AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450 vs Intel Core Ultra 5 225F Comparison

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225F and AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450 are closely matched on average, with the Intel part scoring 37,313 and the AMD part scoring 37,093. Both processors sit in the 85th percentile of all CPUs, and their closest rivals are nearly identical in average score. Despite this statistical tie, the benchmark breakdown reveals a starkly different performance profile for each chip, with the Intel winning 13 of 15 head-to-head tests while the AMD takes a commanding lead in a few specific workloads.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225F dominates the Cinebench R15 suite. In multi-core, it scores 2,660 against the AMD's 2,457, an 8.3% advantage. The single-core gap is even larger: Intel's 287 beats AMD's 220 by 30.5%. This is the largest single-core delta in the entire comparison, indicating a substantial per-thread performance advantage for Intel in this legacy benchmark.

However, the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450 flips the script in Cinebench R23 single-core. Here, AMD scores 2,010 versus Intel's 1,893, a 5.8% victory. This is notable because it contradicts the R15 result, suggesting the AMD architecture scales better with the newer test's instruction mix. In R23 multi-core, Intel still wins, but narrowly: 16,467 to 16,054, a 2.6% edge.

The PassMark suite shows where Intel truly separates itself. The data encryption test is a blowout: Intel scores 22,648 against AMD's 14,925, a 51.7% advantage. Extended instructions follow a similar pattern, with Intel ahead by 34.9% (28,027 vs 20,778). The most extreme result is in find prime numbers, where Intel's 352 crushes AMD's 84 by a staggering 319%. Floating point math also heavily favors Intel: 92,554 vs 52,971, a 74.7% lead. Physics performance is another Intel stronghold, with a 81.8% delta (2,430 vs 1,337).

The AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450 secures its two wins in distinct areas. The integer math test is a decisive AMD victory: 86,227 vs 66,417, a 23% margin. This is the second-largest delta in the entire comparison, showing that AMD's Zen 5 cores excel at integer-heavy workloads. The other AMD win is the Cinebench R23 single-core result mentioned earlier.

In the remaining PassMark tests, Intel maintains consistent leads. Data compression goes to Intel by 5.6% (310,843 vs 294,298). Random string sorting favors Intel by 15.4% (37,325 vs 32,344). The multithread test shows Intel ahead by 25.1% (31,004 vs 24,779), and both single-thread variants (passmark_single_thread and passmark_singlethread) give Intel an 11.2% edge (4,397 vs 3,955). Overall, Intel wins 13 of 15 comparisons, with an average delta that is overwhelmingly positive.

The Verdict

The data presents a clear choice for different workloads. The Intel Core Ultra 5 225F is the superior processor for general computing, encryption, floating-point math, physics simulation, and any task that benefits from strong multi-threaded throughput. Its 25.1% lead in the PassMark multithread test and 8.3% lead in Cinebench R15 multi-core make it the safer pick for content creation, data compression, and scientific computing.

The AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450 is the specialist for integer-heavy applications. Its 23% victory in integer math is not a marginal win; it is a fundamental architectural strength. The AMD chip also holds the edge in the most modern single-core benchmark, Cinebench R23, suggesting it may be the better choice for lightly-threaded applications that use the latest instruction sets. For users whose primary software is integer-bound — such as certain database operations, compression algorithms, or encryption routines that are integer-based — the AMD part's performance profile is more favorable.

For everyone else, the Intel processor is the default recommendation. It wins the majority of tests, and its victories in encryption (51.7%), floating-point (74.7%), and physics (81.8%) are decisive. The average benchmark scores are nearly identical, but the distribution of wins strongly favors Intel across a broader range of tasks.

Where Each One Wins

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225F is the clear winner in encryption workloads, as shown by the 51.7% lead in PassMark data encryption. It also excels in floating-point math (74.7% ahead), which benefits scientific simulations, 3D rendering, and financial modeling. Physics calculations are another Intel stronghold, with an 81.8% advantage, making it the better choice for engineering simulation and game physics. The find prime numbers test, where Intel leads by 319%, indicates superior performance in prime-number-based algorithms, which are relevant to cryptography and number theory applications. Random string sorting, with Intel ahead by 15.4%, points to better performance in text processing and data organization tasks. The 25.1% lead in the PassMark multithread test confirms Intel's advantage in fully parallel workloads.

The AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450 wins in integer math, where its 23% lead is the largest single-test victory for either CPU. This makes it the preferred option for integer-heavy code, including many game engines, certain compression algorithms, and database indexing operations. The AMD part also wins the Cinebench R23 single-core test by 5.8%, indicating it has the edge in modern single-threaded applications. This could be relevant for older software that does not utilize many cores or for tasks where per-core performance is the bottleneck.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 225F has an average benchmark score of 37,313, while the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450 scores 37,093. The difference is less than 1%, making them statistically equivalent.

Q: How large is the Intel's lead in the encryption test?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 225F scores 22,648 in PassMark data encryption, compared to the AMD's 14,925, giving Intel a 51.7% advantage.

Q: In which benchmark does the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450 win by the largest margin?

A: The AMD wins the PassMark integer math test by 23%, scoring 86,227 against Intel's 66,417. This is the AMD's only double-digit victory.

Q: What is the difference in Cinebench R23 single-core performance?

A: The AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450 scores 2,010, beating the Intel Core Ultra 5 225F's 1,893 by 5.8%. This is one of only two tests the AMD wins.

Q: How does the Intel processor perform in the find prime numbers test?

A: Intel scores 352 compared to AMD's 84, a 319% advantage. This is the largest delta in any benchmark between the two processors.

Q: How many benchmarks does each processor win?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 225F wins 13 out of 15 head-to-head benchmarks, while the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450 wins 2.

Architecture Differences

The two processors are built on fundamentally different architectures. The Intel Core Ultra 5 225F uses the Arrow Lake architecture, part of the Core Ultra Series 2, manufactured on a 3 nm process at TSMC. It features 10 cores and 10 threads, with a base clock of 3.30 GHz and a boost clock of 4.90 GHz. The AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450 uses the Zen 5 architecture, codenamed Gorgon Point, on a 4 nm process also from TSMC. It has 8 cores and 16 threads, with a base clock of 2.00 GHz and a boost clock of 5.10 GHz.

The cache hierarchies differ significantly. Intel allocates 192 KB of L1 cache per core, 3 MB of L2 per core, and 20 MB of shared L3 cache. AMD allocates 80 KB of L1 per core, 1 MB of L2 per core, and 8 MB of L3 cache. The Intel chip has a larger die at 243 mm² and contains 17,800 million transistors, while the AMD die is smaller at 195 mm² with no transistor count listed.

The memory support differs as well. Intel supports DDR5 only, with dual-channel memory and a bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s. AMD supports both DDR5 and LPDDR5X, also dual-channel, but with a lower bandwidth of 89.6 GB/s. The AMD processor supports ECC memory, while the Intel does not. PCIe connectivity also diverges: Intel offers Gen 5 with 20 lanes, while AMD offers Gen 4 with 16 lanes. The AMD includes integrated Radeon 860M graphics, while the Intel has no integrated graphics.

Specification Differences

The processors differ in several key specifications. The Intel has 10 cores and 10 threads, while the AMD has 8 cores and 16 threads. The base clock is 3.30 GHz for Intel and 2.00 GHz for AMD, while the boost clock is 4.90 GHz for Intel and 5.10 GHz for AMD. The Intel TDP is 65 watts, compared to the AMD's 28 watts. The Intel uses Socket 1851, while the AMD uses Socket FP8.

The process nodes differ: Intel uses 3 nm, AMD uses 4 nm. The Intel die size is 243 mm², AMD's is 195 mm². Intel has 17,800 million transistors; AMD does not list a transistor count. The L1 cache per core is 192 KB for Intel and 80 KB for AMD. L2 cache per core is 3 MB for Intel and 1 MB for AMD. L3 cache is 20 MB shared for Intel and 8 MB for AMD.

Memory bandwidth favors Intel at 102.4 GB/s versus AMD's 89.6 GB/s. The AMD supports ECC memory, Intel does not. PCIe lanes are 20 Gen 5 lanes for Intel and 16 Gen 4 lanes for AMD. The Intel has no integrated graphics, while the AMD includes the Radeon 860M. The Intel's launch MSRP is $231; the AMD has no launch MSRP listed. The Intel was released on 2025-01-06, while the AMD's release date is 2026-01-04. Both are active production parts with locked multipliers.