AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 392 vs Intel Core i5-14600 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data shows a decisive overall victory for the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 392, which takes 9 of the 11 shared benchmark comparisons. The Intel Core i5-14600 manages 2 wins, both in single-threaded tests, but the margin of victory in those cases is modest compared to the substantial leads AMD secures in most multi-threaded workloads.

The largest single gap appears in the PassMark extended instructions test. AMD scores 45,666 against Intel's 25,674, a 77.9% advantage. This indicates a significant difference in handling advanced instruction sets and specialized workloads. A similarly dramatic gap exists in the prime number finding test, where AMD's 320 score doubles Intel's 155, a 106.5% delta. This is the only test where the AMD part achieves more than double the Intel score.

In integer math, AMD's 152,414 score leads Intel's 117,078 by 30.2%. Floating point math shows a smaller but still clear lead for AMD, 99,548 versus 85,759, a 16.1% advantage. The data compression test, a common proxy for file archiving and database workloads, sees AMD at 554,760 against Intel's 434,620, a 27.6% win. Random string sorting, another data manipulation task, goes to AMD at 59,487 versus 48,043, a 23.8% margin.

The PassMark multithread score, which aggregates overall parallel performance, favors AMD at 45,231 versus 35,848, a 26.2% lead. The physics test, often relevant to simulation and gaming physics calculations, also goes to AMD, 2,887 versus 2,330, a 23.9% delta. Even data encryption, a workload where Intel parts have historically been strong, goes to AMD at 27,784 versus 25,082, a 10.8% margin.

The Intel Core i5-14600's only wins are in the PassMark single-thread tests, where it scores 4,167 versus AMD's 3,927. That is a 5.8% advantage, which is a meaningful edge for lightly threaded tasks like older games or some office applications, but it represents a narrow slice of the overall benchmark picture.

Across the full suite, the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 392 has an average benchmark score of 90,541, placing it in the 96th percentile of all CPUs in the database. The Intel Core i5-14600 has an average score of 44,889 and sits in the 89th percentile. The AMD part's nearest rivals include the Intel Xeon 654 (average score 90,717, a 0.2% delta) and AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX (91,199, a 0.7% delta), which places it in the same performance class as those high-end server and mobile parts. The Intel Core i5-14600's nearest rivals are the Intel Core i9-12900KS (45,094, a 0.5% delta) and AMD EPYC 4344P (45,122, a 0.5% delta), indicating it sits in a much lower overall performance tier.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has the higher single-thread performance?

A: The Intel Core i5-14600. It scores 4,167 in the PassMark single-thread test compared to the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 392's 3,927, a 5.8% advantage.

Q: Which processor is better for multi-threaded workloads?

A: The AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 392. It leads by 26.2% in the PassMark multithread score (45,231 versus 35,848) and wins all other multi-threaded tests in the shared suite.

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

A: The largest gap is in the PassMark find prime numbers test, where the AMD part scores 320 against Intel's 155, a 106.5% difference. The second largest is in extended instructions, a 77.9% lead for AMD.

Q: How do their overall average benchmark scores compare?

A: The AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 392 has an average benchmark score of 90,541, while the Intel Core i5-14600 has an average of 44,889. This places AMD in the 96th percentile of all CPUs and Intel in the 89th percentile.

Q: Does the Intel processor have any advantage in data compression or encryption?

A: No. The AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 392 wins data compression by 27.6% (554,760 versus 434,620) and data encryption by 10.8% (27,784 versus 25,082).

Q: Are there any tests where the Intel processor comes close to winning?

A: The closest margin for Intel is in data encryption, where it trails by 10.8%. In all other non-single-thread tests, the AMD lead is at least 16.1%.

The Verdict

The data points to a clear performance hierarchy. The AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 392 is the stronger processor in nearly every measurable category that matters for modern computing, with decisive wins in integer math, floating point math, data compression, encryption, and the overall multithread score. Its 96th percentile ranking and average score of 90,541 place it alongside workstation-class processors like the Intel Xeon 654 and AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX. The Intel Core i5-14600, with its 89th percentile and 44,889 average, competes with parts like the Intel Core i9-12900KS and AMD EPYC 4344P, which is a fundamentally lower performance bracket.

The only reason to prefer the Intel Core i5-14600 based on this data is a workload that is purely single-threaded and cannot use additional cores or threads. Its 5.8% lead in the PassMark single-thread test is real but narrow. For any mixed or parallel workload, the AMD part is the clear choice, often by margins exceeding 25%.

Specification Differences

The two processors have different core and thread configurations. The AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 392 has 12 cores and 24 threads. The Intel Core i5-14600 has 14 cores but only 20 threads, a higher core count with fewer threads due to its hybrid architecture. AMD's base clock is 3.20 GHz with a boost clock of 5.00 GHz. Intel's base clock is 2.70 GHz with a boost clock of 5.20 GHz, giving it a higher maximum frequency but a lower base frequency.

The thermal design power differs significantly: AMD is rated at 55 watts, while Intel is rated at 65 watts. The platforms are incompatible. AMD uses Socket FP11, while Intel uses Socket 1700. AMD is a mobile-market segment part, while Intel is a desktop part. AMD's memory support is LPDDR5X over a quad-channel bus with 256.0 GB/s bandwidth. Intel supports both DDR4 and DDR5 over a dual-channel bus, with no bandwidth figure recorded. Both support ECC memory. AMD provides PCIe Gen 4 with 16 lanes (CPU only), while Intel provides PCIe Gen 5 with 16 lanes (CPU only). AMD's integrated graphics is the Radeon 8060S; Intel's is UHD Graphics 770. The AMD part was released on 2026-01-05, while the Intel part was released on 2024-01-07. The Intel Core i5-14600 has a launch MSRP of $255. Neither processor has an unlocked multiplier.

Architecture Differences

The AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 392 uses the Zen 5 architecture on the Strix Halo codename, built on a 4 nm process at TSMC. The Intel Core i5-14600 uses the Raptor Lake architecture on the Raptor Lake-R codename, built on a 10 nm process at Intel. The die sizes reflect the different approaches: AMD's is listed as 2x 70.6 mm², while Intel's is a single 257 mm² die.

Cache hierarchies differ substantially. Both have 80 KB of L1 per core. AMD has 1 MB of L2 per core, while Intel has 2 MB per core. The shared L3 cache is the major differentiator: AMD provides 64 MB shared, while Intel provides 24 MB shared. AMD's larger L3 cache is likely a factor in its strong extended instructions and data compression scores.

The AMD part is a mobile processor with a 55 watt TDP, using LPDDR5X memory and a quad-channel bus to achieve 256.0 GB/s bandwidth. The Intel part is a desktop processor with a 65 watt TDP, using DDR4 or DDR5 over a dual-channel bus. Intel's PCIe Gen 5 support offers newer connectivity, but AMD's memory bandwidth is dramatically higher, which may contribute to its wins in memory-sensitive benchmarks like integer math and data compression.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 392 wins in all multi-threaded and data-intensive workloads. The largest wins are in extended instructions (77.9% ahead) and prime number finding (106.5% ahead), which point to applications using advanced math libraries, cryptography, or scientific computing. It also dominates integer math (30.2% ahead), which covers general application logic and database operations. Data compression (27.6%), random string sorting (23.8%), and encryption (10.8%) all favor AMD, making it the stronger choice for file archiving, database management, and secure data handling. The multithread score (26.2% ahead) confirms it as the better part for rendering, video encoding, and any parallel compute task.

The Intel Core i5-14600 wins only in the single-thread tests, with a 5.8% lead. This makes it the preferred part for legacy software, older games that rely on a single fast core, or applications with strict serial execution paths. Its higher boost clock of 5.20 GHz is a contributing factor. For any workload that can use more than a few threads, the benchmark data indicates the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 392 is the faster processor, often by a wide margin.