AMD Ryzen 3 30 vs AMD Ryzen 5 3501U Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark data shows a decisive overall advantage for the AMD Ryzen 3 30, which wins 9 of the 11 recorded tests. The most dramatic separation occurs in extended instructions, where the Ryzen 3 30 scores 6075 against 3274 for the Ryzen 5 3501U, a 85.6% advantage. This test typically reflects workloads using advanced CPU instruction sets, and the gap here is the largest across the entire comparison.

Data compression also heavily favors the Ryzen 3 30. Its score of 135834 is 55.5% higher than the Ryzen 5 3501U's 87380. Random string sorting shows a 38.6% lead for the Ryzen 3 30 (14431 versus 10414), indicating a strong performance edge in memory-heavy sorting tasks. Multi-threaded performance follows a similar pattern: the Ryzen 3 30 scores 9027, which is 27.7% above the Ryzen 5 3501U's 7071. This result is notable because both processors have 4 physical cores, but the Ryzen 3 30 supports 8 threads while the Ryzen 5 3501U supports only 4.

In single-thread performance, the Ryzen 3 30 posts 2465 versus 2136, a 15.4% lead. The same margin appears in the duplicate single-thread test, confirming consistency. Integer math favors the Ryzen 3 30 by 13.4% (29846 versus 26321), and floating-point math favors it by 13.7% (14448 versus 12707). Data encryption shows a 15.8% advantage for the Ryzen 3 30 (6461 versus 5580).

The Ryzen 5 3501U does claim two victories, both by relatively small margins. In find prime numbers, it scores 21 against 20, a 4.8% difference. In the physics test, it scores 483 against 436, a 9.7% advantage. These wins are narrow compared to the margins the Ryzen 3 30 achieves in its victories. The overall average benchmark score reflects this asymmetry: the Ryzen 3 30 averages 20137, while the Ryzen 5 3501U averages 14320.

The percentile rankings place the Ryzen 3 30 in the 74th percentile of all CPUs, compared to the 69th percentile for the Ryzen 5 3501U. This 5-percentile gap is modest, but the average score difference of 5817 points (roughly 40% higher for the Ryzen 3 30) tells a clearer story about relative performance in the recorded workloads.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from different fabrication nodes and foundries. The Ryzen 3 30 uses a 6 nm process from TSMC, while the Ryzen 5 3501U uses a 12 nm process from GlobalFoundries. This node difference directly contributes to the Ryzen 3 30's ability to achieve higher clock speeds while maintaining the same 15 W TDP.

The core architectures diverge significantly. The Ryzen 3 30 is built on Zen 2 architecture with the Mendocino codename, belonging to the Ryzen 3 generation labeled "Zen 2 (Mendocino)". The Ryzen 5 3501U uses Zen+ architecture with the Picasso codename, from the "Zen+ (Picasso)" generation. Zen 2 is a newer microarchitecture than Zen+, which explains much of the per-clock performance advantage seen in the benchmark results.

Core and thread configurations differ despite both having 4 physical cores. The Ryzen 3 30 supports 8 threads through simultaneous multithreading, while the Ryzen 5 3501U has 4 threads with no SMT. This explains the Ryzen 3 30's 27.7% lead in the multi-thread test, even though the Ryzen 5 3501U has a higher physics test score.

Clock speeds favor the Ryzen 3 30 substantially. Its base clock is 2.40 GHz with a boost clock of 4.10 GHz. The Ryzen 5 3501U runs at 2.10 GHz base and 3.70 GHz boost. The Ryzen 3 30's boost clock is 400 MHz higher, which directly supports its single-thread dominance.

Cache layouts show a notable difference in L1 cache. The Ryzen 3 30 has 64 KB of L1 per core, while the Ryzen 5 3501U has 96 KB per core. Both share 512 KB L2 per core and 4 MB L3 cache. The larger L1 in the Ryzen 5 3501U does not translate into a performance win in most tests, suggesting that the newer architecture and higher clocks of the Ryzen 3 30 compensate for its smaller L1.

Memory support differs completely. The Ryzen 3 30 uses LPDDR5 memory with dual-channel support and a measured bandwidth of 88.0 GB/s. The Ryzen 5 3501U uses DDR4 memory, also dual-channel, but with a bandwidth of 38.4 GB/s. This 49.6 GB/s bandwidth gap is substantial and likely contributes to the Ryzen 3 30's large leads in data compression and string sorting, which are memory-intensive operations.

The integrated graphics also differ. The Ryzen 3 30 uses Radeon 610M graphics, while the Ryzen 5 3501U uses Radeon Vega 8. The sockets differ as well: the Ryzen 3 30 uses AMD Socket FT6, while the Ryzen 5 3501U uses AMD Socket FP5. PCIe support is Gen 3 in both cases, though the Ryzen 3 30 lists 4 lanes for the CPU only, while the Ryzen 5 3501U lists Gen 3 without a lane count.

Where Each One Wins

The Ryzen 3 30 dominates in workloads that benefit from higher memory bandwidth and newer instructions. Data compression, random string sorting, and extended instructions are all areas where the Ryzen 3 30 leads by 38.6% to 85.6%. These tests stress memory throughput and instruction-level parallelism, both of which the Ryzen 3 30's LPDDR5 support and Zen 2 architecture handle better.

For multi-threaded productivity tasks, the Ryzen 3 30's 8 threads provide a clear advantage over the Ryzen 5 3501U's 4 threads. The 27.7% lead in the multi-thread test means applications that can use more threads will see a meaningful performance boost on the Ryzen 3 30. Single-thread performance also favors the Ryzen 3 30 by 15.4%, which helps in lightly threaded applications and general responsiveness.

The Ryzen 5 3501U wins in two specific tests: find prime numbers and physics. The physics test result (483 versus 436, a 9.7% lead) suggests that the Ryzen 5 3501U handles certain computational physics workloads better, possibly due to its larger L1 cache per core. The prime number test margin is small (21 versus 20) and may not translate to real-world differences.

For encryption workloads, the Ryzen 3 30's 15.8% lead indicates better AES and cryptographic instruction performance. This matters for VPN software, disk encryption, and secure communications. The integer math and floating-point math results (13.4% and 13.7% leads respectively) indicate a general computational advantage that applies to most number-crunching tasks.

The Verdict

The data is unambiguous: the AMD Ryzen 3 30 outperforms the AMD Ryzen 5 3501U in the vast majority of recorded benchmarks. It wins 9 of 11 tests, with average scores of 20137 versus 14320. The Ryzen 3 30's advantages come from multiple sources: a newer 6 nm Zen 2 architecture versus 12 nm Zen+, a higher boost clock of 4.10 GHz versus 3.70 GHz, twice the thread count, and more than double the memory bandwidth (88.0 GB/s versus 38.4 GB/s).

The Ryzen 5 3501U's two wins are narrow and isolated. Its physics score of 483 is only 9.7% above the Ryzen 3 30's 436, and its prime number score of 21 is just 4.8% above 20. These wins do not indicate an overall performance advantage in any broad category; they are specific algorithmic results.

For users choosing between these two mobile processors, the Ryzen 3 30 is the stronger option for essentially all workloads measured in this database. The 85.6% lead in extended instructions and 55.5% lead in data compression show that the Ryzen 3 30 handles modern instruction sets and data-heavy operations much more efficiently. The Ryzen 5 3501U remains suitable for basic computing tasks that do not stress multi-threading or memory bandwidth, but the data shows no scenario where it offers a compelling advantage over the Ryzen 3 30.

The Ryzen 3 30 also sits in a higher performance percentile (74 versus 69), and its nearest rivals include the Intel Core Ultra 7 165U (average score 20249, delta -0.6%) and Intel Core i7-9700K (20271, delta -0.7%). The Ryzen 5 3501U's nearest rivals are lower-rated parts such as the AMD Ryzen Embedded V2546 (14336, delta -0.1%) and AMD Ryzen 3 7320C (14277, delta 0.3%). This places the two processors in entirely different performance tiers.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has a higher multi-threaded benchmark score?

A: The AMD Ryzen 3 30 scores 9027 in the passmark_multithread test, which is 27.7% higher than the AMD Ryzen 5 3501U's score of 7071.

Q: How does the memory bandwidth compare between the two processors?

A: The Ryzen 3 30 supports LPDDR5 memory with a bandwidth of 88.0 GB/s, while the Ryzen 5 3501U supports DDR4 with a bandwidth of 38.4 GB/s. The Ryzen 3 30 offers more than double the memory bandwidth.

Q: Are there any tests where the Ryzen 5 3501U wins?

A: Yes, the Ryzen 5 3501U wins two tests: passmark_find_prime_numbers (21 versus 20, a 4.8% lead) and passmark_physics (483 versus 436, a 9.7% lead).

Q: What are the core and thread counts for each processor?

A: Both processors have 4 cores, but the Ryzen 3 30 supports 8 threads while the Ryzen 5 3501U supports 4 threads.

Q: What is the average benchmark score difference between the two?

A: The Ryzen 3 30 has an average benchmark score of 20137, while the Ryzen 5 3501U has an average score of 14320, a difference of 5817 points in favor of the Ryzen 3 30.

Q: Which processor has a higher boost clock?

A: The Ryzen 3 30 has a boost clock of 4.10 GHz, which is 400 MHz higher than the Ryzen 5 3501U's boost clock of 3.70 GHz.

Specification Differences

| Field | AMD Ryzen 3 30 | AMD Ryzen 5 3501U |

|-------|----------------|-------------------|

| Cores | 4 | 4 |

| Threads | 8 | 4 |

| Base Clock | 2.40 GHz | 2.10 GHz |

| Boost Clock | 4.10 GHz | 3.70 GHz |

| TDP | 15 W | 15 W |

| Socket | AMD Socket FT6 | AMD Socket FP5 |

| Architecture | Zen 2 | Zen+ |

| Codename | Mendocino | Picasso |

| Generation | Ryzen 3 (Zen 2 (Mendocino)) | Ryzen 5 (Zen+ (Picasso)) |

| Process Node | 6 nm | 12 nm |

| Foundry | TSMC | GlobalFoundries |

| Transistors | Not recorded | 4,940 million |

| Die Size | 100 mm² | 210 mm² |

| L1 Cache | 64 KB (per core) | 96 KB (per core) |

| L2 Cache | 512 KB (per core) | 512 KB (per core) |

| L3 Cache | 4 MB (shared) | 4 MB (shared) |

| Memory Support | LPDDR5 | DDR4 |

| Memory Bandwidth | 88.0 GB/s | 38.4 GB/s |

| PCIe | Gen 3, 4 Lanes (CPU only) | Gen 3 |

| Integrated Graphics | Radeon 610M | Radeon Vega 8 |

| Production Status | Active | Active |

| Part Number | Unknown | YM3501C4T4MFG |