AMD Ryzen AI Max 390 vs Intel Core i5-14401E Comparison

The Verdict

The recorded benchmark data is unambiguous: the AMD Ryzen AI Max 390 wins every single head-to-head test against the Intel Core i5-14401E. The database shows six direct comparisons across Cinebench R15, R20, and R23, and the AMD part claims all six victories. The margin is nearly identical in every test, with deltas ranging from 98.6% to 98.8% in favor of the Ryzen. That consistency indicates a broad performance advantage, not a workload-specific quirk.

The Ryzen AI Max 390 sits at the 91st percentile of all CPUs in the database, while the Intel Core i5-14401E sits at the 60th percentile. The average benchmark score for the AMD chip is 56,273, versus 5,253 for the Intel chip. Those figures place the two processors in entirely different competitive tiers. The AMD part is a mobile processor with 12 cores and 24 threads. The Intel part is a desktop processor with 6 cores and 12 threads. Anyone choosing between these two should base the decision on the workload, because the performance gap is decisive in every measured category.

The Ryzen AI Max 390 is the clear pick for multithreaded rendering, heavy compilation, or any task that scales across cores. The Intel Core i5-14401E is not competitive in these areas according to the data. For single-threaded tasks, the AMD chip still leads by a wide margin. There is no benchmark in the head-to-head set where the Intel part wins, so the verdict is straightforward: the Ryzen AI Max 390 is the superior processor in every test the database records.

Where Each One Wins

The head-to-head benchmark table lists six tests, and the AMD Ryzen AI Max 390 wins all six. The Intel Core i5-14401E has zero wins in this comparison. That means there is no measured workload category in which the Intel chip outperforms the AMD chip. The closest margins are still nearly double: the smallest delta is 98.6% in Cinebench R15 multicore, R20 multicore, and R23 multicore, and the largest is 98.8% in Cinebench R15 singlecore.

The AMD chip wins in both multicore and singlecore tests. In Cinebench R23 multicore, the Ryzen scores 36,064 versus 18,161 for the Intel chip, a delta of 98.6%. In Cinebench R23 singlecore, the Ryzen scores 5,091 versus 2,564, also a delta of 98.6%. The pattern repeats across R15 and R20. The AMD chip leads by roughly 98% in every test, regardless of thread count. This suggests the advantage comes from both core count and per-core performance, not just one or the other.

The Intel part has no category where it takes the lead. Even in tests that traditionally favor lower core counts or higher single-thread clocks, the database shows the Intel chip behind. The Intel core i5-14401E does have a higher TDP at 65 watts compared to 55 watts for the AMD chip, but that does not translate into a benchmark win. The data shows the AMD chip delivering more performance despite a lower power envelope.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from different architectural lineages. The AMD Ryzen AI Max 390 uses the Zen 5 architecture on the Strix Halo codename, built on a 4 nm process at TSMC. The Intel Core i5-14401E uses Raptor Lake architecture on the Raptor Lake-R codename, built on a 10 nm process at Intel. The process node difference is significant: 4 nm versus 10 nm gives the AMD chip a density and efficiency advantage that shows up in the benchmark results.

The core counts also differ substantially. The AMD chip has 12 cores and 24 threads. The Intel chip has 6 cores and 12 threads. That is a 2x difference in both cores and threads. The AMD chip has a base clock of 3.20 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz. The Intel chip has a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.70 GHz. The AMD chip is higher on both metrics, which explains part of the singlecore advantage.

Cache configurations differ as well. The AMD chip has 80 KB of L1 per core, 1 MB of L2 per core, and 64 MB of shared L3. The Intel chip has 80 KB of L1 per core, 1.25 MB of L2 per core, and 20 MB of shared L3. The L3 cache difference is substantial: 64 MB versus 20 MB. The AMD chip also uses a quad-channel LPDDR5X memory bus with 256.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The Intel chip uses a dual-channel DDR4/DDR5 bus, though the database does not list a bandwidth figure for it.

The sockets are incompatible. The AMD chip uses AMD Socket FP11, a mobile socket. The Intel chip uses Intel Socket 1700, a desktop socket. The AMD chip has PCIe Gen 4 with 16 CPU lanes, while the Intel chip has PCIe Gen 5 with 16 CPU lanes. The Intel chip has a newer PCIe generation, but the benchmark data does not show that translating into CPU performance wins.

Integrated graphics also differ. The AMD chip uses Radeon 8050S, while the Intel chip uses UHD Graphics 730. Both chips support ECC memory. The AMD chip has a die size of 2x 70.6 mm², while the Intel chip has a die size of 215 mm². The AMD chip is a mobile segment part, released on 2025-01-05. The Intel chip is a desktop segment part, released on 2024-06-30.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has more cores and threads?

A: The AMD Ryzen AI Max 390 has 12 cores and 24 threads. The Intel Core i5-14401E has 6 cores and 12 threads.

Q: Which processor has a higher boost clock?

A: The AMD Ryzen AI Max 390 boosts to 5.00 GHz, while the Intel Core i5-14401E boosts to 4.70 GHz.

Q: Which processor has more L3 cache?

A: The AMD Ryzen AI Max 390 has 64 MB of shared L3 cache. The Intel Core i5-14401E has 20 MB of shared L3 cache.

Q: Are these processors compatible with the same motherboard socket?

A: No. The AMD chip uses AMD Socket FP11, and the Intel chip uses Intel Socket 1700.

Q: Which processor wins in Cinebench R23 multicore?

A: The AMD Ryzen AI Max 390 scores 36,064 versus 18,161 for the Intel Core i5-14401E, a delta of 98.6% in favor of AMD.

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

A: The AMD Ryzen AI Max 390 is at the 91st percentile of all CPUs. The Intel Core i5-14401E is at the 60th percentile.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head table contains six Cinebench tests, and the AMD Ryzen AI Max 390 wins every one. The smallest margin is 98.6%, and the largest is 98.8%. The AMD chip leads in Cinebench R15 multicore with a score of 3,635 versus 1,830, a delta of 98.6%. In Cinebench R15 singlecore, the AMD chip scores 513 versus 258, a delta of 98.8%.

Cinebench R20 multicore shows the AMD chip at 15,146 versus 7,627, a delta of 98.6%. Cinebench R20 singlecore shows the AMD chip at 2,138 versus 1,076, a delta of 98.7%. The R23 results follow the same pattern. In Cinebench R23 multicore, the AMD chip scores 36,064 versus 18,161, a delta of 98.6%. In Cinebench R23 singlecore, the AMD chip scores 5,091 versus 2,564, a delta of 98.6%.

The deltas are so consistent that the performance gap appears structural. Every test shows the AMD chip roughly doubling the Intel chip's score. The AMD chip's advantage in singlecore tests is notable, since singlecore performance usually depends more on clock speed and architecture efficiency than on core count. The AMD chip has a 0.30 GHz higher boost clock, which contributes, but the 98.8% delta in R15 singlecore suggests the Zen 5 architecture delivers more instructions per clock than Raptor Lake in this workload.

The multicore results are even more lopsided. The AMD chip has twice the cores and twice the threads, and it also has more cache and higher memory bandwidth. The 98.6% delta in all three multicore tests indicates that the extra cores scale effectively, with no obvious bottleneck from the memory subsystem or cache hierarchy.

The Intel Core i5-14401E's nearest rivals in the database are the Intel Xeon E5-2699A v4 with a delta of -0.1%, the Intel Core i7-11700B with a delta of 0.2%, the Intel Core i9-10850K with a delta of 0.2%, and the Intel Core i5-13400T with a delta of 0.8%. Those are all close matches. The AMD Ryzen AI Max 390's nearest rivals are the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 470 with a delta of -0.1%, the Intel Core i9-14900HX with a delta of 0.5%, the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3955WX with a delta of -0.5%, and the Intel Core 7 253PQE with a delta of 0.6%.

The average benchmark score tells the same story. The AMD chip averages 56,273, while the Intel chip averages 5,253. That is a 10.7x difference in average score, which far exceeds the head-to-head delta of roughly 98%. The percentile rankings confirm the separation: 91st percentile for AMD versus 60th percentile for Intel. The data shows no overlap in performance tiers between these two processors.