AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9955WX vs Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark data reveals a decisive overall victory for the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9955WX, which takes 13 of the 17 recorded head-to-head tests. The Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus manages four wins, but the margins in those cases are narrow compared to the scale of AMD's advantages elsewhere.

The most dramatic separation appears in the Cinebench suite. In Cinebench R23 multi-core, the AMD part scores 59,494 against Intel's 30,867, a 92.7% advantage. The single-core gap in the same test is even starker: 8,399 versus 2,261, a 271.5% delta. That single-core result is anomalous across the broader benchmark set, since the Intel part actually leads in the PassMark single-thread tests, but the Cinebench R23 numbers are recorded as-is. In Cinebench R20, the AMD processor leads by 35.5% in both multi-core (24,987 vs 18,442) and single-core (3,527 vs 2,603). Cinebench R15 shows a 29.2% multi-core margin (5,996 vs 4,640) and a 157.9% single-core margin (846 vs 328).

The PassMark integer math test delivers one of the larger wins for AMD: 236,120 versus 125,091, an 88.8% delta. Extended instructions follow at 71.4% (76,363 vs 44,565). Data compression shows a 61.9% lead (920,954 vs 568,721), and random string sorting comes in at 44.5% (99,813 vs 69,090). The PassMark multithread score favors AMD by 29.9% (67,035 vs 51,596), and physics by 18.9% (4,156 vs 3,494). Data encryption is the closest AMD win, just 5.3% ahead (44,389 vs 42,144).

The Intel part's wins are concentrated in specific PassMark tests. Prime number finding shows Intel ahead by 30.7% (486 vs 337), floating point math by 4% (162,692 vs 156,215), and both recorded single-thread tests by 4.8% (4,757 vs 4,530). These are real but modest margins, and they do not offset the scale of AMD's multi-core dominance.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9955WX is built for throughput. Its wins span rendering, compression, encryption, integer math, extended instruction workloads, multithreaded operations, physics simulation, and string sorting. The Cinebench results, particularly the 92.7% lead in R23 multi-core, point to workloads that scale with core count and memory bandwidth. The 88.8% integer math margin and 71.4% extended instructions lead reinforce a profile suited to compilation, scientific computing, and data processing.

The Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus wins in four areas: prime number finding, floating point math, and the two PassMark single-thread entries. The prime number result (486 vs 337) is the largest Intel margin at 30.7%, suggesting a specific algorithmic advantage in that workload. The floating point win is small at 4%, and the single-thread wins are similarly close at 4.8%. These results indicate that the Intel processor holds a slight edge in latency-sensitive, single-threaded tasks and certain math operations, but the overall benchmark average tells a different story: the AMD part records an average benchmark score of 101,041 against Intel's 66,855.

The percentile rankings place AMD at 97 versus Intel's 93. In terms of nearest rivals, the AMD processor sits within 2.6% of the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 5965WX and within 2.2% of the AMD EPYC 8324P, with a 1.2% gap to the AMD EPYC 7513. The Intel part is effectively tied with the AMD EPYC 4465P at -0.1% and the Intel Xeon 6515P at -0.2%, while trailing the Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX by 0.9% and leading the Intel Core Ultra 5 250KF Plus by 1.1%.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from different design philosophies. The AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9955WX uses the Zen 5 architecture on a 4 nm TSMC process, with a codename of Shimada Peak. It is listed under the Ryzen Threadripper generation with a Zen 4 Storm Peak reference in the generation field. The Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus uses the Arrow Lake Refresh codename under the Core Ultra Series 2, built on a 3 nm TSMC process with the Ultra 5 Arrow Lake generation.

Transistor counts are close: AMD lists 16,630 million, Intel lists 17,800 million. Die size differs significantly. The AMD chip uses two 70.6 mm² dies, while the Intel chip uses a single 243 mm² die. Cache structures also diverge. AMD provides 64 KB of L1 per core, 1 MB of L2 per core, and 64 MB of L3. Intel provides 192 KB of L1 per core, 3 MB of L2 per core, and 30 MB of shared L3.

The AMD processor supports eight-channel DDR5 memory with a bandwidth of 409.6 GB/s. The Intel processor supports dual-channel DDR5 with 115.2 GB/s. Both support ECC memory. PCIe capabilities differ: AMD offers Gen 5 with 128 lanes (CPU only), while Intel offers Gen 5 with 20 lanes (CPU only). The AMD part has no integrated graphics, while the Intel part includes Arc Xe-LPG Graphics with 64 execution units.

Both processors have unlocked multipliers. The AMD part is built for AMD Socket sTR5, the Intel part for Intel Socket 1851. Both are listed as Active production status and target the desktop market segment.

Specification Differences

The core and thread counts differ in structure. The AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9955WX has 16 cores and 32 threads, while the Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus has 18 cores and 18 threads. The Intel part has more physical cores but no hyperthreading, resulting in fewer total threads.

Clock speeds favor AMD. The base clock is 4.50 GHz on the AMD part versus 4.20 GHz on the Intel part. Boost clocks are closer: 5.40 GHz versus 5.30 GHz. The thermal design power differs substantially: 350 W for AMD, 125 W for Intel.

Memory bandwidth is a major differentiator. The eight-channel configuration gives AMD a 409.6 GB/s figure, more than three times Intel's 115.2 GB/s from dual-channel memory. PCIe lane count also favors AMD heavily at 128 lanes versus 20.

Release dates and launch MSRP differ. The AMD processor launched on 2025-07-22 with a launch MSRP of $1649. The Intel processor launched on 2026-03-10 with a launch MSRP of $199. Part numbers are 100-000000725 for AMD and SA4UZ for Intel.

The integrated graphics situation is a clear split: AMD has none, Intel has Arc Xe-LPG Graphics with 64 execution units. Both support ECC memory and both have unlocked multipliers.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9955WX records an average benchmark score of 101,041, compared to 66,855 for the Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus.

Q: How large is the Cinebench R23 multi-core gap?

A: The AMD processor scores 59,494 against Intel's 30,867, a 92.7% advantage.

Q: Does the Intel processor win any benchmark tests?

A: Yes, the Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus wins four head-to-head tests: passmark_find_prime_numbers (486 vs 337, a 30.7% lead), passmark_floating_point_math (162,692 vs 156,215, a 4% lead), and both passmark_single_thread and passmark_singlethread (4,757 vs 4,530, a 4.8% lead).

Q: What are the core and thread counts for each processor?

A: The AMD processor has 16 cores and 32 threads. The Intel processor has 18 cores and 18 threads.

Q: How does memory bandwidth compare?

A: The AMD processor provides 409.6 GB/s via eight-channel DDR5, while the Intel processor provides 115.2 GB/s via dual-channel DDR5.

Q: Do both processors support ECC memory and unlocked multipliers?

A: Yes, both support ECC memory and both have unlocked multipliers.