R23 single-core is staggering, and its 24.4% lead in integer math makes it ideal for database operations, spreadsheet calculations, and general productivity. The 45 W TDP suggests it is meant for performance-class laptops, not ultraportables. Its ECC memory support is a unique feature for mobile, appealing to those needing data integrity.

For mixed use, the decision depends on the specific software. The AMD wins Cinebench R23 multicore despite losing R15 and R20, suggesting its performance is more consistent under sustained load. The Intel wins PassMark multithread and the majority of tests (11 vs 6), but its single-core defeats in Cinebench are severe. Users who prioritize highest single-thread speed should choose AMD; those who need maximum parallel throughput should choose Intel.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has a higher boost clock?

A: The AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 8945HS has a boost clock of 5.20 GHz, while the Intel Core Ultra 7 356H has a boost clock of 4.70 GHz.

Q: How many cores does each processor have?

A: The AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 8945HS has 8 cores and 16 threads. The Intel Core Ultra 7 356H has 16 cores and 16 threads, meaning no hyperthreading on the Intel side.

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

A: The largest margin is in PassMark find prime numbers, where the Intel wins with 327 points versus AMD's 91, a 72.2% advantage. The next largest is AMD's 74.1% win in Cinebench R23 single-core.

Q: Which processor supports ECC memory?

A: Only the AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 8945HS supports ECC memory. The Intel Core Ultra 7 356H does not.

Q: What is the difference in memory bandwidth?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 7 356H has 115.2 GB/s memory bandwidth, while the AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 8945HS has 89.6 GB/s. Intel has a 28.6% higher bandwidth figure.

Q: Which processor has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 8945HS has an average benchmark score of 41963, while the Intel Core Ultra 7 356H has an average of 41215. AMD is slightly ahead by about 1.8%, but both sit at the 87-88th percentile of all CPUs.