AMD Ryzen 5 2600E vs AMD Ryzen 7 5700U Comparison

The AMD Ryzen 5 2600E and AMD Ryzen 7 5700U represent two distinct design philosophies from AMD: a desktop-focused, higher-power part from the 2000 series against a mobile-oriented, ultra-low-power chip from the 5000 series. The benchmark data reveals a fascinating split, where the older desktop chip wins in some intensive multi-threaded workloads while the newer mobile chip dominates the majority of tests, despite its drastically lower power envelope. This comparison is less about a clear winner and more about understanding which architectural and market priorities matter most for specific workloads.

Where Each One Wins

The Ryzen 5 2600E secures victories in 4 head-to-head comparisons, while the Ryzen 7 5700U wins 11. The 2600E’s wins are concentrated in specific, high-intensity CPU workloads. It takes the lead in Cinebench R23 multi-core and single-core tests, along with PassMark’s physics simulation and prime number finding. This suggests the desktop chip’s higher base clock and sustained power delivery give it an edge in bursty, latency-sensitive tasks that don't scale perfectly with core count.

The Ryzen 7 5700U, despite its 15W TDP, dominates the broader spectrum of tests. Its wins are particularly pronounced in memory and instruction-heavy workloads like PassMark’s extended instructions, floating-point math, and integer math. It also wins in data compression, data encryption, random string sorting, and the overall PassMark multi-thread and single-thread scores. The data shows the 5700U is the more versatile performer, with its 8 cores and 16 threads providing a stronger foundation for parallel tasks, while its newer architecture delivers superior per-clock efficiency.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gulf between these two is significant. The Ryzen 5 2600E is built on the original Zen architecture (specifically Zen+ Pinnacle Ridge) using a 12 nm process from GlobalFoundries. It has 6 cores and 12 threads, with a base clock of 3.10 GHz and a boost clock of 4.00 GHz. Its cache layout includes 96 KB of L1 per core, 512 KB of L2 per core, and a substantial 16 MB of shared L3 cache. This is a desktop part with a 65W TDP, designed for the AMD Socket AM4 platform.

In contrast, the Ryzen 7 5700U is a mobile chip based on Zen 2 (codenamed Lucienne), manufactured on a 7 nm process by TSMC. It packs 8 cores and 16 threads, but with a much lower base clock of 1800.00 MHz and a boost clock of 4.30 GHz. Its cache is smaller in total, with 64 KB of L1 per core, 512 KB of L2 per core, but only 8 MB of shared L3. It uses the AMD Socket FP6, has a TDP of just 15W, and integrates Radeon Graphics with 512 SPs. The 5700U also supports PCIe Gen 3 with 12 lanes and has a specified memory bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s. The 2600E has no integrated graphics listed. The die size also differs: the 2600E is larger at 192 mm² with 4,800 million transistors, while the 5700U is smaller at 156 mm² but packs 9,800 million transistors, highlighting the density advantage of the 7nm process.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The most striking result is the Cinebench R23 multi-core test, where the Ryzen 5 2600E scores 10494 against the 5700U’s 8650, a 21.3% lead for the desktop chip. This is counterintuitive given the 5700U’s extra 2 cores, but it indicates that the 2600E’s higher power budget and 4.00 GHz boost clock allow it to sustain heavy all-core loads more effectively. The 2600E also wins Cinebench R23 single-core with 1481 versus 1258, a 17.7% margin, and PassMark physics with 752 versus 622 (20.9% ahead). Its final win is in PassMark find prime numbers with a score of 32 versus 29 (10.3% ahead).

The 5700U’s wins are often by larger margins. Its biggest victory is in PassMark extended instructions, where it scores 13519 versus 6509, a massive 51.9% lead. This suggests the Zen 2 architecture has far superior SIMD and instruction-level throughput. It also dominates PassMark floating-point math (33151 vs 20970, 36.7% ahead) and integer math (60037 vs 39781, 33.7% ahead). In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the 5700U wins with 1480 versus 1057 (28.6% ahead), and in single-core with 188 versus 149 (20.7% ahead). The mobile chip also leads in PassMark multi-thread (15623 vs 12346, 21% ahead), data compression (218853 vs 173653, 20.7% ahead), random string sorting (23608 vs 20918, 11.4% ahead), and single-thread (2560 vs 2297, 10.3% ahead). Its narrowest win is in data encryption, with 12549 versus 12146 (3.2% ahead).

The Verdict

The data presents a clear, albeit nuanced, verdict. The Ryzen 7 5700U is the superior processor for the vast majority of workloads, offering significantly higher performance in most compute, compression, and instruction-heavy tasks. Its 11 wins out of 15 head-to-head benchmarks, including dominant margins in floating-point and integer math, make it the better all-rounder. The fact that it achieves this with a 15W TDP versus the 2600E’s 65W TDP underscores the massive efficiency gains of the 7nm Zen 2 architecture.

The Ryzen 5 2600E’s wins in Cinebench R23 and physics are noteworthy but appear to be anomalies tied to specific workload characteristics, likely related to its higher sustained clocks and larger L3 cache. However, its overall average benchmark score of 18230 is nearly identical to the 5700U’s 18176, and both CPUs sit at the 72nd percentile of all CPUs. This means that for typical users, the 5700U is the clear choice, offering more cores, better efficiency, and superior performance in most scenarios. The 2600E only makes sense for a niche user prioritizing the specific Cinebench R23 workloads, where it is 21.3% faster.

FAQ

Q: Which processor is faster in multi-core Cinebench R23?

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 2600E is significantly faster, scoring 10494 versus the Ryzen 7 5700U’s 8650, a 21.3% advantage.

Q: Does the Ryzen 7 5700U have an integrated GPU?

A: Yes, it features Radeon Graphics with 512 SPs, while the Ryzen 5 2600E has no integrated graphics listed.

Q: How do their average benchmark scores compare?

A: The Ryzen 5 2600E has an average benchmark score of 18230, while the Ryzen 7 5700U scores 18176. The difference is minimal (about 0.3%).

Q: Which CPU wins in PassMark floating-point math?

A: The Ryzen 7 5700U dominates this test with a score of 33151, compared to the Ryzen 5 2600E’s 20970, representing a 36.7% lead.

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

A: The Ryzen 5 2600E has 6 cores and 12 threads, while the Ryzen 7 5700U has 8 cores and 16 threads.

Q: In which test does the Ryzen 5 2600E have its largest winning margin?

A: Its largest win is in Cinebench R23 multi-core, where it is 21.3% ahead of the 5700U. Its other winning margins are 20.9% in PassMark physics and 17.7% in Cinebench R23 single-core.

Specification Differences

| Specification | AMD Ryzen 5 2600E | AMD Ryzen 7 5700U |

| :--- | :--- | :--- |

| Series | 2000 series | 5000 series |

| Cores | 6 | 8 |

| Threads | 12 | 16 |

| Base Clock | 3.10 GHz | 1800.00 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 4.00 GHz | 4.30 GHz |

| TDP | 65 W | 15 W |

| Socket | AMD Socket AM4 | AMD Socket FP6 |

| Architecture | Zen | Zen 2 |

| Codename | Zen | Lucienne |

| Process Node | 12 nm | 7 nm |

| Foundry | GlobalFoundries | TSMC |

| Transistors | 4,800 million | 9,800 million |

| Die Size | 192 mm² | 156 mm² |

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

| L3 Cache | 16 MB (shared) | 8 MB (shared) |

| Memory Bandwidth | Not listed | 51.2 GB/s |

| PCIe | Not listed | Gen 3, 12 Lanes (CPU only) |

| Integrated Graphics | None | Radeon Graphics 512SP |

| Market Segment | Desktop | Mobile |

| Release Date | 2018-09-18 | 2021-01-11 |

| Part Number | Not listed | 100-000000371 |