AMD Ryzen AI Max PRO 390 vs Intel Core Ultra 5 225T Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data shows a decisive overall win for the AMD Ryzen AI Max PRO 390, taking 11 of the 15 shared benchmarks against the Intel Core Ultra 5 225T. The largest margin comes in PassMark integer math, where the AMD part scores 148508 versus 59543, a 149.4% advantage. Data compression also shows a massive gap: the AMD processor delivers 506170 points against 233998, a 116.3% lead. Extended instructions follow closely, with AMD at 40888 versus Intel's 20083, a 103.6% difference.

Random string sorting favors AMD by 92%, with scores of 55248 and 28774 respectively. Cinebench R15 multicore shows a 77% lead for the AMD chip, scoring 3918 versus 2214. PassMark multithread gives AMD 42912 against Intel's 25358, a 69.2% margin. Data encryption shows AMD ahead by 42.3%, scoring 26027 versus 18289. Physics tests put AMD at 2773 against Intel's 2053, a 35.1% lead. Floating point math and prime number finding both go to AMD, with 14.4% and 13.7% advantages respectively. Cinebench R23 multicore rounds out the multicore wins, with AMD at 24828 versus Intel's 21971, a 13% margin.

Intel's wins are all in single-threaded workloads. Cinebench R23 singlecore gives Intel a 36.3% lead, scoring 3101 against AMD's 1976. Cinebench R15 singlecore goes to Intel by 2.9%, with scores of 312 and 303. PassMark single thread also favors Intel, 4348 versus 3967, an 8.8% advantage. The same score appears in the singlethread duplicate entry.

The average benchmark scores reflect this split. The AMD Ryzen AI Max PRO 390 sits at 63765, placing it in the 93rd percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i9-13900KS at 64051 (-0.4%), the AMD EPYC 7343 at 64202 (-0.7%), the AMD Ryzen AI 7 450G at 63331 (+0.7%), and the Intel Core Ultra 7 265HX at 63173 (+0.9%). The Intel Core Ultra 5 225T averages 30468, placing it in the 82nd percentile. Its closest competitors are the Intel Core i5-13600H at 30548 (-0.3%), the Intel Core i9-11980HK at 30422 (+0.2%), the AMD Ryzen 5 7640HS at 30390 (+0.3%), and the AMD Ryzen 7 7736U at 30364 (+0.3%).

FAQ

Q: Which processor wins in multi-threaded workloads?

A: The AMD Ryzen AI Max PRO 390 wins every multicore benchmark in the comparison. Cinebench R15 multicore shows a 77% lead, Cinebench R23 multicore a 13% lead, and PassMark multithread a 69.2% lead.

Q: Does the Intel Core Ultra 5 225T win any test?

A: Yes, Intel wins all four single-threaded tests: Cinebench R23 singlecore by 36.3%, Cinebench R15 singlecore by 2.9%, and PassMark single thread by 8.8%.

Q: How do the average scores compare?

A: The AMD processor averages 63765, which is roughly double the Intel's 30468. AMD sits in the 93rd percentile of all CPUs, while Intel sits in the 82nd percentile.

Q: What is the biggest single benchmark gap between the two?

A: PassMark integer math shows the largest difference, with AMD scoring 148508 against Intel's 59543, a 149.4% advantage.

Q: Are both processors unlocked for overclocking?

A: No, neither processor has an unlocked multiplier. Both are locked parts.

Q: Which processor has higher boost clock?

A: The AMD Ryzen AI Max PRO 390 boosts to 5.00 GHz, while the Intel Core Ultra 5 225T boosts to 4.90 GHz. Despite this, Intel wins all single-threaded tests.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from different design philosophies. The AMD Ryzen AI Max PRO 390 uses the Zen 5 architecture under the Strix Halo codename, built on a 4 nm TSMC process. It has 12 cores and 24 threads, with L1 cache at 80 KB per core, L2 at 1 MB per core, and a shared L3 of 64 MB. The chip uses LPDDR5X memory over a quad-channel bus, delivering 256.0 GB/s of memory bandwidth. It supports ECC memory and integrates Radeon 8050S graphics. The socket is AMD Socket FP11, and the market segment is mobile.

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225T uses the Arrow Lake architecture under the Arrow Lake-S codename, built on a 3 nm TSMC process. It has 10 cores and 10 threads, meaning no hyper-threading. L1 cache is 192 KB per core, L2 is 3 MB per core, and shared L3 is 20 MB. The chip uses DDR5 memory over a dual-channel bus, delivering 102.4 GB/s. It does not support ECC memory and integrates Arc Xe-LPG Graphics 16EU. The socket is Intel Socket 1851, and the market segment is desktop. The Intel part lists 17,800 million transistors on a 243 mm² die.

Key architectural differences include the core counts and thread counts, with AMD offering 12 cores and 24 threads versus Intel's 10 cores and 10 threads. Memory bandwidth heavily favors AMD at 256.0 GB/s versus Intel's 102.4 GB/s. Cache layouts also differ, with Intel using larger per-core L1 and L2 caches but a much smaller shared L3. The process nodes differ by 1 nm, with Intel on the smaller 3 nm node.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ on several specification fields. Core counts: AMD has 12 cores, Intel has 10. Thread counts: AMD has 24, Intel has 10. Base clocks: AMD runs at 3.20 GHz, Intel at 2.50 GHz. Boost clocks: AMD reaches 5.00 GHz, Intel reaches 4.90 GHz. TDP ratings: AMD is rated at 55 W, Intel at 65 W.

Sockets differ completely: AMD uses Socket FP11, Intel uses Socket 1851. Memory support differs: AMD uses LPDDR5X, Intel uses DDR5. Memory bus widths differ: AMD is quad-channel, Intel is dual-channel. Memory bandwidth differs substantially: AMD at 256.0 GB/s, Intel at 102.4 GB/s. ECC support: AMD enables it, Intel does not.

PCIe generations and lane counts differ: AMD provides Gen 4 with 16 lanes, Intel provides Gen 5 with 20 lanes. Integrated graphics differ: AMD uses Radeon 8050S, Intel uses Arc Xe-LPG Graphics 16EU. Market segments differ: AMD is mobile, Intel is desktop. Release dates differ: AMD launched on 2025-01-05, Intel on 2024-12-31.

Process nodes differ: AMD on 4 nm, Intel on 3 nm. Transistor count and die size are only listed for Intel: 17,800 million transistors and 243 mm². The AMD part number is listed as 100-000001421, while Intel's is unknown. Neither processor has an unlocked multiplier.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Ryzen AI Max PRO 390 dominates in every multi-threaded scenario. Data compression, encryption, integer math, floating point math, extended instructions, random string sorting, and multithread tests all show large leads. The 24 threads clearly drive these wins. The memory bandwidth advantage, 256.0 GB/s versus 102.4 GB/s, supports heavy parallel workloads. Physics simulation also favors AMD by 35.1%, indicating strong compute throughput.

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225T wins in single-threaded tasks. Cinebench R23 singlecore shows the biggest gap at 36.3%. PassMark single thread shows an 8.8% lead. The smaller 3 nm process and higher per-core cache allocations likely contribute to this. The Intel part also has a higher base clock in terms of per-core efficiency, though the boost clock is slightly lower than AMD's.

For workloads that rely on single-core responsiveness, such as legacy applications or lightly threaded software, the Intel part holds an advantage. For anything that scales across cores, the AMD part is clearly stronger. The average benchmark score confirms this split: AMD at 63765 versus Intel at 30468. The percentile ranking also differs, with AMD at 93 and Intel at 82.

The Verdict

The data indicates a clear performance hierarchy between these two processors. The AMD Ryzen AI Max PRO 390 should be the choice for users running multi-threaded applications, content creation workloads, data processing, or any task that scales across cores. Its 11 benchmark wins, including a 77% lead in Cinebench R15 multicore and a 149.4% lead in integer math, demonstrate substantial parallel compute capability. The 256.0 GB/s memory bandwidth and 64 MB shared L3 cache support these heavy workloads.

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225T suits users whose primary workloads are single-threaded. Its 4 wins all come in single-thread tests, with a 36.3% lead in Cinebench R23 singlecore. The 3 nm process node and larger per-core L1 and L2 caches contribute to this strength. However, the overall average score of 30468 versus AMD's 63765 indicates a large gap in aggregate performance.

The market segments differ, with AMD targeting mobile and Intel targeting desktop. Users on mobile platforms have no choice but the AMD part. Desktop users choosing between the two should weigh their workload mix. The recorded data shows that multicore performance heavily favors AMD, while single-core performance favors Intel. The 93rd versus 82nd percentile ranking reinforces the AMD part's higher standing among all CPUs.