AMD Ryzen AI 5 PRO 340 vs Intel Core i9-12900H Comparison

The Intel Core i9-12900H and AMD Ryzen AI 5 PRO 340 are both mobile processors aimed at high-performance laptops, yet they represent fundamentally different design philosophies and eras. The data shows a clear split: the Intel chip, a 2022 Alder Lake part, dominates heavily in multi-threaded workloads, while the AMD chip, a 2025 Zen 5 part, counters in a few single-threaded tests. Despite the AMD part having a newer architecture and a much more efficient process node, the benchmark results indicate that the older Intel chip holds a substantial performance lead in most productivity and compute-heavy scenarios, with an average benchmark score of 28003 versus 27932 for the AMD.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The Intel Core i9-12900H has a slightly higher average benchmark score of 28003, compared to the AMD Ryzen AI 5 PRO 340's 27932. The delta between the two is a mere 0.3% in favor of the Intel chip.

Q: How does the Intel chip perform in multi-core workloads?

A: The Intel Core i9-12900H wins the 3DMark 16-thread test with a score of 6457 and dominates in Cinebench R23 multicore, scoring 15946.5 against the AMD's 11534, a 38.3% difference. The data shows a consistent and significant lead for Intel in all multi-threaded benchmarks.

Q: Are there any benchmarks where the AMD Ryzen AI 5 PRO 340 wins?

A: Yes, the AMD chip wins in three head-to-head tests: Cinebench R15 single-core (276 vs 266) and both PassMark single-thread tests (3758 vs 3717). In all three cases, the margin is small, with delta percentages of -3.6% and -1.1% respectively, indicating a narrow but real advantage in lightly-threaded tasks.

Q: What are the core and thread counts for each processor?

A: The Intel Core i9-12900H features 14 cores and 20 threads. The AMD Ryzen AI 5 PRO 340 has 6 cores and 12 threads. This difference in core count is a primary factor in the performance gap seen in multi-threaded benchmarks.

Q: What are the process node and foundry for these two chips?

A: The Intel Core i9-12900H is built on Intel's 10 nm process node, while the AMD Ryzen AI 5 PRO 340 is manufactured by TSMC on a 4 nm process node. This indicates a significant generational leap in manufacturing technology for the AMD part.

Q: How do their TDPs compare?

A: The Intel chip has a TDP of 45 W, while the AMD chip has a TDP of 28 W. This 17 W difference suggests the AMD processor is designed for greater power efficiency, a factor that could influence thermal management and battery life in mobile devices.

Architecture Differences

The two processors are built on radically different architectures. The Intel Core i9-12900H uses the Alder Lake-H architecture, which employs a hybrid design of performance and efficiency cores, a notable departure from its predecessors. In contrast, the AMD Ryzen AI 5 PRO 340 is based on the Zen 5 architecture, specifically the Krackan Point generation, which uses a combination of Zen 5 and Zen 5c cores. The manufacturing process differs substantially, with Intel using its in-house 10 nm node and a 217 mm² die size, while AMD relies on TSMC's 4 nm node for a 195 mm² die. This suggests that AMD has achieved a more compact and potentially more power-efficient design.

The cache hierarchies also show distinct strategies. Both chips allocate 80 KB of L1 cache per core, but Intel provides a larger 1.25 MB L2 cache per core and a 24 MB shared L3 cache. AMD, on the other hand, provides 1 MB of L2 per core and a much smaller 8 MB of L3 cache. This difference in cache size could impact performance in workloads that are sensitive to memory latency and data reuse. Furthermore, the Intel chip supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory, while the AMD chip supports DDR5 and LPDDR5X, and it is the only one of the two to list a memory bandwidth figure of 89.6 GB/s. The Intel chip also offers more PCIe lanes (20 vs 16) and a larger integrated GPU (Iris Xe 96EU vs Radeon 840M). Finally, the AMD chip supports ECC memory, a feature absent on the Intel part.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark results are overwhelmingly in favor of the Intel Core i9-12900H, which secures 12 of the 15 head-to-head wins. The most dramatic victory for Intel is in the PassMark floating-point math test, where it scores 67940 against the AMD's 39662, an enormous 71.3% advantage. This suggests a significant edge in scientific and engineering calculations that rely heavily on floating-point operations. Similarly, the data shows a 65.4% lead for Intel in data encryption (18548 vs 11212), and a 61.7% win in physics (1753 vs 1084), indicating strong performance in simulation and gaming physics workloads.

The Intel chip’s multi-threaded dominance is clear across the board. In Cinebench R15 multicore, Intel scores 2576.5 compared to AMD's 1743, a 47.8% difference. This trend continues in Cinebench R23 multicore (15946.5 vs 11534, a 38.3% lead), PassMark integer math (93828 vs 63233, a 48.4% lead), and PassMark multithread (27340 vs 19215, a 42.3% lead). The delta of 42.9% in data compression and 45% in random string sorting further cements Intel's lead in productivity tasks. Even in extended instructions, a test that often favors newer architectures, Intel wins by 20.1%, scoring 18875 versus 15721. The only tests where AMD comes out on top are in single-threaded performance: Cinebench R15 single-core (276 vs 266, a 3.6% lead) and both PassMark single-thread benchmarks (3758 vs 3717, a 1.1% lead). These wins are narrow, but they highlight a core-level efficiency advantage for the Zen 5 architecture. Intel does manage to win the Cinebench R23 single-core test, however, with a 3.4% margin (1863.5 vs 1802), showing that its boost clock of 5.00 GHz can still compete effectively in this metric.

Specification Differences

When looking at the datasheet, the differences are stark. The Intel Core i9-12900H has 14 cores and 20 threads, while the AMD Ryzen AI 5 PRO 340 has 6 cores and 12 threads. The base clock speeds differ, with Intel at 2.50 GHz versus AMD's 2.00 GHz, and the boost clocks are also distinct: 5.00 GHz for Intel and 4.80 GHz for AMD. The TDPs are 45 W for Intel and 28 W for AMD. The socket types are not interchangeable, with Intel using BGA 1744 and AMD using Socket FP8. The process node is a major point of differentiation: Intel uses a 10 nm process, while AMD uses a 4 nm process from TSMC. Their L3 cache configurations are vastly different, with Intel providing 24 MB shared and AMD only 8 MB. Finally, the memory support shows Intel offering DDR4 and DDR5, while AMD offers DDR5 and LPDDR5X. The integrated graphics are also different, with Intel using Iris Xe 96EU and AMD using Radeon 840M.

The Verdict

The data paints a clear picture for users who prioritize raw compute performance. The Intel Core i9-12900H is the superior processor for multi-threaded tasks, offering massive leads in Cinebench and PassMark tests that translate to faster rendering, compilation, and content creation. Its 14-core, 20-thread configuration provides a decisive advantage that the AMD chip cannot overcome in heavy workloads. The benchmark results indicate that the AMD Ryzen AI 5 PRO 340 is a more efficient part, evidenced by its lower 28 W TDP and newer 4 nm node, but this efficiency does not translate into competitive multi-core performance. The Intel chip is the clear winner for users who need maximum throughput from their mobile workstation.

Where Each One Wins

The Intel Core i9-12900H is the definitive choice for compute-intensive, multi-threaded applications. The data shows significant wins in data compression, floating-point math, and integer math, making it ideal for video editing, 3D rendering, software compilation, and heavy data analysis. Its 71.3% lead in floating-point math suggests a strong advantage in scientific computing and engineering simulations. The 65.4% lead in encryption also makes it the better option for security-related tasks and data processing that requires heavy cryptographic operations. For any workload that can utilize more than a few cores, the Intel part is the clear winner.

The AMD Ryzen AI 5 PRO 340 wins in a narrower set of scenarios, but they are nonetheless relevant. Its wins in the single-threaded tests, while small, suggest that it may offer slightly snappier performance in everyday tasks like web browsing and office productivity, where single-core speed is often the limiting factor. The AMD chip’s lower TDP of 28 W also makes it a more attractive option for thin-and-light laptops where thermal headroom and battery life are more critical than raw multi-core power. The data shows that for users who value efficiency and battery life over extreme multi-core performance, the AMD part is the more logical choice, provided their workloads are predominantly single-threaded or light in nature.