AMD Ryzen AI Max+ PRO 395 vs Intel Core 5 221E Comparison

The recorded data shows a clear performance gap between these two processors, with the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ PRO 395 winning 11 of the 15 head-to-head benchmark comparisons against the Intel Core 5 221E. The AMD part’s average benchmark score of 80762 places it in the 95th percentile of all CPUs, while the Intel part’s average of 40144 lands in the 87th percentile. These aggregate figures hint at the scale of the divide, but the individual tests reveal where each chip holds its ground.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The most lopsided result appears in the PassMark extended instructions test. The AMD Ryzen AI Max+ PRO 395 scores 52067, which is 185.8% ahead of the Intel Core 5 221E’s 18216. This suggests a substantial advantage in workloads that use advanced CPU instruction sets, likely reflecting the architectural differences between the two designs.

Multi-core rendering follows a similar pattern. In Cinebench R15 multicore, the AMD part scores 5247 versus the Intel part’s 2613, a 100.8% advantage. The Cinebench R23 multicore test shows a smaller but still decisive gap, with the AMD part scoring 35061 and the Intel part scoring 25933, a 35.2% lead. The PassMark multithread test confirms the trend, showing the AMD part at 51502 against the Intel part’s 30510, a 68.8% difference.

Data handling tasks also favor the AMD chip. PassMark data compression shows a 97.2% lead for the AMD part, with scores of 639356 versus 324285. PassMark random string sorting shows an 86.1% advantage, with scores of 70150 versus 37686. Encryption and prime number finding follow the same direction: the AMD part leads by 71% in data encryption (32840 versus 19205) and by 64.2% in find prime numbers (284 versus 173).

Math-oriented workloads lean AMD as well. PassMark floating point math shows a 52.5% lead (120533 versus 79028), and PassMark integer math shows a 61.9% lead (190720 versus 117813). The PassMark physics test gives the AMD part a 43% advantage, with scores of 3189 versus 2230.

The Intel Core 5 221E wins four comparisons, and its victories are concentrated in single-threaded performance. Cinebench R15 singlecore shows the Intel part scoring 368 against the AMD part’s 306, a 16.8% edge. The gap widens in Cinebench R23 singlecore, where the Intel part scores 3661 against the AMD part’s 2012.5, a 45% advantage. The PassMark single thread test is much closer, with the Intel part scoring 4147 against the AMD part’s 4078, a 1.7% lead. The duplicate PassMark singlethread test shows the identical result.

The pattern is consistent: the AMD part dominates in every multi-threaded and data-heavy test, while the Intel part takes the single-core crown, sometimes by a wide margin. The Cinebench R23 singlecore result of 45% is the largest single-core gap in the entire comparison, and it stands out because the other single-thread tests show much smaller differences.

The Verdict

The data points to a clear split in intended use cases. The AMD Ryzen AI Max+ PRO 395 delivers overwhelming multi-core performance, with leads ranging from 35.2% to 185.8% across the various parallel workloads. Anyone running renders, compressing large datasets, or executing encryption-heavy tasks should look at the AMD part, as it holds a decisive edge in every one of those measurements.

The Intel Core 5 221E wins the single-thread comparisons, but the margin is inconsistent. The 45% lead in Cinebench R23 singlecore is substantial, yet the PassMark single thread margin is only 1.7%. That inconsistency suggests the Intel part’s single-core advantage is workload-specific rather than universal. For tasks that rely heavily on a single thread and use the older Cinebench R23 instruction path, the Intel part shows a clear benefit. For more general single-threaded integer work, the difference is nearly negligible.

The overall average benchmark scores reinforce this: the AMD part sits at 80762, nearly double the Intel part’s 40144. The nearest rivals for the AMD part, such as the Intel Xeon 638 at 80723 and the Intel Xeon w5-2565X at 80671, sit within 0.1% of its average. The Intel Core 5 221E’s rivals, including the AMD Ryzen 7 7700 at 40081 and the AMD Ryzen AI 9 365 at 40048, are similarly close. Both chips are competitive within their respective performance tiers, but those tiers are far apart.

Architecture Differences

The AMD Ryzen AI Max+ PRO 395 uses the Zen 5 architecture, built on a 4 nm process at TSMC. Its codename is Strix Halo, and it belongs to the Ryzen AI Max+ PRO generation. The Intel Core 5 221E uses the Bartlett Lake codename, built on a 10 nm process at Intel, and belongs to the Core 5 generation. The process node difference, 4 nm versus 10 nm, is significant and likely contributes to the AMD part’s efficiency and multi-core dominance.

The cache hierarchy differs notably. Both parts have 80 KB of L1 cache per core. The L2 cache is 1 MB per core on the AMD part versus 2 MB per core on the Intel part. The L3 cache shows the opposite relationship: the AMD part has 64 MB shared, while the Intel part has 24 MB shared. The larger shared L3 on the AMD part likely helps with the multi-threaded workloads where it excels.

The AMD part integrates a Radeon 8060S graphics processor, while the Intel part uses UHD Graphics 730. The AMD part supports LPDDR5X memory across a quad-channel bus, providing 256.0 GB/s of memory bandwidth. The Intel part supports both DDR4 and DDR5 across a dual-channel bus, providing 89.6 GB/s of memory bandwidth. That bandwidth difference is substantial and aligns with the AMD part’s strong showing in data-heavy tests.

The PCIe interfaces also differ. The AMD part uses Gen 4 with 16 lanes for the CPU, while the Intel part uses Gen 5 with 16 lanes for the CPU. Both support ECC memory. The AMD part is marked as a mobile segment product with a socket of AMD Socket FP11, while the Intel part is a desktop segment product with Intel Socket 1700.

Specification Differences

The core and thread counts differ: the AMD part has 16 cores and 32 threads, while the Intel part has 14 cores and 20 threads. The base clock on the AMD part is 3.00 GHz, while the Intel part runs at 2.70 GHz. The boost clocks are nearly identical, with the AMD part at 5.10 GHz and the Intel part at 5.20 GHz. The TDP differs, with the AMD part rated at 55 watts and the Intel part at 65 watts.

The AMD part has a larger die area unspecified in the database, while the Intel part lists a die size of 257 mm². The release dates are close, with the AMD part launching on 2025-01-05 and the Intel part on 2025-01-12. The Intel part has a launch MSRP of $232, while the AMD part has no launch MSRP listed. Neither part has an unlocked multiplier. The part numbers differ, with the AMD part listed as 100-000001243 and the Intel part as SRQDVQ659.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has more cores?

A: The AMD Ryzen AI Max+ PRO 395 has 16 cores and 32 threads, while the Intel Core 5 221E has 14 cores and 20 threads.

Q: How large is the multi-core performance difference?

A: In Cinebench R23 multicore, the AMD part scores 35061 versus the Intel part’s 25933, a 35.2% lead. In Cinebench R15 multicore, the AMD part leads by 100.8%, scoring 5247 against 2613.

Q: Does the Intel part win any benchmark?

A: Yes, the Intel Core 5 221E wins all four single-thread comparisons. It leads by 16.8% in Cinebench R15 singlecore, by 45% in Cinebench R23 singlecore, and by 1.7% in the PassMark single thread and singlethread tests.

Q: What is the memory bandwidth for each?

A: The AMD part supports LPDDR5X memory on a quad-channel bus with 256.0 GB/s. The Intel part supports DDR4 and DDR5 on a dual-channel bus with 89.6 GB/s.

Q: Which processor has more L3 cache?

A: The AMD Ryzen AI Max+ PRO 395 has 64 MB of shared L3 cache, while the Intel Core 5 221E has 24 MB of shared L3 cache. The Intel part has a larger L2 cache at 2 MB per core versus 1 MB per core on the AMD part.

Q: What are the process nodes for each chip?

A: The AMD part is built on a 4 nm process at TSMC, while the Intel part is built on a 10 nm process at Intel.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Ryzen AI Max+ PRO 395 wins every multi-threaded benchmark in the comparison. The PassMark extended instructions test shows its largest margin at 185.8%, followed by Cinebench R15 multicore at 100.8% and PassMark data compression at 97.2%. The AMD part also leads in encryption (71%), multithread (68.8%), integer math (61.9%), floating point math (52.5%), and physics (43%). The 64 MB shared L3 cache and 256.0 GB/s memory bandwidth provide a plausible explanation for these consistent wins across varied workloads.

The Intel Core 5 221E wins the single-thread tests. Its strongest result is the 45% lead in Cinebench R23 singlecore, but its margin shrinks to 1.7% in the PassMark single thread test. The Intel part’s higher boost clock of 5.20 GHz, compared to the AMD part’s 5.10 GHz, contributes to these wins, as does its 2 MB per core L2 cache. The Intel part’s dual-channel memory and 89.6 GB/s bandwidth limit its performance in the memory-heavy tests, but do not affect its single-core results.

The data indicates a fundamental trade-off. The AMD part is the choice for parallel processing, large data sets, and workloads that use extended instructions. The Intel part is the choice for single-threaded legacy renders and tasks that depend on a single core’s peak speed. The overall average benchmark scores, 80762 versus 40144, place the AMD part in a higher performance tier, and its 11 wins out of 15 comparisons confirm that dominance in the recorded measurements.