AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 vs Intel Core Ultra 9 285K Comparison

Where Each One Wins

The benchmark data presents an unambiguous picture: the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K wins every single head-to-head test recorded in the database, taking all 17 comparisons. The AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 does not register a single victory across the entire benchmark suite. This is not a close contest with split decisions across different workload types; the Intel part dominates every category, from single-threaded responsiveness to heavily threaded rendering, from integer math to data compression.

The use-case split is therefore defined by margins rather than by which processor wins a given category. In lightly threaded workloads, the Intel advantage is relatively modest. The Cinebench R15 single-core test shows a 14.6% delta, while the R23 single-core test shows a 15.1% gap. Geekbench single-core lands at 16.1% in favor of Intel. PassMark single-thread shows a 21.9% lead. These are meaningful differences, but they are the narrowest gaps in the entire comparison, suggesting that the AMD chip is competitive in latency-sensitive, low-thread-count scenarios.

The picture changes dramatically when thread counts rise. Multi-core Cinebench R23 shows Intel ahead by 48.8%, and R15 multi-core shows a 47.5% lead. Geekbench multi-core sits at 42.9%. The PassMark multithread test shows a 47.7% delta. The widest margins appear in compute-heavy and specialized workloads: passmark_find_prime_numbers shows Intel ahead by 76.7%, floating-point math by 65.7%, and data encryption by 61.5%. These are the workloads where the Intel processor's larger core count and higher power envelope translate into decisive advantages.

For workloads like data compression, the Intel part leads by 43.6%, and extended instructions by 49.2%. Random string sorting shows a 48.7% gap. Integer math is the closest of the heavily threaded PassMark tests at 28.7%, but still a clear Intel win. Physics simulation shows a 52.2% Intel lead.

The Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 occupies a different position in the database. Its percentile ranking against all CPUs is 86, whereas the Intel part sits at 96. The average benchmark score tells the same story: the AMD chip averages 37,904, while the Intel chip averages 83,807. The nearest rivals in the database for the AMD part are the Intel Core i9-14901E at 37,911 (a 0% delta), the AMD Ryzen 7 9700X at 37,943 (0.1% faster), the Intel Core 5 211E at 37,829 (0.2% slower), and the AMD Ryzen AI Embedded P132 at 37,804 (0.3% slower). The AMD chip sits in a cluster of similar-scoring processors, none of which approach the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K. The Intel part's nearest rivals are the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus at 84,003 (0.2% faster), the AMD EPYC 4584PX at 83,090 (0.9% slower), the AMD EPYC 9135 at 82,980 (1% slower), and the AMD EPYC 7F72 at 85,072 (1.5% faster). The Intel chip competes at a completely different performance tier.

Architecture Differences

The two processors are built on fundamentally different architectures and target different market segments. The AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 is a mobile processor using the Zen 5 architecture with the Strix Point codename, part of the Ryzen AI 300 generation that mixes Zen 5 and Zen 5c cores. It is manufactured on a 4 nm process at TSMC with a die size of 233 mm². The chip has 12 cores and 24 threads, with a base clock of 2.00 GHz and a boost clock of 5.10 GHz. The thermal design power is 28 watts, which is typical for a mobile part. It uses the AMD Socket FP8 and supports DDR5 and LPDDR5X memory across a dual-channel bus with 89.6 GB/s of bandwidth. The integrated graphics are the Radeon 890M. The cache hierarchy consists of 80 KB of L1 per core, 1 MB of L2 per core, and 16 MB of L3. PCIe support is Gen 4 with 16 CPU lanes. ECC memory is not supported, and the multiplier is locked.

The Intel Core Ultra 9 285K is a desktop processor using the Arrow Lake architecture with the Arrow Lake-S codename, part of the Core Ultra Series 2 and the Ultra 9 generation. It is manufactured on a 3 nm process at TSMC with a die size of 243 mm² and 17,800 million transistors. The chip has 24 cores and 24 threads, with a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.70 GHz. The thermal design power is 125 watts, reflecting its desktop orientation. It uses the Intel Socket 1851 and supports DDR5 memory on a dual-channel bus with 102.4 GB/s of bandwidth. The integrated graphics are the Arc Xe-LPG Graphics 64EU. The cache hierarchy consists of 192 KB of L1 per core, 3 MB of L2 per core, and 36 MB of shared L3. PCIe support is Gen 5 with 20 CPU lanes. ECC memory is supported, and the multiplier is unlocked.

Several architectural differences explain the benchmark results. The Intel part has twice the core count (24 versus 12) and a higher boost clock (5.70 GHz versus 5.10 GHz). It also has a larger L3 cache (36 MB shared versus 16 MB), a wider memory bandwidth (102.4 GB/s versus 89.6 GB/s), and a higher TDP (125 watts versus 28 watts). The process node is slightly smaller (3 nm versus 4 nm). The Intel part also supports PCIe Gen 5, while the AMD part is limited to Gen 4. The AMD chip has 24 threads from 12 cores, meaning it uses simultaneous multithreading, whereas the Intel chip has 24 threads from 24 cores, relying entirely on physical cores. The AMD chip uses a hybrid Zen 5 / Zen 5c core arrangement, while the Intel chip uses a homogeneous Arrow Lake configuration.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The largest Intel victory appears in the passmark_find_prime_numbers test, where the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K scores 541 against the AMD's 126, a 76.7% lead. This test is highly sensitive to core count and clock speed, both of which favor the Intel part. Floating-point math shows a similar story: Intel scores 224,324 against 76,892, a 65.7% gap. Data encryption shows Intel at 57,745 against 22,252, a 61.5% lead. These three tests represent the widest margins in the suite.

The Cinebench multicore tests confirm the trend. In Cinebench R23 multi-core, Intel scores 42,522 against 21,761, a 48.8% lead. In R15 multi-core, Intel scores 6,494 against 3,409.5, a 47.5% gap. Geekbench multi-core shows Intel at 26,702 versus 15,242, a 42.9% lead. PassMark physics shows Intel at 3,938 versus 1,881, a 52.2% gap. Random string sorting shows Intel at 94,927 versus 48,723, a 48.7% lead. Extended instructions show Intel at 62,277 versus 31,653, a 49.2% gap. PassMark multithread shows Intel at 67,260 versus 35,148, a 47.7% lead. Data compression shows Intel at 790,052 versus 445,719, a 43.6% gap.

The single-core and low-thread tests show the narrowest margins. Cinebench R15 single-core has Intel at 359 versus 306.5, a 14.6% lead. Cinebench R23 single-core has Intel at 2,377 versus 2,018, a 15.1% gap. Geekbench single-core shows Intel at 2,870 versus 2,407, a 16.1% lead. PassMark single-thread shows Intel at 5,087 versus 3,973, a 21.9% gap. Integer math is the closest of the heavy PassMark tests at 28.7% (172,379 versus 122,933). These numbers indicate that while the Intel part wins everywhere, its advantage compresses substantially in lightly threaded, latency-bound workloads.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has more cores and threads?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 9 285K has 24 cores and 24 threads. The AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 has 12 cores and 24 threads. The Intel part achieves its thread count with physical cores only, while the AMD part relies on simultaneous multithreading.

Q: How large is the performance gap in multi-threaded workloads?

A: In Cinebench R23 multi-core, the Intel part scores 42,522 versus 21,761 for the AMD part, a 48.8% lead. Geekbench multi-core shows a 42.9% gap, and PassMark multithread shows a 47.7% gap.

Q: Is the AMD processor competitive in single-threaded performance?

A: The AMD part is closer in single-threaded tests but still loses. Cinebench R23 single-core shows a 15.1% Intel lead, Geekbench single-core shows 16.1%, and PassMark single-thread shows 21.9%. These are the narrowest margins in the entire comparison.

Q: What are the TDP differences between the two?

A: The AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 has a TDP of 28 watts. The Intel Core Ultra 9 285K has a TDP of 125 watts. The AMD part is designed for mobile use, while the Intel part is a desktop processor.

Q: Do these processors support ECC memory?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 9 285K supports ECC memory. The AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 does not.

Q: What process nodes are used for each processor?

A: The AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 uses a 4 nm process at TSMC. The Intel Core Ultra 9 285K uses a 3 nm process at TSMC. Both are manufactured by TSMC.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ in nearly every major specification category. The AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 has 12 cores and 24 threads, while the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K has 24 cores and 24 threads. Base clocks are 2.00 GHz for AMD and 3.70 GHz for Intel. Boost clocks are 5.10 GHz for AMD and 5.70 GHz for Intel. TDP is 28 watts for AMD and 125 watts for Intel. The AMD part uses AMD Socket FP8, while the Intel part uses Intel Socket 1851.

The architectures are Zen 5 with the Strix Point codename for AMD, versus Arrow Lake with the Arrow Lake-S codename for Intel. The AMD generation is Ryzen AI 300 (Zen 5 / Zen 5c), while the Intel generation is Ultra 9 (Arrow Lake). Process nodes are 4 nm for AMD and 3 nm for Intel, both at TSMC. The Intel part has 17,800 million transistors and a die size of 243 mm²; the AMD die size is 233 mm².

Cache hierarchies differ substantially. The AMD L1 is 80 KB per core, L2 is 1 MB per core, and L3 is 16 MB. The Intel L1 is 192 KB per core, L2 is 3 MB per core, and L3 is 36 MB shared. Memory support is DDR5 and LPDDR5X for AMD versus DDR5 for Intel. Memory bandwidth is 89.6 GB/s for AMD and 102.4 GB/s for Intel. ECC memory is not supported on AMD but is supported on Intel. PCIe is Gen 4 with 16 lanes on AMD versus Gen 5 with 20 lanes on Intel. Integrated graphics are Radeon 890M on AMD versus Arc Xe-LPG Graphics 64EU on Intel.

The market segments differ: AMD is a mobile processor, Intel is a desktop processor. The AMD multiplier is locked, while the Intel multiplier is unlocked. Release dates are 2024-06-30 for AMD and 2024-10-23 for Intel. The Intel part has a launch MSRP of $589. The AMD part has no launch MSRP recorded. The part numbers are 100-000000994 for AMD and SRQD5 for Intel. The average benchmark scores are 37,904 for AMD and 83,807 for Intel. Percentile rankings are 86 for AMD and 96 for Intel.