AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 388 vs Intel Core i7-14701E Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data splits nearly evenly, with the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 388 taking 8 benchmark wins and the Intel Core i7-14701E taking 7, but the margin of victory tells a clearer story. The AMD part dominates in throughput-heavy workloads, while the Intel chip counters with decisive single-thread and legacy multi-thread results.

The largest single delta in either direction belongs to the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 388 in PassMark extended instructions, where it scores 32719 against Intel's 18528, a 76.6% advantage. This is not a marginal gap; it indicates a fundamental difference in how efficiently each processor handles AVX-style or specialized instruction streams. Data compression follows the same pattern: AMD scores 400887 versus 282939, a 41.7% lead. Random string sorting shows a 48.1% gap (43196 vs 29158), and integer math lands at 34.8% ahead (109588 vs 81325). Data encryption adds another 35.2% win for AMD (20092 vs 14862). Floating point math is closer but still favors AMD at 17.5% (72722 vs 61873). PassMark multithread, a broad aggregate, gives AMD a 28.2% edge (33486 vs 26112). In Cinebench R15 multicore, AMD wins 2872 to 2237, a 28.4% margin.

The Intel Core i7-14701E wins the remaining tests, and its strongest result is Cinebench R23 single-core, where it scores 3133 against AMD's 1960, a 37.4% lead. Cinebench R23 multicore also goes to Intel at 22195 versus 18759, a 15.5% advantage, which is notable because the AMD part wins the older R15 multicore test. The pattern suggests Intel's newer Cinebench workload favors its higher boost clock. PassMark physics shows Intel ahead at 2399 versus 1843, a 23.2% margin. Prime number finding goes to Intel by 17.6% (176 vs 145). Cinebench R15 single-core gives Intel a narrower 5.4% win (315 vs 298), and PassMark single-thread shows only a 2.8% gap (4305 vs 4185), with Intel ahead.

The overall average benchmark score places the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 388 at 49796 versus Intel's 33206. That is a 50% higher average, driven by the AMD part's extreme performance in the PassMark suite, even though Intel wins several individual tests. The AMD chip sits at the 90th percentile among all CPUs in the database, while the Intel chip sits at the 83rd percentile. The AMD part's nearest rivals include the Intel Core 9 273PE (avg score 49845, delta -0.1%), the Intel Core i5-14600KF (49394, delta 0.8%), and the AMD Ryzen 9 7900 (49228, delta 1.2%). The Intel part's nearest rivals are clustered around 33200, including the AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 6950H (33201, delta 0%) and the AMD Ryzen 5 8645HS (33244, delta -0.1%).

FAQ

Q: Which processor has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 388 has an average benchmark score of 49796, compared to 33206 for the Intel Core i7-14701E, a difference of roughly 50%.

Q: Does the Intel chip win any multi-threaded tests?

A: Yes, the Intel Core i7-14701E wins Cinebench R23 multicore (22195 vs 18759, a 15.5% lead) and PassMark physics (2399 vs 1843, a 23.2% lead). The AMD part wins Cinebench R15 multicore and PassMark multithread.

Q: How large is the single-core advantage for Intel?

A: In Cinebench R23 single-core, the Intel chip leads by 37.4% (3133 vs 1960). The gap narrows to 5.4% in Cinebench R15 single-core and 2.8% in PassMark single-thread.

Q: What is the biggest performance gap recorded between the two?

A: The largest gap is in PassMark extended instructions, where the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 388 leads by 76.6% (32719 vs 18528).

Q: Which processor has a higher percentile ranking in the database?

A: The AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 388 is at the 90th percentile among all CPUs, while the Intel Core i7-14701E is at the 83rd percentile.

Q: Are there any tests where the two are nearly tied?

A: PassMark single-thread is the closest, with Intel at 4305 and AMD at 4185, a 2.8% difference. Cinebench R15 single-core is also close at 5.4%.

Architecture Differences

The AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 388 uses the Zen 5 architecture on the Strix Halo codename, built on a 4 nm process at TSMC. The die size is reported as 2x 70.6 mm², indicating a chiplet design. The Intel Core i7-14701E uses Raptor Lake architecture on the Raptor Lake-R codename, built on a 10 nm process at Intel, with a monolithic die size of 257 mm².

Cache layouts differ notably. Both have 80 KB of L1 per core. The AMD chip has 1 MB of L2 per core and 32 MB of shared L3. The Intel chip has 2 MB of L2 per core and 33 MB of shared L3. The Intel part therefore has twice the per-core L2, while the AMD part has a slightly smaller L3 pool.

Memory support diverges sharply. The AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 388 uses LPDDR5X memory with a quad-channel bus and a measured memory bandwidth of 256.0 GB/s. The Intel Core i7-14701E supports both DDR4 and DDR5, uses a dual-channel bus, and has no recorded bandwidth figure in the database. Both support ECC memory.

PCIe connectivity differs by generation. The AMD part provides PCIe Gen 4 with 16 lanes (CPU only). The Intel part provides PCIe Gen 5 with 16 lanes (CPU only). The integrated graphics also differ: the AMD chip carries a Radeon 8060S, while the Intel chip carries UHD Graphics 770. The AMD part is a mobile segment product on AMD Socket FP11, while the Intel part is a desktop segment product on Intel Socket 1700.

The AMD chip has a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz, with a TDP of 55. The Intel chip has a base clock of 2.60 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz, with a TDP of 65. Neither processor has an unlocked multiplier. The AMD part was released on 2026-01-05, while the Intel part was released on 2024-06-30.

Specification Differences

| Field | AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 388 | Intel Core i7-14701E |

| --- | --- | --- |

| Architecture | Zen 5 | Raptor Lake |

| Codename | Strix Halo | Raptor Lake-R |

| Process Node | 4 nm | 10 nm |

| Foundry | TSMC | Intel |

| Die Size | 2x 70.6 mm² | 257 mm² |

| Base Clock | 3.60 GHz | 2.60 GHz |

| Boost Clock | 5.00 GHz | 5.40 GHz |

| TDP | 55 | 65 |

| L2 Cache | 1 MB (per core) | 2 MB (per core) |

| L3 Cache | 32 MB (shared) | 33 MB (shared) |

| Memory Support | LPDDR5X | DDR4, DDR5 |

| Memory Bus | Quad-channel | Dual-channel |

| Memory Bandwidth | 256.0 GB/s | Not recorded |

| PCIe | Gen 4, 16 Lanes (CPU only) | Gen 5, 16 Lanes (CPU only) |

| Integrated Graphics | Radeon 8060S | UHD Graphics 770 |

| Socket | AMD Socket FP11 | Intel Socket 1700 |

| Market Segment | Mobile | Desktop |

| Release Date | 2026-01-05 | 2024-06-30 |

Both processors have 8 cores and 16 threads, both support ECC memory, both are locked, and neither has a recorded launch MSRP in the database.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 388 wins in every PassMark compute-heavy category except physics and prime numbers. Its 76.6% lead in extended instructions and 41.7% lead in data compression indicate a clear advantage for workloads that use wide SIMD or vectorized code. Integer math, encryption, and random string sorting all favor AMD by at least 34.8%. This makes the AMD part the stronger choice for data processing, compression pipelines, encryption tasks, and general parallel integer workloads. The 28.2% PassMark multithread win and 28.4% Cinebench R15 multicore win reinforce that the AMD chip sustains high throughput across a broad set of tasks.

The Intel Core i7-14701E wins in single-thread responsiveness. Its Cinebench R23 single-core score is 37.4% higher, and its PassMark single-thread score is 2.8% higher. The Intel part also wins Cinebench R23 multicore by 15.5%, which is a heavier workload than R15, and physics by 23.2%. Prime number finding, a workload sensitive to branch prediction and clock speed, also favors Intel by 17.6%. The Intel chip's higher boost clock of 5.40 GHz versus 5.00 GHz likely underpins these wins. The Intel part is a desktop processor on Socket 1700 with DDR4/DDR5 support, while the AMD part is a mobile processor on Socket FP11 with LPDDR5X, so the Intel chip also fits in a different physical and platform context.

The Verdict

The data separates the two processors by workload type rather than by overall capability. The AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 388 delivers a decisive advantage in the PassMark compute suite, with wins in extended instructions (76.6%), random string sorting (48.1%), data compression (41.7%), encryption (35.2%), integer math (34.8%), floating point math (17.5%), and multithread (28.2%). Its average benchmark score of 49796 places it at the 90th percentile, and it outranks the Intel part by a wide margin in the database's aggregate metric.

The Intel Core i7-14701E counters with a strong single-core profile, winning Cinebench R23 single-core by 37.4% and PassMark single-thread by 2.8%. It also wins Cinebench R23 multicore by 15.5% and PassMark physics by 23.2%, showing that its performance is not limited to lightly threaded tasks. The Intel chip's 83rd percentile ranking and 33206 average score are lower, but its wins in Cinebench R23 and physics indicate a different optimization curve.

For a user prioritizing raw data throughput, encryption, compression, or vectorized math, the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 388 is the clear choice based on the recorded deltas. For a user prioritizing single-thread latency, physics simulation, or the newer Cinebench R23 multicore workload, the Intel Core i7-14701E holds the advantage. The AMD part also offers a quad-channel LPDDR5X memory bus with 256.0 GB/s bandwidth and a mobile form factor, while the Intel part offers PCIe Gen 5 and a desktop socket. The selection depends on whether the workload leans toward the AMD part's 8 compute-heavy wins or the Intel part's 7 wins, with the AMD part's average score being substantially higher.