AMD Ryzen AI 7 345 vs Intel Core Ultra 7 255H Comparison

Where Each One Wins

The benchmark split is lopsided but revealing. The AMD Ryzen AI 7 345 wins 3 of the 15 head-to-head tests, and every one of those victories comes from Cinebench. In the R15 multicore test, AMD scores 1712 against Intel's 1515, a 13% margin. In R15 single-core, AMD leads 271 to 251, an 8% edge. The R23 multicore result is the most commanding AMD win: 11461 versus 9240, which is 24% ahead.

Intel's Core Ultra 7 255H takes the remaining 12 tests, and the margins are often massive. The smallest Intel win is in Cinebench R23 single-core, where it scores 1843 against AMD's 1818, only 1.4% higher. That is the only Cinebench test Intel wins. Everywhere else, Intel dominates by double digits. PassMark integer math shows Intel at 77975 versus AMD's 63475, an 18.6% gap. Data compression goes Intel's way by 20.5% (298850 to 237484). Random string sorting favors Intel by 29.5% (36058 to 25435). Extended instructions show a 28.4% Intel lead (23755 to 17003).

The pattern is clear: AMD wins in rendering-style workloads that stress the CPU's core architecture, while Intel wins in nearly everything else, especially math-heavy and data-processing tasks. The largest single delta is in prime number finding, where Intel scores 303 against AMD's 62, a 79.5% difference. Floating-point math also heavily favors Intel: 98796 versus 42621, a 56.9% gap. Physics simulation shows Intel ahead by 51.7% (2254 to 1089). Data encryption is another Intel blowout, 23395 to 11814, a 49.5% margin.

Architecture Differences

The two processors take fundamentally different design approaches. The AMD Ryzen AI 7 345 uses Krackan Point, part of the Ryzen AI 300 generation built on Zen 5 and Zen 5c cores. It has 6 cores and 12 threads, fabricated on TSMC's 4 nm process. The Intel Core Ultra 7 255H belongs to Core Ultra Series 2, codenamed Arrow Lake-H, using the Arrow Lake architecture on TSMC's 3 nm node. Intel's chip packs 16 cores and 16 threads, meaning it has no simultaneous multithreading; each core handles one thread.

Cache organization differs sharply. AMD allocates 80 KB of L1 per core, 1 MB of L2 per core, and only 4 MB of L3. Intel provides 192 KB of L1 per core, 3 MB of L2 per core, and 24 MB of shared L3. That sixfold L3 advantage (24 MB versus 4 MB) helps explain Intel's strong showing in data-heavy workloads. Intel also supports ECC memory, while AMD does not. Both use dual-channel memory with DDR5 and LPDDR5X support, but Intel's memory bandwidth is higher at 102.4 GB/s versus AMD's 89.6 GB/s.

PCIe connectivity differs as well. Intel offers Gen 5 with 20 CPU lanes; AMD sticks with Gen 4 and 14 CPU lanes. Integrated graphics also differ: AMD uses the Radeon 840M, Intel uses Arc Graphics 140T. Both are mobile processors with a 28 W TDP, both are active in production, and neither has an unlocked multiplier. Intel's boost clock reaches 5.10 GHz versus AMD's 4.60 GHz. Base clocks are identical at 2.00 GHz.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

Cinebench R23 multicore is the defining AMD win. The Ryzen AI 7 345 posts 11461, while the Core Ultra 7 255H manages only 9240. That 24% lead in a heavily threaded rendering workload shows AMD's Zen 5 cores extract more throughput per thread, despite having only 6 cores against Intel's 16. The R15 multicore result reinforces this: AMD wins 1712 to 1515, a 13% advantage.

Single-core results tell a nuanced story. In Cinebench R15 single-core, AMD leads 271 to 251, an 8% margin. But in R23 single-core, Intel ekes out a win at 1843 versus 1818, a 1.4% edge. The two Cinebench versions disagree slightly, but both are close in single-threaded rendering. PassMark's single-thread test gives Intel a clearer win: 4317 versus 3875, a 10.2% advantage.

Intel's dominance in PassMark tests is consistent. Multithread shows Intel at 30703 against AMD's 19927, a 35.1% lead. Integer math favors Intel by 18.6% (77975 to 63475). Floating-point math is Intel's second-biggest win at 56.9% (98796 to 42621). Physics scores 2254 for Intel versus 1089 for AMD, a 51.7% gap. Data encryption favors Intel by 49.5% (23395 to 11814). Extended instructions show Intel ahead by 28.4% (23755 to 17003). Data compression gives Intel a 20.5% advantage (298850 to 237484). Random string sorting goes Intel's way by 29.5% (36058 to 25435). Prime number finding is the outlier: Intel scores 303, AMD scores 62, a 79.5% difference that likely reflects Intel's much larger L3 cache and different instruction handling.

Specification Differences

| Specification | AMD Ryzen AI 7 345 | Intel Core Ultra 7 255H |

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

| Cores | 6 | 16 |

| Threads | 12 | 16 |

| Boost clock | 4.60 GHz | 5.10 GHz |

| 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 |

| ECC support | No | Yes |

| PCIe | Gen 4, 14 lanes | Gen 5, 20 lanes |

| Integrated graphics | Radeon 840M | Arc Graphics 140T |

| Socket | AMD Socket FP8 | Intel BGA 2049 |

| Codename | Krackan Point | Arrow Lake-H |

Both processors share a 28 W TDP, dual-channel memory, DDR5 and LPDDR5X support, a 2.00 GHz base clock, and a mobile market segment. Intel's release date is two days earlier: 2025-01-12 versus 2025-01-14. Neither has a launch MSRP listed in the database.

FAQ

Q: Which processor wins in Cinebench R23 multicore?

A: The AMD Ryzen AI 7 345 wins decisively with a score of 11461 against Intel's 9240, a 24% advantage.

Q: Where does Intel show its largest advantage?

A: In the PassMark find prime numbers test, Intel scores 303 versus AMD's 62, a 79.5% lead. This is the largest delta in the entire head-to-head set.

Q: How do the two compare in single-core performance?

A: Results are mixed. AMD wins Cinebench R15 single-core by 8% (271 to 251), but Intel wins Cinebench R23 single-core by 1.4% (1843 to 1818) and PassMark single-thread by 10.2% (4317 to 3875).

Q: Does the Intel chip support ECC memory?

A: Yes, the Intel Core Ultra 7 255H supports ECC memory. The AMD Ryzen AI 7 345 does not.

Q: What is the core and thread count difference?

A: Intel has 16 cores and 16 threads, while AMD has 6 cores and 12 threads. Intel's 16 threads mean no hyperthreading, whereas AMD uses simultaneous multithreading to reach 12 threads from 6 cores.

Q: How does memory bandwidth differ?

A: Intel provides 102.4 GB/s of memory bandwidth, while AMD provides 89.6 GB/s. Both use dual-channel DDR5 or LPDDR5X.

The Verdict

The data points to two distinct usage profiles. The AMD Ryzen AI 7 345 is the stronger choice for Cinebench-style rendering workloads. Its 24% lead in R23 multicore and 13% lead in R15 multicore show that its Zen 5 cores deliver more usable rendering performance per clock, even with fewer cores and threads. Anyone running short-duration rendering tasks or single-threaded Cinebench loops will see a measurable advantage from AMD.

The Intel Core Ultra 7 255H is the better all-round performer for general compute. It wins 12 of 15 head-to-head tests, including every PassMark workload. Its 16 cores, 24 MB of L3 cache, and higher 5.10 GHz boost clock translate into large leads in integer math (18.6%), floating-point math (56.9%), physics (51.7%), encryption (49.5%), and data compression (20.5%). For database work, scientific computation, encryption, or any task that repeatedly touches large data sets, Intel's cache and thread count produce substantially higher scores.

The overall average benchmark score confirms Intel's edge: 33537 versus AMD's 29461. Intel also holds a higher percentile rank at 83 versus AMD's 81. Intel's nearest rival is the AMD Ryzen 5 240 with a delta of 0%, and the AMD Ryzen 7 8840HS trails by 0.4%. AMD's closest comparison is the Ryzen 7 3800X at a 0% delta, with the EPYC 9654 just 0.2% ahead. Neither chip is far from its nearest competitor, but Intel sits in a higher performance tier.

Choose AMD if rendering performance per thread is the priority, or if the workload is dominated by short multi-threaded bursts. Choose Intel for everything else, particularly math-heavy, data-intensive, or multi-threaded PassMark-style workloads. The 16-core Intel part simply has more resources to throw at parallel tasks, and its 24 MB L3 cache gives it a structural advantage that AMD cannot offset with architectural efficiency alone.