AMD Ryzen AI 7 445 vs Intel Core i9-9900K Comparison

Intel Core i9-9900K and AMD Ryzen AI 7 445 occupy nearly the same overall performance tier, with average benchmark scores of 27097 and 26936, respectively, putting the AMD part just 0.6% behind in the Intel's data and 0.6% ahead in its own. Both chips land at the 79th percentile of all CPUs. But that statistical tie masks a sharp split in workload behavior: the older Intel desktop chip wins 8 of the 15 head-to-head comparisons, while the newer AMD mobile processor takes 7, and the margins are often lopsided, with the Intel part dominating multi-core renderers and the AMD part leading single-thread and encryption tasks.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The single biggest victory in the comparison belongs to the Intel Core i9-9900K in Cinebench R23 multi-core, where it scores 15333 against the AMD Ryzen AI 7 445's 10590, a 44.8% lead. That is a decisive margin for heavily threaded workloads, and it aligns with the Intel chip's 8 cores and 16 threads versus the AMD's 6 cores and 12 threads. The Intel part also wins Cinebench R23 single-core by 19.8% (2164 vs 1806), which is notable because single-core performance is usually where a newer architecture like Zen 5 would pull ahead.

The AMD Ryzen AI 7 445, however, sweeps the older Cinebench R15 tests. In R15 multi-core it scores 1723 versus 1545, a 10.3% win, and in R15 single-core it scores 254 versus 217, a 14.6% win. This reversal between R15 and R23 suggests the Intel chip's advantage grows as the workload scales in duration and complexity, while the AMD part's efficiency shines in shorter bursts.

In PassMark tests, the AMD part wins data encryption by 38.9% (10519 vs 6430), which is its largest margin of the entire set, and it also leads in find prime numbers by 16.1% (56 vs 47) and physics by 4.3% (976 vs 934). The Intel part counters with a 54.3% win in random string sorting (36238 vs 23488), its biggest margin, plus a 31.4% win in data compression (283506 vs 215812) and a 19.8% win in extended instructions (18965 vs 15826). The two are nearly inseparable in multi-thread and floating-point math, with Intel winning by just 0.2% (18153 vs 18115) and 4.3% (41036 vs 39362), respectively.

FAQ

Q: Which CPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The Intel Core i9-9900K has a slightly higher average benchmark score of 27097, compared to the AMD Ryzen AI 7 445's 26936, a difference of 0.6% in Intel's favor.

Q: How big is the Intel chip's win in Cinebench R23 multi-core?

A: The Intel Core i9-9900K scores 15333 in Cinebench R23 multi-core, which is 44.8% higher than the AMD Ryzen AI 7 445's 10590.

Q: Does the AMD Ryzen AI 7 445 win any single-core tests?

A: Yes, the AMD part wins both PassMark single-thread tests (scoring 3591 vs 2919, an 18.7% lead) and Cinebench R15 single-core (254 vs 217, a 14.6% lead), but it loses Cinebench R23 single-core by 19.8%.

Q: What is the closest benchmark result between these two?

A: The passmark_multithread test is nearly a dead heat, with the Intel Core i9-9900K scoring 18153 and the AMD Ryzen AI 7 445 scoring 18115, a difference of just 0.2%.

Q: Which CPU has the larger L3 cache?

A: The Intel Core i9-9900K has a 16 MB shared L3 cache, while the AMD Ryzen AI 7 445 has a 4 MB L3 cache.

Q: Do both CPUs support ECC memory?

A: No, the AMD Ryzen AI 7 445 supports ECC memory, while the Intel Core i9-9900K does not.

Architecture Differences

The Intel Core i9-9900K is built on Intel's 14 nm process with a Coffee Lake-R architecture, while the AMD Ryzen AI 7 445 uses TSMC's 4 nm process with a Zen 5 architecture under the Gorgon Point codename. That process gap is reflected in power and thermals: the Intel part has a 95 W TDP, whereas the AMD part is rated at just 28 W, making it a far more power-efficient design despite being a mobile part.

Core and thread counts differ significantly. The Intel chip has 8 cores and 16 threads, while the AMD chip has 6 cores and 12 threads. Cache hierarchies are also distinct: the Intel part has 64 KB of L1 and 256 KB of L2 per core, plus 16 MB of shared L3; the AMD part has 80 KB of L1 and 1 MB of L2 per core, but only 4 MB of L3. The AMD's larger per-core L2 cache does not compensate for its much smaller L3 in multi-core workloads.

Memory support diverges sharply. The Intel Core i9-9900K uses DDR4 with dual-channel memory and 42.7 GB/s bandwidth, while the AMD Ryzen AI 7 445 supports DDR5 and LPDDR5X with dual-channel memory and 89.6 GB/s bandwidth. The AMD part also offers ECC memory support, which the Intel part lacks. PCIe connectivity also differs: the Intel chip provides Gen 3 with 16 CPU lanes, while the AMD chip provides Gen 4 with 14 CPU lanes.

The integrated graphics are different as well, with the Intel part featuring UHD Graphics 630 and the AMD part featuring Radeon 840M. The Intel chip is socketed for Intel Socket 1151, has an unlocked multiplier, and is end-of-life, having been released on 2018-10-18 with a launch MSRP of $488. The AMD chip uses AMD Socket FP8, has a locked multiplier, is actively produced, and was released on 2026-01-04 with no launch MSRP listed.

The Verdict

The data makes a clear case for the Intel Core i9-9900K as the multi-core renderer. Its 44.8% lead in Cinebench R23 multi-core, 31.4% lead in data compression, and 54.3% lead in random string sorting show that it handles sustained, parallel workloads with far more headroom than the AMD Ryzen AI 7 445. For users whose priority is heavy multi-threaded number crunching, the Intel part is the stronger choice despite being older and running on a 14 nm process.

The AMD Ryzen AI 7 445 is the pick for single-thread responsiveness and energy efficiency. It wins PassMark single-thread by 18.7%, Cinebench R15 single-core by 14.6%, and data encryption by 38.9%. Its 28 W TDP versus the Intel's 95 W TDP makes it the obvious candidate for mobile or low-power systems, and its DDR5 memory support with 89.6 GB/s bandwidth gives it a modern memory subsystem that the Intel part cannot match.

For workloads that are neither heavily multi-threaded nor purely single-threaded, the two are effectively tied. PassMark multi-thread scores differ by just 0.2%, and floating-point math is only 4.3% apart. The Intel chip edges out the AMD part in integer math by 13.4% and extended instructions by 19.8%, but the AMD part counters with wins in physics and prime number finding.

Specification Differences

| Specification | Intel Core i9-9900K | AMD Ryzen AI 7 445 |

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

| Cores / Threads | 8 / 16 | 6 / 12 |

| Base Clock | 3.60 GHz | 2.00 GHz |

| Boost Clock | 5.00 GHz | 4.60 GHz |

| TDP | 95 W | 28 W |

| Socket | Intel Socket 1151 | AMD Socket FP8 |

| Process Node | 14 nm (Intel) | 4 nm (TSMC) |

| L1 Cache | 64 KB (per core) | 80 KB (per core) |

| L2 Cache | 256 KB (per core) | 1 MB (per core) |

| L3 Cache | 16 MB (shared) | 4 MB |

| Memory Support | DDR4 | DDR5, LPDDR5X |

| Memory Bandwidth | 42.7 GB/s | 89.6 GB/s |

| ECC Memory | false | true |

| PCIe | Gen 3, 16 Lanes (CPU only) | Gen 4, 14 Lanes (CPU only) |

| Integrated Graphics | UHD Graphics 630 | Radeon 840M |

| Multiplier Unlocked | true | false |

| Production Status | End-of-life | Active |

Where Each One Wins

The Intel Core i9-9900K wins in multi-core rendering, as evidenced by its 44.8% lead in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 10.3% loss in the older R15 multi-core test, which suggests it scales better with longer workloads. It also wins in data compression (31.4% lead), random string sorting (54.3% lead), extended instructions (19.8% lead), integer math (13.4% lead), and floating-point math (4.3% lead). This makes it the better choice for content creation, scientific computing, and any task that saturates all cores for extended periods.

The AMD Ryzen AI 7 445 wins in single-thread performance, taking PassMark single-thread by 18.7% and Cinebench R15 single-core by 14.6%, though it loses Cinebench R23 single-core by 19.8%. It dominates in data encryption with a 38.9% lead, and also wins in find prime numbers (16.1%) and physics (4.3%). Its 28 W TDP and DDR5 memory support make it the superior option for laptops, portable workstations, and scenarios where power draw and heat are primary constraints. For general-purpose computing that is not heavily threaded, the AMD part's single-thread wins and modern memory bandwidth give it the edge, while the Intel part remains the go-to for brute-force multi-core processing.