AMD Ryzen 5 3500C vs Intel Core i7-8550U

Processor comparisons   23-03-2021
   Let's say you can't decide which CPU to buy, you can make a choice by looking at the AMD Ryzen 5 3500C vs Intel Core i7-8550U tests and see which is better for games or normal use for machine learning, video editing, programming, rendering, streaming. Here you can find all information from real streaming and video editing tests or many benchmarks. A careful analysis of all the specifications, to make it easier to understand, is summarized in the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of parallel examination in software tests such as Furmark, 3DMark, DaVinci Resolve Studio, Blender, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, PassMark, GeekBench 6, 5.2, Prime95, PCMark 10, WPrime, VeraCrypt, SuperPi, Blender, Gears 5, 7zip, RealBench, MATLAB, AIDA64, Dolphin Emulator, Handbrake, UserBenchmark, Cinebench 23 (20, 15).
   And how good the processors are in games:

Borderlands 3
World of Warcraft: Shadowlands
Valorant
Fallout 76
Rainbow Six Siege
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and Warzone
Cyberpunk 2077
DOOM: Eternal
Grand Theft Auto V
Apex Legends
Last Man Standing
Assassin's Creed Valhalla
Fortnite
Watch Dogs Legion
Halo Infinite
Death Stranding
Overwatch
Valheim
Red Dead Redemption 2

After looking at the data of joint benchmarks and videos, you already be able to know which CPU is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i7-8550U or AMD Ryzen 5 3500C.

Summary benchmark results

As a percentage of the maximum value based on a sample from the entire base of all processors
Processor Benchmark

Ryzen 5 3500C

52%

Core i7-8550U

51%

This parameter shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Ryzen 5 3500C is 1% better than Core i7-8550U. The data source is several popular tests. More detailed information of the benchmarks is below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Ryzen 5 3500C

51%

Core i7-8550U

52%

For the maximum in this test, the results of the most powerful processor in the site database are taken. And of course, this is a server processor, on which no one will run games. Because this processor costs several tens of thousands of dollars. And if it seems to you that the selected CPU has a small game result, look at the FPS that it produces in real games in the final table below.
List of less popular games in which processors were compared: DOTA 2A, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, NBA 2K20, Metro Exodus, Microsoft Flight Simulator, Forza Horizon 4, Monster Hunter World, League of Legends (LOL), Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), Ghostrunner, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Control, Hitman 3, Horizon Zero Dawn, Battlefield V, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Half-Life: Alyx.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	91.1	91.9
Valorant	103.5	104.4
Cyberpunk 2077	58.0	58.5
Apex Legends	97.3	98.1
Call of Duty Warzone	77.7	78.3
Overwatch	83.9	84.6
Red Dead Redemption 2	71.4	72.0
DOOM Eternal	51.8	52.2
Warzone	80.8	81.4
Assassin's Creed	87.0	87.7
Valheim	85.9	86.6

The numbers in this table indicate the maximum FPS that was received on the device with the corresponding processor. Depending on the configuration of the computer (RAM size and Video Card) and graphics quality settings (Ultra, Medium, Normal), the results may differ quite significantly. We recommend that you better study the results of the Cinebench, GeekBench and Passmark becnmarks.
The computers participating in the comparisons not only were the equipped with different video cards and different amounts of RAM. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: 2K, FullHD or 4K. Therefore, the game benchmark data is approximate. But all video cards met the average system requirements of games. To be sure exactly how much performance the processor will be in games, if you get acquainted with the benchmarks that are made with the same video card that is installed in your computer.

Power consumption

Ryzen 5 3500C

195%

Core i7-8550U

228%

To make a finishing choice on which processor is better, you should also consider the generation of its core. The newer the processor generation, the better its performance in games and benchmarks, as well as its energy efficiency. In this case the Core i7-8550U is more energy efficient than the Ryzen 5 3500C since it has less power consumption: 15W vs. 15W. Power consumption is especially important for laptops. And TDP should be taken into account when choosing a processor cooling system. It is necessary to calculate so that the TDP data specified in the cooler specification is greater than the TDP of the compared processor.

Software benchmarks

Let's say you plan to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for video rendering or video editing, programming, machine learning, streaming, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, the CPU uses all threads and cores that it has to the maximum to achieve maximum efficiency. You will learn this data from the benchmark tables below. Before using the data from these tests, be sure to find out whether the program that you are going to use on your computer can work in multi-threaded mode. Because there are still many programs that can use only one core to work, and all the benefit of multi-core mode turns out to be unnecessary.
Cinebench 23, 20 an 15
The results of this benchmark show Single-threaded and Multi-threaded CPU performance

	AMD Ryzen 5 3500C	Intel Core i7-8550U
Cinbench 15 Single-core	140	167
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	614	564
Cinbench 20 Single-core	356	354
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	1468	1211
Cinbench 23 Single-core	867	979
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	3509	3111

Passmark
This popular benchmark displays Multi-threaded and Single-threaded processor performance

	AMD Ryzen 5 3500C	Intel Core i7-8550U
Single-Core	1994	2072
Multi-Core	7127	5970

GeekBench 6, 5.2
This benchmark shows Multi-threaded and Single-threaded processor performance

	AMD Ryzen 5 3500C	Intel Core i7-8550U
Single-Core	881	1027
Multi-Core	3057	3788

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the processor release date and overclocking capability will be the most useful. The later the processor is released, the longer it will last you. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system later. The same can be said about overclocking. When the processor can be overclocked, thereby increasing its performance, then it will continue to maintain maximum FPS in the newest games. Accordingly, you do not need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer. The economy are obvious!

	AMD Ryzen 5 3500C	Intel Core i7-8550U
Announcement date	September 22, 2020	April 01, 2017
Type	Laptop	Laptop
Socket	FP5	FC-BGA1356
Core name	Picasso	Kaby Lake R
Architecture	Zen+	x86
Generation	2	8
Turbo Frequency	3.7 MHz	4 MHz
Frequency	2.1 MHz	1.8 MHz
Cores	4	4
Threads	8	8
Bus rate		4 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	12 nm	14 nm
Transistors count	4200 millions	1820 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	15 W	15 W
Memory type		DDR4-2400, LPDDR3-2133
Max. Memory		32 Gb
Memory Frequency	2400
Memory bandwidth		37.5 GB/s
L1 cache	384KB
L2 cache	2MB
L3 cache	4MB	8 MB
Overclocking	No	Yes
Supports ECC	No	No
Part number	YM350CC4T4MFG

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Here Ryzen 5 3500C is 14% better than Core i7-8550U in terms of CPU frequency. Also keep in mind that high CPU frequency affects battery life through power consumption (relevant for laptops).

Result:
The number of parameters for which AMD Ryzen 5 3500C is better: 12
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i7-8550U is better: 23
However, it should be understood that the summary data in the article above do not mean that taking them into account you should undividedly trust a simple quantitative comparison. Be sure to watch the testing video and read the reviews of real owners of AMD Ryzen 5 3500C and Intel Core i7-8550U before deciding which of the processors to buy for gaming.

AMD Ryzen 5 3500C - all data

• Cinebench r15 score
• Cinebench r20 score
• Cinebench r23 score
• GeekBench 6, 5.2 score

• AMD Ryzen 5 3500C specs and review.

• Intel Core i7-8550U specs and review.