AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 vs Intel Core i5-14490F Comparison

The Intel Core i5-14490F and AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 represent two fundamentally different approaches to processing, one a desktop-focused Raptor Lake Refresh part and the other a mobile-first Strix Point APU. Despite their contrasting designs, both land in the 86th percentile of all CPUs, and their average benchmark scores are remarkably close: 38149 for the Intel and 37904 for the AMD. However, this statistical parity masks a dramatic divergence in workload-specific performance, with the head-to-head results revealing a clear split between single-thread dominance and multi-threaded throughput.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The most striking outcome in the comparison is the Cinebench R23 single-core test, where the Intel Core i5-14490F posts a score of 3247 against the AMD’s 2018, a staggering 60.9% advantage. This is not a marginal win; it is a decisive victory that suggests the Intel architecture holds a massive per-thread performance lead. The gap persists in Cinebench R15 single-core, albeit smaller, with Intel winning 327 to 306.5, a 6.7% margin. The Intel part also claims victory in Cinebench R23 multi-core, scoring 23000 versus 21761, a 5.7% lead that shows its 10 cores and 16 threads can outpace the AMD’s 12 cores and 24 threads in this specific rendering workload. Additionally, Intel wins the Passmark physics test, 2093 to 1881, an 11.3% advantage that hints at superior per-core efficiency in simulation tasks.

The AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370, however, dominates the broader benchmark suite, securing 11 wins out of 15 head-to-head comparisons. Its most significant victory comes in Cinebench R15 multi-core, where it scores 3409.5 against Intel’s 2318, a 32% margin that starkly contrasts with the R23 multi-core result. This inconsistency suggests the AMD part scales exceptionally well with thread count in certain legacy workloads. The AMD also excels in Passmark integer math, posting 122933 versus 87844, a 28.5% lead, and in extended instructions, 31653 to 21731, a 31.3% gap. Data compression is another strong suit, with AMD winning 445719 to 340026, a 23.7% margin, while random string sorting goes to AMD at 48723 versus 35608, a 26.9% difference. Even in Passmark single-thread, the AMD edges out Intel, 3973 to 3873, a modest 2.5% win that contradicts the Cinebench single-core results, indicating that the two tests measure different aspects of single-threaded performance. The AMD also wins Passmark multi-thread (35148 to 28662, 18.5% ahead), floating-point math (76892 to 66558, 13.4% ahead), data encryption (22252 to 18225, 18.1% ahead), and find prime numbers (126 to 122, 3.2% ahead).

Architecture Differences

The architectural divide between these two chips is stark. The Intel Core i5-14490F is built on Intel’s 10 nm process node and uses the Raptor Lake-R architecture, a refresh of the Raptor Lake design. It features 10 cores and 16 threads, a configuration that likely employs performance and efficiency core hybrid design, though the fact pack does not specify the exact core mix. The AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370, conversely, is fabricated on TSMC’s 4 nm node with the Zen 5 architecture, specifically the Strix Point codename, and uses a 12-core, 24-thread layout that combines Zen 5 and Zen 5c cores. The process node difference alone—10 nm versus 4 nm—explains some of the efficiency and density advantages the AMD part may hold, despite its larger die size of 233 mm² compared to Intel’s 215 mm².

Cache hierarchies also differ fundamentally. Intel provides 80 KB of L1 cache per core, 1.25 MB of L2 per core, and a shared 24 MB L3 cache. AMD matches the L1 at 80 KB per core but offers 1 MB of L2 per core and only 16 MB of shared L3 cache. This smaller L3 cache on the AMD part is counterintuitive given its multi-threaded wins, suggesting that its advantage comes from core count and memory bandwidth rather than cache capacity. The AMD chip supports a memory bandwidth of 89.6 GB/s, a figure not listed for Intel, and it supports both DDR5 and LPDDR5X memory, while Intel supports DDR4 and DDR5. PCIe connectivity also diverges: Intel offers Gen 5 with 16 lanes, while AMD settles for Gen 4 with 16 lanes. The AMD part includes integrated graphics in the form of the Radeon 890M, whereas the Intel chip has no integrated graphics at all, a critical distinction for systems without a discrete GPU.

Where Each One Wins

The data paints a clear picture of workload suitability. The Intel Core i5-14490F is the choice for workloads that depend on raw single-thread performance and legacy rendering benchmarks. Its 60.9% lead in Cinebench R23 single-core and 6.7% lead in Cinebench R15 single-core make it ideal for applications that are poorly optimized for multi-threading, such as older games or lightly threaded productivity tools. Its win in Cinebench R23 multi-core, despite having fewer cores, suggests it also handles modern multi-threaded rendering workloads competently. The Passmark physics result, where Intel leads by 11.3%, further indicates an edge in real-time simulation and physics calculations that benefit from high clock speeds and strong per-core throughput.

The AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370, on the other hand, is the clear winner for heavily parallelized tasks. Its 32% lead in Cinebench R15 multi-core and 18.5% lead in Passmark multi-thread show that it scales beautifully with additional threads. The 28.5% advantage in integer math and 31.3% lead in extended instructions make it suitable for scientific computing, data processing, and encryption workloads. Its 23.7% win in data compression and 26.9% win in random string sorting point to strong performance in file archiving, database operations, and data manipulation tasks. The AMD part’s single-thread win in Passmark, albeit narrow at 2.5%, suggests it is not a slouch in lighter workloads either, though the Cinebench single-core results contradict this, indicating that specific instruction sets or test methodologies favor one architecture over the other.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has the higher single-core performance according to Cinebench R23?

A: The Intel Core i5-14490F scores 3247 in Cinebench R23 single-core, which is 60.9% higher than the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370’s score of 2018.

Q: Does the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 always outperform the Intel chip in multi-threaded tests?

A: No. The AMD wins Cinebench R15 multi-core (3409.5 to 2318, a 32% margin) and Passmark multi-thread (35148 to 28662, an 18.5% margin), but the Intel wins Cinebench R23 multi-core (23000 to 21761, a 5.7% margin).

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

A: The Intel Core i5-14490F has 10 cores and 16 threads, while the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 has 12 cores and 24 threads.

Q: Which processor includes integrated graphics?

A: The AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 features the Radeon 890M integrated GPU, whereas the Intel Core i5-14490F has no integrated graphics (listed as N/A).

Q: How do their average benchmark scores compare?

A: The Intel Core i5-14490F has an average benchmark score of 38149, while the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 scores 37904, a difference of less than 1%, with both sitting in the 86th percentile of all CPUs.

Q: Which processor supports faster PCIe lanes?

A: The Intel Core i5-14490F supports PCIe Gen 5 with 16 lanes, while the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 supports PCIe Gen 4 with 16 lanes.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ on nearly every major specification. The Intel Core i5-14490F uses 10 cores and 16 threads, whereas the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 uses 12 cores and 24 threads. Clock speeds differ, with Intel’s base clock at 2.50 GHz and boost at 5.00 GHz, while AMD’s base is 2.00 GHz and boost is 5.10 GHz. Thermal design power is drastically different: Intel’s TDP is 65 watts, while AMD’s is 28 watts, reflecting the mobile nature of the latter. The socket types are incompatible, with Intel using Socket 1700 and AMD using Socket FP8. Process nodes vary from 10 nm (Intel) to 4 nm (TSMC for AMD), and die sizes are 215 mm² for Intel and 233 mm² for AMD. Cache configurations differ in L2 (1.25 MB per core for Intel, 1 MB per core for AMD) and L3 (24 MB shared for Intel, 16 MB for AMD). Memory support differs, with Intel supporting DDR4 and DDR5, while AMD supports DDR5 and LPDDR5X, and only AMD lists a memory bandwidth of 89.6 GB/s. PCIe generation is Gen 5 for Intel and Gen 4 for AMD, and integrated graphics are absent on Intel but present as Radeon 890M on AMD. The market segments are Desktop for Intel and Mobile for AMD, with release dates in December 2023 for Intel and June 2024 for AMD. Part numbers also differ: SRN35 for Intel and 100-000000994 for AMD.

The Verdict

The data indicates that the Intel Core i5-14490F is the superior choice for users prioritizing single-threaded performance, given its 60.9% lead in Cinebench R23 single-core and its 6.7% win in Cinebench R15 single-core. It also holds a 5.7% advantage in Cinebench R23 multi-core, making it a strong all-around desktop processor for rendering and physics-based workloads, as evidenced by its 11.3% win in Passmark physics. The lack of integrated graphics means it requires a discrete GPU, but its PCIe Gen 5 support future-proofs high-bandwidth storage and graphics connectivity.

The AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 is the better option for multi-threaded, data-intensive tasks and mobile deployments. Its 32% lead in Cinebench R15 multi-core and 18.5% lead in Passmark multi-thread, combined with wins in integer math, extended instructions, data compression, and encryption, make it a powerhouse for parallel computation. The 28-watt TDP and integrated Radeon 890M graphics make it suitable for compact, power-efficient systems, despite its lower single-core Cinebench scores. The choice ultimately hinges on whether the user values Intel’s per-thread dominance or AMD’s raw multi-threaded throughput and integrated feature set.