AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375 vs Intel Core 5 221E Comparison

AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375 vs Intel Core 5 221E

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded benchmark data shows a clear overall winner in the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375, which takes 12 of the 17 head-to-head tests. The Intel Core 5 221E counters with five wins, and the margin of victory in each direction tells a distinct story about the strengths of each processor.

The Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375 dominates the Cinebench suite without exception. Across Cinebench R15, R20, and R23, the AMD part wins both single-core and multi-core runs by a consistent 10% margin. In Cinebench R23 multi-core, the AMD scores 28529 against the Intel's 25933, a 10% advantage that also appears in R20 multi-core (11982 vs 10891) and R15 multi-core (2875 vs 2613). The same 10% delta holds for single-core tests: Cinebench R23 single-core shows 4027 vs 3661, R20 single-core shows 1691 vs 1537, and R15 single-core shows 405 vs 368. This uniformity suggests a fundamental architectural edge rather than a workload-specific quirk.

The PassMark suite reveals where the AMD chip truly runs away. The largest single delta appears in extended instructions, where the AMD scores 29351 versus the Intel's 18216, a 61.1% lead. Data compression shows a 28.4% gap (416331 vs 324285), and random string sorting favors the AMD by 20.4% (45358 vs 37686). Data encryption is closer but still clearly AMD's, 21186 vs 19205 for a 10.3% win. PassMark multithread shows a 10.4% advantage (33689 vs 30510), and integer math is nearly a tie, with the AMD at 119521 versus 117813, a 1.4% edge.

The Intel Core 5 221E takes its wins in narrower, more specialized areas. Its single-thread PassMark score of 4147 beats the AMD's 3914 by 5.6%. Floating point math goes Intel's way by 5.6% as well, 79028 vs 74626. The physics test shows Intel ahead by 17.4%, 2230 vs 1843. The most striking Intel win is in prime number finding, where it scores 173 against the AMD's 125, a 27.7% advantage. That is the second-largest delta in the entire comparison, and it signals a workload where the Intel architecture's integer-heavy scalar pipeline outmuscles the AMD design.

The overall average benchmark scores reflect the broader picture. The AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375 posts an average score of 47022 and sits in the 89th percentile of all CPUs. The Intel Core 5 221E averages 40144 and lands in the 87th percentile. The AMD's nearest rivals in the database include the AMD Ryzen 9 5900 (0.1% ahead), the Intel Core i7-13700K (0.3% ahead), and the Intel Core i9-12900F (0.3% behind). The Intel Core 5 221E's nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 7 7700 (0.2% ahead) and the AMD Ryzen AI 9 365 (0.2% ahead). Both processors sit in a crowded performance band, but the AMD's 17% average score advantage over the Intel is substantial.

FAQ

Q: Which processor wins more head-to-head benchmark tests?

A: The AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375 wins 12 of the 17 recorded comparisons, while the Intel Core 5 221E wins 5.

Q: What is the largest performance gap in either direction?

A: The AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375 leads by 61.1% in the PassMark extended instructions test. The Intel Core 5 221E leads by 27.7% in the PassMark find prime numbers test.

Q: How do the two chips compare in multi-core rendering workloads?

A: The AMD wins all three multi-core Cinebench tests by exactly 10%: R15 (2875 vs 2613), R20 (11982 vs 10891), and R23 (28529 vs 25933).

Q: Does the Intel Core 5 221E have any single-thread advantage?

A: Yes, the Intel wins PassMark single-thread scoring 4147 vs 3914, a 5.6% lead. However, the AMD wins all Cinebench single-core tests by 10%.

Q: What do the percentile rankings show?

A: The AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375 ranks in the 89th percentile of all CPUs, while the Intel Core 5 221E ranks in the 87th percentile.

Q: How close are the two processors to their nearest rivals in the database?

A: Both are tightly clustered. The AMD's nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 9 5900, is only 0.1% ahead in average score. The Intel's nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 7 7700, is 0.2% ahead.

The Verdict

The benchmark data indicates that the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375 is the stronger all-around processor. Its 10% sweep across every Cinebench test, both single-core and multi-core, establishes a consistent lead in rendering and general CPU throughput. The 61.1% advantage in extended instructions and the 28.4% lead in data compression make it the clear choice for workloads that exercise SIMD-style processing, encryption, and compression. The 89th percentile ranking versus the Intel's 87th confirms its position higher in the overall CPU distribution.

The Intel Core 5 221E is not without its niches. The 27.7% win in prime number finding and the 17.4% win in physics indicate that certain scalar integer tasks and physics simulations run faster on the Intel. Its 5.6% single-thread PassMark advantage also matters for lightly threaded desktop responsiveness. However, those wins are isolated; the Intel's five victories do not offset the AMD's broader dominance.

For a user whose workload is heavy on Cinebench-style rendering, data compression, encryption, or extended instruction sets, the data clearly favors the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375. For a user whose primary tasks involve prime number calculations, physics simulations, or specific single-threaded PassMark workloads, the Intel Core 5 221E delivers the higher scores. The average benchmark score of 47022 for the AMD versus 40144 for the Intel summarizes the overall relationship: the AMD is the faster chip in most measured scenarios.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ in nearly every core specification. The AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375 uses 12 cores and 24 threads, while the Intel Core 5 221E uses 14 cores and 20 threads. The AMD has a base clock of 2.00 GHz and a boost clock of 5.10 GHz. The Intel has a higher base clock of 2.70 GHz and a slightly higher boost clock of 5.20 GHz.

Thermal design power differs significantly: the AMD is rated at 28 W, while the Intel is rated at 65 W. The AMD uses an AMD Socket FP8, and the Intel uses an Intel Socket 1700. The AMD's process node is 4 nm fabricated by TSMC, while the Intel uses a 10 nm process from its own foundry. The AMD die size is 233 mm², and the Intel die size is 257 mm².

Cache configurations differ as well. Both share 80 KB of L1 per core, but the AMD has 1 MB of L2 per core versus the Intel's 2 MB per core. The AMD has 16 MB of L3 cache, while the Intel has 24 MB of shared L3 cache. Both support dual-channel memory with 89.6 GB/s bandwidth, but the AMD supports DDR5 and LPDDR5X, while the Intel supports DDR4 and DDR5. Both support ECC memory. The AMD uses PCIe Gen 4 with 16 CPU lanes, while the Intel uses PCIe Gen 5 with 16 CPU lanes. The AMD integrates Radeon 890M graphics, while the Intel integrates UHD Graphics 730. The Intel has a launch MSRP of $232; the AMD has no recorded launch MSRP. The AMD is a mobile segment part, and the Intel is a desktop segment part.

Architecture Differences

The architectural split is fundamental. The AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375 uses Zen 5 architecture under the Strix Point codename, belonging to the Ryzen AI PRO 300 generation that combines Zen 5 and Zen 5c cores. The Intel Core 5 221E uses the Bartlett Lake codename in the Core 5 generation. The AMD is built on a 4 nm TSMC process, while the Intel uses a 10 nm process from Intel's own fabs.

The core count versus thread count relationship reveals different design philosophies. The AMD offers 12 cores and 24 threads, meaning every core supports two threads. The Intel offers 14 cores and 20 threads, meaning not every core is hyper-threaded. The AMD's higher thread count likely contributes to its consistent 10% multi-core Cinebench wins despite having two fewer physical cores.

Cache strategy also diverges. The Intel allocates 2 MB of L2 per core and 24 MB of shared L3, a larger L2 and L3 footprint than the AMD's 1 MB per core L2 and 16 MB L3. The AMD's smaller cache is paired with a more advanced 4 nm process, which explains its much lower 28 W TDP versus the Intel's 65 W. The AMD's integrated Radeon 890M graphics represents a more capable integrated GPU than the Intel's UHD Graphics 730, though no graphics benchmarks are recorded in the data. The AMD supports LPDDR5X in addition to DDR5, which suits its mobile positioning, while the Intel's DDR4 support targets desktop flexibility. The Intel's PCIe Gen 5 interface offers newer connectivity, while the AMD uses PCIe Gen 4.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375 wins in the broad categories of multithreaded rendering, compression, encryption, extended instructions, and integer math. Its Cinebench sweep across all three versions covers both single-core and multi-core workloads, making it the stronger choice for rendering engines that rely on those benchmarks. The 28.4% data compression lead and the 20.4% random string sorting lead point to advantages in file archiving and text processing. The 61.1% extended instructions margin is the largest gap in the entire comparison, so any workload that uses advanced SIMD instructions will see a major benefit on the AMD. The 10.3% encryption lead and the 1.4% integer math lead round out a processor that wins most general-purpose computing tasks.

The Intel Core 5 221E wins in prime number finding, physics, floating point math, and PassMark single-thread scoring. The 27.7% prime number finding advantage is the largest Intel win and indicates a significant edge in integer-heavy algorithms that depend on fast scalar execution. The 17.4% physics win suggests Intel is stronger in physics simulation workloads. The 5.6% floating point math lead and the 5.6% single-thread PassMark lead show Intel has an edge in certain numerically intensive and lightly threaded scenarios. The Intel's higher base clock of 2.70 GHz and boost clock of 5.20 GHz likely contribute to these wins, along with its larger 2 MB per core L2 cache and 24 MB shared L3 cache.

The overall data paints a clear picture: the AMD dominates the majority of measured workloads and does so with a 12-core, 24-thread design on a 4 nm process. The Intel counters in a few specialized areas but cannot match the AMD's breadth of wins. The 17-point gap in average benchmark score (47022 vs 40144) and the 89th versus 87th percentile ranking confirm that the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375 is the higher-performing processor in the database's measurements.