AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 392 vs Intel Core Ultra 7 265HX Comparison

Where Each One Wins

The benchmark split between these two mobile processors is clear and consistent. The AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 392 takes three of the eleven recorded tests, while the Intel Core Ultra 7 265HX wins eight. That distribution alone tells a practical story: Intel dominates the broader workload spread, but AMD's victories come in areas that matter for specific productivity tasks.

AMD's wins are in data compression, extended instructions, and integer math. The data compression score of 554,760 beats Intel's 511,817 by 8.4%. Extended instructions show a 12.1% advantage at 45,666 versus 40,741. Integer math is AMD's largest margin, 152,414 against 126,954, a 20.1% lead. These are the kinds of workloads that show up in archiving tools, encryption libraries that rely on integer operations, and compiled code paths that use modern CPU instruction sets.

Intel's wins cover the rest of the field. The single-thread score of 4,500 versus 3,927 is a 12.7% advantage, and that same gap appears in the duplicate single-thread entry. Floating point math is Intel's biggest victory at 161,605 versus 99,548, a 38.4% gap. Prime number finding favors Intel by 21.2% (406 versus 320). Data encryption shows Intel at 39,472 against AMD's 27,784, a 29.6% margin. Multithread, physics, and random string sorting all go to Intel by smaller margins: 5.7%, 3.1%, and 4.8% respectively.

The overall percentile rankings reflect this split. AMD sits at the 96th percentile among all CPUs, while Intel is at the 93rd. The average benchmark scores tell a different story though: AMD's average is 90,541, while Intel's is 63,173. That discrepancy comes from the test sets included in each processor's average, not from the head-to-head results. The direct comparison data is what matters here, and it favors Intel in most tests.

Architecture Differences

The two chips take fundamentally different design approaches. AMD uses a 12-core, 24-thread configuration built on the Zen 5 architecture with the Strix Halo codename. Intel counters with 20 cores and 20 threads on the Arrow Lake architecture with the Arrow Lake-HX codename. The thread counts are telling: AMD relies on simultaneous multithreading to reach 24 threads from 12 cores, while Intel's 20 cores run one thread each.

Process nodes differ slightly. AMD is fabricated on a 4 nm node at TSMC, while Intel uses a 3 nm node, also at TSMC. Intel lists 17,800 million transistors on a 243 mm² die. AMD does not report a transistor count but lists a die size of 2x 70.6 mm², suggesting a multi-die design.

Cache hierarchies are substantially different. AMD provides 80 KB of L1 per core, 1 MB of L2 per core, and a large 64 MB shared L3 pool. Intel gives 192 KB of L1 per core, 3 MB of L2 per core, but only 30 MB of shared L3. The L3 advantage for AMD is significant for workloads that fit within that 64 MB footprint. Intel's larger per-core L1 and L2 allocations help with latency-sensitive single-thread work.

Memory architecture diverges sharply. AMD supports LPDDR5X over a quad-channel bus with 256.0 GB/s of bandwidth. Intel uses DDR5 over a dual-channel bus with 102.4 GB/s. That is a 2.5x raw bandwidth advantage for AMD, which explains its strong compression and integer performance. Intel also lacks ECC support, while AMD includes it.

PCIe connectivity differs as well. AMD provides Gen 4 with 16 lanes, while Intel offers Gen 5 with 20 lanes. The newer PCIe standard and additional lanes give Intel an edge for external devices that can use the bandwidth. Integrated graphics are the Radeon 8060S on AMD and Arc Xe-LPG Graphics 64EU on Intel. Intel's multiplier is unlocked, AMD's is not. Both are mobile parts with a 55 W TDP and active production status. AMD's release date is January 2026, Intel's is January 2025. AMD uses Socket FP11, Intel uses BGA 2114.

The Verdict

The recorded data points to a straightforward choice based on workload priorities. The Intel Core Ultra 7 265HX is the stronger general-purpose processor. It wins eight of eleven direct comparisons, including the two most important general metrics: single-thread and multithread. The 12.7% single-thread lead and 5.7% multithread lead mean everyday responsiveness and heavily threaded applications both lean Intel. Its floating point advantage of 38.4% is the largest single gap in the entire comparison, making it the clear pick for scientific computing, rendering, and any math-heavy code that uses floating point operations. Encryption work also favors Intel decisively at 29.6% faster.

The AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 392 wins where memory bandwidth and integer throughput matter. The 64 MB L3 cache and 256.0 GB/s quad-channel memory bandwidth give it a structural advantage for data compression, where it leads by 8.4%, and for integer math, where the 20.1% margin is its strongest result. Extended instructions at 12.1% ahead also point to modern compiled workloads that can exploit newer CPU features.

The percentile data adds context. AMD's 96th percentile ranking is above Intel's 93rd, and the nearest rival comparisons show AMD trading blows with server-class Xeon parts. The Intel Core Ultra 7 265HX sits in more mainstream company, with its closest rival being the Core i7-13790F at a 0.1% delta. AMD's nearest rival is the Xeon 654 at -0.2%, with the Ryzen 9 9955HX just behind at -0.7%. That positioning suggests AMD's peak performance in its winning workloads reaches higher than Intel's peaks in its winning workloads, even though Intel wins more tests overall.

For a user who prioritizes compression, integer-heavy code, and large in-memory datasets, the AMD part is the data-backed choice. For everything else, the Intel part delivers more consistent wins across the benchmark suite.

FAQ

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

A: The Intel Core Ultra 7 265HX scores 4,500 in the PassMark single-thread test, while the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 392 scores 3,927. Intel leads by 12.7%.

Q: How do the two chips compare in multithread performance?

A: Intel wins the multithread test with 47,985 against AMD's 45,231, a 5.7% margin. This is despite AMD having 24 threads to Intel's 20.

Q: What is the largest performance gap in either direction?

A: Intel's 38.4% lead in floating point math is the biggest margin. Intel scores 161,605 and AMD scores 99,548. AMD's largest win is 20.1% in integer math.

Q: Which processor has more memory bandwidth?

A: The AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 392 has 256.0 GB/s over a quad-channel LPDDR5X bus. The Intel Core Ultra 7 265HX has 102.4 GB/s over a dual-channel DDR5 bus.

Q: Do both processors have the same power draw?

A: Yes, both are listed at a 55 W TDP.

Q: Which chip has more L3 cache?

A: AMD has 64 MB of shared L3 cache, while Intel has 30 MB. AMD also has a larger total cache footprint due to the L3 difference, though Intel has more L1 and L2 per core.

Q: What is the difference in core and thread counts?

A: Intel has 20 cores and 20 threads. AMD has 12 cores and 24 threads, using simultaneous multithreading to exceed its physical core count.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The floating point math test is the defining result of this comparison. Intel's 161,605 score against AMD's 99,548 represents a 38.4% advantage, the largest delta in the entire head-to-head set. This is not a marginal edge; it is a category-level difference. Any workload that relies heavily on floating point operations, such as physics simulations, 3D rendering, or numerical analysis, will see substantially better throughput on the Intel part.

Data encryption shows the second-largest gap. Intel scores 39,472, AMD scores 27,784, giving Intel a 29.6% lead. Encryption workloads often depend on both parallel throughput and efficient instruction execution, and Intel's architecture handles this better in the recorded tests. This result is notable because AMD wins the broader extended instructions test, suggesting the encryption advantage comes from specific execution paths rather than general instruction set support.

AMD's strongest counter is integer math. The 152,414 score against Intel's 126,954 is a 20.1% win, the largest AMD margin anywhere. Integer math underpins many database operations, compression algorithms, and general application logic, so this is a meaningful advantage for AMD in those specific tasks. The data compression result reinforces this pattern: AMD wins 554,760 to 511,817, an 8.4% margin that aligns with the memory bandwidth advantage AMD holds.

Extended instructions favor AMD by 12.1% (45,666 versus 40,741). This test typically measures how well a processor handles newer SIMD-style instruction extensions, and AMD's Zen 5 implementation shows an edge here. Combined with the integer win, this suggests AMD's core design is very strong for code that uses modern instruction sets and integer-heavy algorithms.

The remaining Intel wins are smaller but consistent. Multithread shows 47,985 versus 45,231, a 5.7% margin. Physics shows 2,978 versus 2,887, a 3.1% edge. Random string sorting shows 62,458 versus 59,487, a 4.8% lead. Prime number finding shows 406 versus 320, a 21.2% advantage. These results paint a picture of Intel winning every test that depends on raw core count and floating point throughput, while AMD wins the tests that benefit from its massive memory bandwidth and larger L3 cache.

The single-thread results appear twice in the data set, once as passmark_single_thread and once as passmark_singlethread, with identical scores of 4,500 for Intel and 3,927 for AMD. Both entries confirm the same 12.7% Intel advantage. This consistency makes the single-thread gap one of the most reliable findings in the comparison.

Specification Differences

The core configurations set these processors apart immediately. AMD uses 12 cores with 24 threads, Intel uses 20 cores with 20 threads. Clock speeds also differ: AMD has a 3.20 GHz base and 5.00 GHz boost, Intel has a 2.60 GHz base and 5.30 GHz boost. Intel's higher boost clock aligns with its single-thread advantage, while AMD's higher base clock helps sustained all-core loads.

Cache layouts differ at every level. AMD allocates 80 KB of L1 per core, 1 MB of L2 per core, and 64 MB of shared L3. Intel allocates 192 KB of L1 per core, 3 MB of L2 per core, and 30 MB of shared L3. Intel's per-core cache is larger at the L1 and L2 levels, but AMD's shared L3 is more than double Intel's.

Memory support shows the biggest architectural divergence. AMD uses LPDDR5X with a quad-channel bus and 256.0 GB/s bandwidth. Intel uses DDR5 with a dual-channel bus and 102.4 GB/s bandwidth. AMD also supports ECC memory; Intel does not. PCIe connectivity favors Intel with Gen 5 and 20 lanes, while AMD provides Gen 4 with 16 lanes.

Process technology puts Intel on a 3 nm TSMC node, AMD on 4 nm TSMC. Intel reports 17,800 million transistors and a 243 mm² die size. AMD lists a die size of 2x 70.6 mm² with no transistor count. Both parts have a 55 W TDP and are in active production. AMD's integrated graphics are the Radeon 8060S, Intel's are Arc Xe-LPG Graphics 64EU. AMD uses Socket FP11, Intel uses BGA 2114. Intel's multiplier is unlocked, AMD's is not. Release dates differ by about a year, with Intel launching in January 2025 and AMD in January 2026.