AMD Ryzen AI 7 450G vs Intel Core Ultra 5 235A Comparison

The Verdict

The benchmark data splits these two desktop processors into distinct roles. The AMD Ryzen AI 7 450G wins 2 of the 11 head-to-head tests, while the Intel Core Ultra 5 235A wins 9. The Intel part leads in the aggregate multithread score, the single-thread score, and the majority of the math and encryption workloads. The AMD part counters with a clear integer math advantage and a narrow data compression win.

The overall database position reinforces the split. The AMD Ryzen AI 7 450G sits at the 93rd percentile of all CPUs with an average benchmark score of 63331, while the Intel Core Ultra 5 235A sits at the 90th percentile with an average score of 48201. The Intel part's nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen AI Max PRO 380 (0.1% ahead) and the AMD EPYC 4345P (0.6% behind), which places it in a different performance tier than the AMD Ryzen AI 7 450G, whose nearest rivals cluster around the 63000 average score mark.

For workloads dominated by integer operations and data compression, the AMD Ryzen AI 7 450G is the stronger choice. For encryption, extended instructions, prime number searches, floating point math, physics simulation, random string sorting, and the overall multithread and single-thread PassMark scores, the Intel Core Ultra 5 235A delivers the higher numbers.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from different manufacturing and design approaches. The AMD Ryzen AI 7 450G uses the Gorgon Point codename, belongs to the Ryzen AI 400 generation built on Zen 5 and Zen 5c cores, and is fabricated on a 4 nm process at TSMC with a die size of 195 mm². The Intel Core Ultra 5 235A uses the Arrow Lake architecture, specifically Arrow Lake-S, and is fabricated on a 3 nm process at TSMC with a die size of 243 mm² and a transistor count of 17,800 million.

Core and thread counts differ substantially. The AMD part has 8 cores and 16 threads, while the Intel part has 14 cores and 14 threads. The Intel part therefore has more physical cores but no hyperthreading, while the AMD part relies on simultaneous multithreading to reach 16 threads from 8 cores.

Cache layouts are fundamentally different. The AMD Ryzen AI 7 450G provides 80 KB of L1 per core, 1 MB of L2 per core, and 8 MB of L3. The Intel Core Ultra 5 235A provides 192 KB of L1 per core, 3 MB of L2 per core, and 24 MB of shared L3. The Intel processor has substantially more cache per core and three times the L3 capacity.

Memory and I/O support also differ. The AMD part supports both DDR5 and LPDDR5X memory with dual-channel access and 89.6 GB/s of bandwidth, and it supports ECC memory. The Intel part supports only DDR5, also dual-channel, with 102.4 GB/s of bandwidth, and it does not support ECC. The AMD processor uses PCIe Gen 4 with 12 CPU lanes, while the Intel processor uses PCIe Gen 5 with 20 CPU lanes. The AMD part has an unlocked multiplier; the Intel part does not. The AMD part's integrated graphics are Radeon 860M, while the Intel part uses Arc Xe-LPG Graphics 24EU.

Socket and release timing differ as well. The AMD Ryzen AI 7 450G uses AMD Socket AM5 and was released on 2026-02-28, while the Intel Core Ultra 5 235A uses Intel Socket 1851 and was released on 2025-07-28. Both are listed as Active in production status and both target the Desktop market segment. The Intel part has a launch MSRP of $269.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The largest Intel win comes in the prime number search test, where the Intel Core Ultra 5 235A scores 392 against the AMD part's 87, a 77.8% advantage. This is the most lopsided result in the comparison. Floating point math also favors Intel heavily: 118778 versus 63683, a 46.4% lead. Physics simulation shows a 40.9% Intel advantage (2437 versus 1440), and data encryption shows a 37.2% Intel lead (30136 versus 18937).

The Intel part also wins the overall multithread score by 20.8%, posting 38392 against 30422. Random string sorting goes to Intel by 13.8% (49489 versus 42663), and extended instructions go to Intel by 10.8% (31625 versus 28223). The single-thread score, listed in two identical entries, goes to Intel by 5.4% (4557 versus 4309).

The AMD Ryzen AI 7 450G takes the integer math test by 12.5%, scoring 99732 against 88626. It also edges out the Intel part in data compression by 2.3%, scoring 402831 against 393800. These two wins show that the AMD processor's strength is concentrated in integer throughput and compression-style workloads rather than in floating point or encryption.

The Intel part's nearest rivals in the database help contextualize its average score of 48201. The AMD Ryzen AI Max PRO 380 is 0.1% ahead, the Intel Core Ultra 5 245HX is 0.2% behind, the AMD EPYC 4345P is 0.6% behind, and the AMD Ryzen 9 3900 is 0.6% ahead. The AMD Ryzen AI 7 450G, by contrast, has an average score of 63331, with the Intel Core Ultra 7 265HX 0.2% behind it, the Intel Core i7-13790F 0.4% behind it, the AMD Ryzen AI Max PRO 390 0.7% ahead of it, and the AMD Ryzen AI Embedded P185 0.8% behind it.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has more cores and threads?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 235A has 14 cores and 14 threads. The AMD Ryzen AI 7 450G has 8 cores and 16 threads.

Q: Which processor has a higher boost clock?

A: The AMD Ryzen AI 7 450G has a boost clock of 5.10 GHz. The Intel Core Ultra 5 235A has a boost clock of 5.00 GHz.

Q: Which processor has more L3 cache?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 235A has 24 MB of shared L3 cache. The AMD Ryzen AI 7 450G has 8 MB of L3 cache.

Q: Which processor supports ECC memory?

A: The AMD Ryzen AI 7 450G supports ECC memory. The Intel Core Ultra 5 235A does not.

Q: Which processor wins the PassMark multithread benchmark?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 235A wins with a score of 38392, which is 20.8% ahead of the AMD Ryzen AI 7 450G's 30422.

Q: Which processor has a higher memory bandwidth rating?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 235A is rated at 102.4 GB/s. The AMD Ryzen AI 7 450G is rated at 89.6 GB/s.

Where Each One Wins

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235A is the better choice for any workload that stresses encryption, floating point math, prime number generation, physics simulation, or random string sorting. Its multithread score of 38392 and single-thread score of 4557 place it ahead of the AMD part in the two most commonly cited PassMark metrics. The 77.8% lead in prime number search and the 46.4% lead in floating point math indicate a strong showing in number-crunching tasks that do not rely on integer throughput.

The AMD Ryzen AI 7 450G is the better choice for integer math, where it leads by 12.5%, and for data compression, where it leads by 2.3%. Its average benchmark score of 63331 sits at the 93rd percentile of all CPUs, which is higher than the Intel part's 90th percentile and 48201 average. The AMD part also supports ECC memory, which the Intel part does not, and it offers an unlocked multiplier for overclocking flexibility.

The Intel part's release date of 2025-07-28 and its 3 nm process node give it a manufacturing advantage in density, while the AMD part's 4 nm node and smaller 195 mm² die size indicate a different design priority. The Intel part uses PCIe Gen 5 with 20 lanes, which doubles the PCIe generation and increases lane count versus the AMD part's Gen 4 with 12 lanes.

Specification Differences

| Specification | AMD Ryzen AI 7 450G | Intel Core Ultra 5 235A |

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

| Cores | 8 | 14 |

| Threads | 16 | 14 |

| Base clock | 2.00 GHz | 3.40 GHz |

| Boost clock | 5.10 GHz | 5.00 GHz |

| Process node | 4 nm | 3 nm |

| Die size | 195 mm² | 243 mm² |

| L1 cache | 80 KB (per core) | 192 KB (per core) |

| L2 cache | 1 MB (per core) | 3 MB (per core) |

| L3 cache | 8 MB | 24 MB (shared) |

| Memory support | DDR5, LPDDR5X | DDR5 |

| Memory bandwidth | 89.6 GB/s | 102.4 GB/s |

| ECC memory | Yes | No |

| PCIe | Gen 4, 12 lanes | Gen 5, 20 lanes |

| Socket | AMD Socket AM5 | Intel Socket 1851 |

| Integrated graphics | Radeon 860M | Arc Xe-LPG Graphics 24EU |

| Multiplier unlocked | Yes | No |

| Release date | 2026-02-28 | 2025-07-28 |