AMD Ryzen AI Max 385 vs Intel Core 9 273PTE Comparison

Architecture Differences

The AMD Ryzen AI Max 385 and Intel Core 9 273PTE represent two fundamentally different design philosophies. The AMD part uses the Zen 5 architecture on TSMC's 4 nm process node, built under the Strix Halo codename. It packs 8 cores and 16 threads, with a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz. The Intel part, by contrast, uses the Bartlett Lake codename on Intel's 10 nm process, offering 12 cores and 24 threads, with a much lower base clock of 1.40 GHz but a higher boost clock of 5.50 GHz.

The cache layouts diverge sharply. Both processors allocate 80 KB of L1 cache per core. The AMD chip uses 1 MB of L2 per core, while Intel doubles that to 2 MB per core. L3 cache is also asymmetric: AMD provides 32 MB shared, while Intel provides 36 MB shared. Interestingly, the AMD die is composed of two 70.6 mm² chiplets, whereas the Intel die size is not recorded in the database.

Memory architecture is a major differentiator. The AMD Ryzen AI Max 385 supports LPDDR5X memory over a quad-channel bus, delivering 256.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The Intel Core 9 273PTE supports both DDR4 and DDR5 over a dual-channel bus, with 89.6 GB/s of bandwidth. That is a 2.85x bandwidth advantage for AMD, which likely explains several of its benchmark wins. Both processors support ECC memory. PCIe connectivity also differs: AMD uses Gen 4 with 16 lanes (CPU only), while Intel uses Gen 5 with 16 lanes (CPU only).

Integrated graphics set these parts apart. AMD pairs the Ryzen AI Max 385 with a Radeon 8050S, while Intel uses UHD Graphics 730. The database does not include iGPU benchmark scores, so the comparison here is strictly architectural.

The market segments differ as well. The AMD chip is a mobile part on AMD Socket FP11, released on 2025-01-05. The Intel part is a desktop chip on Intel Socket 1700, released on 2026-03-08. Neither processor has an unlocked multiplier. The Intel part carries a launch MSRP of $549. The production status for both is listed as Active.

The Verdict

The benchmark data paints a split picture. The AMD Ryzen AI Max 385 wins 10 of the 17 head-to-head benchmark comparisons, while the Intel Core 9 273PTE wins 7. However, the nature of those wins matters more than the raw count.

The Intel chip dominates every Cinebench workload. In Cinebench R23 multi-core, Intel scores 20445 against AMD's 15674, a 23.3% advantage. The same delta appears across R15 and R20, both single-core and multi-core, suggesting a consistent architectural edge for Intel in rendering-style workloads. The Intel part also wins PassMark physics, though by a razor-thin 1.5% margin.

The AMD part wins the PassMark suite more broadly, and often by large margins. Data compression shows AMD ahead by 57.1%, extended instructions by 112.3%, multithread by 40.1%, and random string sorting by 50.9%. Integer math, floating point math, encryption, prime number finding, and single-thread tests also favor AMD, with deltas ranging from 16.2% to 39.8%.

The average benchmark scores reflect this split. The AMD part has an average benchmark score of 44309, placing it in the 88th percentile of all CPUs. The Intel part averages 31143, in the 82nd percentile. The AMD part's nearest rivals include the Intel Core i9-13950HX at 44342 (0.1% ahead) and the AMD Ryzen 5 7500X3D at 44573 (0.6% ahead). The Intel part's nearest rivals are the Intel Core i7-12700F at 31081 (0.2% behind) and the AMD Ryzen 9 8945HS at 31074 (0.2% behind). So the AMD chip sits in a higher performance class overall, while the Intel chip competes in a lower tier despite its Cinebench strength.

Who should pick which? The data suggests the AMD part for mixed or memory-sensitive workloads, and the Intel part for Cinebench-style multi-threaded rendering. The AMD chip's 88th percentile standing and higher average score give it the overall edge. The Intel chip's Cinebench supremacy is real but narrow in scope.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has more cores and threads?

A: The Intel Core 9 273PTE has 12 cores and 24 threads, while the AMD Ryzen AI Max 385 has 8 cores and 16 threads.

Q: Which processor has higher memory bandwidth?

A: The AMD Ryzen AI Max 385 has 256.0 GB/s of memory bandwidth over a quad-channel LPDDR5X bus. The Intel Core 9 273PTE has 89.6 GB/s over a dual-channel DDR4/DDR5 bus.

Q: Which processor wins in Cinebench R23 multi-core?

A: The Intel Core 9 273PTE scores 20445 in Cinebench R23 multi-core, compared to 15674 for the AMD Ryzen AI Max 385, a 23.3% advantage for Intel.

Q: Which processor wins in PassMark data compression?

A: The AMD Ryzen AI Max 385 scores 406505 in PassMark data compression, compared to 258704 for the Intel Core 9 273PTE, a 57.1% advantage for AMD.

Q: What are the average benchmark scores for each processor?

A: The AMD Ryzen AI Max 385 has an average benchmark score of 44309, placing it in the 88th percentile. The Intel Core 9 273PTE has an average benchmark score of 31143, placing it in the 82nd percentile.

Q: Do both processors support ECC memory?

A: Yes, both the AMD Ryzen AI Max 385 and the Intel Core 9 273PTE support ECC memory.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head data reveals a clear pattern: Intel wins every Cinebench test, AMD wins most PassMark tests. The Cinebench deltas are remarkably consistent. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, Intel scores 2060 against AMD's 1579, a 23.3% delta. In R15 single-core, Intel scores 290 against 222, a 23.4% delta. R20 multi-core shows Intel at 8586 against 6583, again 23.3%. R20 single-core shows Intel at 1212 against 929, 23.3%. R23 multi-core shows Intel at 20445 against 15674, 23.3%. R23 single-core shows Intel at 2886 against 2212, 23.4%. The near-uniform delta across all six Cinebench tests suggests a consistent per-core efficiency advantage for the Intel architecture, not a scaling effect from its extra cores.

The PassMark results tell a different story. AMD's largest win is in extended instructions: 33873 against 15952, a 112.3% advantage. This suggests the Zen 5 architecture handles extended instruction sets far more efficiently than Bartlett Lake. Data compression shows AMD at 406505 against 258704, a 57.1% win. Random string sorting favors AMD at 43725 against 28973, a 50.9% win. Multithread favors AMD at 33705 against 24054, a 40.1% win. Encryption favors AMD at 19926 against 14253, a 39.8% win. Integer math favors AMD at 107046 against 82411, a 29.9% win. Single-thread tests favor AMD at 4060 against 3433, an 18.3% win. Floating point math favors AMD at 71105 against 60673, a 17.2% win. Prime number finding favors AMD at 165 against 142, a 16.2% win.

The only PassMark test Intel wins is physics: 1917 against 1889, a 1.5% margin. That is close enough to be within measurement noise, but the database records it as an Intel win.

The single-thread PassMark result is notable because it contradicts the Cinebench single-core result. AMD wins PassMark single-thread by 18.3%, while Intel wins Cinebench R23 single-core by 23.4%. The two benchmarks measure different aspects of single-thread performance, and the divergence suggests the AMD core is stronger in some instruction patterns while the Intel core is stronger in others.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ on nearly every major specification field. Core count: 8 for AMD, 12 for Intel. Thread count: 16 for AMD, 24 for Intel. Base clock: 3.60 GHz for AMD, 1.40 GHz for Intel. Boost clock: 5.00 GHz for AMD, 5.50 GHz for Intel. TDP: 55 for AMD, 45 for Intel. Socket: AMD Socket FP11 for AMD, Intel Socket 1700 for Intel. Architecture: Zen 5 for AMD, none recorded for Intel. Codename: Strix Halo for AMD, Bartlett Lake for Intel. Process node: 4 nm for AMD, 10 nm for Intel. Foundry: TSMC for AMD, Intel for Intel. L2 cache per core: 1 MB for AMD, 2 MB for Intel. L3 cache: 32 MB for AMD, 36 MB for Intel. Memory support: LPDDR5X for AMD, DDR4 and DDR5 for Intel. Memory bus: quad-channel for AMD, dual-channel for Intel. Memory bandwidth: 256.0 GB/s for AMD, 89.6 GB/s for Intel. PCIe: Gen 4 with 16 lanes for AMD, Gen 5 with 16 lanes for Intel. Integrated graphics: Radeon 8050S for AMD, UHD Graphics 730 for Intel. Market segment: Mobile for AMD, Desktop for Intel. Release date: 2025-01-05 for AMD, 2026-03-08 for Intel. Launch MSRP: none recorded for AMD, $549 for Intel. Part number: 100-000001424 for AMD, SA4QJ for Intel.

The die size is recorded only for AMD at 2x 70.6 mm². The Intel die size is not in the database. Neither processor has a recorded transistor count.

Where Each One Wins

The use-case split follows the benchmark split cleanly. The AMD Ryzen AI Max 385 wins in memory-intensive and data-transformation workloads. Its 256.0 GB/s memory bandwidth appears to drive the 57.1% win in data compression and the 50.9% win in random string sorting. The 112.3% win in extended instructions points to strong SIMD or specialized instruction handling. The 40.1% multithread win and 29.9% integer math win suggest the Zen 5 cores extract more throughput per clock in general-purpose compute. The 18.3% single-thread win in PassMark, despite the lower boost clock, indicates the architecture does more per cycle than the Intel part.

The Intel Core 9 273PTE wins in Cinebench workloads, which are render-based and heavily threaded. Its 12 cores and 24 threads give it a raw thread-count advantage, and the uniform 23.3% to 23.4% deltas across R15, R20, and R23 suggest that advantage holds regardless of workload length or complexity. The physics win, though marginal at 1.5%, adds a small second data point for Intel in simulation-style compute.

The overall average benchmark score favors AMD decisively: 44309 against 31143, a 42.3% gap. The percentile rankings confirm the class difference: 88th for AMD, 82nd for Intel. In the database's nearest-rival comparisons, the AMD part trades blows with the Intel Core i9-13950HX and AMD Ryzen 5 7500X3D, while the Intel part sits alongside the Intel Core i7-12700F and AMD Ryzen 9 8945HS. That places the two processors in different competitive brackets despite the Intel chip's Cinebench dominance.

The data implies a straightforward conclusion: choose the AMD Ryzen AI Max 385 for data processing, encryption, sorting, and general compute; choose the Intel Core 9 273PTE for Cinebench-style rendering. The AMD part is the higher-performing chip overall, but the Intel part has a specific, repeatable advantage in render workloads that no amount of AMD memory bandwidth can overcome.