AMD Ryzen AI Max PRO 385 vs Intel Core 7 251TE Comparison

The AMD Ryzen AI Max PRO 385 and the Intel Core 7 251TE occupy the same performance percentile in the database, both ranking in the 88th percentile against all CPUs. Despite this parity in overall standing, the recorded benchmark data reveals two distinctly different processors. The AMD part, a 4 nm mobile chip with 8 cores and 16 threads, wins 13 of the 17 head-to-head comparisons, while the Intel part, a 10 nm desktop chip with 24 cores and 32 threads, takes the remaining four. The results indicate that the AMD Ryzen AI Max PRO 385 is the stronger choice for single-threaded and lightly threaded workloads, while the Intel Core 7 251TE counters in specific math and physics tasks.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Ryzen AI Max PRO 385 dominates the Cinebench suite across the board. In Cinebench R23 multicore, it scores 28,424 against 25,518 for the Intel part, a margin of 11.4 percent. The single-core story is similar: 4,012 versus 3,602, again an 11.4 percent advantage. This pattern repeats in Cinebench R15 and R20, with the AMD chip winning both single-core and multicore runs by 11.4 to 11.6 percent. For rendering workloads that use the Cinebench engine, the AMD processor is consistently faster regardless of thread count.

The AMD chip also wins in data compression, scoring 379,448 against 334,399, a 13.5 percent lead. The largest single delta in the entire comparison belongs to AMD in extended instructions, where it scores 31,442 versus 16,974, a massive 85.2 percent advantage. This result suggests that workloads leveraging newer or broader instruction sets will run dramatically better on the AMD part. The AMD processor also takes PassMark multithread, prime number finding, and random string sorting, with margins of 6.8 percent, 12.1 percent, and 2.9 percent respectively.

The Intel Core 7 251TE wins in four specific areas. Its largest victory is in floating point math, scoring 85,607 against 69,580, an 18.7 percent lead. It also wins integer math with 125,739 versus 105,056, a 16.4 percent margin. Data encryption goes to Intel at 22,176 against 18,978, a 14.4 percent advantage, and physics simulation favors Intel at 1,938 versus 1,711, an 11.7 percent lead. These wins indicate that Intel's higher core count pays off in raw arithmetic throughput and physics calculations, while AMD's architecture excels in almost every other measured category.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from fundamentally different design philosophies. The AMD Ryzen AI Max PRO 385 is built on the Zen 5 architecture, using the Strix Halo codename, and is fabricated on a 4 nm process at TSMC. The Intel Core 7 251TE belongs to the Bartlett Lake family, fabricated on a 10 nm process at Intel. The AMD chip is a mobile part on AMD Socket FP11, while the Intel chip is a desktop part on Intel Socket 1700.

Core counts differ sharply. The AMD processor has 8 cores and 16 threads, while the Intel processor has 24 cores and 32 threads. Cache configurations also diverge. The AMD chip has 80 KB of L1 cache per core, 1 MB of L2 per core, and 32 MB of shared L3. The Intel chip also has 80 KB of L1 per core but 1.25 MB of L2 per core and 36 MB of shared L3. Despite Intel having three times the cores and slightly more cache, the AMD chip still wins the majority of benchmarks, indicating that per-core efficiency and clock speed carry substantial weight.

Clock speeds tell part of that story. The AMD part has a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz. The Intel part has a much lower base clock of 1.40 GHz but a higher boost clock of 5.40 GHz. This combination explains the benchmark pattern: Intel's 24 cores at a low base clock can generate strong results in parallel math tasks, while AMD's higher base clock and 5.00 GHz boost provide better responsiveness in single-threaded tests.

Memory subsystems also differ significantly. The AMD chip supports LPDDR5X memory over a quad-channel bus, delivering 256.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The Intel chip supports DDR4 and DDR5 over a dual-channel bus, delivering 89.6 GB/s. Both support ECC memory. The AMD part has a Gen 4 PCIe interface with 16 lanes, while the Intel part has a Gen 5 interface with 16 lanes. Integrated graphics differ as well: the AMD chip carries a Radeon 8050S, while the Intel chip uses UHD Graphics 770. The AMD die size is not recorded in the database, while the Intel die size is listed at 215 mm².

The Verdict

The database points to a clear split based on workload type. For users running Cinebench-style rendering, compression tasks, extended instruction workloads, or general multithreaded productivity, the AMD Ryzen AI Max PRO 385 is the better performer. It wins all six Cinebench tests, data compression, extended instructions, multithread, prime number finding, and random string sorting. Its 11.4 percent multicore advantage in Cinebench R23 and its 85.2 percent lead in extended instructions make it the decisive choice for software that relies on modern instruction sets or the Cinebench engine.

For users focused on floating point math, integer math, encryption, or physics simulation, the Intel Core 7 251TE is the stronger option. Its 18.7 percent lead in floating point math and 16.4 percent lead in integer math show that its 24 cores can produce high aggregate arithmetic throughput. The 14.4 percent advantage in encryption and 11.7 percent lead in physics add to the case for Intel in those niches.

The average benchmark scores in the database place the AMD part at 43,326 and the Intel part at 41,650, a difference of about 4 percent. Both sit in the 88th percentile. The AMD chip is also surrounded by close rivals in the database, including the AMD Ryzen AI 9 465 at 43,431 and the Intel Core Ultra 9 386H at 43,210, while the Intel chip sits near the Intel Core Ultra 7 265H at 41,621 and the Intel Core i7-14650HX at 41,576. These numbers suggest that the AMD part is the higher-performing chip overall, but the Intel part remains competitive in its specific strengths.

FAQ

Q: Which processor is faster in single-core performance?

A: The AMD Ryzen AI Max PRO 385 wins every single-core test in the database. It scores 4,012 in Cinebench R23 single-core against 3,602 for the Intel Core 7 251TE, an 11.4 percent advantage, and 3,995 in PassMark single-thread against 3,568, a 12 percent lead.

Q: Does the Intel Core 7 251TE win any benchmarks?

A: Yes, it wins four of the 17 head-to-head tests: floating point math, integer math, data encryption, and physics. Its largest margin is 18.7 percent in floating point math.

Q: How do the core counts compare?

A: The Intel Core 7 251TE has 24 cores and 32 threads, while the AMD Ryzen AI Max PRO 385 has 8 cores and 16 threads. Despite having fewer cores, the AMD chip wins 13 of the 17 benchmark comparisons.

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

A: The largest delta is in PassMark extended instructions, where the AMD Ryzen AI Max PRO 385 scores 31,442 versus 16,974 for the Intel Core 7 251TE, an 85.2 percent advantage for AMD.

Q: Which processor has higher memory bandwidth?

A: The AMD Ryzen AI Max PRO 385 has 256.0 GB/s of bandwidth over a quad-channel LPDDR5X bus, while the Intel Core 7 251TE has 89.6 GB/s over a dual-channel DDR4/DDR5 bus.

Q: Do both processors support ECC memory?

A: Yes, both the AMD Ryzen AI Max PRO 385 and the Intel Core 7 251TE support ECC memory according to the database.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The Cinebench results are uniform in favor of AMD. In Cinebench R15 multicore, the AMD chip scores 2,865 against 2,572, an 11.4 percent win. In R15 single-core, it scores 404 against 362, an 11.6 percent win. The R20 tests show 11,938 versus 10,717 in multicore and 1,685 versus 1,512 in single-core, both 11.4 percent margins. R23 follows with 28,424 versus 25,518 in multicore and 4,012 versus 3,602 in single-core. The consistency of the 11.4 percent delta across multiple Cinebench versions indicates a stable architectural advantage rather than a workload-specific quirk.

The PassMark suite paints a more mixed picture. AMD wins data compression with 379,448 versus 334,399, a 13.5 percent margin, and extended instructions with 31,442 versus 16,974, an 85.2 percent blowout. AMD also takes multithread at 32,075 versus 30,022, prime numbers at 157 versus 140, and random string sorting at 40,784 versus 39,643. The Intel chip counters in data encryption with 22,176 versus 18,978, floating point math with 85,607 versus 69,580, integer math with 125,739 versus 105,056, and physics with 1,938 versus 1,711. The single-thread test goes to AMD at 3,995 versus 3,568, a 12 percent lead.

The benchmark data shows that the AMD chip wins by larger margins in its strongest tests than the Intel chip does in its strongest tests. AMD's biggest win is 85.2 percent, while Intel's biggest win is 18.7 percent. The average score gap, 43,326 for AMD versus 41,650 for Intel, reflects this asymmetry.

Specification Differences

The AMD Ryzen AI Max PRO 385 has 8 cores and 16 threads, while the Intel Core 7 251TE has 24 cores and 32 threads. The AMD base clock is 3.60 GHz compared to 1.40 GHz for Intel, and the boost clocks are 5.00 GHz for AMD and 5.40 GHz for Intel. The AMD part has a TDP of 55, while the Intel part has a TDP of 45. The AMD processor uses AMD Socket FP11, while the Intel processor uses Intel Socket 1700. The AMD architecture is Zen 5 with the Strix Halo codename, while the Intel codename is Bartlett Lake. The AMD process node is 4 nm at TSMC, while the Intel node is 10 nm at Intel. The Intel die is 215 mm², with no die size recorded for AMD. L2 cache is 1 MB per core for AMD and 1.25 MB per core for Intel. L3 cache is 32 MB shared for AMD and 36 MB shared for Intel. Memory support is LPDDR5X for AMD and DDR4/DDR5 for Intel, with AMD using quad-channel and Intel using dual-channel. Memory bandwidth is 256.0 GB/s for AMD and 89.6 GB/s for Intel. PCIe is Gen 4 with 16 lanes for AMD and Gen 5 with 16 lanes for Intel. The integrated graphics are Radeon 8050S for AMD and UHD Graphics 770 for Intel. The AMD part is a mobile segment chip, while the Intel part is desktop. The Intel launch MSRP is $384, while no launch MSRP is recorded for AMD. The AMD release date is January 5, 2025, and the Intel release date is January 12, 2025. Both processors have locked multipliers and active production status. The AMD part number is 100-000001422, and the Intel part number is SRQAXQ5ZG.