Intel Core i7-8550U vs AMD FX-8350 Eight-Core

Processor comparisons 17-03-2021

   If you can't decide which CPU to buy, you can make a decision after reading the full tests Intel Core i7-8550U vs AMD FX-8350 Eight-Core and see which is better for games or normal use for machine learning, programming, streaming, video editing, rendering. Here is useful information from real video editing and streaming tests or different benchmarks. A thorough analysis of all the specifications, so that it can be easier to understand, is made by the table.
   From the comparison video, you can get the results of parallel examination in synthetic type tests like SuperPi, Blender, Prime95, PCMark 10, Handbrake, MATLAB, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), VeraCrypt, AIDA64, UserBenchmark, 3DMark, 7zip, RealBench, Gears 5, DaVinci Resolve Studio, Dolphin Emulator, Furmark, WPrime, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, GeekBench 6, 5.2, Blender, PassMark.
   Gaming performance of CPUs in:

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

After looking at the data of all benchmarks and videos, you already be able to know which CPU is better to buy for gaming AMD FX-8350 Eight-Core or Intel Core i7-8550U.

Summary benchmark results

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

Core i7-8550U

51%

FX-8350 Eight-Core

51%

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i7-8550U

52%

FX-8350 Eight-Core

51%

The maximum result in this parameter is 100 percent, which is the performance of the most powerful processor currently available. And of course, this is a server processor, on which no one will run games. Because the cost of this processor reaches several tens of thousands of dollars. Therefore, if you think that the selected CPU has a little game result, just look at the FPS that it produces in real games in the final table below.
List of other games in which CPU comparisons were performed: Forza Horizon 4, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Ghostrunner, NBA 2K20, Half-Life: Alyx, League of Legends (LOL), Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Hitman 3, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Metro Exodus, Battlefield V, Control, Horizon Zero Dawn, DOTA 2A, Monster Hunter World, Microsoft Flight Simulator.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	91.9	91.0
Valorant	104.4	103.4
Cyberpunk 2077	58.5	57.9
Apex Legends	98.1	97.2
Call of Duty Warzone	78.3	77.6
Overwatch	84.6	83.8
Red Dead Redemption 2	72.0	71.4
DOOM Eternal	52.2	51.7
Warzone	81.4	80.7
Assassin's Creed	87.7	86.9
Valheim	86.6	85.9

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 tested computers not only did they have different video cards and different amounts of RAM. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: 2K, FullHD or 4K. So the game benchmark data is approximate. But all video cards met the average system requirements of games. You will get more accurate information about how powerful 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

Core i7-8550U

228%

FX-8350 Eight-Core

16%

To make a final decision on which processor is better, you should also consider the generation of its core. It is clear that the newer the generation, the better the performance of the processor in games and benchmarks, as well as its energy efficiency. In this case the Core i7-8550U is more energy efficient than the FX-8350 Eight-Core as it consumes less power: 15W vs. 125W. Power consumption is particularly important for laptops. And TDP should be taken into account when choosing a processor cooling system. You need to buy a cooler that has the TDP data specified in the specification was 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 streaming, machine learning, video editing or video rendering, programming, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to achieve maximum performance, the processor uses all threads and cores that it has. You will find out this data from the benchmark tables below. Before you take into account the data from these tests, be sure to check whether the program you are going to use on your computer supports multi-threaded mode. Since there are still many programs that can use only one core to run, and all the advantages of multi-core mode are unused.

Cinebench 23, 20 an 15
The results of this benchmark show Single-threaded and Multi-threaded CPU performance

	Intel Core i7-8550U	AMD FX-8350 Eight-Core
Cinbench 15 Single-core	167	96
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	564	665
Cinbench 20 Single-core	354	209
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	1211	1298
Cinbench 23 Single-core	979	581
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	3111	3804

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

	Intel Core i7-8550U	AMD FX-8350 Eight-Core
Single-Core	2072	1551
Multi-Core	5970	5940

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

	Intel Core i7-8550U	AMD FX-8350 Eight-Core
Single-Core	1027	608
Multi-Core	3788	2973

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the most helpful will be the release date of the processor and the possibility of overclocking it. The newer the processor, 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, increasing its performance, then it will continue to maintain maximum FPS in new games. Accordingly, there is no longer a need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer. The economy are obvious!

	Intel Core i7-8550U	AMD FX-8350 Eight-Core
Announcement date	April 01, 2017	October 01, 2012
Type	Laptop	Desktop
Socket	FC-BGA1356	AM3+
Core name	Kaby Lake R	Vishera
Architecture	x86	Piledriver
Generation	8	1
Turbo Frequency	4 MHz	4.2 MHz
Frequency	1.8 MHz	4 MHz
Cores	4	8
Threads	8	8
Bus rate	4 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm	32 nm
Transistors count	1820 millions	1200 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	15 W	125 W
Memory type	DDR4-2400, LPDDR3-2133	DDR3
Max. Memory	32 Gb
Memory Frequency		1866
Memory bandwidth	37.5 GB/s
L1 cache		384KB
L2 cache		8MB
L3 cache	8 MB	8MB
Overclocking	Yes	Yes
Supports ECC	No	No
Part number		FD8350FRW8KHK FD8350FRHKBOX

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Here FX-8350 Eight-Core is 55% better than Core i7-8550U in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that FX-8350 Eight-Core has 4 more core than Core i7-8550U. Also keep in mind that high CPU frequency affects battery life through power consumption (relevant for laptops).

Result:
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i7-8550U is better: 26
The number of parameters for which AMD FX-8350 Eight-Core is better: 10
All the figures in the table 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 opinion of real owners of Intel Core i7-8550U and AMD FX-8350 Eight-Core before making a selection which of the processors to buy for gaming.

• Intel Core i7-8550U specs and review.

• AMD FX-8350 Eight-Core specs and review.