AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 392 vs Intel Core 5 221E Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark data presents a decisive overall victory for the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 392, which wins 9 of the 11 recorded head-to-head comparisons. The Intel Core 5 221E takes only the two single-thread tests, though by a modest margin. The AMD part leads by substantial double-digit percentages in most workloads, with its largest advantage appearing in extended instruction throughput.

The most striking result is in PassMark Extended Instructions, where AMD scores 45,666 against Intel's 18,216, a delta of 150.7%. This indicates a massive advantage in workloads that leverage advanced instruction sets, likely reflecting architectural differences in SIMD and vector processing capabilities. Data compression also shows a wide gap: AMD scores 554,760 versus 324,285, a 71.1% lead, making it the clear choice for archiving, database compression, or any data-heavy throughput task.

Encryption performance favors AMD by 44.7%, with scores of 27,784 versus 19,205. Prime number finding, often a proxy for pure integer and branch prediction efficiency, shows AMD at 320 versus 173, an 85% advantage. Random string sorting, another memory-latency-sensitive workload, sees AMD ahead by 57.8% with scores of 59,487 versus 37,686.

Multithreaded performance is a key differentiator. The AMD part scores 45,231 in the PassMark multithread test, which is 48.2% higher than Intel's 30,510. This aligns with the overall average benchmark scores: AMD averages 90,541 across all recorded tests, while Intel averages 40,144. The percentile ranking reflects this gap, with AMD in the 96th percentile of all CPUs and Intel in the 87th.

Floating point math shows AMD ahead by 26% (99,548 versus 79,028), and integer math by 29.4% (152,414 versus 117,813). Physics simulation also favors AMD, with a 29.5% lead (2,887 versus 2,230). The only Intel wins are in single-threaded tests, where it scores 4,147 versus AMD's 3,927, a 5.3% advantage. This indicates that for lightly threaded legacy applications, the Intel part holds a slight edge, but it is far outweighed by AMD's dominance in every parallel or vectorized workload.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from fundamentally different design philosophies and manufacturing processes. AMD uses a 4 nm process at TSMC, while Intel uses a 10 nm process at its own foundry. This process advantage is a likely contributor to AMD's efficiency and performance per watt in many tests.

The core configurations differ significantly. AMD packs 12 cores and 24 threads, while Intel offers 14 cores but only 20 threads. This means Intel has more physical cores, but AMD has more total threads, which explains AMD's strong multithreaded showing despite having fewer cores. The architecture for AMD is Zen 5 under the Strix Halo codename, while Intel uses the Bartlett Lake codename for its Core 5 generation.

Cache hierarchies show distinct strategies. Both have 80 KB of L1 cache per core and 1 MB of L2 per core on AMD versus 2 MB per core on Intel. The L3 cache is a major difference: AMD provides 64 MB shared, while Intel provides only 24 MB shared. This larger L3 pool on AMD likely contributes to its strong performance in data compression and random sorting tests, where larger working sets can stay resident in cache.

Memory support also differs. AMD uses LPDDR5X memory on a quad-channel bus, delivering 256.0 GB/s of bandwidth. Intel supports both DDR4 and DDR5 on a dual-channel bus, with 89.6 GB/s of bandwidth. The 2.86x bandwidth advantage for AMD is a critical factor in memory-intensive workloads and explains its dominance in tests that stress memory throughput.

The integrated graphics differ as well. AMD includes a Radeon 8060S, while Intel includes UHD Graphics 730. While no specific GPU benchmarks are in the data, the difference in integrated graphics capability is notable for systems that rely on the CPU's built-in display output. The PCIe support also differs: AMD offers Gen 4 with 16 lanes, while Intel offers Gen 5 with 16 lanes, which is a potential advantage for future peripheral connectivity.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 392 averages 90,541 across all recorded tests, while the Intel Core 5 221E averages 40,144, giving AMD a substantial overall lead.

Q: Does the Intel part win any benchmark tests?

A: Yes, the Intel Core 5 221E wins the PassMark single-thread test with a score of 4,147 versus AMD's 3,927, a 5.3% advantage. This represents its only two wins, as the single-thread result is recorded twice.

Q: How does L3 cache size compare between the two?

A: The AMD processor has 64 MB of shared L3 cache, while the Intel processor has 24 MB of shared L3 cache. This difference is substantial and likely impacts performance in cache-sensitive workloads.

Q: What memory bandwidth does each processor support?

A: AMD supports LPDDR5X memory on a quad-channel bus with 256.0 GB/s of bandwidth. Intel supports DDR4 and DDR5 on a dual-channel bus with 89.6 GB/s of bandwidth.

Q: Which processor has more cores and threads?

A: Intel has more cores at 14, but AMD has more threads at 24 versus 20. AMD achieves this through simultaneous multithreading on its 12 cores.

Q: What are the process nodes for each processor?

A: AMD uses a 4 nm process at TSMC, while Intel uses a 10 nm process at its own foundry.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ across nearly every major specification field. Core counts differ: AMD has 12 cores, Intel has 14. Thread counts differ: AMD has 24, Intel has 20. Base clocks are 3.20 GHz for AMD and 2.70 GHz for Intel. Boost clocks are 5.00 GHz for AMD and 5.20 GHz for Intel. The TDP is 55 watts for AMD and 65 watts for Intel.

The socket types are incompatible: AMD uses AMD Socket FP11, while Intel uses Intel Socket 1700. The process nodes are 4 nm for AMD and 10 nm for Intel. The die sizes differ significantly: AMD uses a dual-die design with 2x 70.6 mm², while Intel uses a single die of 257 mm². L2 cache is 1 MB per core on AMD versus 2 MB per core on Intel. L3 cache is 64 MB shared on AMD versus 24 MB shared on Intel.

Memory support differs, with AMD using LPDDR5X on quad-channel and Intel using DDR4/DDR5 on dual-channel. Memory bandwidth is 256.0 GB/s for AMD versus 89.6 GB/s for Intel. PCIe support is Gen 4 for AMD versus Gen 5 for Intel, both with 16 lanes. Integrated graphics are Radeon 8060S for AMD and UHD Graphics 730 for Intel. The market segments differ: AMD is mobile, Intel is desktop. The release dates differ, with Intel releasing in January 2025 and AMD in January 2026. Intel has a recorded launch MSRP of $232, while AMD has none listed. The part numbers are 100-000001979 for AMD and SRQDVQ659 for Intel.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 392 wins decisively in all parallel and throughput-oriented workloads. Data compression, encryption, extended instructions, prime number finding, floating point math, integer math, multithreaded operations, physics simulation, and random string sorting all favor AMD by margins ranging from 26% to 150.7%. The multithread score of 45,231 versus 30,510 makes AMD the clear choice for rendering, scientific computation, virtual machines, and any workload that can utilize more than 20 threads.

The Intel Core 5 221E wins only in single-threaded performance, with a 4,147 score versus 3,927. This makes it preferable for legacy software that relies on a single core with high clock speed, or for applications that are poorly optimized for multithreading and benefit from Intel's 5.20 GHz boost clock. The Intel part also offers Gen 5 PCIe, which may be relevant for systems with the latest NVMe drives or expansion cards, though no benchmark data covers this aspect.

The use-case split is clear from the data. AMD is the winner for database workloads, data analytics, content creation, and any task that scales with threads and memory bandwidth. Intel is the winner for lightly threaded desktop applications, older software, or scenarios where the highest possible single-core response time is the priority. The 24 MB L3 and dual-channel memory on Intel make it a reasonable choice for basic desktop tasks, but the data does not support it being competitive in heavy compute scenarios.

The Verdict

The recorded data points to a clear overall winner. The AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 392 outperforms the Intel Core 5 221E in 9 of 11 head-to-head tests, with an average benchmark score of 90,541 versus 40,144. AMD's wins include all multithreaded and most single-threaded-adjacent workloads, with its weakest result being a 5.3% loss in the pure single-thread test.

The architectural advantages for AMD are substantial: a 4 nm process versus 10 nm, 64 MB L3 versus 24 MB, quad-channel memory with 256.0 GB/s bandwidth versus dual-channel with 89.6 GB/s, and more threads (24 versus 20). These differences translate directly into the benchmark results, particularly in memory-bandwidth-sensitive tests like data compression (71.1% lead) and extended instructions (150.7% lead).

For users prioritizing maximum throughput in compute-heavy, parallel, or memory-intensive workloads, the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 392 is the clear choice based on the benchmark evidence. For users with workloads that are strictly single-threaded and where the 5.3% single-thread advantage matters more than everything else, the Intel Core 5 221E has a narrow niche. However, the overall average scores and the breadth of AMD's wins indicate that the AMD part is the stronger processor for the vast majority of use cases. The Intel part's higher boost clock and Gen 5 PCIe support are its only notable advantages, but neither appears in the benchmark results as a performance differentiator that overcomes AMD's lead.