(Photo: AMD)Things move fast in the world of PC hardware. One day you’re sitting on the top of the throne; the next, you’re an also-ran. Such is the case with AMD’s fledgling Zen 4 mobile CPU, the “Dragon Range” Ryzen 9 7845HX. Earlier this week, it appeared out of the shadows and leaped to the top of Passmark’s mobile CPU rankings. Now, just several days later, it’s been usurped by Intel’s Raptor Lake mobile. Those CPUs officially launched this week alongside Nvidia’s RTX 4090 and 4080 laptop GPUs. All is not lost for AMD, though, as it’s yet to launch the flagship SKU, which could even the score.
Two Intel CPUs now stand atop the PassMark mobile benchmark leader boards care of @9550Pro: the Core i9-13980HX and 13900HX. They were both stuffed into expensive, heavy, and powerful next-gen laptops, which were reviewed this week. Each of the CPUs shares the same 8P-core, 16E-core design, offering 32 threads in a mobile CPU for the first time. The 13980HX’s maximum boost frequency of 5.6GHz is 200MHz higher than that of the 13900HX. Its E-cores can also boost 100MHz higher to 4GHz. Otherwise, the two CPUs are basically the same and share a 55W TDP base power consumption. That can go as high as 157W or as low as 45W.
Intel’s 24-thread, 32-core CPUs went up against the Ryzen 9 7845HX, which is also a 55W CPU. However, it is a 12-core, 24-thread SKU with a maximum boost frequency of 5.2GHz. Clearly, the odds are stacked in Intel’s favor here. Overall, in single-threaded performance, Intel’s CPUs are faster than the AMD 7845HX by 9% and 14% for the 13900 and 13980HX, respectively. In multi-threaded performance, Intel’s CPUs hold an advantage of 11% and 16%, as noted by Videocardz. It should also be noted that AMD has not officially launched its Zen 4 mobile CPUs, so take AMD’s numbers with a grain of salt.
For now, Intel better hold off popping the cork on that champagne bottle. That is, assuming it hasn’t auctioned it off on eBay yet after its most recent earnings report. AMD still has an ace up its sleeve in the form of the Ryzen 9 7945HX. That is the 16-core, 32-thread Dragon Range CPU with a maximum boost clock of 5.4GHz. That’ll put it alongside the Core i9-13900HX on the spec sheet for clocks and threads. Intel still has a small advantage in core count at 24 total. Not to mention Intel also has the Core i9-13980HX with even higher clocks. Still, we expect this battle to be a nail-biter.
(Image: AMD)
AMD is expected to launch notebooks featuring its Dragon Range CPUs this month. It should also be unveiling its RDNA 3 mobile GPUs in them too. Intel and Nvidia have already laid down a heavy marker with their latest hardware. It’ll be interesting to see if AMD can compete and whether it can leverage its AMD Advantage technology to leapfrog its rivals. Its Dragon Range CPUs are also the first mobile CPUs with a chiplet design, so that adds a spicy twist to the proceedings.
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