AMD Ryzen AI 7 450 vs Intel Core Ultra 7 255H Comparison

FAQ

Q: Which processor has the higher multi-core Cinebench R23 score?

A: The AMD Ryzen AI 7 450 scores 18,316 in Cinebench R23 multi-core, which is 98.2% higher than the Intel Core Ultra 7 255H's 9,240. This is the largest single delta between the two in the recorded head-to-head data.

Q: In which benchmark does the Intel Core Ultra 7 255H have its biggest advantage?

A: The Intel part wins PassMark find prime numbers with a score of 303 versus 89 for AMD, a 70.6% advantage. It also leads in floating point math (98,796 vs 54,447, a 44.9% delta) and data encryption (23,395 vs 16,247, a 30.6% delta).

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

A: The AMD Ryzen AI 7 450 has 8 cores and 16 threads. The Intel Core Ultra 7 255H has 16 cores and 16 threads, so it has twice as many physical cores but the same thread count.

Q: Which processor has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Ryzen AI 7 450 has an average benchmark score of 39,485 and sits in the 87th percentile of all CPUs. The Intel Core Ultra 7 255H averages 33,537 and sits in the 83rd percentile.

Q: Do both processors support ECC memory?

A: Yes, both the AMD Ryzen AI 7 450 and the Intel Core Ultra 7 255H support ECC memory. Both also support DDR5 and LPDDR5X memory in a dual-channel configuration.

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

A: The Intel Core Ultra 7 255H leads in PassMark single thread with 4,317 versus 3,901 for AMD, a 9.6% delta. However, the AMD Ryzen AI 7 450 wins Cinebench R23 single-core with 2,038 versus 1,843, a 10.6% advantage. The results split by workload.

Architecture Differences

The AMD Ryzen AI 7 450 uses the Zen 5 architecture under the Gorgon Point codename, built on a 4 nm TSMC process with a 195 mm² die size. It combines Zen 5 and Zen 5c cores in its Ryzen AI 400 generation design. The Intel Core Ultra 7 255H uses the Arrow Lake architecture under the Arrow Lake-H codename, built on a 3 nm TSMC process as part of the Core Ultra Series 2 generation. The process node difference is one step, with Intel's part on the smaller node.

Core configuration differs significantly. AMD provides 8 cores with 16 threads, while Intel provides 16 cores with 16 threads. The Intel part therefore has no hyperthreading advantage; it relies on its larger physical core count to deliver multithreaded throughput. The AMD part uses simultaneous multithreading to reach 16 threads from 8 cores.

Cache hierarchies are structured differently. AMD allocates 80 KB of L1 per core, 1 MB of L2 per core, and 8 MB of L3. Intel allocates 192 KB of L1 per core, 3 MB of L2 per core, and 24 MB of shared L3. Intel's per-core cache amounts are larger at each level, and its L3 pool is three times the size of AMD's total L3.

Both processors are mobile parts with a 28 W TDP, matching base clocks of 2.00 GHz and boost clocks of 5.10 GHz. Neither has an unlocked multiplier. The AMD part uses socket AMD Socket FP8, while Intel uses Intel BGA 2049. AMD's PCIe implementation is Gen 4 with 16 CPU lanes; Intel's is Gen 5 with 20 CPU lanes. Memory bandwidth also favors Intel: 102.4 GB/s versus 89.6 GB/s for AMD, despite both running dual-channel DDR5 or LPDDR5X. The integrated graphics differ as well, with AMD using Radeon 860M and Intel using Arc Graphics 140T.

The production status for both is Active. AMD's release date is recorded as 2026-01-04, while Intel's is 2025-01-12, meaning Intel's part entered the market earlier in the database's records.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The AMD Ryzen AI 7 450 wins 5 of the 15 recorded head-to-head comparisons, and its wins are decisive in rendering workloads. In Cinebench R23 multi-core, AMD scores 18,316 versus 9,240 for Intel, a 98.2% advantage. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, AMD scores 2,713 versus 1,515, a 79.1% lead. These are the two largest deltas in the entire comparison and indicate a substantial multi-threaded rendering advantage for the AMD part.

AMD also wins Cinebench R23 single-core with 2,038 versus 1,843, a 10.6% margin. In PassMark integer math, AMD scores 88,531 versus 77,975, a 13.5% lead. In PassMark data compression, AMD scores 315,906 versus 298,850, a 5.7% edge. These four additional wins round out AMD's profile: strong in rendering, integer workloads, and compression.

The Intel Core Ultra 7 255H wins 10 of the 15 comparisons. Its largest win is PassMark find prime numbers at 303 versus 89, a 70.6% margin. It also dominates PassMark floating point math with 98,796 versus 54,447, a 44.9% lead, and PassMark data encryption with 23,395 versus 16,247, a 30.6% lead. PassMark physics goes to Intel at 2,254 versus 1,578, a 30% margin. PassMark multithread favors Intel at 30,703 versus 26,350, a 14.2% lead. PassMark single thread and its duplicate entry both show Intel at 4,317 versus 3,901, a 9.6% lead. PassMark extended instructions goes to Intel at 23,755 versus 22,400, a 5.7% margin. PassMark random string sorting is close, with Intel at 36,058 versus 35,648, a 1.1% edge. Cinebench R15 single-core goes to Intel at 251 versus 215, a 14.3% lead.

The pattern is clear: AMD wins the Cinebench suite and integer/compression tasks, while Intel wins most PassMark math, encryption, physics, and sorting workloads. The overall average benchmark score still favors AMD, 39,485 to 33,537, which places AMD in the 87th percentile versus Intel's 83rd.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ in several recorded specification fields. Core count: AMD has 8, Intel has 16. Thread count is identical at 16. The cache layout differs completely: AMD has 80 KB L1 per core, 1 MB L2 per core, and 8 MB L3; Intel has 192 KB L1 per core, 3 MB L2 per core, and 24 MB shared L3. Process node: AMD is 4 nm, Intel is 3 nm, both fabricated by TSMC. Die size is recorded for AMD at 195 mm², while Intel's die size is not recorded. Socket: AMD uses AMD Socket FP8, Intel uses Intel BGA 2049. Architecture names differ: Zen 5 versus Arrow Lake, with codenames Gorgon Point versus Arrow Lake-H.

Memory bandwidth: AMD records 89.6 GB/s, Intel records 102.4 GB/s. PCIe support: AMD is Gen 4 with 16 CPU lanes, Intel is Gen 5 with 20 CPU lanes. Integrated graphics: AMD uses Radeon 860M, Intel uses Arc Graphics 140T. Release dates differ: AMD is 2026-01-04, Intel is 2025-01-12. The series field is null for AMD and "Core Ultra Series 2" for Intel. The generation field records "Ryzen AI 400 (Zen 5 / Zen 5c)" for AMD and "Ultra 7 (Arrow Lake-H)" for Intel. Part numbers differ: 100-000001868 for AMD, SRQAN for Intel. Both share the same base clock (2.00 GHz), boost clock (5.10 GHz), TDP (28 W), memory support (DDR5, LPDDR5X), memory bus (dual-channel), ECC support (true), market segment (Mobile), production status (Active), and unlocked multiplier status (false).

The Verdict

The recorded data supports a split decision based on workload type. The AMD Ryzen AI 7 450 delivers the higher average benchmark score (39,485 versus 33,537), the higher percentile ranking (87th versus 83rd), and overwhelming wins in Cinebench multi-core tests. Its 98.2% advantage in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 79.1% advantage in Cinebench R15 multi-core are the defining results of this comparison. Any workload dominated by Cinebench-style rendering should favor the AMD part.

The Intel Core Ultra 7 255H wins more individual benchmarks (10 versus 5) and shows particular strength in floating point math, prime number finding, encryption, physics, and random string sorting. Its 44.9% lead in floating point math and 70.6% lead in find prime numbers indicate a strong mathematical throughput profile. The Intel part also has more physical cores (16 versus 8), more L3 cache (24 MB versus 8 MB), higher memory bandwidth (102.4 GB/s versus 89.6 GB/s), and PCIe Gen 5 support.

The average score and percentile metrics favor AMD overall, but the per-benchmark data shows Intel winning the majority of tests. The verdict depends on which benchmark suite best represents the target use case. For raw average performance across the database's full benchmark set, the AMD Ryzen AI 7 450 is ahead. For specific math-heavy and encryption workloads, the Intel Core Ultra 7 255H is ahead.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Ryzen AI 7 450 wins in Cinebench R23 multi-core, Cinebench R15 multi-core, Cinebench R23 single-core, PassMark data compression, and PassMark integer math. This makes it the stronger choice for rendering workloads, compression tasks, and integer-heavy computation. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 18,316 is nearly double Intel's 9,240, so any workflow that scales with Cinebench-style multithreaded rendering should see a substantial advantage on the AMD part. Its single-core Cinebench win (2,038 versus 1,843) also suggests faster single-threaded rendering performance.

The Intel Core Ultra 7 255H wins in PassMark data encryption, extended instructions, find prime numbers, floating point math, multithread, physics, random string sorting, single thread, and both Cinebench R15 single-core tests. Its floating point math score of 98,796 is 44.9% above AMD's 54,447, making it the better choice for floating-point-heavy numerical workloads. Its data encryption score of 23,395 is 30.6% above AMD's 16,247, indicating stronger encryption throughput. The find prime numbers result (303 versus 89) and physics result (2,254 versus 1,578) reinforce Intel's strength in mathematical and physics simulation tasks. The Intel part also wins PassMark multithread (30,703 versus 26,350) despite losing both Cinebench multi-core tests, showing that its advantage depends on the specific multithreaded workload.

The tie in thread count (16 each) means neither part gains a thread-count advantage at the software level. Intel's 16 physical cores versus AMD's 8 physical cores likely contribute to its PassMark multithread win, while AMD's higher per-thread efficiency likely contributes to its Cinebench multi-core dominance. The database's nearest rival data places AMD's average score near the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840HS (39,603, a 0.3% difference) and the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D (39,768, a 0.7% difference). Intel's average score sits near the AMD Ryzen 5 240 (33,542, a 0% difference) and the Intel Core i5-12600HX (33,375, a 0.5% difference). These rival positions confirm that the two processors occupy different performance tiers in the database's ranking.