AMD Ryzen Embedded 9900X vs Intel Core Ultra 7 155HL Comparison

FAQ

Q: What are the core and thread counts of the AMD Ryzen Embedded 9900X and the Intel Core Ultra 7 155HL?

A: The AMD Ryzen Embedded 9900X has 12 cores and 24 threads, while the Intel Core Ultra 7 155HL has 16 cores and 22 threads. The Intel part offers more physical cores, but the AMD part provides more threads due to simultaneous multithreading on all cores.

Q: Which processor has a higher boost clock?

A: The AMD Ryzen Embedded 9900X reaches a boost clock of 5.60 GHz, compared to 4.80 GHz for the Intel Core Ultra 7 155HL. The base clocks differ even more substantially, with AMD at 4.40 GHz versus Intel at 1.40 GHz.

Q: How do the power envelopes differ between these two processors?

A: The AMD Ryzen Embedded 9900X has a TDP of 120 watts, while the Intel Core Ultra 7 155HL has a TDP of 45 watts. This indicates a significant difference in thermal design targets, with the Intel processor designed for a much lower power envelope.

Q: What is the manufacturing process for each chip?

A: The AMD Ryzen Embedded 9900X uses a 4 nm process node from TSMC, whereas the Intel Core Ultra 7 155HL uses a 7 nm process node fabricated by Intel. The AMD processor also lists a transistor count of 16,630 million and a die size of 2x 70.6 mm².

Q: What memory and PCIe support does each processor offer?

A: Both support dual-channel DDR5 memory with a memory bandwidth of 89.6 GB/s. The AMD Ryzen Embedded 9900X supports PCIe Gen 5 with 24 lanes (CPU only) and includes ECC memory support. The Intel Core Ultra 7 155HL supports PCIe Gen 4 with 8 lanes (CPU only) and does not support ECC memory.

Q: What integrated graphics are present in each chip?

A: The AMD Ryzen Embedded 9900X includes Radeon Graphics, while the Intel Core Ultra 7 155HL includes Arc Xe-LPG 128EU graphics. Both are integrated solutions, but they represent different graphics architectures.

Architecture Differences

The AMD Ryzen Embedded 9900X belongs to the 9000 series and uses the Granite Ridge codename, built on the Ryzen Embedded (Zen 5) generation. This places it in AMD's latest Zen 5 architecture family. The processor is fabricated on a 4 nm process at TSMC, with a transistor count of 16,630 million and a die size of 2x 70.6 mm². This dual-die design suggests a chiplet-based layout, consistent with modern AMD desktop architectures. The processor supports DDR5 memory in a dual-channel configuration, delivers 89.6 GB/s of memory bandwidth, and includes ECC memory support. PCIe connectivity is provided via Gen 5 with 24 lanes from the CPU only.

The Intel Core Ultra 7 155HL comes from the Core Ultra Series 1 and uses the Meteor Lake codename, specifically the Meteor Lake-PS generation. This is a different architectural generation from Intel, built on a 7 nm process at Intel's own foundry. The architecture details indicate a monolithic or multi-tile design, though the database does not list transistor count or die size for this part. The processor uses dual-channel DDR5 memory with 89.6 GB/s bandwidth, but memory support is noted as dependent on the motherboard. ECC memory is not supported. PCIe connectivity is Gen 4 with 8 lanes from the CPU only, which is a generation older and fewer lanes than the AMD offering.

Cache hierarchies differ notably. The AMD Ryzen Embedded 9900X provides 80 KB of L1 cache per core, 1 MB of L2 cache per core, and a shared 64 MB L3 cache. The Intel Core Ultra 7 155HL provides 112 KB of L1 cache per core, 2 MB of L2 cache per core, and a shared 24 MB L3 cache. Per-core cache is larger on the Intel chip, but the total L3 cache is much larger on the AMD chip (64 MB versus 24 MB). No 3D V-Cache is listed for either processor.

The sockets differ completely. AMD uses Socket AM5, while Intel uses Socket 1851. The AMD processor has an unlocked multiplier, allowing overclocking, while the Intel multiplier is locked. The AMD part number is 100-000000662E, and the Intel part number is SRN2Z. The AMD release date is 2025-10-06, while the Intel release date is 2024-04-07. Both are listed as Active in production status.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database currently records no benchmark scores for either processor. The avgBenchmarkScore for both the AMD Ryzen Embedded 9900X and the Intel Core Ultra 7 155HL is 0, and the head-to-head benchmark array is empty. Similarly, the winsA and winsB fields are both 0, indicating no recorded wins for either side in direct comparisons. The percentileVsAllCpus field for both processors is 50, which places them at the median position among all CPUs in the database.

Without benchmark data, the comparison must rely on architectural and specification differences. The AMD Ryzen Embedded 9900X offers a higher boost clock of 5.60 GHz versus 4.80 GHz for Intel. This 0.80 GHz advantage in single-core boost potential could translate to faster single-threaded performance, though no measured scores confirm this. The base clock difference is even larger: 4.40 GHz for AMD versus 1.40 GHz for Intel. A base clock of 1.40 GHz is unusually low, suggesting the Intel processor relies heavily on turbo behavior to reach its boost clock.

Thread count favors AMD at 24 threads versus 22 threads for Intel. The AMD processor has 12 cores with 2 threads per core, while the Intel processor has 16 cores with a total of 22 threads. The Intel thread count distribution is not detailed in the database, but the lower thread count relative to core count indicates some cores may not have hyperthreading, or a hybrid core arrangement exists. In multi-threaded workloads, the AMD processor's extra threads could provide an advantage, but the Intel processor's additional physical cores could also help in scenarios that scale with core count rather than thread count.

Cache capacity strongly favors AMD in L3: 64 MB versus 24 MB. This larger shared cache can benefit workloads with high data reuse, such as database queries or scientific computing. The Intel processor has larger per-core L1 and L2 caches, which may help with latency-sensitive single-threaded tasks. The L1 cache is 112 KB per core on Intel versus 80 KB per core on AMD, and L2 is 2 MB per core on Intel versus 1 MB per core on AMD.

PCIe connectivity differs by generation and lane count. AMD provides Gen 5 with 24 lanes, while Intel provides Gen 4 with 8 lanes. For systems requiring high-bandwidth peripheral connections such as multiple GPUs or NVMe storage, the AMD processor offers more headroom. The Intel processor's 8 lanes may be sufficient for basic expansion but limits multi-device configurations.

ECC memory support is present on the AMD chip but absent on the Intel chip. This is a notable distinction for embedded or reliability-focused deployments where data integrity is critical. The AMD processor also has an unlocked multiplier, which is unusual for an embedded-class part and allows tuning of clock speeds within thermal and power limits.

Specification Differences

The following fields differ between the AMD Ryzen Embedded 9900X and the Intel Core Ultra 7 155HL:

• Cores: 12 (AMD) versus 16 (Intel)
• Threads: 24 (AMD) versus 22 (Intel)
• Base clock: 4.40 GHz (AMD) versus 1.40 GHz (Intel)
• Boost clock: 5.60 GHz (AMD) versus 4.80 GHz (Intel)
• TDP: 120 watts (AMD) versus 45 watts (Intel)
• Socket: AMD Socket AM5 (AMD) versus Intel Socket 1851 (Intel)
• Codename: Granite Ridge (AMD) versus Meteor Lake-PS (Intel)
• Generation: Ryzen Embedded (Zen 5) (AMD) versus Ultra 7 (Meteor Lake-PS) (Intel)
• Process node: 4 nm (AMD) versus 7 nm (Intel)
• Foundry: TSMC (AMD) versus Intel (Intel)
• Transistors: 16,630 million (AMD) versus not listed (Intel)
• Die size: 2x 70.6 mm² (AMD) versus not listed (Intel)
• L1 cache: 80 KB per core (AMD) versus 112 KB per core (Intel)
• L2 cache: 1 MB per core (AMD) versus 2 MB per core (Intel)
• L3 cache: 64 MB (AMD) versus 24 MB shared (Intel)
• ECC memory: true (AMD) versus false (Intel)
• PCIe: Gen 5, 24 lanes (AMD) versus Gen 4, 8 lanes (Intel)
• Integrated graphics: Radeon Graphics (AMD) versus Arc Xe-LPG 128EU (Intel)
• Release date: 2025-10-06 (AMD) versus 2024-04-07 (Intel)
• Launch MSRP: not listed (AMD) versus $438 (Intel)
• Multiplier unlocked: true (AMD) versus false (Intel)
• Part number: 100-000000662E (AMD) versus SRN2Z (Intel)

Fields that are identical include market segment (Desktop for both), production status (Active for both), memory support (DDR5 for both), memory bus (dual-channel for both), and memory bandwidth (89.6 GB/s for both). The architecture field is null for AMD but listed as Meteor Lake for Intel.

The Verdict

The data shows two processors with fundamentally different design targets. The AMD Ryzen Embedded 9900X is built for higher performance with a 120-watt TDP, higher clocks, more threads, larger L3 cache, PCIe Gen 5, and ECC memory support. It uses a 4 nm TSMC process with a dual-die design and an unlocked multiplier. The Intel Core Ultra 7 155HL is built for efficiency with a 45-watt TDP, lower clocks, more physical cores, larger per-core caches, and a 7 nm Intel process. Its launch MSRP is $438.

For workloads that prioritize single-threaded performance, the AMD processor's 5.60 GHz boost clock and 4.40 GHz base clock provide a substantial clock advantage. For multi-threaded workloads, the AMD processor's 24 threads exceed Intel's 22 threads, though the Intel processor has more physical cores. The AMD processor's 64 MB L3 cache likely benefits data-heavy applications, while Intel's larger L1 and L2 per-core caches may help latency-sensitive tasks.

For systems requiring ECC memory, the AMD processor is the only choice between these two. For systems needing high-bandwidth PCIe expansion, the AMD processor's Gen 5 with 24 lanes clearly outperforms Intel's Gen 4 with 8 lanes. The Intel processor's lower TDP makes it suitable for constrained thermal environments, but the base clock of 1.40 GHz is very low and may result in lower sustained performance in all-core workloads.

The absence of benchmark scores in the database means no measured performance data supports either side. The percentileVsAllCpus of 50 for both indicates median placement among all recorded CPUs, but this is a relative rank without score granularity. Users selecting between these parts should consider the specification differences carefully. The AMD Ryzen Embedded 9900X offers higher raw performance potential, more threads, larger L3, ECC support, and newer PCIe. The Intel Core Ultra 7 155HL offers lower power consumption, more physical cores, larger per-core caches, and a lower launch MSRP.

The processor choice depends on the deployment scenario. The AMD part suits performance-focused embedded systems with room for cooling and power. The Intel part suits power-sensitive designs where the 45-watt TDP and modest clock speeds are acceptable. Without benchmark data, the specification sheet is the only guide, and it favors AMD on most high-end metrics.