AMD Ryzen 3 5300G vs Intel Atom P5342 Comparison

The AMD Ryzen 3 5300G and Intel Atom P5342 make for one of the most unusual head-to-head comparisons in the database: a 4-core desktop APU from AMD's Zen 3 generation against a 16-core Atom built for servers. On paper their designs could hardly differ more, yet the recorded benchmark results land within a single percentage point of each other across every test. The Atom sweeps all six head-to-head benchmarks, but each margin is small enough that the two chips are effectively performance twins in aggregate throughput.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The Atom P5342 wins every recorded head-to-head test, and remarkably, it wins each one by the same margin: 0.6 percent. In Cinebench R15 multi-core the Atom scores 1121 against 1114 for the Ryzen. The single-core R15 result is nearly identical, 158 versus 157. Cinebench R20 follows the same pattern: 4671 versus 4645 in multi-core and 659 versus 655 in single-core. Cinebench R23 stretches the totals higher without changing the story, 11122 versus 11060 in multi-core and 1570 versus 1561 in single-core.

What those numbers actually mean deserves attention. A 0.6 percent gap is far smaller than run-to-run variance in most benchmark suites. The data shows two processors that deliver statistically indistinguishable rendering performance, arrived at through completely opposite means: the Ryzen 3 5300G gets there with four fast cores running at a 4.20 GHz boost clock, while the Atom P5342 gets there with sixteen slower cores at a 2.20 GHz base clock and no listed boost frequency.

The aggregate scores reinforce this. The Ryzen 3 5300G posts an average benchmark score of 3303 and sits in the 54th percentile of all CPUs in the database. The Atom P5342 averages 3217 and sits in the 53rd percentile. One point of percentile separation between a desktop APU and a server Atom is the central finding of this comparison.

Context from each chip's nearest rivals underlines how close they are. The Ryzen 3 5300G rubs shoulders with the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 2600 (average score 3303, identical), the Intel Core i5-11400T (3309, a 0.2 percent gap), the Intel Core i5-11500T (3288), and the Intel Xeon E-2374G (3278). The Atom P5342's neighborhood includes the AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 5350GE (3218), the AMD Ryzen 7 4800U (3218), the Intel Core i5-1240P (3202), and the Intel Core i3-13100T (3198). Both processors effectively occupy the same performance tier of the database despite targeting entirely different segments.

One caveat on coverage: the database holds Geekbench results for the Ryzen 3 5300G, 5467 in multi-core and 1768 in single-core, but no Geekbench entries for the Atom P5342, so the head-to-head comparison rests entirely on the Cinebench family.

Architecture Differences

The Ryzen 3 5300G belongs to AMD's 5000 series and uses the Zen 3 architecture under the Cezanne codename. It is fabricated on TSMC's 7 nm process and packs 10,700 million transistors onto a 180 mm² die. The Atom P5342 carries the Snow Ridge codename and the Tremont architecture, produced on Intel's own 10 nm process. The database records no transistor count or die size for the Atom.

The core topology is where the two designs diverge sharply. The Ryzen offers 4 cores and 8 threads, with simultaneous multithreading doubling thread count. The Atom provides 16 cores and 16 threads, one thread per core, a classic throughput-oriented server design.

Cache layouts differ in kind, not just size. The Ryzen pairs 64 KB of L1 per core and 512 KB of L2 per core with a unified 8 MB of L3, and Zen 3's shared L3 is a key ingredient in its strong single-core results. The Atom matches the 64 KB L1 per core but organizes L2 as 4.5 MB per module, with no L3 cache listed at all. That module-based L2 scheme reflects Tremont's server orientation, where groups of cores share a slice of closer cache rather than drawing from one large pool.

Memory support overlaps on the basics: both accept DDR4 across a dual-channel bus. The Ryzen edges ahead on bandwidth at 51.2 GB/s versus 42.7 GB/s for the Atom. The Atom counters with ECC memory support, which the Ryzen lacks, a meaningful distinction given the Atom's server market segment. Both expose PCIe Gen 3 with 16 lanes from the CPU.

Platform integration is a genuine point of separation. The Ryzen 3 5300G ships with integrated Radeon Vega 6 graphics; the Atom P5342 has none, listed as N/A in the database, meaning it requires external graphics or a headless deployment. Sockets also differ in nature: the Ryzen uses AMD Socket AM4, a standard desktop socket, while the Atom uses Intel BGA 2106, a soldered ball-grid array with no socket swap path.

Where Each One Wins

The Atom P5342 wins on paper in the head-to-head benchmarks, taking all six recorded tests. But since each win is by 0.6 percent, the practical takeaway is a dead heat in throughput, and the real wins come from capability differences rather than scores.

The Atom wins where server-grade features matter. Sixteen physical cores without SMT give it consistency under sustained parallel loads, and ECC memory support suits workloads where data integrity is non-negotiable. Its 71 W TDP is close to the Ryzen's 65 W, so the Atom delivers its matching throughput without a meaningful thermal envelope penalty.

The Ryzen 3 5300G wins on single-thread speed per core and platform flexibility. Its 4.00 GHz base and 4.20 GHz boost clocks are far higher than the Atom's 2.20 GHz base, and the Cinebench single-core scores prove it: essentially identical results from a quarter of the cores. The unlocked multiplier on the Ryzen allows overclocking; the Atom's multiplier is locked. The integrated Radeon Vega 6 graphics mean the Ryzen can drive a display with no discrete GPU at all, something the Atom cannot do. Its higher memory bandwidth, 51.2 GB/s versus 42.7 GB/s, is another small edge.

Specification Differences

The fields where these two processors differ, per the recorded data:

• Cores/Threads: 4 cores, 8 threads (Ryzen) versus 16 cores, 16 threads (Atom)
• Clocks: 4.00 GHz base, 4.20 GHz boost (Ryzen) versus 2.20 GHz base, no listed boost (Atom)
• TDP: 65 W (Ryzen) versus 71 W (Atom)
• Socket: AMD Socket AM4 (Ryzen) versus Intel BGA 2106, soldered (Atom)
• Architecture: Zen 3, Cezanne codename (Ryzen) versus Tremont, Snow Ridge codename (Atom)
• Process: TSMC 7 nm (Ryzen) versus Intel 10 nm (Atom)
• Cache: 512 KB L2 per core plus 8 MB L3 (Ryzen) versus 4.5 MB L2 per module, no L3 (Atom)
• Memory bandwidth: 51.2 GB/s (Ryzen) versus 42.7 GB/s (Atom)
• ECC: not supported (Ryzen) versus supported (Atom)
• Integrated graphics: Radeon Vega 6 (Ryzen) versus none (Atom)
• Market segment: Desktop (Ryzen) versus Server/Workstation (Atom)
• Release: April 2021 (Ryzen) versus June 2022 (Atom)
• Multiplier: unlocked (Ryzen) versus locked (Atom)
• Launch MSRP: not recorded for the Ryzen; $708 for the Atom

Shared attributes include DDR4 support, a dual-channel memory bus, PCIe Gen 3 with 16 CPU lanes, active production status, and identical 64 KB per-core L1 caches.

FAQ

Q: Which processor is faster in benchmarks?

A: The Intel Atom P5342 wins all six head-to-head Cinebench tests, but every margin is 0.6 percent. The two chips are effectively equal in performance, with the Ryzen at the 54th percentile and the Atom at the 53rd percentile of the database.

Q: How can a 16-core Atom match a 4-core Ryzen?

A: Clock speeds explain it. The Ryzen runs at a 4.00 GHz base and 4.20 GHz boost, while the Atom's cores run at a 2.20 GHz base with no listed boost. Sixteen slow cores land at nearly the same total throughput as four fast ones with SMT.

Q: Does either processor have integrated graphics?

A: The Ryzen 3 5300G includes Radeon Vega 6 graphics. The Atom P5342 has none, so it needs a discrete solution or a headless setup.

Q: Which one supports ECC memory?

A: The Atom P5342 supports ECC. The Ryzen 3 5300G does not.

Q: Can either processor be overclocked?

A: The Ryzen 3 5300G has an unlocked multiplier. The Atom P5342's multiplier is locked.

Q: What does each chip compete against?

A: The Ryzen 3 5300G matches the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 2600, Intel Core i5-11400T, Intel Core i5-11500T, and Intel Xeon E-2374G. The Atom P5342 matches the AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 5350GE, AMD Ryzen 7 4800U, Intel Core i5-1240P, and Intel Core i3-13100T.

The Verdict

The data describes a performance tie wrapped around two very different machines. For a desktop build, the Ryzen 3 5300G is the clear fit: matching benchmark output, higher memory bandwidth, an unlocked multiplier, integrated Vega 6 graphics that eliminate the need for a discrete GPU, and a standard AM4 socket on an active platform. It delivers identical Cinebench results to a 16-core server part while using fewer watts of TDP.

The Atom P5342 answers a different question. Its case rests on parallelism and reliability: sixteen physical cores, ECC memory support, and a server/workstation segment designation, soldered to its BGA 2106 board. For workloads that prize many independent threads and memory integrity over per-thread responsiveness, the Atom provides equivalent measured performance with server-grade features.

If the decision comes down to the benchmark scores alone, there is no meaningful winner: 0.6 percent separates them everywhere. The deciding factors are the feature set, integrated graphics and overclocking on one side, ECC and core count on the other.