AMD Ryzen AI Max PRO 385 vs Intel Core i9-12950HX Comparison

The AMD Ryzen AI Max PRO 385 and Intel Core i9-12950HX are both 55 W mobile processors aimed at high-performance laptops, but they deliver their speed in very different ways. The AMD part, built on Zen 5, wins 11 of the 17 head-to-head benchmarks, while the Intel part, from the Alder Lake-HX generation, takes 6. The Ryzen’s advantage is most pronounced in single-threaded and rendering workloads, where it leads by massive margins, including a 112.8% lead in Cinebench R23 single-core. The Core i9 fights back in floating-point math, encryption, and physics simulations, but its overall average benchmark score of 42487 trails the AMD’s 43326. Both sit at the 88th percentile among all CPUs, meaning they are closely matched in overall standing, but the data clearly favors the Ryzen for most users.

The Verdict

Pick the AMD Ryzen AI Max PRO 385 if your priority is raw single-thread speed and modern rendering performance. In Cinebench R23 single-core, it scores 4012 against the Intel’s 1885 — a 112.8% advantage that is simply enormous for any workload that leans on per-core performance. Its multi-core lead is also decisive: 28424 in Cinebench R23 versus 20263 for the Intel, a 40.3% gap. The Ryzen also wins Cinebench R20 multi-core (11938 vs 11061, +7.9%) and R15 single-core (404 vs 274, +47.4%). For content creation, compilation, or any task that scales with modern core efficiency, the Ryzen is the data-backed choice.

Pick the Intel Core i9-12950HX if your workloads are heavily math-oriented or involve encryption and physics simulation. It wins PassMark floating-point math (80402 vs 69580, +13.5%), data encryption (21395 vs 18978, +11.3%), and physics (2084 vs 1711, +17.9%). It also edges out the Ryzen in integer math (109586 vs 105056, +4.1%) and random string sorting (41209 vs 40784, +1%). These are niche but real wins. If your software is dominated by such operations, the Intel part holds a measurable edge, despite losing most other tests.

The Ryzen is the better general-purpose processor. The Intel is a specialist for specific numeric workloads. The data does not support choosing Intel for mixed-use laptops.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Ryzen AI Max PRO 385 dominates in every Cinebench test except R15 multi-core. Its wins include Cinebench R20 multi-core (+7.9%), R20 single-core (+7.9%), R23 multi-core (+40.3%), and R23 single-core (+112.8%). It also wins PassMark data compression (379448 vs 367930, +3.1%), extended instructions (31442 vs 22163, +41.9%), find prime numbers (157 vs 135, +16.3%), and multi-thread (32075 vs 31673, +1.3%). Single-threaded PassMark goes to AMD as well (3995 vs 3778, +5.7%). This pattern shows a processor that is faster per core and also scales well across all cores in modern workloads.

The Intel Core i9-12950HX wins Cinebench R15 multi-core (3107 vs 2865, +7.8%), which is its only rendering victory. Its other wins are in PassMark: data encryption (+11.3%), floating-point math (+13.5%), integer math (+4.1%), physics (+17.9%), and random string sorting (+1%). These are all compute-heavy, often legacy or specialized tasks. The Intel part does not win any single-core test. Its advantage is concentrated in multi-threaded numeric crunching, likely due to its higher core count (16 vs 8) and thread count (24 vs 16).

Architecture Differences

The two CPUs come from fundamentally different designs. The AMD Ryzen AI Max PRO 385 uses the Zen 5 architecture on a 4 nm TSMC process, codenamed Strix Halo. It has 8 cores and 16 threads. The Intel Core i9-12950HX uses the Alder Lake architecture on a 10 nm Intel process, with 16 cores and 24 threads — a hybrid design that pairs performance and efficiency cores. The process node difference (4 nm vs 10 nm) is a key factor in the AMD’s power efficiency and per-core speed.

Cache configurations differ slightly. Both have 80 KB of L1 per core. The AMD has 1 MB of L2 per core and 32 MB of shared L3; the Intel has 1.25 MB of L2 per core and 30 MB of shared L3. The AMD’s larger L3 (32 MB vs 30 MB) is a small but notable edge. Memory support also diverges: the AMD uses LPDDR5X with a quad-channel bus and a stated 256.0 GB/s bandwidth. The Intel supports DDR4 and DDR5 with a dual-channel bus and no bandwidth figure listed in the data. The AMD’s memory bandwidth advantage is substantial, which helps in bandwidth-hungry tasks.

I/O and graphics differ as well. The AMD uses PCIe Gen 4 with 16 lanes (CPU only) and integrates a Radeon 8050S GPU. The Intel uses PCIe Gen 5 with 20 lanes (CPU only) and integrates UHD Graphics 770. Both support ECC memory. The AMD is on socket AMD FP11; the Intel is on Intel BGA 1964. The Intel has a larger die size at 215 mm², while the AMD’s die size is not listed in the data. The Intel launched earlier (2022-05-09) with a launch MSRP of $590, while the AMD launched later (2025-01-05) with no launch MSRP listed.

FAQ

Q: Which CPU has better single-core performance?

A: The AMD Ryzen AI Max PRO 385 is decisively faster. It scores 4012 in Cinebench R23 single-core versus 1885 for the Intel, a 112.8% lead. In Cinebench R15 single-core, AMD wins 404 to 274 (+47.4%). PassMark single-thread also goes to AMD (3995 vs 3778, +5.7%).

Q: Does the Intel Core i9-12950HX win any multi-core tests?

A: Yes, but only in Cinebench R15 multi-core, where it scores 3107 against the AMD’s 2865 (+7.8%). In all other multi-core tests, the AMD wins, including Cinebench R23 multi-core (28424 vs 20263, +40.3%) and Cinebench R20 multi-core (11938 vs 11061, +7.9%). The AMD also wins PassMark multi-thread (32075 vs 31673, +1.3%).

Q: Which CPU is better for encryption or physics workloads?

A: The Intel Core i9-12950HX. It wins PassMark data encryption (21395 vs 18978, +11.3%) and PassMark physics (2084 vs 1711, +17.9%). It also wins floating-point math (80402 vs 69580, +13.5%) and integer math (109586 vs 105056, +4.1%).

Q: How do their overall benchmark averages compare?

A: The AMD has an average benchmark score of 43326, while the Intel scores 42487. Both are at the 88th percentile among all CPUs. The AMD’s nearest rival is the AMD Ryzen AI 9 465 (avg score 43431, -0.2% delta), while the Intel’s nearest rival is the Intel Core i9-12900K (avg score 42335, +0.4% delta).

Q: What are the core and thread counts?

A: The AMD Ryzen AI Max PRO 385 has 8 cores and 16 threads. The Intel Core i9-12950HX has 16 cores and 24 threads. Despite having half the cores, the AMD wins most multi-core tests.

Q: Which CPU has better memory bandwidth specifications?

A: The AMD Ryzen AI Max PRO 385 specifies 256.0 GB/s bandwidth with quad-channel LPDDR5X support. The Intel Core i9-12950HX supports dual-channel DDR4/DDR5, but its memory bandwidth is not listed in the data.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The most striking result is in Cinebench R23 single-core: the AMD scores 4012 against the Intel’s 1885, a 112.8% lead. This is not a marginal win; it is a doubling of performance. The Ryzen’s Zen 5 architecture on 4 nm clearly delivers far higher instructions per clock than Alder Lake on 10 nm. The same story repeats in Cinebench R15 single-core (404 vs 274, +47.4%) and Cinebench R20 single-core (1685 vs 1561, +7.9%).

Multi-core rendering also favors AMD. In Cinebench R23 multi-core, the AMD scores 28424 versus 20263, a 40.3% advantage. This is despite the Intel having 16 cores and 24 threads versus the AMD’s 8 cores and 16 threads. The AMD’s higher core efficiency and larger L3 cache (32 MB vs 30 MB) overcome the core count deficit. In Cinebench R20 multi-core, AMD wins 11938 to 11061 (+7.9%). The only Intel multi-core win is in Cinebench R15 multi-core (3107 vs 2865, +7.8%), which is an older test that may favor the Intel’s higher thread count.

In PassMark tests, the AMD wins extended instructions (31442 vs 22163, +41.9%), find prime numbers (157 vs 135, +16.3%), data compression (379448 vs 367930, +3.1%), and multi-thread (32075 vs 31673, +1.3%). The Intel wins floating-point math (80402 vs 69580, +13.5%), data encryption (21395 vs 18978, +11.3%), physics (2084 vs 1711, +17.9%), integer math (109586 vs 105056, +4.1%), and random string sorting (41209 vs 40784, +1%). These Intel wins are consistent in pattern: they are all numeric or data-manipulation tasks that can scale with the Intel’s 24 threads.

Specification Differences

| Specification | AMD Ryzen AI Max PRO 385 | Intel Core i9-12950HX |

|---|---|---|

| Cores | 8 | 16 |

| Threads | 16 | 24 |

| Base Clock | 3.60 GHz | 2.30 GHz |

| Boost Clock | 5.00 GHz | 5.00 GHz |

| Process Node | 4 nm (TSMC) | 10 nm (Intel) |

| Die Size | Not listed | 215 mm² |

| L2 Cache | 1 MB (per core) | 1.25 MB (per core) |

| L3 Cache | 32 MB (shared) | 30 MB (shared) |

| Memory Support | LPDDR5X | DDR4, DDR5 |

| Memory Bus | Quad-channel | Dual-channel |

| Memory Bandwidth | 256.0 GB/s | Not listed |

| PCIe | Gen 4, 16 Lanes (CPU only) | Gen 5, 20 Lanes (CPU only) |

| Integrated Graphics | Radeon 8050S | UHD Graphics 770 |

| Socket | AMD Socket FP11 | Intel BGA 1964 |

| Release Date | 2025-01-05 | 2022-05-09 |

| Launch MSRP | Not listed | $590 |

| Part Number | 100-000001422 | SRLGG |