AMD Ryzen AI Max PRO 385 vs Intel Core 9 273PQE Comparison

FAQ

Q: Which processor has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The Intel Core 9 273PQE posts an average benchmark score of 66099, while the AMD Ryzen AI Max PRO 385 records 43326. The Intel part sits at the 93rd percentile of all CPUs, compared to the AMD part at the 88th percentile.

Q: How do the two chips compare in single-thread performance?

A: The Intel Core 9 273PQE wins the PassMark single-thread test with 4573 points versus 3995 for the AMD, a 12.6% advantage. In Cinebench R23 single-core, Intel scores 5532 against AMD's 4012, a 27.5% lead.

Q: Which processor has more cores and threads?

A: The Intel Core 9 273PQE has 12 cores and 24 threads. The AMD Ryzen AI Max PRO 385 has 8 cores and 16 threads.

Q: What memory types do these processors support?

A: The AMD Ryzen AI Max PRO 385 supports LPDDR5X over a quad-channel memory bus with 256.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The Intel Core 9 273PQE supports DDR4 and DDR5 over a dual-channel bus with 89.6 GB/s of bandwidth.

Q: Do both processors include integrated graphics?

A: Yes. The AMD Ryzen AI Max PRO 385 includes Radeon 8050S graphics, while the Intel Core 9 273PQE includes UHD Graphics 770.

Q: What are the process nodes for each chip?

A: The AMD Ryzen AI Max PRO 385 uses a 4 nm process from TSMC. The Intel Core 9 273PQE uses a 10 nm process from Intel.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from different design philosophies and target different physical formats. The AMD Ryzen AI Max PRO 385 is built on the Zen 5 architecture, codenamed Strix Halo, and it is a mobile part on AMD Socket FP11. Its process node is 4 nm, produced by TSMC. The Intel Core 9 273PQE belongs to the Bartlett Lake generation, uses Intel's own 10 nm process, and is a desktop part on Intel Socket 1700.

Core counts differ significantly. The AMD chip provides 8 cores and 16 threads. The Intel chip provides 12 cores and 24 threads, giving it a 50% advantage in both core and thread counts. This structural difference shows up across nearly every multi-threaded workload in the data.

Cache layouts also differ. Both chips use 80 KB of L1 per core. The AMD part uses 1 MB of L2 per core and 32 MB of shared L3. The Intel part uses 2 MB of L2 per core and 36 MB of shared L3. Thus Intel has a larger total cache footprint per core and a larger shared L3 pool.

Memory architecture separates the two clearly. The AMD Ryzen AI Max PRO 385 runs LPDDR5X memory on a quad-channel bus, delivering 256.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The Intel Core 9 273PQE supports both DDR4 and DDR5 on a dual-channel bus, delivering 89.6 GB/s. The AMD part offers nearly three times the memory bandwidth, which matters for integrated graphics and memory-sensitive workloads. Both processors support ECC memory.

PCIe capability is another split. The AMD chip uses PCIe Gen 4 with 16 CPU lanes. The Intel chip uses PCIe Gen 5 with 16 CPU lanes. The Intel part has a newer PCIe generation for expansion devices.

Clock behavior differs too. The AMD Ryzen AI Max PRO 385 has a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz. The Intel Core 9 273PQE has a lower base clock of 3.40 GHz but a much higher boost clock of 5.90 GHz. The Intel chip also carries a 125 W TDP, while the AMD chip is rated at 55 W. Neither processor has an unlocked multiplier.

Release timing is notable. The AMD part has a release date of 2025-01-05. The Intel part has a release date of 2026-03-08. The Intel part carries a launch MSRP of $589.

Where Each One Wins

The benchmark data is one-sided in raw performance: the Intel Core 9 273PQE wins all 17 head-to-head comparisons. The AMD Ryzen AI Max PRO 385 does not win a single recorded test. That said, the two chips occupy different market segments, and the data highlights distinct strengths.

The Intel Core 9 273PQE wins decisively in heavily multi-threaded and compute-heavy tasks. Its 12 cores and 24 threads drive large margins in Cinebench multicore tests and in PassMark math workloads. Floating-point math shows the largest gap: Intel scores 125546 versus AMD's 69580, a 44.6% advantage. Integer math follows with 164629 versus 105056, a 36.2% lead. Data compression and encryption workloads also favor Intel by 35.2% and 36.0% respectively. For rendering, video encoding, and number-crunching applications, the Intel part is clearly the stronger choice.

The Intel part also wins single-thread tests, though by a smaller margin. PassMark single-thread shows 4573 versus 3995, a 12.6% gap. Cinebench R23 single-core shows 5532 versus 4012, a 27.5% gap. The higher boost clock of 5.90 GHz helps explain this advantage.

The AMD Ryzen AI Max PRO 385 has no benchmark wins in the recorded data, but its profile points to different strengths. The quad-channel LPDDR5X memory bus with 256.0 GB/s bandwidth is a major asset for integrated GPU workloads, since the Radeon 8050S shares that memory pool. The 55 W TDP also indicates a much lower power envelope, which suits thin-and-light mobile systems. The AMD chip is a mobile processor on Socket FP11, while the Intel chip is a desktop processor on Socket 1700. These are not competing in the same physical class.

Specification Differences

The following fields differ between the two processors:

• Cores: 8 (AMD) versus 12 (Intel)
• Threads: 16 (AMD) versus 24 (Intel)
• Base clock: 3.60 GHz (AMD) versus 3.40 GHz (Intel)
• Boost clock: 5.00 GHz (AMD) versus 5.90 GHz (Intel)
• TDP: 55 W (AMD) versus 125 W (Intel)
• Socket: AMD Socket FP11 versus Intel Socket 1700
• Architecture: Zen 5 (AMD) versus not specified (Intel)
• Codename: Strix Halo (AMD) versus Bartlett Lake (Intel)
• Process node: 4 nm (AMD) versus 10 nm (Intel)
• Foundry: TSMC (AMD) versus Intel (Intel)
• L2 cache per core: 1 MB (AMD) versus 2 MB (Intel)
• L3 cache shared: 32 MB (AMD) versus 36 MB (Intel)
• Memory support: LPDDR5X (AMD) versus DDR4, DDR5 (Intel)
• Memory bus: Quad-channel (AMD) versus Dual-channel (Intel)
• Memory bandwidth: 256.0 GB/s (AMD) versus 89.6 GB/s (Intel)
• PCIe: Gen 4, 16 Lanes (AMD) versus Gen 5, 16 Lanes (Intel)
• Integrated graphics: Radeon 8050S (AMD) versus UHD Graphics 770 (Intel)
• Market segment: Mobile (AMD) versus Desktop (Intel)
• Release date: 2025-01-05 (AMD) versus 2026-03-08 (Intel)
• Part number: 100-000001422 (AMD) versus SA4Q9 (Intel)
• Launch MSRP: not available (AMD) versus $589 (Intel)

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head data shows a consistent Intel advantage across every recorded test. The largest margin appears in PassMark floating-point math, where Intel scores 125546 against AMD's 69580, a 44.6% gap. This is the single biggest delta in the dataset and indicates a major difference in FP-heavy compute workloads.

Integer math follows a similar pattern. Intel records 164629 versus AMD's 105056, a 36.2% lead. Data encryption shows Intel at 29636 versus AMD's 18978, a 36.0% gap. Data compression goes to Intel at 585752 versus AMD's 379448, a 35.2% difference. These four PassMark workloads all exceed a 35% Intel advantage.

PassMark physics shows Intel at 2754 versus AMD's 1711, a 37.9% gap. PassMark multithread shows Intel at 46107 versus AMD's 32075, a 30.4% lead. PassMark random string sorting goes to Intel at 53167 versus AMD's 40784, a 23.3% margin. PassMark extended instructions shows Intel at 38743 versus AMD's 31442, an 18.8% lead. PassMark find prime numbers shows Intel at 198 versus AMD's 157, a 20.7% gap.

Cinebench results are uniform. Every Cinebench test, R15, R20, and R23, in both single-core and multicore, shows Intel winning by exactly 27.5%. For example, Cinebench R23 multicore has Intel at 39190 versus AMD's 28424. Cinebench R23 single-core has Intel at 5532 versus AMD's 4012. The consistency of this delta across all six Cinebench tests suggests a systematic performance difference rather than workload-specific variation.

The narrowest Intel win is in PassMark single-thread, where Intel scores 4573 versus AMD's 3995, a 12.6% gap. This is also recorded under the name PassMark singlethread with identical values.

The AMD Ryzen AI Max PRO 385 has zero wins in the head-to-head set. Intel wins all 17 comparisons. The average benchmark score difference reinforces this: Intel at 66099 versus AMD at 43326.

Context from the nearest rival data helps position each chip. The AMD Ryzen AI Max PRO 385 sits within 0.9% of several rivals: AMD Ryzen AI 9 465 at -0.2%, Intel Core Ultra 9 386H at 0.3%, AMD Ryzen 7 170 at -0.8%, and AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 7745 at -0.9%. The Intel Core 9 273PQE sits within 1.2% of its nearest rivals: Intel Core Ultra 5 250KF Plus at -0.1%, AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D at 0.3%, Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus at -1.1%, and AMD EPYC 4465P at -1.2%. The Intel part's nearest rival includes the Ryzen 9 7950X3D, which places it in a higher performance tier than the AMD Strix Halo part.

The Verdict

The data points to a clear split by use case rather than by any ambiguous performance overlap. The Intel Core 9 273PQE is the faster processor in every recorded benchmark. It wins all 17 head-to-head tests, holds the 93rd percentile, and posts an average score of 66099. Its 12 cores, 24 threads, and 5.90 GHz boost clock deliver consistent wins in rendering, math, compression, encryption, and single-thread workloads. The 27.5% Cinebench lead across all test versions shows a broad, systematic advantage. The 44.6% lead in floating-point math is especially relevant for scientific and simulation workloads. For anyone assembling a desktop system where raw CPU throughput is the priority, the Intel part is the stronger choice.

The AMD Ryzen AI Max PRO 385 serves a different purpose. It is a mobile processor with a 55 W TDP, built for Socket FP11 systems. It records no benchmark wins against the Intel chip, but that comparison is not the full picture. Its quad-channel LPDDR5X memory delivers 256.0 GB/s of bandwidth, nearly three times the Intel part's 89.6 GB/s. That bandwidth feeds the integrated Radeon 8050S graphics and can benefit memory-bound tasks. The AMD chip also uses a 4 nm process from TSMC, which is a more advanced node than Intel's 10 nm. The 88th percentile ranking and an average score of 43326 place it in a solid mid-range tier, close to rivals like the AMD Ryzen AI 9 465 and Intel Core Ultra 9 386H.

The decision comes down to platform and power class. The Intel Core 9 273PQE is a desktop processor with a 125 W TDP, a $589 launch MSRP, and PCIe Gen 5 support. It is built for maximum compute throughput. The AMD Ryzen AI Max PRO 385 is a mobile processor with a 55 W TDP, PCIe Gen 4, and a much lower power draw. It is built for compact systems where memory bandwidth and integrated graphics matter more than raw core count. The benchmark data shows Intel winning every workload, but the two chips are not aimed at the same chassis. Choose Intel for desktop compute density. Choose AMD for a mobile platform with high memory bandwidth and a lower power envelope.