AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 350 vs Intel Core Ultra 9 185H Comparison

The benchmark data splits these two mobile processors into clear roles: the Intel Core Ultra 9 185H is the heavy-lifting multi-threaded workhorse, winning 12 of 15 head-to-head tests, while the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 350 claims a decisive victory in single-threaded efficiency, taking the remaining three. Overall average benchmark scores are nearly identical—35,719 for the AMD versus 35,670 for the Intel, a 0.1% gap—but that surface-level parity masks a deep divergence in workload behavior. The Intel chip’s 16 cores and 22 threads overpower the AMD’s 8 cores and 16 threads in every multithreaded test, while the AMD’s Zen 5 architecture delivers superior per-core performance that shows up precisely where the Intel chip falls behind. This is not a story of one chip being better; it is a story of two chips being better at different jobs.

Where Each One Wins

The Intel Core Ultra 9 185H dominates every scenario that scales with core count and thread count. In Cinebench R23 multi-core, it scores 17,984.5 versus the AMD’s 14,278.5, a 20.6% advantage that makes it the clear choice for rendering, video encoding, and any heavily parallel compilation workload. The PassMark results reinforce this pattern: Intel leads in multithreaded performance (29,376 vs 23,994, an 18.3% gap), floating-point math (73,270 vs 51,639, a 29.5% gap), integer math (98,302 vs 84,868, a 13.7% gap), and physics (1,956 vs 1,318, a 32.6% gap). Data-heavy tasks also favor Intel decisively—data compression shows a 17% lead (339,489 vs 281,834), and data encryption shows a 27.1% lead (19,827 vs 14,462). Prime number finding, a classic stress test for raw throughput, goes to Intel by 34.1% (123 vs 81). The Intel chip also wins the older Cinebench R15 multi-core test by 16.6% (2,801.5 vs 2,336.5) and R15 single-core by 6.6% (264.5 vs 247), though the latter is narrower.

The AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 350 wins where clock-for-clock efficiency matters most. Its Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1,954 beats Intel’s 1,810.5 by 7.9%. PassMark single-thread performance shows a 4.7% lead (3,872 vs 3,697). These are the metrics that dictate responsiveness in everyday applications, light coding, and legacy software that cannot use many threads. The AMD chip also wins the extended instructions test—though barely, with a 1.6% margin (20,272 vs 19,955 for Intel). For users whose workloads are dominated by a handful of fast threads—interactive design tools, single-threaded scripting, or general desktop snappiness—the AMD chip’s wins are the ones that matter daily, even if they are fewer in number.

Architecture Differences

The two chips come from fundamentally different design philosophies. The AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 350 uses the Zen 5 architecture on a 4nm TSMC process, with a die size of 195 mm². It packs 8 cores and 16 threads, with a base clock of 2.00 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz. Its cache layout is per-core: 80 KB of L1 and 1 MB of L2 per core, plus a shared 8 MB L3. It supports dual-channel DDR5 and LPDDR5X memory with 89.6 GB/s bandwidth, and it includes ECC memory support—a feature absent on the Intel side. The AMD chip uses an AMD Socket FP8 and offers PCIe Gen 4 with 16 CPU lanes. Its integrated graphics is the Radeon 860M.

The Intel Core Ultra 9 185H uses the Meteor Lake architecture on Intel’s 7nm process. It has 16 cores and 22 threads—a hybrid arrangement that pairs performance cores with efficiency cores—running at a 3.90 GHz base and 5.10 GHz boost. Its cache is larger per core (112 KB L1 and 2 MB L2) and its L3 is a shared 24 MB, triple the AMD’s 8 MB. It also supports dual-channel DDR5 with the same 89.6 GB/s bandwidth, but memory compatibility depends on the motherboard, and ECC is not supported. The Intel chip uses Intel BGA 2049 and offers PCIe Gen 5 with 8 CPU lanes. Its integrated graphics is the Arc Xe-LPG 128EU. The Intel chip’s TDP is 45W versus the AMD’s 28W, a gap that explains some of its multi-threaded dominance but also points to different thermal envelopes for laptop designs.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The largest single margin in the entire comparison belongs to Intel in PassMark’s prime number test, where it wins by 34.1% (123 vs 81). That is followed closely by a 32.6% win in physics (1,956 vs 1,318) and a 29.5% win in floating-point math (73,270 vs 51,639). These are not marginal differences; they represent a full tier of performance separation in compute-heavy floating-point workloads. Data encryption shows Intel ahead by 27.1% (19,827 vs 14,462), and random string sorting goes to Intel by 21.5% (39,598 vs 31,071). Cinebench R23 multi-core gives Intel its largest rendering win at 20.6% (17,984.5 vs 14,278.5), while Cinebench R15 multi-core shows a 16.6% margin (2,801.5 vs 2,336.5). PassMark multithreaded and data compression both show roughly 17-18% Intel leads (29,376 vs 23,994 and 339,489 vs 281,834, respectively). Integer math is a narrower 13.7% win for Intel (98,302 vs 84,868), and extended instructions is a near-tie at 1.6% (20,272 vs 19,955).

The AMD chip’s wins are smaller in magnitude but consistent in direction. Its best margin is Cinebench R23 single-core at 7.9% (1,954 vs 1,810.5). PassMark single-thread shows a 4.7% lead (3,872 vs 3,697). The only other AMD win is extended instructions, which is technically a 1.6% edge but functionally a tie. Notably, Intel wins Cinebench R15 single-core by 6.6% (264.5 vs 247), which runs counter to the R23 single-core result—an indication that the two chips’ relative single-thread performance depends on the specific instruction mix and workload. The overall win count is lopsided at 12 for Intel and 3 for AMD, but the AMD wins are in the metrics most tied to user-perceived responsiveness.

FAQ

Q: Which chip is faster in multi-core rendering?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 9 185H wins Cinebench R23 multi-core by 20.6% (17,984.5 vs 14,278.5) and Cinebench R15 multi-core by 16.6% (2,801.5 vs 2,336.5). Its 16 cores and 22 threads provide a substantial parallel-processing advantage over the AMD’s 8 cores and 16 threads.

Q: Does the AMD chip win any single-threaded tests?

A: Yes. The AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 350 wins Cinebench R23 single-core by 7.9% (1,954 vs 1,810.5) and PassMark single-thread by 4.7% (3,872 vs 3,697). However, Intel wins Cinebench R15 single-core by 6.6% (264.5 vs 247), so the result depends on the benchmark.

Q: How do their overall average benchmark scores compare?

A: They are effectively tied. The AMD scores 35,719 on average, and the Intel scores 35,670, a 0.1% difference. Both chips sit at the 85th percentile of all CPUs, and their nearest rivals include each other along with the Intel Core 7 250H and AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5845.

Q: Which chip has more cache?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 9 185H has a shared 24 MB L3 cache, three times the AMD’s 8 MB. Intel also has larger per-core L1 (112 KB vs 80 KB) and L2 (2 MB vs 1 MB) caches.

Q: What are the memory and PCIe differences?

A: Both support dual-channel DDR5 with 89.6 GB/s bandwidth. The AMD supports LPDDR5X as well and includes ECC memory, while Intel’s memory support depends on the motherboard and lacks ECC. For PCIe, AMD offers Gen 4 with 16 CPU lanes, while Intel offers Gen 5 with 8 CPU lanes.

Q: When was each chip released?

A: The AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 350 was released on January 5, 2025. The Intel Core Ultra 9 185H was released earlier, on December 13, 2023.

Specification Differences

| Specification | AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 350 | Intel Core Ultra 9 185H |

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

| Cores | 8 | 16 |

| Threads | 16 | 22 |

| Base Clock | 2.00 GHz | 3.90 GHz |

| Boost Clock | 5.00 GHz | 5.10 GHz |

| TDP | 28W | 45W |

| Socket | AMD Socket FP8 | Intel BGA 2049 |

| Architecture | Zen 5 | Meteor Lake |

| Codename | Krackan Point | Meteor Lake |

| Process Node | 4 nm | 7 nm |

| Foundry | TSMC | Intel |

| Die Size | 195 mm² | Not specified |

| L1 Cache | 80 KB (per core) | 112 KB (per core) |

| L2 Cache | 1 MB (per core) | 2 MB (per core) |

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

| Memory Support | DDR5, LPDDR5X | DDR5 (depends on motherboard) |

| ECC Memory | Yes | No |

| PCIe | Gen 4, 16 Lanes | Gen 5, 8 Lanes |

| Integrated Graphics | Radeon 860M | Arc Xe-LPG Graphics 128EU |

| Release Date | 2025-01-05 | 2023-12-13 |

| Launch MSRP | Not specified | $640 |

| Part Number | 100-000000713 | SRN23 |

The Verdict

Choose the Intel Core Ultra 9 185H for any workload that can use more than eight threads. The data is unambiguous: it wins 12 of 15 head-to-head tests, with margins ranging from 1.6% in extended instructions to 34.1% in prime number finding. Its 16 cores and 22 threads deliver a 20.6% lead in Cinebench R23 multi-core and a 29.5% lead in floating-point math, making it the superior choice for rendering, scientific computing, data compression, and encryption tasks. The larger 24 MB L3 cache and higher 45W TDP support its sustained multi-threaded performance. It also carries a launch MSRP of $640, which is the only pricing data available.

Choose the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 350 for single-threaded responsiveness and efficiency. It wins Cinebench R23 single-core by 7.9% and PassMark single-thread by 4.7%, which translates to snappier performance in everyday applications and lightly threaded software. Its 28W TDP is significantly lower than Intel’s 45W, suggesting better thermal efficiency for thin-and-light laptops. The AMD chip also offers ECC memory support, LPDDR5X compatibility, and PCIe Gen 4 with 16 lanes versus Intel’s 8 lanes, even though Intel’s PCIe is Gen 5. For users who prioritize battery life, per-core speed, and memory flexibility over raw multi-threaded throughput, the AMD chip is the data-backed pick. For everyone else who needs maximum parallel compute, the Intel chip wins decisively.