AMD Ryzen 3 3100 vs AMD Ryzen 5 7520U Comparison

AMD Ryzen 3 3100 and AMD Ryzen 5 7520U are both 4-core, 8-thread Zen 2 parts, but they target entirely different segments: the 3100 is a desktop chip for AM4, while the 7520U is a mobile chip for thin-and-light laptops. The benchmark data shows a clear overall winner in raw compute, but the 7520U brings a more modern process node, faster memory bandwidth, and integrated graphics that the 3100 lacks entirely. The Ryzen 3 3100 wins every shared benchmark by a significant margin, making it the superior choice for pure CPU performance, while the 7520U is the only viable option for systems requiring an iGPU and low power draw.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The Ryzen 3 3100 dominates the Ryzen 5 7520U across all four directly comparable benchmarks, with wins ranging from 5.5% to 30.1%. The largest gap appears in Geekbench multicore, where the 3100 scores 4898 against the 7520U's 3766, a 30.1% advantage. This is a decisive margin that reflects the desktop chip's higher sustained power envelope and better thermal headroom, allowing it to maintain boost clocks more consistently under all-core loads.

In Cinebench R15 multicore, the 3100 scores 991 versus 834 for the 7520U, an 18.8% lead. This test is heavily threaded and stresses the memory subsystem alongside the cores; the 3100's larger 16 MB L3 cache (versus 4 MB on the 7520U) likely contributes to this substantial difference. The 3100 also wins single-core tests, though by smaller margins: 5.5% in Cinebench R15 single-core (178 vs 168.8) and 17.7% in Geekbench single-core (1395 vs 1185). The single-core Cinebench result is notably close, suggesting that the 7520U's higher 4.30 GHz boost clock partially compensates for its lower 2.80 GHz base clock, but the 3100's architecture still edges ahead.

Geekbench single-core shows a larger gap than Cinebench single-core, indicating that the 3100's advantage grows with more complex instruction-level parallelism. The 3100's boost clock is only 3.90 GHz, which is lower than the 7520U's 4.30 GHz, yet the 3100 still wins by 17.7% — this points to the desktop chip having a more efficient implementation of the Zen 2 core, possibly due to better power delivery on the AM4 platform versus the 15W mobile design.

The average benchmark scores tell a similar story. The 3100 has an average benchmark score of 2055, while the 7520U sits at 2046 — a difference of only 0.4%, but this aggregate includes different test suites. The 7520U has additional benchmarks like Cinebench R23 (5149 multicore, 1171 single-core) that are not present for the 3100, which skews the average. In head-to-head tests, the 3100 wins 4 out of 4, with zero wins for the 7520U.

Looking at rival comparisons, the 3100's nearest rival is the Intel Core i7-8705G with an average score of 2058 (0.1% higher), while the 7520U's nearest rival is the Intel Xeon E3-1270 v5 at 2048 (0.1% higher). Both chips sit at nearly identical percentile rankings — 46th for the 3100 and 45th for the 7520U — meaning they are statistically equivalent in overall CPU hierarchy, despite the 3100's decisive wins in direct comparisons. This paradox is explained by the fact that the 7520U's benchmark suite includes Cinebench R23, which tests sustained multi-core workloads differently; the 3100 simply lacks that data point.

FAQ

Q: Which CPU is faster in multi-threaded workloads?

A: The Ryzen 3 3100 is significantly faster. It leads by 18.8% in Cinebench R15 multicore (991 vs 834) and by 30.1% in Geekbench multicore (4898 vs 3766).

Q: Does the Ryzen 5 7520U have integrated graphics?

A: Yes, it features Radeon 610M integrated graphics. The Ryzen 3 3100 has no integrated graphics whatsoever, requiring a discrete GPU.

Q: Which CPU has a higher boost clock?

A: The Ryzen 5 7520U has a higher boost clock at 4.30 GHz, compared to the Ryzen 3 3100's 3.90 GHz. However, the 3100 still wins single-core benchmarks by 5.5% to 17.7%.

Q: What is the power consumption difference?

A: The Ryzen 3 3100 has a 65W TDP, while the Ryzen 5 7520U has a 15W TDP. This makes the 7520U far more suitable for laptops and low-power systems.

Q: Which CPU supports faster memory?

A: The Ryzen 5 7520U supports LPDDR5 memory with a bandwidth of 88.0 GB/s, while the Ryzen 3 3100 supports DDR4 with a bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s. The 7520U has 72% more memory bandwidth on paper.

Q: Are these CPUs on the same socket?

A: No. The Ryzen 3 3100 uses AMD Socket AM4 (desktop), while the Ryzen 5 7520U uses AMD Socket FT6 (mobile). They are not interchangeable.

The Verdict

The data is unambiguous: the Ryzen 3 3100 wins every single benchmark where both chips are tested. For pure CPU compute performance, the 3100 is the superior product, offering 18.8% to 30.1% better multi-core performance and 5.5% to 17.7% better single-core performance. The 3100 also has a larger L3 cache (16 MB vs 4 MB), a higher base clock (3.60 GHz vs 2.80 GHz), and a higher TDP (65W vs 15W) that allows sustained all-core operation. Its percentile ranking of 46 versus 45 for the 7520U is essentially a tie in the global hierarchy, but in direct head-to-head tests, the desktop chip is the clear winner.

The Ryzen 5 7520U is not without merit, however. It is the only one of the two with integrated graphics (Radeon 610M), making it the only option for systems without a discrete GPU. It also uses a smaller 6nm process node (versus 7nm for the 3100), which contributes to its dramatically lower 15W TDP. For mobile devices where power efficiency is paramount, the 7520U is the obvious choice, but it sacrifices significant CPU performance to achieve that efficiency. The 7520U's higher 4.30 GHz boost clock and faster 88.0 GB/s memory bandwidth cannot overcome the 3100's advantages in cache size and sustained power delivery.

Specification Differences

The two CPUs differ in nearly every physical and platform specification. The Ryzen 3 3100 is a desktop part with a 65W TDP, while the Ryzen 5 7520U is a mobile part with a 15W TDP — a 50W difference that dictates their respective use cases. The 3100 uses AMD Socket AM4, whereas the 7520U uses AMD Socket FT6. The 3100 has a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 3.90 GHz; the 7520U has a base clock of 2.80 GHz and a boost clock of 4.30 GHz. The 7520U actually boosts higher, but the 3100's higher base clock indicates a more consistent low-load performance.

Memory support differs significantly. The 3100 supports DDR4 with a dual-channel memory bus and 51.2 GB/s bandwidth. The 7520U supports LPDDR5 with a dual-channel bus and 88.0 GB/s bandwidth — a 36.8 GB/s advantage for the mobile chip. The 3100 has a 16 MB shared L3 cache, while the 7520U has only 4 MB, a fourfold difference. PCIe capabilities also diverge: the 3100 offers Gen 4 with 16 lanes (CPU only), while the 7520U offers Gen 3 with 4 lanes (CPU only). The 7520U includes Radeon 610M integrated graphics; the 3100 has none. The 3100 has an unlocked multiplier; the 7520U does not. Finally, the 3100 launched at $99 MSRP, while the 7520U has no recorded launch MSRP.

Architecture Differences

Both CPUs are built on Zen 2 architecture, but they come from different families and process nodes. The Ryzen 3 3100 is part of the 3000 series, codename Matisse, manufactured on TSMC's 7nm process with a die size of 74 mm² and 3,800 million transistors. The Ryzen 5 7520U is part of the 7000 series, codename Mendocino, manufactured on TSMC's 6nm process with a die size of 100 mm² and no transistor count listed. The 6nm node is a refinement of 7nm, offering better power efficiency, which explains the 7520U's much lower TDP despite having a larger die.

Cache architecture is identical in L1 (64 KB per core) and L2 (512 KB per core), but differs dramatically in L3: the 3100 has 16 MB shared, while the 7520U has 4 MB shared. This is the most significant architectural difference and likely explains the 3100's large multi-core performance advantage, as more cache reduces memory latency for frequently accessed data. The 7520U's faster LPDDR5 memory bandwidth (88.0 GB/s vs 51.2 GB/s) partially compensates for its smaller cache, but not enough to close the performance gap.

The 3100 is a desktop chip with 16 PCIe Gen 4 lanes, while the 7520U is a mobile chip with only 4 PCIe Gen 3 lanes — this reflects the different expansion needs of desktop versus laptop platforms. The 7520U integrates Radeon 610M graphics, which is a key architectural feature absent from the 3100. The 3100's unlocked multiplier allows overclocking, a feature the 7520U lacks due to its locked multiplier. Both CPUs have 4 cores and 8 threads, and both lack ECC memory support.

Where Each One Wins

The Ryzen 3 3100 wins in every CPU-intensive scenario. For multi-threaded workloads like video rendering, software compilation, 3D modeling, or any task that scales with cores and cache, the 3100's 18.8% lead in Cinebench R15 multicore and 30.1% lead in Geekbench multicore make it the definitive choice. Its 16 MB L3 cache provides a substantial advantage in data-heavy workloads that repeatedly access the same memory regions. The 3100 also wins single-threaded tasks by 5.5% to 17.7%, meaning even lightly threaded applications like web browsing, office productivity, or legacy games run faster on the desktop chip. The unlocked multiplier adds further headroom for enthusiasts who want to push performance beyond stock settings.

The Ryzen 5 7520U wins in scenarios where power efficiency and integrated graphics are paramount. Its 15W TDP makes it the only viable option for fanless or ultra-portable laptop designs, where the 3100's 65W TDP would be impossible to cool. The integrated Radeon 610M GPU allows the 7520U to drive a display and handle basic graphics acceleration without a discrete graphics card, which is essential for budget laptops. The 7520U also offers faster memory bandwidth (88.0 GB/s vs 51.2 GB/s) and a higher boost clock (4.30 GHz vs 3.90 GHz), which can give it an edge in short, bursty workloads that are not sustained long enough to heat up the 15W envelope. For a sub-20W mobile system, the 7520U is the only workable choice, but any workload that can be run on a desktop platform will perform better on the Ryzen 3 3100.