AMD Ryzen AI 9 365 vs Intel Core Ultra 7 266V Comparison

AMD Ryzen AI 9 365 and Intel Core Ultra 7 266V are both mobile processors aimed at thin-and-light laptops, but the benchmark data shows two very different performance profiles. The AMD Ryzen AI 9 365 wins 11 of the 15 recorded head-to-head tests, including overwhelming victories in multi-core and integer workloads, while the Intel Core Ultra 7 266V counters with wins in single-core Cinebench tests and a narrow edge in PassMark single-thread scores. The Ryzen AI 9 365 also holds a higher overall percentile ranking (87th vs. 76th) and a significantly higher average benchmark score (40048 vs. 23297).

FAQ

Q: Which processor has the higher multi-core performance?

A: The AMD Ryzen AI 9 365. In Cinebench R23 multi-core it scores 18698 versus the Intel Core Ultra 7 266V's 16544, a 13% advantage. The gap widens dramatically in Cinebench R15 multi-core, where AMD leads 2842 to 1667, a 70.5% delta.

Q: Does the Intel chip win any benchmark categories?

A: Yes, four tests. The Intel Core Ultra 7 266V wins Cinebench R23 single-core (2335 vs. 1992, a 14.7% margin), PassMark find prime numbers (191 vs. 117, a 38.7% margin), and both PassMark single-thread and singlethread tests (3943 vs. 3841, a 2.6% margin).

Q: How do their integrated GPUs compare?

A: The AMD Ryzen AI 9 365 uses the Radeon 880M, while the Intel Core Ultra 7 266V uses the Arc 140V. The database does not include direct GPU benchmark scores for these two processors, so the comparison is limited to the fact that they use different integrated graphics solutions.

Q: What are the core and thread counts?

A: The AMD Ryzen AI 9 365 has 10 cores and 20 threads. The Intel Core Ultra 7 266V has 8 cores and 8 threads. This means the AMD processor has both more physical cores and hyperthreading, while the Intel processor lacks hyperthreading entirely.

Q: Which processor has a higher base clock speed?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 7 266V has a base clock of 2.20 GHz, while the AMD Ryzen AI 9 365 has a base clock of 2.00 GHz. Both processors share the same 5.00 GHz boost clock.

Q: How does the average benchmark score compare?

A: The AMD Ryzen AI 9 365 has an average benchmark score of 40048, placing it at the 87th percentile of all CPUs. The Intel Core Ultra 7 266V has an average score of 23297, placing it at the 76th percentile.

The Verdict

The data clearly favors the AMD Ryzen AI 9 365 for users who need sustained multi-threaded performance. Its 10-core, 20-thread configuration delivers a 13% lead in Cinebench R23 multi-core and a massive 70.5% lead in Cinebench R15 multi-core over the Intel Core Ultra 7 266V. The AMD chip also dominates in PassMark integer math (101831 vs. 41558, a 145% delta), multithread (29467 vs. 19461, a 51.4% delta), and data compression (354510 vs. 187050, an 89.5% delta). This processor is the right choice for workloads that scale with core count, such as compiling, rendering, or heavy multitasking.

The Intel Core Ultra 7 266V is the pick for users prioritizing single-threaded responsiveness in lightly-threaded applications. It wins Cinebench R23 single-core by 14.7% (2335 vs. 1992) and edges out the AMD chip in PassMark single-thread by 2.6% (3943 vs. 3841). Its lower 17W TDP also indicates a power profile that could enable thinner chassis designs, though the database does not include battery life figures. For users who spend most of their time in web browsers, office suites, or other single-threaded tasks, the Intel chip's performance is competitive, but its 8-core, 8-thread layout severely limits multi-tasking headroom compared to the AMD part.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The largest single victory for the AMD Ryzen AI 9 365 comes in PassMark integer math, where it scores 101831 against the Intel Core Ultra 7 266V's 41558, a 145% delta. This is the clearest indicator of the AMD chip's advantage in raw integer processing throughput, a workload that benefits directly from the extra cores and threads.

The AMD processor also shows decisive wins in data compression (354510 vs. 187050, an 89.5% delta) and random string sorting (39447 vs. 22905, a 72.2% delta). These results suggest the AMD chip handles memory-heavy and data-manipulation tasks far more efficiently than the Intel part. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the AMD chip scores 2842 versus 1667, a 70.5% lead, and in PassMark multithread it leads 29467 to 19461, a 51.4% advantage.

The Intel Core Ultra 7 266V secures its most significant win in PassMark find prime numbers, scoring 191 against the AMD chip's 117, a 38.7% margin. This is a single-threaded, latency-sensitive test, and the Intel processor's 2.20 GHz base clock and 5.00 GHz boost clock appear to give it an edge in this specific workload. The Intel chip also wins Cinebench R23 single-core by a 14.7% margin (2335 vs. 1992), demonstrating that its architecture extracts more performance per core in this test.

The narrowest margin of victory belongs to the AMD Ryzen AI 9 365 in PassMark physics, where it wins 1704 to 1608, a 6% delta. The Intel Core Ultra 7 266V wins both PassMark single-thread tests by the same 2.6% margin (3943 vs. 3841), showing that in this particular metric the two chips are nearly equivalent. Overall, the AMD chip wins 11 tests and the Intel chip wins 4, but the Intel victories are concentrated in single-threaded workloads while the AMD wins span both single and multi-threaded categories.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ in core configuration: the AMD Ryzen AI 9 365 has 10 cores and 20 threads, while the Intel Core Ultra 7 266V has 8 cores and 8 threads. Base clocks differ slightly, with the Intel chip starting at 2.20 GHz versus the AMD chip's 2.00 GHz, though both boost to 5.00 GHz.

The thermal design power (TDP) also separates them: the AMD chip is rated at 28W, while the Intel chip is rated at 17W. The socket types are incompatible, with the AMD chip using AMD Socket FP8 and the Intel chip using Intel BGA 2833. Memory bandwidth favors the Intel chip at 136.5 GB/s versus the AMD chip's 89.6 GB/s, though both support dual-channel memory. The AMD chip supports DDR5 and LPDDR5X memory, while the Intel chip supports LPDDR5X with the note that it depends on the motherboard.

PCIe support differs: the AMD chip uses Gen 4 with 16 lanes (CPU only), while the Intel chip uses Gen 5 with 4 lanes (CPU only). The integrated graphics are different: Radeon 880M on the AMD side and Arc 140V on the Intel side. The AMD chip has a measured die size of 233 mm², while the Intel chip has no die size recorded in the database.

Architecture Differences

The AMD Ryzen AI 9 365 is built on the Zen 5 architecture with the Strix Point codename, using a 4 nm process node from TSMC. Its cache hierarchy includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 1 MB of L2 per core, and 16 MB of L3 cache. The processor is part of the Ryzen AI 300 generation, which combines Zen 5 and Zen 5c cores.

The Intel Core Ultra 7 266V uses the Lunar Lake architecture with the same Lunar Lake codename, built on a 3 nm process node also from TSMC. Its cache configuration is different: 192 KB of L1 per core, 2.5 MB of L2 per core, and 12 MB of shared L3 cache. The Intel chip belongs to the Core Ultra Series 2 and the Ultra 7 generation, also based on Lunar Lake.

The cache structures reflect the different core designs. The Intel chip has larger per-core L1 and L2 caches, which likely contributes to its single-core wins. The AMD chip has a larger total L3 cache (16 MB vs. 12 MB), which may help in multi-threaded workloads where shared data is accessed frequently. The AMD chip's 4 nm process is slightly larger than the Intel chip's 3 nm process, though both are produced by TSMC.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Ryzen AI 9 365 wins in all forms of multi-threaded and heavy computational work. PassMark integer math shows a 145% advantage, data compression shows an 89.5% lead, and random string sorting shows a 72.2% lead. The Cinebench R15 multi-core result (70.5% delta) and PassMark multithread result (51.4% delta) reinforce this pattern. For video encoding, 3D rendering, software compilation, and any workload that can use more than 8 threads, the AMD chip is the clear choice based on the recorded data.

The Intel Core Ultra 7 266V wins in specific single-threaded and latency-sensitive tasks. PassMark find prime numbers shows a 38.7% advantage, and Cinebench R23 single-core shows a 14.7% lead. The PassMark single-thread results are nearly tied, with Intel leading by only 2.6%. For users whose primary applications are single-threaded, such as certain legacy software, spreadsheet calculations, or interactive design tools, the Intel chip offers a measurable but modest performance edge. Its lower 17W TDP also suggests it may fit into more power-efficient designs, though the database does not provide battery life or thermal performance measurements to confirm this.