AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX3D vs. Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX: The Best Laptop CPU for Gaming

AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX3D delivers significantly stronger gaming performance while Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX focuses on efficiency and battery life.

Hardware by Katmin on Mar 15, 2026

In 2025, picking the finest laptop CPU will depend on more than simply the number of cores or clock rates. Depending on the tasks you are doing, such as gaming, making content, thermals, battery life, and power use, performance can vary a lot.

To determine which processor performs better overall, the top offerings from Intel and AMD were compared across 29 games along with various real-world applications, thermals, battery life, power draw, and more.

AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX3D, Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX, The Best Laptop CPU for Gaming, NoobFeed

If gaming performance matters, AMD’s Ryzen 9 9955HX3D delivers a massive advantage.

Core Architecture and Specifications

Intel’s Core Ultra 9 275HX processor features 24 cores, with 8 high-performance P-cores and 16 lower-power E-cores. Intel removed hyper-threading this generation, meaning the processor has 24threads for its 24cores.

Meanwhile, AMD’s Ryzen 9 9955HX3D includes 16 cores and 32 threads. Although Intel technically has more cores overall, AMD’s cores are closer in capability to Intel’s stronger P-cores rather than the smaller efficiency cores.

AMD’s chip also features a massive advantage in cache. The Ryzen 9 9955HX3D has 256% more L3 cache than Intel’s processor. This additional cache is crucial in gaming workloads. Intel counters with 150% more L2 cache compared to AMD.

The maximum boost clock speed for both processors is 5.4GHz. Intel, on the other hand, supports faster DDR5-6400 memory by default. AMD, on the other hand, runs at DDR5-5600. To examine the differences between the two laptops' CPUs, the same DDR5-5600 memory kit was utilized in each. This removed other factors and let the focus be on the CPUs.

The Intel laptop might have used faster DDR5-6400 memory; many computers with the Core Ultra 9 275HX still come with DDR5-5600 memory. Keeping the RAM configuration the same makes sure that the comparison is fair and focuses on the processors.

Intel’s higher-end Core Ultra 9 285HX was not included because it is rarely available in laptops and only offers a minor 100MHz boost to single-core clock speed compared to the 275HX. That small difference would not significantly affect the final results.

Testing Setup

Both processors were tested in identical XMG Neo 16 laptops equipped with a full-power RTX 5090 laptop GPU. Each system used identical drivers, Windows updates, game versions, cooling systems, batteries, and components. This ensured the comparison remained as fair as possible.

The laptops also allow manual adjustment of CPU power limits through the control center software. Increasing power typically improves performance but also increases heat output.

Cinebench Performance and Power Scaling

Testing began with Cinebench multicore benchmarks at different power levels.

Between 15W and 75W, Intel performed better. However, performance unexpectedly dipped between 85W and 120W. Similar behavior has been reported elsewhere, though it is usually more of a plateau rather than a noticeable drop.

Because of this, AMD outperformed Intel between 75W and 155W in this test. Because of software constraints, the AMD laptop couldn't go above 160W, but the Intel laptop could. Both laptops, however, started to heat throttle at about 155W with long workloads.

Application Performance

All tests of the application were done at power levels of 80W and 150W.

Intel held about a 6% lead in single-core performance and a smaller 3% advantage in multicore performance when both CPUs ran at 80W. At 150W, Intel’s multicore advantage dropped to less than half a percent.

Thermally, the Intel system ran slightly cooler at 150W, while AMD maintained lower temperatures at the 80W setting.

However, the AMD laptop drew more power from the wall at both power levels. This means Intel demonstrated slightly better efficiency in this particular workload, where AMD’s 3D V-Cache provided no benefit.

AMD’s processor also maintained higher clock speeds, likely because Intel’s power budget had to be distributed across a larger number of cores.

AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX3D, Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX, The Best Laptop CPU for Gaming, NoobFeed

Rendering and Content Creation Workloads

While Cinebench slightly favored Intel in some conditions, other rendering applications told a different story.

Blender, V-Ray, and Corona Renderer all performed better on AMD regardless of power limit. These applications appear to benefit more from AMD’s 16 full-power cores than Intel’s mix of 8large cores and 16efficiency cores.

Content creation workloads also leaned toward AMD. Adobe Photoshop showed a noticeable advantage for AMD, while Adobe Premiere Pro had a much smaller difference.

Video encoding in HandBrake was also faster on AMD. Interestingly, this advantage remained similar even when comparing Intel to the non-3D Ryzen 9 9955HX, indicating the extra L3 cache was not the main factor.

Specialized Workloads

Some workloads strongly favored specific architectures.

MATLAB showed a massive advantage for Intel. This software did not scale significantly with additional power, but Intel clearly delivered superior performance. For anyone who relies heavily on MATLAB, Intel may be the better option.

AES encryption with OpenSSL performed significantly better on AMD, though again this improvement was not directly related to the extra L3 cache.

In file compression workloads, AMD achieved a 39% advantage in 7-Zip decompression and an 18% lead in compression.

LLVM compilation heavily benefited from AMD’s architecture and cache, with AMD running about 46% faster. The non-3D Ryzen 9 9955HX previously showed a smaller 28% advantage, indicating that the extra L3 cache plays a meaningful role in this particular workload.

Geekbench results also placed AMD ahead in single-core tests, despite Intel’s earlier Cinebench advantage.

Overall, across these application tests, the Ryzen 9 9955HX3D was about 16% faster than the Core Ultra 9 275HX when both CPUs ran at 80W.

At 150W, AMD extended its lead to 19%. The largest improvements appeared in OpenSSL encryption, LLVM compilation, and 7-Zip decompression.

Gaming Performance Across 29 Games

Gaming is where the Ryzen 9 9955HX3D completely changes the picture.

Testing was conducted across 29 games at 1080p, 1440p, and 4K resolutions.

Baldur’s Gate 3 showed the biggest advantage. AMD delivered a 72% higher average frame rate at 1080p and a 46% improvement at 1440p. Even at 4K, AMD achieved a 12% improvement in 1% lows, indicating smoother gameplay.

Fortnite also benefited heavily from AMD’s extra cache, reaching a 36% higher average frame rate at 1080p, 40% higher at 1440p, and 28% higher at 4K.

PUBG showed great improvements as well, with AMD achieving a 45% higher average frame rate at 1080p and a 23% lead at 1440p.

Hogwarts Legacy delivered a 32% improvement at 1080p and a smaller 10% boost at 1440p.

However, not every game showed dramatic gains. Dying Light 2 performed nearly identically on both processors, while Microsoft Flight Simulator showed minimal differences except for a 15% improvement in 1% lows on AMD.

Counter-Strike 2 was another major win for AMD, delivering a 29% higher average frame rate at 1080p and 32% higher performance at 1440p.

The Rift Breaker showed a particularly large improvement in frame stability, with AMD achieving a 64% higher 1% low.

Civilization VI AI turn time was one of the rare tests where Intel performed slightly better.

Average Gaming Results

Across all 29 games tested at 1080p, the Ryzen 9 9955HX3D was 16% faster on average.

Seventeen games showed at least a 10% performance improvement with AMD.

In terms of frame stability, AMD delivered a 17% improvement in 1% lows, meaning gameplay felt smoother and more consistent.

At 1440p, AMD maintained an 8% lead in average frame rate and a 10% advantage in 1% lows.

Even at 4K, AMD still held a 2% advantage in average FPS and a 5% lead in 1% lows. While small, this difference is unusually large for CPU comparisons at such a GPU-bound resolution.

Overall, the performance improvement is comparable to upgrading the GPU tier in some cases.

AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX3D, Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX, The Best Laptop CPU for Gaming, NoobFeed

Integrated Graphics and Battery Life

Intel performed significantly better in integrated graphics performance. In Cyberpunk 2077, running at 720p medium settings, Intel achieved more than double the average frame rate of AMD.

Intel also delivered much longer battery life. While one laptop used a Mini LED display and the other used an IPS panel, the gap was still clearly substantial.

Performance while running on battery power was also better with Intel.

If you rely heavily on portable use without plugging in, Intel’s efficiency advantage may be more appealing.

Pricing and Value

Pricing varies depending on configuration and region, but the Ryzen 9 9955HX3D version of the tested laptop costs about $100 more than the Intel configuration.

Despite the higher price, AMD still provides better value in terms of cost per frame due to the significant gaming performance advantage.

In some regions, the price difference can be slightly higher, but AMD still delivers better value overall.

Final Thoughts

AMD not only delivers far better gaming performance thanks to its 3D V-Cache technology, but it also performs better in most real-world CPU workloads.

Intel still has clear advantages in certain areas, including MATLAB performance, integrated graphics, battery life, and performance while running on battery power.

If maximum gaming performance is the goal and the laptop will mostly be used while plugged in, the Ryzen 9 9955HX3D is the obvious choice.

However, if battery life, integrated graphics, or specific professional applications are priorities, Intel’s Core Ultra 9 275HX remains a strong option.

Both processors are powerful and capable, but AMD’s 9955HX3D clearly pushes laptop gaming performance to another level.

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