AMD Ryzen AI Max+ PRO 395 vs Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark comparison between the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ PRO 395 and the Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX is not a close race on most fronts. The Intel part wins 12 of the 15 recorded head-to-head tests, while the AMD chip takes 3. The differences, however, are not uniform. Some are narrow, others are wide, and the pattern of wins reveals two very different performance profiles.

The largest margin in the entire comparison belongs to Intel in the PassMark data encryption test. The Core Ultra 9 285HX scores 48,567 versus 32,840 for the AMD part, a 32.4% advantage. That is a dominant result and indicates a significant architectural edge in cryptographic workloads. The AMD Ryzen AI Max+ PRO 395 does not come close in that specific test.

Intel also wins decisively in PassMark floating point math and prime number finding. The Core Ultra 9 285HX records 194,998 in floating point math, while the AMD chip scores 120,533, a gap of 38.2%. In the find prime numbers test, Intel scores 460 against 284, a 38.3% lead. These two results are the largest margins in Intel's favor, and both point to a substantial advantage in raw arithmetic throughput.

The AMD part, however, has its own notable victories. In PassMark integer math, the Ryzen AI Max+ PRO 395 scores 190,720 versus 155,076 for Intel, a 23% lead. That is the single largest win for AMD in the entire dataset. The AMD chip also takes the extended instructions test with 52,067 against 49,148, a 5.9% edge. And in data compression, AMD scores 639,356 versus 631,885, a slimmer 1.2% margin. These three wins show that AMD is not merely competitive in certain integer and instruction-heavy workloads, it is clearly superior.

The remaining Intel wins are narrower but consistent. In Cinebench R15 multicore, Intel scores 5,656.5 versus 5,247, a 7.2% lead. In Cinebench R15 singlecore, Intel scores 323.5 versus 306, a 5.4% margin. In Cinebench R23 multicore, Intel scores 36,429.5 versus 35,061, a 3.8% lead. In Cinebench R23 singlecore, the margin is 8% with Intel at 2,187.5 and AMD at 2,012.5.

The PassMark multithread test shows Intel at 56,902 versus 51,502, a 9.5% lead. PassMark physics goes to Intel at 3,476 versus 3,189, an 8.3% margin. Random string sorting favors Intel at 77,196 versus 70,150, a 9.1% gap. And PassMark single thread shows Intel at 4,618 versus 4,078, an 11.7% advantage. That single-thread gap is one of the larger margins in the head-to-head set and reinforces the pattern that Intel's cores are individually stronger.

What the data shows is a split personality. Intel wins most tests, and often by double-digit percentages in math and encryption. AMD wins a smaller set of tests, but its integer math victory is substantial. The overall average benchmark score reflects this: AMD sits at 80,762 while Intel sits at 76,155. That is a curious result given Intel's head-to-head dominance, and it suggests that AMD's wins, though fewer, carry weight in the aggregate scoring. Intel's nearest rivals in the database include the AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX, the AMD EPYC Embedded 8224P, the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9945WX, and the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D. AMD's nearest rivals include the Intel Xeon 638, the Intel Xeon w5-2565X, the AMD Ryzen 9 8940HX, and the Intel Xeon w5-3535X. Both chips sit at the 95th percentile among all CPUs in the database, so neither is a middling part.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from different design philosophies. The AMD Ryzen AI Max+ PRO 395 uses the Zen 5 architecture under the Strix Halo codename, built on a 4 nm process at TSMC. The Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX uses the Arrow Lake architecture under the Arrow Lake-HX codename, built on a 3 nm process, also at TSMC. The process node difference is small but real, with Intel holding a slight manufacturing advantage.

Core counts differ substantially. The AMD part has 16 cores and 32 threads. The Intel part has 24 cores and 24 threads. Intel has more physical cores, but AMD has more threads. This is because the AMD chip supports simultaneous multithreading, while the Intel part does not appear to. The thread count difference matters in heavily parallel workloads, though the benchmark data shows Intel still wins most multithreaded tests despite having fewer threads.

Cache layouts are also different. AMD allocates 80 KB of L1 cache per core and 1 MB of L2 cache per core, with 64 MB of shared L3 cache. Intel allocates 192 KB of L1 cache per core and 3 MB of L2 cache per core, with 36 MB of shared L3 cache. Intel has more per-core cache, while AMD has a much larger shared L3 pool. The 64 MB L3 cache on the AMD part is nearly double Intel's 36 MB, which can help in workloads that repeatedly access a large working set.

Memory support differs as well. The AMD chip uses LPDDR5X memory with a quad-channel bus and a memory bandwidth of 256.0 GB/s. The Intel chip uses DDR5 memory with a dual-channel bus and a memory bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s. That is a major difference. AMD's memory bandwidth is 2.5 times higher. Both support ECC memory. The memory subsystem on the AMD part is clearly designed for bandwidth-hungry tasks.

PCIe support also differs. AMD offers Gen 4 with 16 lanes from the CPU only. Intel offers Gen 5 with 20 lanes from the CPU only. Intel has both a newer PCIe generation and more lanes. The integrated graphics differ too. AMD includes a Radeon 8060S, while Intel includes an Arc Xe-LPG Graphics 64EU. The datasheet does not provide graphics benchmarks, so a direct comparison of their iGPU performance is not possible from the recorded data.

The Intel part is multiplier unlocked, while the AMD part is not. The AMD chip has a base clock of 3.00 GHz and a boost clock of 5.10 GHz. The Intel chip has a base clock of 2.80 GHz and a boost clock of 5.50 GHz. Intel boosts higher, which aligns with its single-thread benchmark wins. Both have a 55 W TDP. The Intel part has a listed transistor count of 17,800 million and a die size of 243 mm², while the AMD part has no transistor count or die size listed in the database.

Both are mobile parts in active production. The AMD release date is 2025-01-05, and the Intel release date is 2025-01-12. The AMD part number is 100-000001243, and the Intel part number is SRVFJ. Neither has a launch MSRP listed.

The Verdict

The data paints a clear picture for different use cases. The Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX is the stronger all-around performer in most measured workloads. It wins the majority of head-to-head tests, including all four Cinebench tests, all three PassMark math-related tests, encryption, physics, random string sorting, multithread, and single thread. Its single-thread advantage of 11.7% is particularly relevant for applications that rely on one or two cores, and its encryption lead of 32.4% makes it the clear choice for security-related tasks.

The AMD Ryzen AI Max+ PRO 395 is not without merit, but its wins are concentrated. Its 23% lead in integer math is substantial, and its 5.9% edge in extended instructions and 1.2% lead in data compression show strength in specific integer and compression workloads. The AMD part also has a major memory bandwidth advantage with 256.0 GB/s versus 102.4 GB/s, which is not directly benchmarked in the head-to-head set but is a significant architectural difference.

For users who prioritize single-thread performance, encryption, floating point math, or general multithreaded rendering, the Intel part is the better choice. For users who prioritize integer math, extended instruction sets, or data compression, the AMD part holds the edge. The Intel chip also offers Gen 5 PCIe and more lanes, which matters for expansion. The AMD chip offers much higher memory bandwidth, which matters for memory-bound tasks.

Given that Intel wins 12 of 15 head-to-head tests and holds the larger margins in several of them, the overall recommendation from the data is that the Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX is the more versatile processor. The AMD part remains a strong option for its specific strengths, particularly integer math and memory bandwidth, but the recorded benchmarks favor Intel in most scenarios.

Specification Differences

The following fields differ between the two processors:

• Cores: AMD 16, Intel 24
• Threads: AMD 32, Intel 24
• Base clock: AMD 3.00 GHz, Intel 2.80 GHz
• Boost clock: AMD 5.10 GHz, Intel 5.50 GHz
• Socket: AMD Socket FP11, Intel BGA 2114
• Architecture: Zen 5, Arrow Lake
• Codename: Strix Halo, Arrow Lake-HX
• Generation: Ryzen AI Max+ PRO (Zen 5), Ultra 9 (Arrow Lake-HX)
• Process node: 4 nm, 3 nm
• Transistors: not listed, 17,800 million
• Die size: not listed, 243 mm²
• L1 cache: 80 KB per core, 192 KB per core
• L2 cache: 1 MB per core, 3 MB per core
• L3 cache: 64 MB shared, 36 MB shared
• Memory support: LPDDR5X, DDR5
• Memory bus: Quad-channel, Dual-channel
• Memory bandwidth: 256.0 GB/s, 102.4 GB/s
• PCIe: Gen 4, 16 lanes, Gen 5, 20 lanes
• Integrated graphics: Radeon 8060S, Arc Xe-LPG Graphics 64EU
• Release date: 2025-01-05, 2025-01-12
• Multiplier unlocked: false, true
• Part number: 100-000001243, SRVFJ

The TDP is the same at 55 W. Both support ECC memory. Both are mobile parts in active production. Neither has a launch MSRP listed.

FAQ

Q: Which processor wins more head-to-head benchmark tests?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX wins 12 of the 15 recorded head-to-head tests, while the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ PRO 395 wins 3.

Q: What is the largest benchmark margin in the comparison?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX leads by 38.3% in the PassMark find prime numbers test and by 38.2% in PassMark floating point math. The AMD part's largest win is 23% in PassMark integer math.

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

A: The Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX leads in all single-thread tests. In PassMark single thread, Intel scores 4,618 versus 4,078, an 11.7% advantage. In Cinebench R23 singlecore, Intel scores 2,187.5 versus 2,012.5, an 8% lead.

Q: Which processor has higher memory bandwidth?

A: The AMD Ryzen AI Max+ PRO 395 has a memory bandwidth of 256.0 GB/s with a quad-channel LPDDR5X bus. The Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX has 102.4 GB/s with a dual-channel DDR5 bus.

Q: Do both processors support ECC memory?

A: Yes, both the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ PRO 395 and the Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX support ECC memory.

Q: Which processor has more cores and threads?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX has 24 cores, while the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ PRO 395 has 16 cores. The AMD part has 32 threads, while the Intel part has 24 threads.

Where Each One Wins

The Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX wins in Cinebench R15 multicore, Cinebench R15 singlecore, Cinebench R23 multicore, Cinebench R23 singlecore, PassMark data encryption, PassMark find prime numbers, PassMark floating point math, PassMark multithread, PassMark physics, PassMark random string sorting, and PassMark single thread. That covers rendering, encryption, arithmetic, physics simulation, sorting, and general single-threaded responsiveness.

The AMD Ryzen AI Max+ PRO 395 wins in PassMark data compression, PassMark extended instructions, and PassMark integer math. Those are narrower but meaningful strengths. The AMD part also has a much larger L3 cache at 64 MB versus 36 MB, and a much higher memory bandwidth at 256.0 GB/s versus 102.4 GB/s, which could benefit workloads that are not represented in the head-to-head benchmark set.

For synthetic rendering workloads, the Intel part is the pick. For encryption and floating point math, the Intel part is the pick. For integer-heavy processing and compression, the AMD part is the pick. The Intel part also has a higher boost clock at 5.50 GHz versus 5.10 GHz, and it is multiplier unlocked, which may appeal to users who adjust clocks. The AMD part has a higher base clock at 3.00 GHz versus 2.80 GHz and a lower process node at 4 nm versus 3 nm.

The data does not support a single universal winner. It supports a split recommendation based on workload. The Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX is the better general-purpose processor in the recorded tests. The AMD Ryzen AI Max+ PRO 395 is the better processor for specific integer and compression tasks, and its memory bandwidth advantage is notable. The recorded benchmark scores place both at the 95th percentile among all CPUs, so neither is a weak option.