Intel Core Ultra 7 155H Tested in Linux; Slower than AMD?

Intel’s Meteor Lake architecture is brand new and built on the Intel 4 manufacturing process. The new Core Ultra processors use this architecture, and recently, the Core Ultra 7 155H has been taken through its paces in Linux-based benchmarks. Phoronix.com has taken the tests, which ultimately reveal that AMD’s Ryzen 7 7840U wins over the Core Ultra 7 155H.

A total of 370 tests were performed on these two processors from AMD and Intel. These were CPU-centric benchmarks and tests taken on the Linux OS. Out of these, Core Ultra 7 155H had a lead in only 75 tests, while the Ryzen 7 7840U won in 295 others. According to the conclusive ‘geometric mean’ of all results, the AMD Ryzen 7 7840U had a 28% lead over the Intel Core Ultra 7 155H.

So, what exactly is going on? Is the Intel Core Ultra worse than the AMD Ryzen 7 7840U? The answer is not an easy one. Firstly, every processor can have its own strengths. A high-performance one (such as H-Series chips from Intel) prioritizes performance over efficiency. Other chips (such as the P/U series) are focused on efficiency rather than being performant.

It is possible these tests do reflect the accurate performance of Core Ultra & AMD Ryzen (in Linux-centric CPU benchmarks). But, this testing does not represent the full story.

The latest Intel Core Ultra processor is made up of the Meteor Lake integrated Arc GPU, compute tile P-cores & E-cores, a new type of Low Power (LP) E-Core, and also the brand new neural processing unit (NPU) component which accelerates AI. Together, Intel is touting this new generation having ‘three AI engines‘. In applications that can take advantage of this hybrid architecture, Core Ultra processors work better.

Intel’s Benchmarks Say The Opposite

Intel had released its own benchmarks comparing Core Ultra processors against AMD Ryzen at the launch event. Here, we can see that in the ‘AI Application performance’ benchmarks, the Intel chip is doing better. In another content creation test, we can see the Core Ultra outperform the AMD Ryzen.

That is the complete opposite of what we saw previously in Phoronix’s testing, which was performed on Linux-centric CPU benchmarks. Do note that AMD Ryzen 7000 processors for laptops were released back in May 2023, and Intel’s Core Ultra came out in December 2023.

These are benchmarks given by Intel. Making a final judgment call on who is better will require intensive testing & comparisons. Both companies have launched their new lineup of processors with updated architecture & evolved manufacturing processes.

For now, not a lot of consumers are able to get their hands on the latest Core Ultra laptops. It will take some time for the new laptops to release properly into the market (mid 2024). It is not fair to judge the Core Ultra chips this early, especially when the Core Ultra 9 185H (highest-end Meteor Lake CPU) is not coming out until later.

When possible, it will be interesting to compare the best laptop CPUs available today against each other.

What are your thoughts on Intel Meteor Lake Core Ultra performance being tested on Linux? Do you find the upcoming laptops with Intel Core Ultra impressive? Let us know in the comments below.