AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 vs Intel Core i9-14900KS Comparison

The Verdict

The Intel Core i9-14900KS is the outright performance champion in this comparison, taking 13 of 17 head-to-head benchmark wins. Benchmark results show it leads decisively in nearly every single-threaded and multi-threaded workload, with particularly massive margins in Cinebench R23 single-core (252.2% ahead) and Cinebench R15 single-core (129.4% ahead). The AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 counters with four wins, all in specialized workloads: Cinebench R15 multi-core, PassMark extended instructions, PassMark find prime numbers, and PassMark physics. The Intel part also ranks at the 96th percentile among all CPUs versus the AMD part's 95th percentile, and its average benchmark score of 81127 outpaces the AMD's 77740. For anyone building a desktop workstation where raw compute throughput is the priority, the data points squarely at the Core i9-14900KS. The Ryzen AI Max+ 395, however, is a mobile part with a 55 W TDP versus the Intel's 150 W TDP, so its relevance shifts toward power-constrained systems where the four specialized wins and much lower thermal envelope matter more. The recorded data also shows the Intel part sits within 0.5% of the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ PRO 395 and Intel Xeon 638 in average score, while the AMD part trails the Intel Core i9-14900K by 1.7% in its nearest rival comparison, reinforcing that both are high-end parts but the Intel is the top performer here.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from fundamentally different design philosophies. The Intel Core i9-14900KS is built on Raptor Lake architecture, specifically Raptor Lake-R, using a 10 nm process from Intel's own foundry. It packs 24 cores and 32 threads with a base clock of 3.20 GHz and a boost clock of 6.20 GHz. The AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 uses Zen 5 architecture under the Strix Halo codename, fabricated on a 4 nm process at TSMC. It has 16 cores and 32 threads, with a 3.00 GHz base clock and 5.10 GHz boost. The core count difference is stark: the Intel part has 8 more cores, though both present 32 threads to the operating system, indicating different simultaneous multithreading implementations. The Intel die measures 257 mm², while the AMD part uses two dies of 70.6 mm² each, totaling roughly 141.2 mm² of silicon. Cache hierarchies also diverge: both have 80 KB of L1 per core, but the Intel part has 2 MB of L2 per core versus 1 MB per core on the AMD, while the AMD part has a much larger 64 MB shared L3 cache versus 36 MB shared on the Intel. The Intel part supports DDR4 and DDR5 memory over a dual-channel bus, while the AMD part uses LPDDR5X over a quad-channel bus with a recorded memory bandwidth of 256.0 GB/s, a figure not available for the Intel part. Both support ECC memory. The Intel part uses PCIe Gen 5 with 16 lanes from the CPU, while the AMD part uses PCIe Gen 4 with 16 lanes from the CPU. The Intel part has UHD Graphics 770 integrated, the AMD part has Radeon 8060S integrated graphics. The Intel part is a desktop segment part with an unlocked multiplier, while the AMD part is a mobile segment part with a locked multiplier. The Intel part launched on 2024-03-13 with a launch MSRP of $689, while the AMD part launched on 2025-01-05 with no launch MSRP recorded. The Intel part uses Socket 1700, the AMD part uses Socket FP11.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The Cinebench results tell a split story that hinges on workload type. In Cinebench R23 multi-core, the Intel Core i9-14900KS scores 50995 against the AMD's 35314, a 44.4% advantage. In Cinebench R23 single-core, the Intel part is utterly dominant at 7199 versus 2044, a 252.2% margin. The single-core gap repeats in Cinebench R15, where the Intel scores 725 versus 316, a 129.4% lead. However, in Cinebench R15 multi-core, the AMD part wins 5463 to 5140, a 5.9% edge for AMD. This inversion suggests the AMD part handles the older R15 multi-threaded workload more efficiently, but cannot sustain that advantage in the newer R23 multi-threaded test.

Geekbench results favor Intel in both segments. The Intel part scores 23931 in multi-core versus 20992 for AMD, a 14% lead, and 2692 in single-core versus 2464, a 9.3% lead. PassMark results are heavily Intel-favored in most categories. Data compression goes to Intel 803368 to 690650, a 16.3% margin. Data encryption goes to Intel 47717 to 35455, a 34.6% margin. Floating point math goes to Intel 153975 to 128682, a 19.7% margin. Integer math goes to Intel 212644 to 200665, a 6% margin. Multithread goes to Intel 60012 to 54934, a 9.2% margin. Random string sorting goes to Intel 89789 to 76177, a 17.9% margin. Single-thread goes to Intel 4815 to 4147, a 16.1% margin.

The AMD part wins four PassMark tests. Extended instructions go to AMD 56346 to 45524, a 19.2% margin for AMD. Find prime numbers goes to AMD 303 to 244, a 19.5% margin. Physics goes to AMD 3481 to 3381, a 2.9% margin. The fourth win is the Cinebench R15 multi-core result noted above. The pattern is clear: Intel wins the broad compute workloads by wide margins, while AMD wins a narrow set of specialized workloads, most notably extended instructions and prime number calculation, where its Zen 5 architecture and larger L3 cache appear to provide an edge.

FAQ

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

A: The Intel Core i9-14900KS wins every single-core benchmark in the head-to-head set. It leads by 129.4% in Cinebench R15 single-core, 252.2% in Cinebench R23 single-core, 9.3% in Geekbench single-core, and 16.1% in PassMark single-thread.

Q: Does the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 win any multi-core benchmarks?

A: Yes, the AMD part wins Cinebench R15 multi-core with a score of 5463 versus 5140 for Intel, a 5.9% advantage. However, the Intel part wins Cinebench R23 multi-core with 50995 versus 35314, a 44.4% margin, and Geekbench multi-core with 23931 versus 20992, a 14% margin.

Q: How do the core counts and clock speeds compare?

A: The Intel part has 24 cores and 32 threads with a 3.20 GHz base clock and 6.20 GHz boost. The AMD part has 16 cores and 32 threads with a 3.00 GHz base clock and 5.10 GHz boost.

Q: What is the TDP difference between the two?

A: The Intel Core i9-14900KS has a TDP of 150 W, while the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 has a TDP of 55 W. This makes the AMD part substantially more power-efficient on paper.

Q: Which processor has more L3 cache?

A: The AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 has 64 MB of shared L3 cache, while the Intel Core i9-14900KS has 36 MB of shared L3 cache. The AMD part also has half the L2 cache per core: 1 MB versus 2 MB per core on the Intel.

Q: Do both processors support ECC memory?

A: Yes, both the Intel Core i9-14900KS and the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 support ECC memory. They differ in memory type support, with Intel supporting DDR4 and DDR5 over dual-channel and AMD supporting LPDDR5X over quad-channel with 256.0 GB/s bandwidth.

Where Each One Wins

The Intel Core i9-14900KS is the pick for almost every compute-heavy desktop workload. Its 44.4% lead in Cinebench R23 multi-core makes it a strong choice for rendering and video encoding, and its 252.2% single-core lead in Cinebench R23 means applications that depend on one or two threads, such as many legacy productivity tools and games, will run noticeably faster. The 34.6% edge in PassMark data encryption points to advantage in security-sensitive tasks, while the 19.7% lead in floating point math and 16.3% lead in data compression cover scientific computing and file archiving workloads. The 9.2% lead in PassMark multithread and 14% lead in Geekbench multi-core reinforce that the Intel part is broadly superior in parallel throughput. The 16.1% single-thread lead in PassMark, 9.3% in Geekbench single-core, and 16.1% in PassMark single-thread further cement its position for responsiveness in single-threaded scenarios.

The AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 wins a narrower set of workloads but wins them with meaningful margins. The 19.2% lead in PassMark extended instructions indicates an advantage in workloads that leverage newer instruction set extensions, which could matter for certain types of AI or vectorized code. The 19.5% lead in PassMark find prime numbers points to strength in integer-heavy, cache-sensitive algorithms, likely aided by its 64 MB L3 cache. The 2.9% lead in PassMark physics and 5.9% lead in Cinebench R15 multi-core round out its wins. The AMD part also operates at a 55 W TDP versus 150 W for Intel, and it is a mobile segment part, so it fits systems where thermal and power budgets are constrained. The Intel part's 96th percentile versus the AMD part's 95th percentile among all CPUs is a small but real gap in overall standing.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ in nearly every major specification category. The Intel Core i9-14900KS has 24 cores and 32 threads, while the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 has 16 cores and 32 threads. The Intel base clock is 3.20 GHz versus 3.00 GHz on the AMD, and the Intel boost clock is 6.20 GHz versus 5.10 GHz on the AMD. TDP is 150 W for Intel and 55 W for AMD. The Intel part uses Socket 1700, the AMD part uses Socket FP11. Architecture differs: Raptor Lake for Intel, Zen 5 for AMD, with codenames Raptor Lake-R and Strix Halo respectively. Process node is 10 nm at Intel's foundry for the Intel part, 4 nm at TSMC for the AMD part. Die size is 257 mm² for Intel versus 2x 70.6 mm² for AMD. L1 cache is 80 KB per core on both, but L2 cache is 2 MB per core on Intel versus 1 MB per core on AMD, and L3 cache is 36 MB shared on Intel versus 64 MB shared on AMD. Memory support differs: DDR4 and DDR5 dual-channel on Intel versus LPDDR5X quad-channel on AMD, with the AMD part recording 256.0 GB/s memory bandwidth. PCIe support is Gen 5 with 16 lanes on Intel versus Gen 4 with 16 lanes on AMD. Integrated graphics are UHD Graphics 770 on Intel versus Radeon 8060S on AMD. Market segment is Desktop for Intel and Mobile for AMD. The Intel multiplier is unlocked, the AMD is locked. The Intel part has a launch MSRP of $689 and a release date of 2024-03-13, while the AMD part has no recorded launch MSRP and a release date of 2025-01-05. Both support ECC memory and both are active production parts.