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.

Head-to-Head Verdict, Benchmarks, Value & Long-Term Outlook

This comparison brings together gaming FPS, productivity performance, platform differences, power efficiency, pricing context, and upgrade path so you can see which CPU actually makes more sense.

Ryzen 7 8745HX

2025

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +6.2% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅40% more PCIe lanes (28 vs 20) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Fewer obvious downsides in this matchup outside of normal market pricing swings.

Ryzen AI Max 385

2025

Why buy it

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 7 8745HX across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (16,500 vs 18,000).

Ryzen 7 8745HX

2025

Ryzen AI Max 385

2025

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +6.2% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅40% more PCIe lanes (28 vs 20) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Why buy it

Trade-offs

❌Fewer obvious downsides in this matchup outside of normal market pricing swings.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 7 8745HX across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (16,500 vs 18,000).

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 7 8745HX better than Ryzen AI Max 385?

Yes. Ryzen 7 8745HX is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 6.2% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data, 9.1% better Cinebench R23 multi-core, 1.1% higher PassMark, and the stronger long-term platform, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Ryzen 7 8745HX is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 6.2% more average FPS across 50 shared CPU game tests.

Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 7 8745HX is the better fit. You are getting 9.1% better Cinebench R23 multi-core, backed by 8 cores and 16 threads.

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?

Ryzen 7 8745HX still looks like the safer overall buy. Ryzen 7 8745HX is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you a 6.2% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

Ryzen 7 8745HX is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting more multi-core headroom with 8 cores / 16 threads instead of 8/16. That extra compute headroom should age better as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

Games Benchmarks

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.

Ryzen 7 8745HX Benchmark Check

Ryzen AI Max 385 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Ryzen 7 8745HX	Ryzen AI Max 385
1080p
low	254 FPS	257 FPS
medium	236 FPS	234 FPS
high	204 FPS	203 FPS
ultra	175 FPS	174 FPS
1440p
low	218 FPS	222 FPS
medium	183 FPS	183 FPS
high	152 FPS	153 FPS
ultra	133 FPS	134 FPS
4K
low	152 FPS	154 FPS
medium	127 FPS	127 FPS
high	99 FPS	99 FPS
ultra	86 FPS	86 FPS

Open Ryzen 7 8745HX Open Ryzen AI Max 385

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Ryzen 7 8745HX	Ryzen AI Max 385
1080p
low	620 FPS	592 FPS
medium	518 FPS	500 FPS
high	428 FPS	391 FPS
ultra	387 FPS	346 FPS
1440p
low	529 FPS	508 FPS
medium	463 FPS	452 FPS
high	388 FPS	359 FPS
ultra	332 FPS	299 FPS
4K
low	310 FPS	303 FPS
medium	277 FPS	273 FPS
high	261 FPS	243 FPS
ultra	229 FPS	209 FPS

Open Ryzen 7 8745HX Open Ryzen AI Max 385

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Ryzen 7 8745HX	Ryzen AI Max 385
1080p
low	816 FPS	780 FPS
medium	735 FPS	611 FPS
high	653 FPS	534 FPS
ultra	560 FPS	447 FPS
1440p
low	701 FPS	676 FPS
medium	564 FPS	534 FPS
high	490 FPS	463 FPS
ultra	415 FPS	389 FPS
4K
low	486 FPS	476 FPS
medium	405 FPS	394 FPS
high	364 FPS	350 FPS
ultra	304 FPS	288 FPS

Open Ryzen 7 8745HX Open Ryzen AI Max 385

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Ryzen 7 8745HX	Ryzen AI Max 385
1080p
low	816 FPS	807 FPS
medium	816 FPS	807 FPS
high	816 FPS	779 FPS
ultra	772 FPS	700 FPS
1440p
low	816 FPS	796 FPS
medium	755 FPS	706 FPS
high	663 FPS	619 FPS
ultra	579 FPS	536 FPS
4K
low	568 FPS	554 FPS
medium	509 FPS	499 FPS
high	459 FPS	448 FPS
ultra	399 FPS	389 FPS

Open Ryzen 7 8745HX Open Ryzen AI Max 385

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Ryzen 7 8745HX and Ryzen AI Max 385

Ryzen 7 8745HX

The Ryzen 7 8745HX is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 23 April 2025 (less than a year ago). It is based on the Dragon Range (2025) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 3.6 GHz, with boost up to 5.1 GHz. L3 cache: 32 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 5 nm process technology. Socket: FL1. Thermal design power (TDP): 55 Watt. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 32,620 points. Launch price was $499.

Ryzen AI Max 385

The Ryzen AI Max 385 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 6 January 2025 (less than a year ago). It is based on the Strix Halo (2025) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 3.6 GHz, with boost up to 5 GHz. L3 cache: 32 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 4 nm process technology. Socket: FP11. Thermal design power (TDP): 55 Watt. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 32,274 points. Launch price was $499.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Ryzen 7 8745HX and Ryzen AI Max 385 share an identical 8-core/16-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 5.1 GHz on the Ryzen 7 8745HX versus 5 GHz on the Ryzen AI Max 385 — a 2% clock advantage for the Ryzen 7 8745HX (base: 3.6 GHz vs 3.6 GHz). The Ryzen 7 8745HX uses the Dragon Range (2025) architecture (5 nm), while the Ryzen AI Max 385 uses Strix Halo (2025) (4 nm). In PassMark, the Ryzen 7 8745HX scores 32,620 against the Ryzen AI Max 385's 32,274 — a 1.1% lead for the Ryzen 7 8745HX. Cinebench R23 multi-core: 18,000 vs 16,500 (8.7% advantage for the Ryzen 7 8745HX). Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 2,700 vs 2,800, a 3.6% lead for the Ryzen AI Max 385 that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 13,500 vs 14,000 (3.6% advantage for the Ryzen AI Max 385). Both processors carry 32 MB (total) of L3 cache.

Feature	Ryzen 7 8745HX	Ryzen AI Max 385
Cores / Threads	8 / 16	8 / 16
Boost Clock	5.1 GHz+2%	5 GHz
Base Clock	3.6 GHz	3.6 GHz
L3 Cache	32 MB (total)	32 MB (total)
L2 Cache	1 MB (per core)	1 MB (per core)
Process	5 nm	4 nm-20%
Architecture	Dragon Range (2025)	Strix Halo (2025)
PassMark	32,620+1%	32,274
Cinebench R23 Multi	18,000+9%	16,500
Geekbench 6 Single	2,700	2,800+4%
Geekbench 6 Multi	13,500	14,000+4%

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Ryzen 7 8745HX uses the FL1 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Ryzen AI Max 385 uses FP11 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR5-5200 memory speed. The Ryzen AI Max 385 supports up to 128 GB of RAM compared to 64 GB — 66.7% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 2 (Ryzen 7 8745HX) vs 4 (Ryzen AI Max 385). PCIe lanes: 28 (Ryzen 7 8745HX) vs 20 (Ryzen AI Max 385) — the Ryzen 7 8745HX offers 8 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: FL1 (Ryzen 7 8745HX) and Strix Halo platform (Ryzen AI Max 385).

Feature	Ryzen 7 8745HX	Ryzen AI Max 385
Socket	FL1	FP11
PCIe Generation	PCIe 4.0	PCIe 4.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-5200	LPDDR5x-8000
Max RAM Capacity	64 GB	128 GB+100%
RAM Channels	2	4+100%
ECC Support	No	No
PCIe Lanes	28+40%	20

🔧

Advanced Features

Both processors feature an unlocked multiplier for overclocking. Both support AVX-512 instructions, benefiting scientific computing, AI inference, and encryption workloads. Both support AMD-V virtualization. Both include integrated graphics — Radeon 610M (Ryzen 7 8745HX) and Radeon 8050S (Ryzen AI Max 385) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Ryzen 7 8745HX targets High-end Gaming Laptop, Ryzen AI Max 385 targets High-performance AI / Gaming Laptop. Direct competitor: Ryzen 7 8745HX rivals Core i7-14700HX; Ryzen AI Max 385 rivals Core Ultra 9 285H.

Feature	Ryzen 7 8745HX	Ryzen AI Max 385
Integrated GPU	Yes	Yes
IGPU Model	Radeon 610M	Radeon 8050S
Unlocked	Yes	Yes
AVX-512	Yes	Yes
Virtualization	AMD-V	AMD-V
Target Use	High-end Gaming Laptop	High-performance AI / Gaming Laptop