AMD Ryzen AI Max PRO 380 vs Intel Core 5 221E Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data shows a clear and consistent pattern of Intel Core 5 221E dominance across the PassMark benchmark suite. Out of eleven head-to-head comparisons, the Intel part claims ten victories, while the AMD Ryzen AI Max PRO 380 manages a single win. The margin of that AMD victory is substantial, but the breadth of Intel’s advantages is difficult to overlook.

The AMD Ryzen AI Max PRO 380 takes the extended instructions test with a score of 24,333 against Intel’s 18,216, a 33.6% advantage. This is the only benchmark where the AMD processor leads, and it does so by a wide margin, indicating a meaningful strength in workloads that leverage advanced instruction sets.

Every other comparison favors the Intel Core 5 221E. The largest gap appears in the find prime numbers test, where Intel scores 173 versus AMD’s 75, a 56.6% difference. This benchmark is particularly sensitive to integer-heavy, single-threaded operations, and the Intel part’s result here is exceptionally strong. The physics test shows a similar magnitude of difference: Intel’s 2,230 score beats AMD’s 1,120 by 49.8%. Floating point math also goes decisively to Intel, with a score of 79,028 against 53,084, a 32.8% lead. Integer math follows at 117,813 versus 79,789, a 32.3% gap.

The multithreaded PassMark score favors Intel at 30,510 against 24,244, a 20.5% margin. Data encryption shows Intel ahead by 24.5%, scoring 19,205 versus 14,502. Random string sorting favors Intel by 17.3%, with scores of 37,686 and 31,153. Data compression goes to Intel by 9.5%, scoring 324,285 against 293,595. Even in single-thread performance, where AMD’s Zen 5 architecture might be expected to compete closely, Intel edges ahead: 4,147 versus 3,995, a 3.7% difference.

The average benchmark scores place these two processors in different tiers despite their overlapping performance ranges. The AMD Ryzen AI Max PRO 380 records an average score of 48,171, which places it at the 90th percentile of all CPUs in the database. The Intel Core 5 221E averages 40,144, sitting at the 87th percentile. This is a curious inversion: the AMD part has a higher average score and a higher percentile ranking, yet it loses ten of eleven direct head-to-head matchups. The explanation lies in the distribution of scores. The AMD processor’s single dominant win in extended instructions is large enough to lift its average, but the Intel part wins more consistently across the rest of the suite.

The delta percentages in the head-to-head table tell a story of consistent, moderate-to-large Intel leads rather than a few outlier results. Seven of Intel’s ten wins exceed a 15% margin. Only the single-thread tests (3.7%) and data compression (9.5%) are relatively close. This consistency suggests the Intel processor’s advantage is structural, not workload-specific.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Ryzen AI Max PRO 380 delivers its best performance in extended instruction workloads, where its 33.6% lead over Intel represents the kind of margin that matters for specialized compute tasks such as cryptography, media codecs, or scientific routines that rely on SIMD and other advanced instruction extensions. The benchmark result of 24,333 versus 18,216 indicates that software optimized for these instructions will see a notable performance benefit on the AMD platform.

The Intel Core 5 221E wins everywhere else. The most pronounced advantages appear in prime number finding (56.6% ahead), physics simulation (49.8% ahead), and floating point math (32.8% ahead). These results point to strong integer and floating point throughput, likely a consequence of its higher core and thread counts. The Intel part also leads in integer math by 32.3%, data encryption by 24.5%, and multithreaded performance by 20.5%.

For general productivity workloads, the Intel processor’s consistent leads across compression, sorting, encryption, and math operations make it the more balanced performer. The single-thread margin of 3.7% is modest, but it still favors Intel. The multithread advantage of 20.5% is more substantial, and the physics and prime number results suggest that heavily threaded, compute-bound tasks will clearly prefer the Intel chip.

The AMD part’s higher average benchmark score of 48,171 versus 40,144, combined with its 90th percentile ranking, indicates that its overall performance profile is competitive with other high-end processors in the database. The Intel part’s 87th percentile is lower, yet its head-to-head record against this specific AMD opponent is overwhelmingly positive. This means the AMD chip’s strength lies in a narrower set of workloads, while the Intel chip offers broader, more consistent capability.

Architecture Differences

The two processors diverge sharply in their fundamental design. The AMD Ryzen AI Max PRO 380 uses a Zen 5 architecture on a 4 nm TSMC process, with a Strix Halo codename. It has six cores and twelve threads, with a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.90 GHz. The Intel Core 5 221E, by contrast, uses a Bartlett Lake codename on a 10 nm Intel process, with fourteen cores and twenty threads, a base clock of 2.70 GHz, and a higher boost clock of 5.20 GHz.

Core counts differ dramatically: Intel offers 14 cores versus AMD’s 6, and 20 threads versus 12. This explains much of the Intel advantage in multithreaded and parallel workloads. The Intel part’s die size is recorded as 257 mm², while no die size is listed for the AMD chip. Both use 80 KB of L1 cache per core, but the L2 cache differs: AMD provides 1 MB per core, while Intel provides 2 MB per core. The L3 cache also favors Intel with 24 MB shared versus AMD’s 16 MB shared.

Memory support diverges as well. The AMD processor uses LPDDR5X memory with a dual-channel bus and a memory bandwidth of 128.0 GB/s. The Intel processor supports both DDR4 and DDR5, also dual-channel, but with a lower memory bandwidth of 89.6 GB/s. Both support ECC memory. PCIe connectivity differs by generation: AMD offers Gen 4 with 16 lanes, while Intel offers Gen 5 with 16 lanes.

The integrated graphics also present different capabilities. AMD pairs the Ryzen AI Max PRO 380 with a Radeon 8040S, while Intel uses UHD Graphics 730. The market segments differ as well: the AMD chip is classified as mobile and uses the AMD Socket FP11, while the Intel chip is a desktop part on Intel Socket 1700. The AMD part draws 55 W TDP, and the Intel part is rated at 65 W TDP.

Release dates are close: the AMD processor launched on January 5, 2025, and the Intel processor on January 12, 2025. Both are in active production. The Intel part has a recorded launch MSRP of $232; no launch MSRP is listed for the AMD part. Neither processor has an unlocked multiplier.

The process node difference of 4 nm versus 10 nm suggests the AMD chip should have an efficiency advantage, but the recorded TDP figures do not show a dramatic gap: 55 W versus 65 W. The Intel part’s higher boost clock of 5.20 GHz versus 4.90 GHz likely contributes to its single-thread edge. The higher L2 and L3 cache capacities on the Intel side may help explain its broader performance lead.

The AMD chip’s higher memory bandwidth of 128.0 GB/s versus 89.6 GB/s does not translate into benchmark victories in the recorded tests, which suggests that the bandwidth advantage is not the limiting factor in these particular workloads. The Intel part’s higher core count and larger caches appear to matter more.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Ryzen AI Max PRO 380 records an average benchmark score of 48,171, compared to 40,144 for the Intel Core 5 221E. The AMD part also ranks at the 90th percentile of all CPUs, while the Intel part sits at the 87th percentile.

Q: How large is the Intel processor’s advantage in multithreaded performance?

A: In the PassMark multithread test, the Intel Core 5 221E scores 30,510 against the AMD Ryzen AI Max PRO 380’s 24,244, a 20.5% lead. The Intel part also wins the find prime numbers test by 56.6% and the physics test by 49.8%, both of which are heavily threaded workloads.

Q: In which benchmark does the AMD processor win?

A: The AMD Ryzen AI Max PRO 380 wins the extended instructions test with a score of 24,333 versus 18,216 for the Intel Core 5 221E, a 33.6% advantage. This is the only head-to-head benchmark where the AMD chip leads.

Q: How do the core counts compare between the two processors?

A: The Intel Core 5 221E has 14 cores and 20 threads, while the AMD Ryzen AI Max PRO 380 has 6 cores and 12 threads. The Intel part also has a larger L3 cache at 24 MB shared versus 16 MB shared, and 2 MB of L2 per core versus 1 MB.

Q: What are the clock speed differences?

A: The Intel Core 5 221E has a base clock of 2.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.20 GHz. The AMD Ryzen AI Max PRO 380 has a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.90 GHz. The Intel part boosts higher, while the AMD part has a higher base clock.

Q: Do both processors support ECC memory?

A: Yes, both the AMD Ryzen AI Max PRO 380 and the Intel Core 5 221E support ECC memory. The AMD chip uses LPDDR5X memory with 128.0 GB/s bandwidth, while the Intel chip supports DDR4 and DDR5 with 89.6 GB/s bandwidth.

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

A: The Intel Core 5 221E leads in the single-thread PassMark test with a score of 4,147 versus 3,995 for the AMD Ryzen AI Max PRO 380, a 3.7% margin. The Intel part also has a higher boost clock at 5.20 GHz.

The Verdict

The benchmark data presents a straightforward choice for most workloads. The Intel Core 5 221E wins ten of eleven head-to-head comparisons, with leads ranging from 3.7% in single-thread performance to 56.6% in prime number finding. Its advantages in multithreaded tests, integer math, floating point math, physics simulation, and data encryption make it the better all-around processor for compute-intensive tasks.

The AMD Ryzen AI Max PRO 380 offers a single, but significant, strength: extended instructions, where it beats Intel by 33.6%. Users whose workloads rely heavily on advanced instruction sets may find this valuable, and the AMD chip’s higher average benchmark score of 48,171 versus 40,144, along with its 90th percentile ranking, shows that it is a capable processor in its own right.

The Intel part’s higher core count (14 versus 6) and thread count (20 versus 12), combined with larger L2 and L3 caches, explain its broad performance lead. Its higher boost clock of 5.20 GHz also contributes to the single-thread edge. The AMD chip’s advantages in process node (4 nm versus 10 nm) and memory bandwidth (128.0 GB/s versus 89.6 GB/s) do not translate into benchmark wins in the recorded tests.

For users prioritizing raw throughput across a wide range of tasks, the Intel Core 5 221E is the clear choice based on the recorded data. For users with specialized workloads that leverage extended instructions, the AMD Ryzen AI Max PRO 380 delivers a specific and substantial advantage. The Intel part’s 87th percentile ranking, despite its head-to-head dominance, reflects that its average score is lower than the AMD chip’s, but the direct comparison leaves little ambiguity about which processor performs better in the majority of tests.