AMD Ryzen AI Max PRO 385 vs Intel Core i7-12850HX Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data shows a decisive overall victory for the AMD Ryzen AI Max PRO 385, which wins 13 of the 17 direct benchmark comparisons. The most dramatic gap appears in Cinebench R23 single-core, where the AMD part scores 4012 against the Intel Core i7-12850HX's 1720.5, a 133.2% advantage. This is not a marginal lead; it indicates a fundamentally different level of per-thread performance. The multi-core Cinebench R23 result reinforces the pattern, with the AMD chip posting 28424 versus 16301.5, a 74.4% margin.

The Cinebench R15 and R20 results tell a similar story, though with smaller deltas. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, AMD leads 2865 to 2679, a 6.9% edge. The single-core R15 run shows a 55.1% advantage (404 versus 260.5). Cinebench R20 multi-core favors AMD by 9.5% (11938 versus 10907), and the single-core R20 test also lands at a 9.5% delta (1685 versus 1539). These results suggest that AMD's architectural efficiency carries across both older and newer Cinebench versions.

PassMark results are more mixed. The AMD processor wins PassMark multi-thread with 32075 versus 30627, a 4.7% margin, and PassMark single-thread with 3995 versus 3683, an 8.5% edge. Data compression also goes to AMD at 379448 versus 365829, a 3.7% win. Extended instructions show a 41.5% AMD lead (31442 versus 22227), and prime number finding favors AMD by 41.4% (157 versus 111). Random string sorting is nearly even, with AMD ahead by just 1.1% (40784 versus 40327).

The Intel Core i7-12850HX takes four wins. The largest is floating-point math, where Intel scores 79337 against AMD's 69580, a 12.3% lead. Data encryption goes to Intel at 21120 versus 18978, a 10.1% margin. Physics testing favors Intel at 1813 versus 1711, a 5.6% difference. Integer math is close, with Intel at 108076 versus AMD's 105056, a 2.8% advantage. These wins indicate that Intel retains strength in certain vectorized and math-heavy workloads, even though the overall benchmark count favors AMD.

Architecture Differences

The two processors take fundamentally different design paths. The AMD Ryzen AI Max PRO 385 is built on a 4 nm TSMC process using the Zen 5 architecture, codenamed Strix Halo. It has 8 cores and 16 threads, with a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz. The Intel Core i7-12850HX uses Alder Lake-HX architecture on Intel's 10 nm process, with 16 cores and 24 threads, a base clock of 2.10 GHz and a boost clock of 4.80 GHz. Despite the Intel chip having twice the core count and 50% more threads, the AMD part wins most multi-threaded tests, which points to a large per-core efficiency advantage.

Cache configurations differ notably. AMD provides 80 KB of L1 per core, 1 MB of L2 per core, and 32 MB of shared L3. Intel also has 80 KB of L1 per core but a larger 1.25 MB of L2 per core, paired with 25 MB of shared L3. The AMD L3 pool is 7 MB larger, which can help in workloads with repeated data access. The Intel die size is listed at 215 mm², while the AMD die size is not recorded.

Memory architecture separates the two clearly. AMD supports LPDDR5X over a quad-channel bus with a recorded bandwidth of 256.0 GB/s. Intel supports DDR4 and DDR5 over a dual-channel bus, with no bandwidth figure recorded. Both support ECC memory. The AMD platform uses AMD Socket FP11, while Intel uses Intel BGA 1964. PCIe lanes also differ: AMD provides Gen 4 with 16 lanes (CPU only), while Intel provides Gen 5 with 20 lanes (CPU only). Integrated graphics differ as well, with AMD featuring a Radeon 8050S and Intel featuring UHD Graphics 770. The Intel part has an unlocked multiplier, while the AMD part does not. The AMD release date is January 2025, while Intel was released in May 2022. The Intel launch MSRP is $428.

The Verdict

The benchmark data indicates that the AMD Ryzen AI Max PRO 385 is the stronger processor for the majority of measured workloads. The 133.2% single-core lead in Cinebench R23 and the 74.4% multi-core lead in the same test are the clearest signals. The AMD chip also wins the broader PassMark multi-thread and single-thread metrics, which aggregate many different operations. Buyers prioritizing rendering, compilation, or general productivity should favor the AMD part based on these results.

The Intel Core i7-12850HX retains specific advantages in floating-point math, encryption, physics, and integer math. These are not trivial workloads, and the 12.3% floating-point lead could matter for scientific computing or simulation tasks. However, the Intel part loses the two aggregate PassMark scores and loses every Cinebench test. The data does not support a general recommendation for Intel, only a targeted one for math-heavy or encryption-heavy use cases.

The percentile rankings are identical at 88 for both processors, meaning each sits in the same tier relative to all CPUs in the database. The average benchmark scores are close: 43326 for AMD and 41779 for Intel. The nearest rivals for AMD include the AMD Ryzen AI 9 465 at a 0.2% lower score, the Intel Core Ultra 9 386H at 0.3% lower, the AMD Ryzen 7 170 at 0.8% lower, and the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 7745 at 0.9% lower. Intel's nearest rivals include the Intel Core 7 251TE at 0.3% higher, the Intel Core i7-14700T at 0.3% lower, the Intel Core Ultra 7 265H at 0.4% higher, and the AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 8945HS at 0.4% lower. These rival deltas are all under 1%, which shows that both parts are tightly grouped with their market peers.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has the higher single-core Cinebench R23 score?

A: The AMD Ryzen AI Max PRO 385 scores 4012, while the Intel Core i7-12850HX scores 1720.5, giving AMD a 133.2% advantage.

Q: Does the Intel Core i7-12850HX win any benchmark categories?

A: Yes, it wins four tests: PassMark data encryption (21120 versus 18978, a 10.1% lead), PassMark floating-point math (79337 versus 69580, a 12.3% lead), PassMark physics (1813 versus 1711, a 5.6% lead), and PassMark integer math (108076 versus 105056, a 2.8% lead).

Q: How do the core and thread counts compare?

A: The AMD Ryzen AI Max PRO 385 has 8 cores and 16 threads. The Intel Core i7-12850HX has 16 cores and 24 threads. Despite the higher core count, Intel wins only 4 of 17 head-to-head tests.

Q: What memory types do the two processors support?

A: AMD supports LPDDR5X over a quad-channel bus with 256.0 GB/s bandwidth. Intel supports DDR4 and DDR5 over a dual-channel bus, with no bandwidth figure recorded. Both support ECC memory.

Q: Which processor has a larger L3 cache?

A: The AMD Ryzen AI Max PRO 385 has 32 MB of shared L3, while the Intel Core i7-12850HX has 25 MB of shared L3.

Q: What is the production status of each processor?

A: Both are listed as Active in the database. The AMD part was released in January 2025, and the Intel part was released in May 2022.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Ryzen AI Max PRO 385 is the clear choice for rendering workloads. The Cinebench R23 multi-core result of 28424 versus 16301.5 is a 74.4% margin that dwarfs any Intel advantage elsewhere. The single-core Cinebench R23 lead of 133.2% also makes AMD the better option for lightly threaded applications like legacy software, scripting, or UI-responsive tasks. The PassMark multi-thread win of 32075 versus 30627 means general multitasking and parallel productivity tools lean AMD. Data compression, extended instructions, and prime number finding all favor AMD, which suggests strong performance in archive management, cryptographic hashing, and number-crunching loops.

The Intel Core i7-12850HX is the better option specifically for floating-point math. The 79337 score versus 69580 is a 12.3% lead, the largest Intel win in the dataset. Encryption is another Intel strength, with 21120 versus 18978, a 10.1% margin. Physics simulation at 1813 versus 1711 gives Intel a 5.6% edge, and integer math at 108076 versus 105056 is a 2.8% win. These results suggest that Intel remains competitive in scientific simulation, encryption workloads, and certain math libraries. The Intel part also has a larger L2 per core at 1.25 MB versus 1 MB, which may contribute to its math-heavy wins. However, the aggregate scores and the Cinebench suite show that Intel's wins are narrow and workload-specific, not general performance advantages.