AMD Ryzen 3 30 vs AMD Ryzen 5 5600 Comparison

The AMD Ryzen 5 5600 and AMD Ryzen 3 30 occupy very different corners of the processor market, yet both land at the 74th percentile among all CPUs. This is a contest between a desktop-focused Zen 3 part with six cores and a mobile-focused Zen 2 chip with four, and the benchmark data shows a decisive, though not entirely uniform, sweep. The Ryzen 5 5600 wins every single head-to-head test recorded, but the margins tell a more nuanced story about what each chip is engineered to do.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The data is unambiguous: the Ryzen 5 5600 wins all 11 shared benchmark comparisons, with zero wins for the Ryzen 3 30. The largest gap appears in the PassMark find prime numbers test, where the Ryzen 5 5600 scores 137 against the Ryzen 3 30’s 20, a massive 585% delta. This tests pure integer throughput in a highly parallel workload, and the Ryzen 5 5600’s extra two cores and higher clocks utterly dominate the mobile chip.

Other multi-threaded workloads show similarly lopsided results. In PassMark physics, the Ryzen 5 5600 scores 1285 versus 436, a 194.7% advantage. Extended instructions show a 179.7% delta (16993 vs 6075), and floating point math comes in at 168.4% (38778 vs 14448). The data encryption test reveals a 140.4% lead (15531 vs 6461), while integer math sits at 129.2% (68396 vs 29846). Even the overall PassMark multithread score shows a 138.6% gap, with the Ryzen 5 5600 posting 21541 against the Ryzen 3 30’s 9027.

The margins narrow somewhat in memory and I/O sensitive tasks. Data compression shows an 85.3% lead (251687 vs 135834), and random string sorting is closer at 79.8% (25943 vs 14431). The single-threaded results are the most telling for everyday responsiveness. In PassMark single thread, the Ryzen 5 5600 scores 3256 against 2465, a 32.1% advantage. That is still a substantial lead, but it is far smaller than the multi-threaded gaps, suggesting the Ryzen 3 30’s Zen 2 architecture holds up reasonably well on lightly-threaded tasks, even if it cannot compete on total throughput.

Where Each One Wins

The Ryzen 5 5600 is the clear winner across every measured category, but the data suggests distinct use-case profiles. The Ryzen 5 5600 excels in heavily parallel compute: prime number finding, physics simulation, encryption, and extended instruction workloads all show deltas above 140%. This makes it the obvious choice for content creation, scientific computing, and any task that can utilize all 12 threads. Its 6-core, 12-thread configuration delivers 18309 in Cinebench R23 multi-core, a score that places it in a different performance tier than the 4-core, 8-thread Ryzen 3 30.

The Ryzen 3 30, despite losing every benchmark, still demonstrates it is not a slouch. Its single-thread score of 2465 is within 32.1% of the Ryzen 5 5600, and its 4 MB of shared L3 cache, while small, is enough for basic productivity. The data implies the Ryzen 3 30 is suited for light workloads where portability and power efficiency are paramount—its 15W TDP is a fraction of the 65W TDP of the Ryzen 5 5600, and it integrates Radeon 610M graphics, eliminating the need for a discrete GPU. For a compact laptop handling web browsing, document editing, and streaming, the Ryzen 3 30’s performance is adequate, even if it is outclassed in every raw number.

The Ryzen 5 5600, with no integrated graphics, requires a discrete GPU, but its 32 MB of shared L3 cache and DDR4 support position it as a budget desktop workhorse. The benchmark deltas show it is not just faster; it is dramatically faster in multi-threaded scenarios, making it the superior choice for anyone who prioritizes compute performance over power consumption.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has a higher single-threaded performance?

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 5600 wins the PassMark single thread test with a score of 3256, compared to the AMD Ryzen 3 30’s 2465, representing a 32.1% advantage.

Q: How much faster is the Ryzen 5 5600 in multi-threaded workloads?

A: In the PassMark multithread test, the Ryzen 5 5600 scores 21541 against the Ryzen 3 30’s 9027, a 138.6% delta. The gap is even larger in Cinebench R23 multi-core, where the Ryzen 5 5600 posts 18309.

Q: Does the Ryzen 3 30 have integrated graphics?

A: Yes, the AMD Ryzen 3 30 includes Radeon 610M integrated graphics, while the AMD Ryzen 5 5600 has no integrated graphics and requires a discrete GPU.

Q: What is the power consumption difference between the two?

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 5600 has a TDP of 65 watts, while the AMD Ryzen 3 30 has a TDP of 15 watts, making the latter significantly more power-efficient.

Q: Which processor supports faster memory?

A: The AMD Ryzen 3 30 supports LPDDR5 memory with a bandwidth of 88.0 GB/s, while the AMD Ryzen 5 5600 supports DDR4 with a bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s. The Ryzen 3 30 has higher memory bandwidth despite being the slower processor overall.

Q: Are both processors in the same performance percentile?

A: Yes, both the AMD Ryzen 5 5600 and the AMD Ryzen 3 30 are at the 74th percentile among all CPUs, despite the Ryzen 5 5600 winning every head-to-head benchmark.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ in nearly every fundamental specification. The AMD Ryzen 5 5600 uses 6 cores and 12 threads, while the AMD Ryzen 3 30 uses 4 cores and 8 threads. Base clocks are 3.50 GHz for the Ryzen 5 5600 versus 2.40 GHz for the Ryzen 3 30, and boost clocks are 4.40 GHz versus 4.10 GHz, respectively. The TDP figures are starkly different: 65 watts for the Ryzen 5 5600 and 15 watts for the Ryzen 3 30.

The sockets are incompatible: the Ryzen 5 5600 uses AMD Socket AM4, while the Ryzen 3 30 uses AMD Socket FT6. Memory support diverges as well, with the Ryzen 5 5600 using DDR4 and the Ryzen 3 30 using LPDDR5. The Ryzen 5 5600 offers PCIe Gen 4 with 20 lanes, while the Ryzen 3 30 offers PCIe Gen 3 with 4 lanes. The Ryzen 5 5600 supports ECC memory, while the Ryzen 3 30 does not. The Ryzen 5 5600 has an unlocked multiplier, while the Ryzen 3 30 is locked. Finally, the Ryzen 5 5600 has a launch MSRP of $199, while the Ryzen 3 30 has no listed launch MSRP.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap is generational. The AMD Ryzen 5 5600 is built on the Zen 3 architecture with the Vermeer codename, while the AMD Ryzen 3 30 uses the older Zen 2 architecture with the Mendocino codename. The process nodes differ: the Ryzen 5 5600 uses a 7 nm process from TSMC, while the Ryzen 3 30 uses a 6 nm process from the same foundry. The Ryzen 5 5600 has 4,150 million transistors on a 74 mm² die, while the Ryzen 3 30 has no listed transistor count but a larger 100 mm² die.

Cache configurations highlight the performance divide. Both have 64 KB of L1 cache per core and 512 KB of L2 cache per core. However, the Ryzen 5 5600 has 32 MB of shared L3 cache, while the Ryzen 3 30 has only 4 MB of shared L3 cache—an eightfold difference. The Ryzen 5 5600 is a desktop part, while the Ryzen 3 30 is a mobile part with integrated Radeon 610M graphics. The Ryzen 3 30 also supports LPDDR5 memory, which gives it a memory bandwidth of 88.0 GB/s versus the Ryzen 5 5600’s 51.2 GB/s, a rare spec where the mobile chip leads.

The Verdict

The data points to a clear choice based on workload. The AMD Ryzen 5 5600 is the superior processor for any compute-intensive task. It wins every benchmark in the head-to-head comparison, with deltas ranging from 32.1% in single-threaded performance to 585% in prime number finding. Its 6 cores, 12 threads, and 32 MB of L3 cache make it suitable for gaming, content creation, and multitasking on a desktop platform. The 74th percentile ranking, shared with the Ryzen 3 30, slightly undersells its multi-threaded dominance, as its nearest rivals (Intel Core Ultra 7 258V, AMD Ryzen 5 8500G) score within 0.2% of its average benchmark score.

The AMD Ryzen 3 30 is not a competitor in raw performance; it is a different product category. Its 15W TDP, integrated Radeon 610M graphics, and LPDDR5 support signal a focus on mobile efficiency rather than desktop power. With an average benchmark score of 20137 against the Ryzen 5 5600’s 20468, the gap in average score is only 1.6%, but this is misleading—the Ryzen 3 30 has no wins in any shared test. For a user building a desktop PC, the Ryzen 5 5600 is the only logical choice. For a user prioritizing battery life and portability in a laptop, the Ryzen 3 30 is the relevant option, and its performance, while lower, is adequate for basic tasks. The 74th percentile for both is a statistical coincidence; the benchmark scores reveal that the Ryzen 5 5600 is in a different performance class, but the Ryzen 3 30 serves a purpose that no amount of multi-threaded benchmark wins can address.