AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 470 vs Intel Core 5 221E Comparison

AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 470 and Intel Core 5 221E occupy different segments of the processor market, one designed for mobile platforms and the other for desktop systems. The recorded data shows a close split in benchmark victories, with the AMD part taking 8 wins and the Intel part taking 7. However, the magnitude of those wins varies significantly, with the AMD processor dominating in several specialized workloads while the Intel processor excels in raw single-thread performance and multi-core rendering tests. This analysis walks through the architectural foundations, specific benchmark results, and the resulting use-case implications.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has more cores and threads?

A: The Intel Core 5 221E has 14 cores and 20 threads, while the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 470 has 12 cores and 24 threads. Despite having fewer cores, the AMD processor supports more threads.

Q: What is the difference in their boost clocks?

A: Both processors share a boost clock of 5.20 GHz. Their base clocks differ, with the Intel part starting at 2.70 GHz and the AMD part at 2.00 GHz.

Q: Which processor has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 470 records an average benchmark score of 56306, placing it in the 92nd percentile of all CPUs. The Intel Core 5 221E records 40144, placing it in the 87th percentile.

Q: How do their power requirements differ?

A: The AMD processor has a TDP of 28 watts, while the Intel processor has a TDP of 65 watts. This indicates a substantial difference in thermal design power, favoring the AMD part for efficiency.

Q: Do they support the same memory types?

A: No. The AMD processor supports DDR5 and LPDDR5X memory. The Intel processor supports DDR4 and DDR5 memory. Both utilize a dual-channel memory bus and share the same memory bandwidth figure of 89.6 GB/s.

Q: Which processor has the larger L3 cache?

A: The Intel Core 5 221E has 24 MB of shared L3 cache. The AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 470 has 16 MB of L3 cache.

Architecture Differences

The foundational designs of these two processors diverge sharply. The AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 470 uses the Zen 5 architecture under the codename Gorgon Point, belonging to the Ryzen AI PRO 400 generation. It is built on a 4 nm process at TSMC, with a die size of 233 mm². Its 12 cores and 24 threads combine Zen 5 and Zen 5c cores. The processor is designed for the mobile segment, using the AMD Socket FP8. It features 80 KB of L1 cache per core, 1 MB of L2 cache per core, and a total of 16 MB of L3 cache.

The Intel Core 5 221E uses the Bartlett Lake codename under the Core 5 generation. It is built on a 10 nm process at Intel, with a die size of 257 mm². This is a desktop processor using Intel Socket 1700. It has 14 cores and 20 threads. Its cache hierarchy includes 80 KB of L1 cache per core, 2 MB of L2 cache per core, and 24 MB of shared L3 cache. The process node difference is notable, with AMD using a 4 nm process versus Intel's 10 nm process.

Memory support also differs. The AMD processor supports DDR5 and LPDDR5X, whereas the Intel processor supports DDR4 and DDR5. Both use dual-channel memory buses and record the same memory bandwidth of 89.6 GB/s. Both processors support ECC memory. For PCIe connectivity, the AMD part uses Gen 4 with 16 lanes (CPU only), while the Intel part uses Gen 5 with 16 lanes (CPU only). Integrated graphics are present on both, with the AMD part featuring the Radeon 890M and the Intel part featuring UHD Graphics 730.

Where Each One Wins

The benchmark data reveals distinct strengths for each processor. The AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 470 wins in workloads that demand high throughput on data manipulation. It shows decisive victories in data compression, extended instructions, and random string sorting. The Intel Core 5 221E wins in rendering workloads, as shown by its Cinebench results, and in single-threaded tasks.

For compute-heavy server or workstation tasks, the AMD processor demonstrates clear advantages. Its wins in data encryption and integer math indicate strong performance for security-related and general-purpose processing. The floating point math score is nearly identical, with the AMD part just ahead. The Intel processor wins in physics calculations and prime number finding, suggesting strengths in simulation and computational mathematics.

For content creation, the results are mixed but lean Intel. The Intel Core 5 221E wins the Cinebench R23 multi-core test by a wide margin, indicating better performance in long-form rendering tasks. The AMD processor wins Cinebench R15 multi-core, which is an older test with different workload characteristics. The Intel part also wins both single-core Cinebench tests, which matters for applications that rely on a single thread.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ across nearly every core specification. The AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 470 has 12 cores and 24 threads, while the Intel Core 5 221E has 14 cores and 20 threads. Base clocks are 2.00 GHz for AMD and 2.70 GHz for Intel. Both boost to 5.20 GHz. The TDP is 28 watts for AMD and 65 watts for Intel.

Their sockets are entirely different, with AMD using Socket FP8 and Intel using Socket 1700. The process nodes are 4 nm for AMD and 10 nm for Intel. The codenames are Gorgon Point for AMD and Bartlett Lake for Intel. The die sizes are 233 mm² for AMD and 257 mm² for Intel. L2 cache is 1 MB per core on AMD and 2 MB per core on Intel. L3 cache is 16 MB total on AMD and 24 MB shared on Intel. The AMD processor supports DDR5 and LPDDR5X, while the Intel processor supports DDR4 and DDR5. PCIe generation is Gen 4 for AMD and Gen 5 for Intel. The integrated graphics are Radeon 890M for AMD and UHD Graphics 730 for Intel. The market segments are Mobile for AMD and Desktop for Intel. The Intel part has a launch MSRP of $232.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The Cinebench R23 multi-core test shows the largest single victory for the Intel processor. The Intel Core 5 221E scores 25933, which is 26.4% ahead of the AMD processor's 19095. This is a substantial gap in a modern rendering benchmark. The Cinebench R23 single-core test shows an even larger relative advantage for Intel, with a score of 3661 versus 2054, a delta of 43.9%. The Cinebench R15 single-core test follows a similar pattern, with Intel ahead by 14.9%, scoring 368 versus 313. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the AMD processor wins with 3234 versus 2613, a 23.8% advantage.

The Passmark suite shows the AMD processor winning by large margins in several tests. The extended instructions test shows the biggest difference, with AMD scoring 32803 versus Intel's 18216, an 80.1% advantage. Data compression shows AMD at 461195 versus 324285, a 42.2% lead. Random string sorting shows AMD at 48824 versus 37686, a 29.6% lead. Data encryption shows AMD at 22929 versus 19205, a 19.4% lead. The multithread test shows AMD at 36402 versus 30510, a 19.3% lead. Integer math shows AMD at 127573 versus 117813, an 8.3% lead. Floating point math is close, with AMD at 80023 versus 79028, a 1.3% lead.

The Intel processor wins the remaining tests. Prime number finding shows Intel at 173 versus AMD's 136, a 21.4% advantage. Physics shows Intel at 2230 versus AMD's 1915, a 14.1% advantage. Single-thread performance shows Intel at 4147 versus AMD's 4050, a 2.3% advantage. The data confirms that Intel wins the single-thread and rendering tests, while AMD wins the data processing and encryption tests.

The Verdict

The benchmark data indicates two different usage profiles. The AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 470 delivers superior performance in data compression, encryption, extended instruction handling, and random string sorting. Its 28 watt TDP makes it an efficient choice for mobile systems. The 42.2% lead in data compression and the 80.1% lead in extended instructions suggest that workloads involving data analytics, compression algorithms, and specialized instruction sets will run faster on the AMD processor.

The Intel Core 5 221E offers a different set of strengths. Its 43.9% lead in Cinebench R23 single-core and its 26.4% lead in Cinebench R23 multi-core indicate that applications relying on rendering performance will benefit from the Intel processor. The 14.1% lead in physics and the 21.4% lead in prime number finding point to advantages in simulation and computational tasks. Its 65 watt TDP places it in the desktop segment, where power constraints are less limiting.

The overall average benchmark scores place the AMD processor in the 92nd percentile with a score of 56306, compared to the Intel processor's 87th percentile with 40144. The AMD processor sits near the AMD Ryzen AI Max 390 and the Intel Core i9-14900HX in overall performance, while the Intel processor is comparable to the AMD Ryzen 7 7700 and the AMD Ryzen AI 9 365. For mobile workloads focused on data processing and encryption, the AMD processor is the stronger choice. For desktop rendering and single-thread performance, the Intel processor is the better option.