AMD Ryzen AI 5 435 vs Intel Core Ultra 7 255H Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data shows a clear split between these two mobile processors. The AMD Ryzen AI 5 435 wins 3 of the 15 compared tests, while the Intel Core Ultra 7 255H wins 12. The margin of victory, however, tells the more interesting story.

AMD’s largest win comes in Cinebench R23 multi-core, where the Ryzen AI 5 435 scores 11333 against Intel’s 9240, a 22.7% advantage. The Ryzen also wins Cinebench R15 multi-core (1686 vs 1515, an 11.3% lead) and Cinebench R15 single-core (260 vs 251, a 3.6% lead). These are the only tests where AMD comes out ahead, and all three are rendering workloads.

Intel’s wins are broader and often much larger. The biggest gap is in PassMark’s find prime numbers test: Intel scores 303, AMD scores 58, a delta of 80.9% in Intel’s favor. Floating point math shows a 58.9% Intel advantage (98796 vs 40627). Data encryption favors Intel by 52.5% (23395 vs 11110), and physics simulation favors Intel by 52.3% (2254 vs 1075).

The pattern continues across other PassMark workloads. Intel leads in multithread (30703 vs 19000, a 38.1% gap), extended instructions (23755 vs 16197, 31.8%), random string sorting (36058 vs 24891, 31%), data compression (298850 vs 225374, 24.6%), and integer math (77975 vs 61026, 21.7%). Even in single-thread PassMark, Intel holds a 13.5% edge (4317 vs 3734).

The only single-core test where AMD wins is Cinebench R15, and the only Cinebench test where Intel wins is R23 single-core (1843 vs 1816, a 1.5% margin). The overall benchmark averages reflect this: Intel’s average score is 33537, AMD’s is 28128, a difference of about 19%. Intel sits at the 83rd percentile of all CPUs, AMD at the 80th.

Architecture Differences

The two chips take fundamentally different design approaches. The AMD Ryzen AI 5 435 uses Zen 5 architecture on a 4 nm TSMC process, with the codename Gorgon Point. It belongs to the Ryzen AI 400 generation, which mixes Zen 5 and Zen 5c cores. The chip has 6 cores and 12 threads, meaning simultaneous multithreading is enabled.

Intel’s Core Ultra 7 255H uses Arrow Lake architecture on a 3 nm TSMC process, with the codename Arrow Lake-H. It is part of the Core Ultra Series 2 generation. The chip has 16 cores and 16 threads, which indicates no hyperthreading on any of those cores. This is a key structural difference: AMD relies on fewer cores with SMT, Intel relies on many more physical cores without it.

Cache layouts differ substantially. AMD provides 80 KB of L1 per core and 1 MB of L2 per core, with 4 MB of shared L3. Intel provides 192 KB of L1 per core and 3 MB of L2 per core, with 24 MB of shared L3. Intel’s larger L3 cache (24 MB vs 4 MB) likely explains part of its lead in data-heavy PassMark workloads like compression and encryption.

Memory bandwidth also favors Intel: 102.4 GB/s versus AMD’s 89.6 GB/s, though both use dual-channel DDR5 or LPDDR5X. Both support ECC memory. PCIe connectivity differs: Intel offers Gen 5 with 20 lanes from the CPU, AMD offers Gen 4 with 14 lanes.

The integrated graphics differ as well. AMD pairs its CPU with a Radeon 840M, while Intel uses Arc Graphics 140T. No graphics benchmarks are recorded in the database, so performance comparisons there are not possible from this data.

Both chips share a 28 W TDP and a 2.00 GHz base clock. AMD boosts to 4.50 GHz, Intel to 5.10 GHz. Intel’s higher boost clock aligns with its single-thread PassMark advantage, though AMD’s Cinebench R15 single-core win shows that clock speed alone does not determine every single-thread outcome.

Where Each One Wins

The data points to distinct use-case strengths. AMD’s wins are confined to Cinebench rendering tests, specifically multi-core R15 and R23, plus single-core R15. For users running short rendering tasks or legacy Cinebench workloads, the Ryzen AI 5 435 delivers a measurable advantage. The 22.7% lead in R23 multi-core is substantial and suggests the Zen 5 cores with SMT handle this workload efficiently.

Intel dominates across the PassMark suite, which includes real-world-style tasks like encryption, compression, physics simulation, and math operations. The 52.5% lead in encryption and 52.3% lead in physics are large enough to matter for workloads that rely on those operations. The 38.1% lead in multithread PassMark indicates that Intel’s 16 physical cores outperform AMD’s 6 cores with SMT in general multithreaded throughput, despite losing the Cinebench R23 comparison.

For single-thread tasks, the data is mixed. Intel leads PassMark single-thread by 13.5% (4317 vs 3734), but AMD leads Cinebench R15 single-core by 3.6%. The Cinebench R23 single-core test goes to Intel by 1.5%. This suggests that single-thread performance depends heavily on the specific workload; neither chip is universally faster.

Overall, Intel wins the majority of tests and has a higher average score. The AMD chip is competitive in rendering, and only in rendering. Every other recorded benchmark favors Intel, often by large margins.

Specification Differences

The following fields differ between the two processors:

• Cores: AMD 6, Intel 16
• Threads: AMD 12, Intel 16
• Boost Clock: AMD 4.50 GHz, Intel 5.10 GHz
• Socket: AMD Socket FP8, Intel BGA 2049
• Architecture: Zen 5, Arrow Lake
• Codename: Gorgon Point, Arrow Lake-H
• Generation: Ryzen AI 400 (Zen 5 / Zen 5c), Ultra 7 (Arrow Lake-H)
• Process Node: 4 nm, 3 nm
• L1 Cache: 80 KB per core, 192 KB per core
• L2 Cache: 1 MB per core, 3 MB per core
• L3 Cache: 4 MB, 24 MB shared
• Memory Bandwidth: 89.6 GB/s, 102.4 GB/s
• PCIe: Gen 4 with 14 lanes, Gen 5 with 20 lanes
• Integrated Graphics: Radeon 840M, Arc Graphics 140T
• Release Date: 2026-01-04, 2025-01-12
• Part Number: 100-000001337, SRQAN

Both share: 28 W TDP, 2.00 GHz base clock, DDR5/LPDDR5X memory support, dual-channel memory bus, ECC support, mobile market segment, active production status, and locked multipliers.

FAQ

Q: Which chip is faster in multi-core rendering?

A: The AMD Ryzen AI 5 435. It leads Cinebench R23 multi-core by 22.7% (11333 vs 9240) and Cinebench R15 multi-core by 11.3% (1686 vs 1515).

Q: Does Intel’s higher core count translate to a general multithread advantage?

A: Yes, in most tests. Intel leads PassMark multithread by 38.1% (30703 vs 19000), plus large margins in physics (52.3%), encryption (52.5%), and compression (24.6%). The exception is Cinebench R23, where AMD wins.

Q: Which chip has better single-thread performance?

A: It depends on the test. Intel leads PassMark single-thread by 13.5% (4317 vs 3734) and Cinebench R23 single-core by 1.5% (1843 vs 1816). AMD leads Cinebench R15 single-core by 3.6% (260 vs 251).

Q: How do the cache sizes compare?

A: Intel has a much larger L3 cache (24 MB shared vs 4 MB), more L1 per core (192 KB vs 80 KB), and more L2 per core (3 MB vs 1 MB).

Q: What are the TDP and base clock for both?

A: Both have a 28 W TDP and a 2.00 GHz base clock. Intel boosts to 5.10 GHz, AMD to 4.50 GHz.

Q: Which chip has higher memory bandwidth?

A: Intel, at 102.4 GB/s versus AMD’s 89.6 GB/s. Both use dual-channel DDR5 or LPDDR5X.

The Verdict

The data favors the Intel Core Ultra 7 255H for most workloads. It wins 12 of 15 head-to-head tests, with particularly large leads in encryption, physics, floating point math, and prime number finding. Its average benchmark score is 33537 versus AMD’s 28128, and it sits at the 83rd percentile versus AMD’s 80th. For users running general productivity, data processing, or math-heavy tasks, Intel is the stronger choice.

The AMD Ryzen AI 5 435 is the pick for Cinebench-style rendering. Its 22.7% lead in R23 multi-core and 11.3% lead in R15 multi-core are decisive. The chip also wins R15 single-core, showing that its Zen 5 cores are competitive in some single-thread workloads. But outside of those three tests, AMD does not match Intel’s throughput.

Given the 28 W TDP shared by both, the choice comes down to workload. Rendering favors AMD. Everything else in the recorded data favors Intel. The Intel chip also offers a 3 nm process, larger caches, higher memory bandwidth, and PCIe Gen 5 support, which align with its benchmark dominance. Buyers with rendering-centric needs can justify the AMD chip; those with broader or mixed workloads should default to Intel based on the numbers.