AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 388 vs Intel Core Ultra X9 378H Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head results show a dominant Intel lead in raw compute, with the Core Ultra X9 378H winning 12 of 15 recorded tests. The largest Intel victories come in Cinebench R23 multicore, where it scores 32553 against the Ryzen AI Max+ 388’s 18759, a 42.4% advantage. Single-core performance is even more lopsided: in Cinebench R23 single-core, Intel posts 4595 versus 1960, a 57.3% gap. The R15 tests follow the same pattern, with Intel ahead by 35.5% in single-core (462 vs 298) and 12.5% in multicore (3281 vs 2872). PassMark physics also favors Intel heavily, 3404 versus 1843, a 45.9% margin, and floating point math goes Intel’s way by 36.5% (114500 vs 72722). Prime number finding is Intel’s biggest win at 59.4% (357 vs 145), while data encryption shows Intel ahead by 32.7% (29840 vs 20092).

The AMD chip still secures meaningful wins in three workloads. Integer math is its strongest result, scoring 109588 against Intel’s 92603, an 18.3% advantage. Data compression goes AMD’s way by 3.7% (400887 vs 386591), and extended instructions show a 4.5% lead (32719 vs 31315). These wins indicate that the Zen 5 architecture retains an edge in certain integer-heavy and compression-oriented tasks, even when the overall compute throughput favors Intel. PassMark multithread still goes to Intel by 12.6% (38298 vs 33486), and single-thread results show a 6% Intel lead (4453 vs 4185). Random string sorting is close, with Intel ahead just 3.3% (44648 vs 43196).

Average benchmark scores place the AMD part at 49796 with a 90th percentile ranking, while Intel sits at 47468 with an 89th percentile. The nearest rivals for AMD include the Intel Core 9 273PE (avg 49845, delta -0.1%), the Core i5-14600KF (avg 49394, delta 0.8%), the Ryzen 9 7900 (avg 49228, delta 1.2%), and the Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G (avg 49196, delta 1.2%). Intel’s nearest rivals are the AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 5945 (avg 47527, delta -0.1%), the Core i7-13700KF (avg 47330, delta 0.3%), the Core Ultra 7 265T (avg 47697, delta -0.5%), and the Core i9-12900F (avg 47176, delta 0.6%). These figures put both CPUs in the same competitive tier, despite the head-to-head disparity.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from opposite design philosophies. The AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 388 uses 8 cores and 16 threads based on the Zen 5 architecture, built on TSMC’s 4 nm process. Its codename is Strix Halo, and it belongs to the Ryzen AI Max generation. The Intel Core Ultra X9 378H uses 16 cores and 16 threads, meaning no simultaneous multithreading, and is built on Intel’s 3 nm process with the Panther Lake codename, part of the Ultra X9 (Panther Lake-H) generation. The Intel chip has double the physical cores but the same thread count, which explains its multicore advantage in tests that scale with core count rather than threads.

Cache layouts differ substantially. AMD allocates 80 KB of L1 per core, 1 MB of L2 per core, and 32 MB of shared L3. Intel provides 192 KB of L1 per core, 2.5 MB of L2 per core, and only 18 MB of shared L3. The larger per-core L2 on Intel helps with single-threaded latency, while AMD’s larger shared L3 gives it more cache for multi-threaded data sharing. Memory bandwidth also diverges: AMD uses a quad-channel LPDDR5X interface with 256.0 GB/s of bandwidth, while Intel uses dual-channel LPDDR5X with 153.6 GB/s. AMD also supports ECC memory; Intel does not.

PCIe connectivity differs in generation and lane count. AMD provides Gen 4 with 16 CPU lanes, while Intel provides Gen 5 with only 4 CPU lanes. The integrated graphics are AMD Radeon 8060S for the Ryzen part and Intel Arc B390 for the Core Ultra part. Both are mobile-market chips, and both are listed as active production. The AMD chip has a socket of AMD Socket FP11, while Intel uses Intel BGA 2540. The Intel part belongs to the Core Ultra Series 3 family, whereas the AMD part has no series designation. The AMD chip’s part number is 100-000001980; Intel’s part number is unknown. Neither chip has an unlocked multiplier.

Where Each One Wins

The Intel Core Ultra X9 378H is the clear choice for heavily multithreaded rendering and compute workloads. Its 42.4% lead in Cinebench R23 multicore and 12.5% lead in R15 multicore show that it handles CPU-bound tasks like video encoding, 3D rendering, and scientific simulation with substantially more throughput. The 45.9% margin in PassMark physics further confirms that the Intel part dominates in simulation-style workloads. Single-threaded responsiveness also favors Intel, with a 57.3% lead in R23 single-core and 35.5% in R15 single-core, making it the better option for lightly threaded applications such as older games or spreadsheet macros. Floating point math and prime number finding both go Intel’s way by large margins, indicating strong raw ALU throughput.

The AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 388 wins in tasks that reward its larger shared L3 and quad-channel memory bandwidth. Data compression shows a 3.7% lead, and extended instructions are 4.5% ahead. The 18.3% advantage in integer math is the standout, suggesting that workloads like database operations, financial modeling, or certain cryptographic routines that rely on integer arithmetic will run faster on AMD. The AMD chip’s 100-000001980 part number and 55 W TDP, compared to Intel’s 25 W TDP, indicate that AMD is trading power for performance in specific niches rather than overall supremacy.

The data shows a clear split: Intel for general compute and single-threaded speed, AMD for integer-heavy and compression-specific tasks. The overall average benchmark score for AMD is higher at 49796 versus 47468, but that average is pulled up by the AMD chip’s strong showing in the PassMark integer math and data compression tests, which are weighted heavily in that aggregate. The head-to-head wins tell the more direct story.

FAQ

Q: Which chip has more cores?

A: The Intel Core Ultra X9 378H has 16 cores, while the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 388 has 8 cores. Both have 16 threads.

Q: How large is the single-core performance gap?

A: In Cinebench R23 single-core, Intel scores 4595 against AMD’s 1960, giving Intel a 57.3% lead. In R15 single-core, Intel leads by 35.5% (462 vs 298).

Q: Does the AMD chip win any benchmarks?

A: Yes, it wins three: PassMark integer math (109588 vs 92603, an 18.3% lead), data compression (400887 vs 386591, a 3.7% lead), and extended instructions (32719 vs 31315, a 4.5% lead).

Q: What is the memory bandwidth difference?

A: AMD uses quad-channel LPDDR5X with 256.0 GB/s, while Intel uses dual-channel LPDDR5X with 153.6 GB/s. AMD also supports ECC memory; Intel does not.

Q: Which chip has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 388 has an average score of 49796, while the Intel Core Ultra X9 378H has 47468. AMD ranks at the 90th percentile, Intel at the 89th.

Q: What are the process nodes for each?

A: AMD uses TSMC’s 4 nm process, while Intel uses Intel’s own 3 nm process.

Specification Differences

| Specification | AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 388 | Intel Core Ultra X9 378H |

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

| Cores | 8 | 16 |

| Threads | 16 | 16 |

| Base clock | 3.60 GHz | 2.00 GHz |

| Boost clock | 5.00 GHz | 5.00 GHz |

| TDP | 55 W | 25 W |

| Socket | AMD Socket FP11 | Intel BGA 2540 |

| Architecture | Zen 5 | Not specified |

| Codename | Strix Halo | Panther Lake |

| Generation | Ryzen AI Max (Zen 5 (Strix Halo)) | Ultra X9 (Panther Lake-H) |

| Process node | 4 nm (TSMC) | 3 nm (Intel) |

| L1 cache | 80 KB per core | 192 KB per core |

| L2 cache | 1 MB per core | 2.5 MB per core |

| L3 cache | 32 MB shared | 18 MB shared |

| Memory support | LPDDR5X | LPDDR5X |

| Memory bus | Quad-channel | Dual-channel |

| Memory bandwidth | 256.0 GB/s | 153.6 GB/s |

| ECC memory | Yes | No |

| PCIe | Gen 4, 16 lanes | Gen 5, 4 lanes |

| Integrated graphics | Radeon 8060S | Arc B390 |

| Market segment | Mobile | Mobile |

| Production status | Active | Active |

| Part number | 100-000001980 | Unknown |

| Multiplier unlocked | No | No |

The Verdict

The data points to the Intel Core Ultra X9 378H as the faster processor in most measurable compute scenarios. Its 16 physical cores, 3 nm process, and 5.00 GHz boost clock deliver decisive wins in rendering, physics, encryption, and single-threaded tasks. The 42.4% margin in Cinebench R23 multicore and 57.3% margin in single-core are too large to ignore for anyone who prioritizes raw CPU throughput. The 12 wins out of 15 head-to-head tests confirm that Intel dominates the broader benchmark set.

The AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 388 is not without merit, but its advantages are narrower and more specialized. The 18.3% lead in integer math and the 4.5% lead in extended instructions show that certain workloads will run better on Zen 5, and the 3.7% compression win adds another niche. The quad-channel memory bus and 256.0 GB/s bandwidth give it a theoretical advantage in memory-intensive tasks, and the 32 MB shared L3 is larger than Intel’s 18 MB. However, the head-to-head results show that these advantages rarely translate into overall benchmark wins.

For a user who needs maximum single-threaded speed, heavy multicore rendering, or physics simulation, the Intel part is the clear choice based on the recorded data. For a user whose workload is dominated by integer arithmetic, data compression, or extended instruction sets, the AMD part offers specific advantages that could matter in those narrow cases. The average benchmark scores place AMD slightly higher overall, but the head-to-head deltas are more telling. The Intel Core Ultra X9 378H wins the majority of tests and wins them by large margins; the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 388 wins a minority and wins them by smaller margins. On the strength of the benchmark evidence, Intel is the better general-purpose mobile processor.