AMD Ryzen 9 8945HS vs Intel Core Ultra 9 185H: Which is the better laptop CPU?
Intel's Ultra 9 185H and AMD's Ryzen 9 8945HS are laptop CPUs designed for efficient performance and AI computing support. They come with an integrated NPU. However, both chips are unable to produce the minimum TOPS required to run AI computing on the device itself, instead of using cloud computing.
Intel's Ultra 9 185H and AMD's Ryzen 9 8945HS were both developed to compete with Apple's M series, which remained unchallenged for years after its reveal in November 2020. Windows didn't have a response to it until the recent launch of the Ultra series Intel chips, the AI chips from AMD, and the Snapdragon Elite chips.
So which is the better choice for a CPU in a laptop? This article answers this question after comparing the two laptop processors based on their specs and performance.
Note: Some aspects of this article are subjective and solely reflect the writer's opinion.
Intel's Ultra 9 185H and AMD's Ryzen 9 8945HS are both powerful and efficient CPUs
Intel's Ultra 9 185H was launched on December 14, 2023. It belongs to the Meteor Lake series of chips based on the 7nm process. On the other hand, AMD's Ryzen 9 8945HS is based on the Zen 4 architecture, which is made on the 4nm process.
This spec difference makes the AMD chip more efficient in everyday computing than its Intel counterpart.
Specs comparison
Intel's Ultra 9 185H chip comes with 16 cores (which are divided into six P cores and 10 E cores) and 22 threads (which are divided into 12 P threads and 10 E threads). The base frequency of the processor is 2.3 GHz, which boosts up to 5.1 GHz. This CPU is comparatively less efficient than the AMD chip despite having 10 dedicated efficiency cores.
AMD's Ryzen 9 8945HS features eight cores and 16 threads. It promises more performance as it has two more dedicated performance cores than the Intel chip. Its base clock is 4 GHz, which is more than Intel's, and its boost clock stands at 5.1 GHz.
The higher clock speed also translates to better gaming performance. The AMD chip is more efficient, clocking only 54 Watts max TDP, which is almost 50% less than its Intel counterpart. As such, it will run cooler and require less electric power under heavy workloads.
Performance comparison
Let's look into the two chips' performance benchmarks to clearly understand how the specs translate to real-life productivity. These scores were fetched from Nanoreview.
While both CPUs are equal in terms of performance, the Intel chip seems to lead in the multi-core department. For productivity, Intel Ultra 9 is the better chip, whereas for gaming AMD leaps ahead. The Ryzen 9 offers comparable performance in almost half the max wattage, making it very efficient for everyday use.
The Intel Ultra chip is a mixed bag when used in daily driver tasks. It is rather inconsistent and seems to be underperforming at times. For this reason, it's better to go for the Ryzen 9 8945HS over the Intel Ultra 9.
The Ryzen chip also takes the crown in terms of graphical prowess. Even without a hybrid GPU, you can play games using just the iGPU of the AMD chip, which is capable of 1080p gaming.
Intel Core Ultra 9 185H vs AMD Ryzen 9 8945HS: Final Verdict
In this battle, the Ryzen 9 8945HS comes out on top. While the two chips are nearly equal in terms of performance, the AMD one does it more efficiently and runs cooler. It stands as the obvious choice when considering other aspects, like the iGPU power, max TDP, and more.