Intel Core 9 270H vs Intel Core Ultra 5 336H Comparison

The Intel Core 9 270H and the Intel Core Ultra 5 336H are two mobile processors with fundamentally different design philosophies, and the benchmark data reflects this clearly. The 270H, a Raptor Lake Refresh part, and the 336H, a Panther Lake part, split their wins across the test suite, with the 270H taking 8 benchmarks and the 336H taking 9. The overall scores are close, but the workloads that produce those scores could not be more different. This analysis breaks down where each processor demonstrates superiority based on the recorded measurements.

Where Each One Wins

The Intel Core 9 270H establishes its dominance in integer-heavy and legacy multi-threaded workloads. Its most significant victory comes in Passmark integer math, where it scores 97,654 against the 336H's 62,070, a substantial 57.3% advantage. This processor also leads in data compression with a score of 333,785, which is 19.1% ahead of the 280,340 posted by the Ultra 5. The 270H also wins the Passmark multithread test narrowly, scoring 28,764 versus 28,545, a 0.8% margin, and random string sorting at 36,867 versus 34,402, a 7.2% edge. In the older Cinebench R15 and R20 suites, the 270H wins both multi-core and single-core tests, with margins of 1.9% and 1.8% respectively in R15, and 1.9% in both R20 tests.

The Intel Core Ultra 5 336H takes a decisive lead in modern rendering and floating-point tasks. The most striking result is in Cinebench R23 multi-core, where the 336H scores 23,991 against the 270H's 18,000, a 25% advantage. The single-core R23 result is even more lopsided, with the 336H scoring 3,387 versus 2,040, a 39.8% lead. The 336H wins Passmark floating point math with 82,415 against 70,640, a 14.3% margin, and extended instructions with 24,542 versus 20,079, an 18.2% lead. It also wins in find prime numbers with a score of 299 versus 112, a 62.5% advantage, and in data encryption with 21,291 versus 19,369, a 9% margin. The Passmark physics test goes to the 336H at 2,682 versus 1,966, a 26.7% difference, and it edges out the 270H in Passmark single-thread with 4,013 versus 3,944, a 1.7% lead.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from different architectural generations and manufacturing nodes. The Intel Core 9 270H is built on Raptor Lake, specifically the Raptor Lake-H refresh, and uses a 10 nm process node. It features 14 cores and 20 threads, with a base clock of 2.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.80 GHz. Its thermal design power is set at 45 watts, and it uses the Intel BGA 1744 socket. The cache hierarchy includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 2 MB of L2 per core, and 24 MB of shared L3 cache. Memory support covers DDR4 and DDR5 in a dual-channel configuration, and the CPU provides Gen 5 PCIe with 8 lanes. The integrated graphics are Iris Xe Graphics with 96 execution units.

The Intel Core Ultra 5 336H belongs to the Core Ultra Series 3 and is built on the Panther Lake architecture using a 3 nm process node. It has 16 cores and 16 threads, indicating a design that does not use Hyper-Threading. The base clock is 1.90 GHz, and the boost clock reaches 4.60 GHz. The thermal design power is lower at 25 watts, and it uses the Intel BGA 2540 socket. Its cache configuration includes 192 KB of L1 per core, 2.5 MB of L2 per core, and 18 MB of shared L3 cache. Memory support is limited to DDR5 and LPDDR5X in a dual-channel layout, with a recorded memory bandwidth of 115.2 GB/s. The PCIe implementation provides Gen 5 with 12 lanes from the CPU, and the integrated graphics are Intel Xe3 Graphics.

The differences in core counts, clock speeds, and cache sizes explain the benchmark distribution. The 270H has higher clock speeds and a larger shared L3 cache, which benefits integer and compression tasks. The 336H has more physical cores, a smaller L3 cache, and a more advanced 3 nm process, which delivers strong results in floating-point and modern rendering tests. The 336H also has a higher single-thread Passmark score, suggesting better per-core efficiency in certain instructions.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The Cinebench suite provides the clearest separation between the two processors. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the 270H scores 2,464 against 2,418 for the 336H, a 1.9% win. The R15 single-core test shows a similar pattern, with 347 versus 341, a 1.8% margin. In Cinebench R20, the 270H again wins both tests, scoring 10,268 versus 10,076 in multi-core and 1,449 versus 1,422 in single-core, each by 1.9%. The situation reverses sharply in Cinebench R23. The 336H scores 23,991 in multi-core, which is 25% higher than the 270H's 18,000. The single-core R23 result shows a 39.8% gap, with the 336H at 3,387 and the 270H at 2,040.

The Passmark suite reveals a more complex picture. The 270H wins integer math by a wide margin, 97,654 versus 62,070, a 57.3% difference, and data compression by 19.1%, 333,785 versus 280,340. The 336H counters with a 62.5% win in find prime numbers, 299 versus 112, and a 26.7% win in physics, 2,682 versus 1,966. In floating point math, the 336H leads 82,415 versus 70,640, a 14.3% margin. The extended instructions test goes to the 336H, 24,542 versus 20,079, an 18.2% lead. The data encryption test is closer, with the 336H winning 21,291 versus 19,369, a 9% margin. The Passmark multithread test is nearly even, with the 270H winning 28,764 versus 28,545, a 0.8% edge. The single-thread Passmark tests show the 336H ahead by 1.7%, 4,013 versus 3,944. The random string sorting test goes to the 270H, 36,867 versus 34,402, a 7.2% margin.

The average benchmark scores place the 270H at 38,335 and the 336H at 34,485, which reflects the 270H's strength in the specific integer and compression tests that carry higher average weights. The 270H sits at the 86th percentile of all CPUs, while the 336H is at the 84th percentile. The nearest rivals for the 270H include the Intel Core Ultra 9 285H with an average score of 38,312 and a delta of 0.1%, and the Intel Xeon w3-2525 at 38,392 with a delta of -0.1%. The 336H's nearest rivals include the Intel Core i7-13700HX at 34,554 with a delta of -0.2% and the Intel Core i5-13450HX at 34,333 with a delta of 0.4%.

The Verdict

The data indicates a clear split by workload type. The Intel Core 9 270H is the stronger choice for integer math, data compression, random string sorting, and older Cinebench R15 and R20 workloads. Its 57.3% lead in integer math and 19.1% lead in data compression are decisive. The 270H also holds a narrow edge in the Passmark multithread test, meaning it maintains competitiveness in general multi-threaded tasks despite the 336H's higher core count.

The Intel Core Ultra 5 336H is the better option for modern rendering and floating-point tasks. Its 25% lead in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 39.8% lead in R23 single-core are substantial, and the 62.5% win in find prime numbers indicates strong instruction-level efficiency. The 336H also wins in floating point math, extended instructions, data encryption, physics, and the Passmark single-thread test.

The choice between them depends on the target workload. For compression, integer operations, and legacy rendering benchmarks, the 270H delivers superior results. For current-generation rendering, floating-point calculations, and encryption, the 336H is clearly ahead. The 336H also operates at a lower 25 watt TDP compared to the 45 watt TDP of the 270H, which the recorded data confirms as a design difference. The 270H has a launch MSRP of $697. The 336H has no recorded launch MSRP. Both processors target the mobile segment and are currently active in production.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has a higher boost clock?

A: The Intel Core 9 270H has a boost clock of 5.80 GHz, while the Intel Core Ultra 5 336H has a boost clock of 4.60 GHz.

Q: How do the two processors compare in Cinebench R23 multi-core performance?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 336H scores 23,991 in Cinebench R23 multi-core, which is 25% higher than the Intel Core 9 270H's score of 18,000.

Q: Which processor wins in Passmark integer math?

A: The Intel Core 9 270H wins Passmark integer math with a score of 97,654, a 57.3% advantage over the Intel Core Ultra 5 336H's score of 62,070.

Q: What is the core and thread configuration of each processor?

A: The Intel Core 9 270H has 14 cores and 20 threads. The Intel Core Ultra 5 336H has 16 cores and 16 threads.

Q: Which processor has a higher single-thread Passmark score?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 336H has a single-thread Passmark score of 4,013, which is 1.7% higher than the Intel Core 9 270H's score of 3,944.

Q: How do the processors compare in data compression performance?

A: The Intel Core 9 270H scores 333,785 in Passmark data compression, a 19.1% lead over the Intel Core Ultra 5 336H's score of 280,340.