The Intel Core 5 210H isn’t top-tier, but it doesn’t need to be. For users looking to save money without sacrificing speed, it stacks up surprisingly well against AMD’s Ryzen AI 5 330 even if it comes with tradeoffs.

Intel Core 5 210H brings more speed, at a cost

In raw numbers, the Intel Core 5 210H wins the fight. Benchmarks show about 50% better multi-threaded performance and up to 30% faster integrated graphics compared to AMD’s Ryzen AI 5 330. The comparison used identical hardware a Lenovo Ideapad Slim 5 16 to make the results fair. For tasks like rendering, multitasking, or light gaming, Intel’s chip clearly holds the upper hand.

That power comes with a price. The Intel CPU draws more energy under load up to 68 W during stress tests while AMD’s alternative runs cooler and more efficiently. So while Intel leads in speed, its performance-per-watt doesn’t tell the same story.

Ryzen AI 5 330 leans on NPU support

One area where AMD strikes back is AI. The Ryzen AI 5 330 features an integrated NPU (neural processing unit), which is missing from the Intel Core 5 210H. That means better support for features like Windows Co-Pilot+, real-time language translation, or AI-enhanced photo edits especially when running locally without cloud help.

If AI is part of your daily workflow, that could tilt the scale toward AMD despite the raw performance gap.

Performance comparison in numbers

Key differences at a glance:

• Intel outperforms AMD by ~50% in multi-threaded tasks
• Intel GPU is up to 30% faster
• Intel draws 68 W under load; AMD pulls about 45 W
• AMD includes an NPU; Intel does not
• Battery life: 11+ hours for both under light use

Intel Core 5 210H fits budget users who want raw power

If speed per dollar matters more than AI support, the Intel Core 5 210H is hard to beat in this price tier. It’s not the most efficient chip, but for everyday users focused on speed over extras, it delivers where it counts.