AMD Ryzen 9 8940HX
Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX

AMD Ryzen 9 8940HX Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX

Overview

Welcome to our in-depth spec comparison between the AMD Ryzen 9 8940HX and the Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX, two high-performance mobile processors competing for the top tier of laptop computing. In this head-to-head, we examine critical battlegrounds including cache architecture, multi-core and single-core performance, integrated graphics capabilities, and memory support — to help you understand exactly where each chip has the upper hand.

Common Features

  • Both processors include integrated graphics.
  • Both have a Thermal Design Power (TDP) of 55W.
  • Both support PCI Express (PCIe) version 5.
  • Both support 64-bit computing.
  • Both have an unlocked multiplier.
  • Both support DDR5 memory.
  • Both feature 2 memory channels.
  • ECC memory is not supported on either processor.
  • Both support DirectX 12 on their integrated graphics.
  • Both integrated graphics units support up to 4 displays.
  • Both share the same instruction sets: MMX, F16C, FMA3, AES, AVX, AVX2, SSE 4.1, and SSE 4.2.
  • The NX bit security feature is present on both processors.

Main Differences

  • The AMD Ryzen 9 8940HX is designed for both laptop and desktop use, while the Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX is designed for laptops only.
  • The semiconductor size is 5 nm on the AMD Ryzen 9 8940HX and 3 nm on the Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX.
  • The maximum CPU temperature is 100 °C on the AMD Ryzen 9 8940HX and 105 °C on the Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX.
  • The CPU speed is 16 x 2.4 GHz on the AMD Ryzen 9 8940HX and 8 x 2.7 GHz & 16 x 2.1 GHz on the Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX.
  • The CPU thread count is 32 on the AMD Ryzen 9 8940HX and 24 on the Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX.
  • The turbo clock speed is 5.3 GHz on the AMD Ryzen 9 8940HX and 5.4 GHz on the Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX.
  • The L2 cache is 16 MB on the AMD Ryzen 9 8940HX and 40 MB on the Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX.
  • The L3 cache is 64 MB on the AMD Ryzen 9 8940HX and 36 MB on the Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX.
  • big.LITTLE technology is used on the Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX but not on the AMD Ryzen 9 8940HX.
  • The clock multiplier is 24 on the AMD Ryzen 9 8940HX and 27 on the Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX.
  • The PassMark multi-core result is 51227 on the AMD Ryzen 9 8940HX and 56426 on the Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX.
  • The PassMark single-core result is 3860 on the AMD Ryzen 9 8940HX and 4723 on the Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX.
  • The integrated GPU base clock speed is 400 MHz on the AMD Ryzen 9 8940HX and 300 MHz on the Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX.
  • The integrated GPU turbo clock speed is 2200 MHz on the AMD Ryzen 9 8940HX and 1900 MHz on the Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX.
  • The OpenGL version supported is 4.6 on the AMD Ryzen 9 8940HX and 4.5 on the Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX.
  • The OpenCL version supported is 2.1 on the AMD Ryzen 9 8940HX and 3 on the Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX.
  • The maximum RAM speed is 5200 MHz on the AMD Ryzen 9 8940HX and 6400 MHz on the Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX.
  • The maximum memory capacity is 64 GB on the AMD Ryzen 9 8940HX and 192 GB on the Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX.
Specs Comparison
AMD Ryzen 9 8940HX

AMD Ryzen 9 8940HX

Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX

Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX

General info:
Type Laptop, Desktop Laptop
Has integrated graphics
release date April 2025 January 2025
Thermal Design Power (TDP) 55W 55W
semiconductor size 5 nm 3 nm
CPU temperature 100 °C 105 °C
PCI Express (PCIe) version 5 5
Supports 64-bit

At a high level, the AMD Ryzen 9 8940HX and Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX share a number of foundational traits: both carry a 55W TDP, support PCIe 5.0, include integrated graphics, and are fully 64-bit capable. For most buyers, these shared specs mean comparable power envelopes and modern platform compatibility out of the box.

The most meaningful differentiator in this group is process node. The Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX is built on a 3 nm process, versus the Ryzen 9 8940HX's 5 nm node. A smaller process generally enables better power efficiency or higher performance within the same thermal budget — meaning Intel has more headroom to do work within that shared 55W envelope. Relatedly, the Intel chip has a slightly higher max CPU temperature (105 °C vs. 100 °C), giving its thermal management system a marginally wider operating window before throttling kicks in.

One notable practical distinction: the Ryzen 9 8940HX is listed for both laptop and desktop use cases, while the Intel chip is laptop-only. This broader deployment flexibility gives AMD an edge for users evaluating the chip across form factors. Overall though, on pure silicon fundamentals within this spec group, the Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX holds a clear edge thanks to its more advanced process node and slightly higher thermal ceiling.

Performance:
CPU speed 16 x 2.4 GHz 8 x 2.7 & 16 x 2.1 GHz
CPU threads 32 threads 24 threads
turbo clock speed 5.3GHz 5.4GHz
Has an unlocked multiplier
L2 cache 16 MB 40 MB
L3 cache 64 MB 36 MB
Uses big.LITTLE technology
clock multiplier 24 27

The AMD Ryzen 9 8940HX and Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX have different performance profiles based on their specifications. The Ryzen 9 8940HX features a CPU speed of 16 x 2.4 GHz and 32 threads, while the Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX has a hybrid setup with 8 cores running at 2.7 GHz and 16 cores at 2.1 GHz, offering a total of 24 threads. While the Ryzen 9 offers more threads, the Intel processor features a higher base clock speed for its primary cores.

In terms of turbo clock speed, the Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX has a slight edge with a boost to 5.4 GHz, compared to the 5.3 GHz boost of the AMD Ryzen 9 8940HX. Both processors have an unlocked multiplier, providing flexibility for overclocking. The Ryzen 9 8940HX has a clock multiplier of 24, while the Intel processor has a slightly higher multiplier of 27, allowing for potentially more granular control over performance.

When it comes to cache sizes, the Ryzen 9 8940HX has 16 MB of L2 cache and 64 MB of L3 cache, while the Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX has a larger 40 MB of L2 cache but a smaller 36 MB of L3 cache. This difference could affect the processors’ data handling and performance in different scenarios. Additionally, the Intel processor uses big.LITTLE technology, while the Ryzen 9 does not, which impacts how the cores are managed for efficiency.

Benchmarks:
PassMark result 51227 56426
PassMark result (single) 3860 4723

The AMD Ryzen 9 8940HX and Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX differ in their benchmark scores, with both products tested using PassMark. The Ryzen 9 8940HX has a PassMark result of 51227, while the Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX achieves a higher score of 56426. This indicates that the Intel processor performs better in overall benchmarking.

For single-core performance, the Ryzen 9 8940HX scores 3860, while the Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX shows a stronger result of 4723. This also suggests that the Intel processor has better single-core performance in comparison to the AMD processor.

In summary, the Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX outperforms the AMD Ryzen 9 8940HX in both overall PassMark score and single-core performance.

Integrated graphics:
GPU clock speed 400 MHz 300 MHz
GPU turbo 2200 MHz 1900 MHz
DirectX version DirectX 12 DirectX 12
supported displays 4 4
OpenGL version 4.6 4.5
OpenCL version 2.1 3

The AMD Ryzen 9 8940HX and Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX feature integrated graphics with some key differences. The Ryzen 9 8940HX has a GPU clock speed of 400 MHz and a turbo boost of 2200 MHz, while the Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX has a slightly lower GPU clock speed of 300 MHz and a turbo boost of 1900 MHz. This shows that the Ryzen 9 offers higher base and turbo GPU speeds compared to the Intel processor.

Both processors support DirectX 12, allowing for compatibility with modern games and applications. The Ryzen 9 supports OpenGL 4.6, while the Intel processor supports OpenGL 4.5, making the Ryzen 9 slightly ahead in terms of graphics API support. In terms of OpenCL, the Ryzen 9 supports version 2.1, while the Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX supports the newer OpenCL 3.0, which could offer improved performance for certain GPU-accelerated tasks.

Finally, both processors can drive up to 4 supported displays, meaning they are similar in this aspect of multi-display configurations.

Memory:
RAM speed (max) 5200 MHz 6400 MHz
DDR memory version 5 5
memory channels 2 2
maximum memory amount 64GB 192GB
Supports ECC memory

The AMD Ryzen 9 8940HX and Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX offer different memory specifications, though they share some similarities. Both processors support DDR5 memory with 2 memory channels, ensuring good memory bandwidth. The Ryzen 9 8940HX has a maximum RAM speed of 5200 MHz, while the Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX supports a higher maximum RAM speed of 6400 MHz, which could offer faster memory performance in compatible systems.

In terms of maximum memory capacity, the Ryzen 9 8940HX supports up to 64GB of RAM, whereas the Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX can support up to 192GB of RAM. This significant difference in maximum supported memory indicates that the Intel processor is better suited for memory-intensive applications that require a large amount of RAM.

Both processors do not support ECC (Error-Correcting Code) memory, so neither would be ideal for systems that require error correction for critical workloads.

Features:
instruction sets MMX, F16C, FMA3, AES, AVX, AVX2, SSE 4.1, SSE 4.2 MMX, F16C, FMA3, AES, AVX, AVX2, SSE 4.1, SSE 4.2
Has NX bit

The AMD Ryzen 9 8940HX and Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX share the same set of instruction sets, including MMX, F16C, FMA3, AES, AVX, AVX2, SSE 4.1, and SSE 4.2. These instruction sets are common to both processors, offering similar support for a variety of computing tasks such as multimedia processing and encryption.

Both processors also feature the NX bit, which is a security feature that helps prevent the execution of malicious code in certain memory areas, ensuring an additional layer of protection against certain types of attacks.

Since both processors have identical instruction sets and the NX bit, there is no difference between the two in terms of these specific features.

Comparison Summary & Verdict

After reviewing all available specifications, both processors are strong contenders, but they serve subtly different needs. The AMD Ryzen 9 8940HX stands out with a larger 64 MB L3 cache, a higher thread count of 32, faster integrated GPU clocks up to 2200 MHz, and the added flexibility of desktop platform compatibility — making it a compelling choice for workloads that benefit from massive cache and parallel threading. The Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX, on the other hand, leads in single-core and multi-core benchmark scores, offers a significantly larger 40 MB L2 cache, supports up to 192 GB of RAM at 6400 MHz, and uses a more advanced 3 nm process node. If raw benchmark performance, memory scalability, and cutting-edge architecture are your priorities, Intel has the edge. If thread count, cache depth, and broader platform support matter more, AMD is the stronger pick.

AMD Ryzen 9 8940HX
Buy AMD Ryzen 9 8940HX if...

Buy the AMD Ryzen 9 8940HX if you need a higher thread count, a larger L3 cache, and the flexibility of both laptop and desktop platform support.

Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX
Buy Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX if...

Buy the Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX if you prioritize higher benchmark scores, a much larger maximum memory capacity of 192 GB, and faster RAM speeds of up to 6400 MHz.