[Comparison] AMD Ryzen 5 5500U vs Ryzen 5 3500U – two generations worth of difference

LaptopMedia.com Comparisons [Comparison] AMD Ryzen 5 5500U vs Ryzen 5 3500U - two generations worth of difference

From: Severin Kolakov 22 March 2021 / 09:32 | 0

The newest U-series processors from AMD are here, and we have already used and tested the smallest brother of them all, the Ryzen 5 5500U. This is a somewhat weird CPU as it uses the 5000-series number, but it is stuck in the past as it still uses the Zen 2 architecture, while its bigger brethren have moved up to the Zen 3 architecture. Today we are here to see its improvement in action, as we put it up against the Ryzen 5 3500U, which is also quite stuck in the past, as it has the even older Zen+ architecture. Let’s see who will come out on top today.

You can check out our Top Laptop CPU Ranking, where you can find the best processors for laptops.

You can learn more about both CPUs here: Ryzen 5 5500U / Ryzen 5 3500U

Specs table

	AMD Ryzen 5 5500U	AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
Architecture	Zen 2	Zen+
Lithography	7 nm	12 nm
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	4 / 8
Base / Max frequency	2.10 – 4.00GHz	2.10 – 3.70GHz
TDP	15W	15W
Cache	12 MB	4 MB
Memory type	DDR4-3200MHz, LPDDR4x-4266MHz	DDR4-2400MHz
Integrated graphics	AMD Radeon RX Vega 7 (R4000/5000, 15W)	AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (R2000/3000, 15W)

CPU benchmarks

Starting off with the 3D Rendering benchmark with Cinebench 20, we saw the newer Ryzen 5 outperform its predecessor by 66%. When it came to 2D Rendering with Adobe Photoshop, the 5500U was once again better and had a very noticeable lead of nearly five and a half seconds.

3D Rendering

Results are from the Cinebench 20 CPU test (the higher the score, the better)

AMD Ryzen 5 5500U ASUS ZenBook 13 OLED UM325

2484

AMD Ryzen 5 3500U Huawei MateBook D 15 (2020)

1496

GPU benchmarks

Moving over to the GPU benchmarks, we start with 3DMark Fire Strike, where the Zen2-based 5500U scored 34% higher. Continuing on with the two Unigine tests, the Ryzen 5 5500U was the better chip in both, performing 117% and 39% faster in Unigine Heaven 4.0 and Unigine Superposition, respectively.

3DMark Time Spy (G)

The results are from 3DMark Time Spy (Graphics). Higher is better.

AMD Radeon RX Vega 7 (R4000/5000, 15W) ASUS ZenBook 13 OLED UM325

1034

AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (R2000/3000, 15W) Huawei MateBook D 15 (2020)

735

3DMark Fire Strike (G)

Results are from 3DMark Fire Strike (Graphics) benchmark (higher the score, the better)

AMD Radeon RX Vega 7 (R4000/5000, 15W) ASUS ZenBook 13 OLED UM325

3457

AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (R2000/3000, 15W) Huawei MateBook D 15 (2020)

2585

Unigine Superposition

Results are from the Unigine Superposition benchmark (higher the score, the better)

AMD Radeon RX Vega 7 (R4000/5000, 15W) ASUS ZenBook 13 OLED UM325

601

AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (R2000/3000, 15W) Huawei MateBook D 15 (2020)

458

Gaming tests

cs-go-benchmarks

CS:GO	HD 1080p, Low (Check settings)	HD 1080p, Medium (Check settings)	HD 1080p, MAX (Check settings)
RX Vega 7 (R4000/5000, 15W)	103 fps(+45%)	72 fps(+26%)	51 fps(+21%)
RX Vega 8 (R2000/3000, 15W)	71 fps	57 fps	42 fps

DOTA 2	HD 1080p, Low (Check settings)	HD 1080p, Normal (Check settings)	HD 1080p, High (Check settings)
RX Vega 7 (R4000/5000, 15W)	113 fps(+35%)	75 fps(+29%)	43 fps(+34%)
RX Vega 8 (R2000/3000, 15W)	84 fps	58 fps	32 fps

Conclusion

To summarize, the Ryzen 5 5500U was better than the Ryzen 5 3500U in every test that we put both CPUs through. It had a 66% lead in 3D Rendering and finished the Photoshop benchmark five and a half seconds faster. When it came to the GPU tests, the Radeon RX Vega 7 that was inside the Ryzen 5 5500U scored 34%, 117%, and 39% higher in 3DMark Fire Strike, Unigine Heaven 4.0, and Unigine Heaven, respectively. And when it comes to gaming, the newer CPU makes the difference between unplayable, and playable conditions in some titles.