Core Ultra 9 185H
VS
Ryzen 9 8945HS

Core Ultra 9 185H vs Ryzen 9 8945HS

Intel

Core Ultra 9 185H

16 Cores22 Thrd0 WWMax: 5.1 GHz2023
VS
AMD

Ryzen 9 8945HS

8 Cores16 Thrd45 WWMax: 5.2 GHz2023

Performance Spectrum - CPU

About PassMark

PassMark CPU Mark evaluates processor speed through complex mathematical computations. It provides a reliable metric to compare multi-core performance, where higher scores indicate faster processing for multitasking, gaming, and heavy workloads.

Value Upgrade Path

This is the official ChipVERSUS Value Rating, comparing raw performance (PassMark) per dollar. Components placed above yours deliver better value for money.

MSRP is the manufacturer's suggested retail price.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.

Performance Per Dollar Core Ultra 9 185H

#144
Core i7-12650H
MSRP: $457|Avg: N/A
104%
#152
Core Ultra 9 185H
MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A
100%
#153
Core i7-1370P
MSRP: $438|Avg: $280
99%
#158
Core i9-13900H
MSRP: $617|Avg: N/A
97%
#161
Core Ultra 7 268V
MSRP: $450|Avg: $400
95%
#162
Core Ultra 7 256V
MSRP: $450|Avg: $350
95%
#167
Core Ultra 7 258V
MSRP: $450|Avg: $400
92%
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Leadership: The Core Ultra 9 185H delivers superior performance across the board. It outperforms the Ryzen 9 8945HS in both compute-intensive tasks (0.8% faster) and gaming workloads.
InsightCore Ultra 9 185HRyzen 9 8945HS
Gaming
Superior gaming performance
Lower gaming performance
Workstation
Better multi-core power
Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price
Equivalent pricing
Equivalent pricing
Longevity
✨ Modern (Meteor Lake-H (2023) / 7 nm)
✨ Modern (Hawk Point-HS (Zen 4) (2023−2024) / 4 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

InsightCore Ultra 9 185HRyzen 9 8945HS
Cost Efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost
Equivalent pricing
Equivalent pricing

Performance Check

Paired with RTX 4090

To accurately isolate CPU performance, all benchmarks below use an NVIDIA RTX 4090 as the reference GPU. This eliminates GPU-side bottlenecks and highlights pure processing throughput differences between the CPUs.

Note: Real-world results may vary based on your actual GPU. CPU performance impact is more visible in processing-intensive titles and high-refresh-rate gaming scenarios.

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core Ultra 9 185H and Ryzen 9 8945HS

Intel

Core Ultra 9 185H

The Core Ultra 9 185H is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 14 December 2023 (1 year ago). It is based on the Meteor Lake-H (2023) architecture. It features 16 cores and 22 threads. Base frequency is 3.9 GHz, with boost up to 5.1 GHz. L3 cache: 24 MB (total). L2 cache: 2 MB (per core). Built on 7 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA2049. Thermal design power (TDP): + 24 MB. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 29,360 points. Launch price was $640.

AMD

Ryzen 9 8945HS

The Ryzen 9 8945HS is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 6 December 2023 (1 year ago). It is based on the Hawk Point-HS (Zen 4) (2023−2024) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 4 GHz, with boost up to 5.2 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 4 nm process technology. Socket: FP8. Thermal design power (TDP): 45 Watt. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 29,584 points. Launch price was $299.

Processing Power

The Core Ultra 9 185H packs 16 cores / 22 threads, while the Ryzen 9 8945HS offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Core Ultra 9 185H has 8 more cores. Boost clocks reach 5.1 GHz on the Core Ultra 9 185H versus 5.2 GHz on the Ryzen 9 8945HS — a 1.9% clock advantage for the Ryzen 9 8945HS (base: 3.9 GHz vs 4 GHz). The Core Ultra 9 185H uses the Meteor Lake-H (2023) architecture (7 nm), while the Ryzen 9 8945HS uses Hawk Point-HS (Zen 4) (2023−2024) (4 nm). In PassMark, the Core Ultra 9 185H scores 29,360 against the Ryzen 9 8945HS's 29,584 — a 0.8% lead for the Ryzen 9 8945HS. Cinebench R23 multi-core: 18,030 vs 17,200 (4.7% advantage for the Core Ultra 9 185H). Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 2,700 vs 2,686, a 0.5% lead for the Core Ultra 9 185H that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 17,000 vs 13,283 (24.5% advantage for the Core Ultra 9 185H). L3 cache: 24 MB (total) on the Core Ultra 9 185H vs 16 MB (total) on the Ryzen 9 8945HS.

FeatureCore Ultra 9 185HRyzen 9 8945HS
Cores / Threads
16 / 22+100%
8 / 16
Boost Clock
5.1 GHz
5.2 GHz+2%
Base Clock
3.9 GHz
4 GHz+3%
L3 Cache
24 MB (total)+50%
16 MB (total)
L2 Cache
2 MB (per core)+100%
1 MB (per core)
Process
7 nm
4 nm-43%
Architecture
Meteor Lake-H (2023)
Hawk Point-HS (Zen 4) (2023−2024)
PassMark
29,360
29,584
Cinebench R23 Multi
18,030+5%
17,200
Geekbench 6 Single
2,700
2,686
Geekbench 6 Multi
17,000+28%
13,283
🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core Ultra 9 185H uses the FCBGA2049 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Ryzen 9 8945HS uses FP8 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to LPDDR5x-7467, DDR5-5600 memory speed. The Ryzen 9 8945HS supports up to 256 GB of RAM compared to 96 GB 90.9% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 28 (Core Ultra 9 185H) vs 20 (Ryzen 9 8945HS) — the Core Ultra 9 185H offers 8 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: Meteor Lake SoC (Core Ultra 9 185H) and FP7,FP8 (Ryzen 9 8945HS).

FeatureCore Ultra 9 185HRyzen 9 8945HS
Socket
FCBGA2049
FP8
PCIe Generation
PCIe 5.0+25%
PCIe 4.0
Max RAM Speed
LPDDR5x-7467, DDR5-5600
LPDDR5x-7500, DDR5-5600
Max RAM Capacity
96 GB
256 GB+167%
RAM Channels
2
2
ECC Support
PCIe Lanes
28+40%
20
🔧

Advanced Features

Only the Ryzen 9 8945HS has an unlocked multiplier for overclocking — a significant advantage for enthusiasts seeking extra performance. Only the Ryzen 9 8945HS supports AVX-512 instructions — important for machine learning and scientific applications. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Core Ultra 9 185H) vs AMD-V (Ryzen 9 8945HS). Both include integrated graphics Intel Arc Graphics (8 Xe-cores) (Core Ultra 9 185H) and Radeon 780M (Ryzen 9 8945HS) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core Ultra 9 185H targets Mainstream Performance / AI Workloads, Ryzen 9 8945HS targets Premium Performance Laptop. Direct competitor: Core Ultra 9 185H rivals Ryzen 9 8945HS; Ryzen 9 8945HS rivals Core Ultra 9 185H.

FeatureCore Ultra 9 185HRyzen 9 8945HS
Integrated GPU
Yes
Yes
IGPU Model
Intel Arc Graphics (8 Xe-cores)
Radeon 780M
Unlocked
No
Yes
AVX-512
No
Yes
Virtualization
VT-x, VT-d, EPT
AMD-V
Target Use
Mainstream Performance / AI Workloads
Premium Performance Laptop