AMD Ryzen 5 3501U vs AMD Ryzen 7 9700F Comparison

The AMD Ryzen 5 3501U and the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F occupy opposite ends of the performance spectrum. The database records the Ryzen 5 3501U as a 4-core, 4-thread mobile processor from the 3000 series, built on a 12 nm process. The Ryzen 7 9700F is an 8-core, 16-thread desktop part from the 9000 series, built on a 4 nm process. The benchmark results show a complete sweep: the Ryzen 7 9700F wins all 11 recorded head-to-head tests. The average benchmark score for the Ryzen 5 3501U is 14,320, while the Ryzen 7 9700F posts an average of 69,996. The percentile ranking places the Ryzen 5 3501U at the 69th percentile of all CPUs, while the Ryzen 7 9700F sits at the 94th percentile. The following analysis breaks down the recorded data to explain where each processor wins, which one suits which workload, and the architectural reasons behind the performance gap.

Where Each One Wins

The recorded data shows no benchmark category where the AMD Ryzen 5 3501U comes out ahead. Across all 11 head-to-head tests, the Ryzen 7 9700F holds the winning score. The closest margin appears in the single-thread tests, where the Ryzen 5 3501U scores 2,136 and the Ryzen 7 9700F scores 4,691, a delta of -54.5%. While still a decisive loss, this is the narrowest gap in the entire comparison. The Ryzen 5 3501U is therefore relatively less disadvantaged in lightly threaded workloads than in heavily parallel ones.

The Ryzen 7 9700F wins by its largest margin in the extended instructions test, where it scores 33,688 against the Ryzen 5 3501U's 3,274, a delta of -90.3%. This indicates that the Ryzen 7 9700F is dramatically stronger in workloads that use advanced instruction sets. The find prime numbers test shows a similar trend, with the Ryzen 7 9700F scoring 183 versus 21, a delta of -88.5%. These two tests are the largest proportional wins for the Ryzen 7 9700F.

For the Ryzen 5 3501U, the only competitive area is single-thread performance. The 54.5% deficit in the single-thread test is smaller than the 80.6% deficit in the multithread test. The data suggests that the Ryzen 5 3501U can handle simple, single-threaded tasks with less relative penalty, but it cannot match the Ryzen 7 9700F in any absolute sense. The Ryzen 5 3501U also records a score of 14,320 average, which places it near rivals like the AMD Ryzen Embedded V2546 (14,336, -0.1%) and the AMD Ryzen 3 7320C (14,277, 0.3%). The Ryzen 7 9700F, by contrast, sits near the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX (69,875, 0.2%) and the Intel Core i7-14700KF (70,163, -0.2%). The Ryzen 5 3501U is competitive within its own tier, but it is not in the same tier as the Ryzen 7 9700F.

The Verdict

The data points to a clear split in use cases. The Ryzen 5 3501U is a mobile processor with a 15 W TDP, an integrated Radeon Vega 8 GPU, and a 69th percentile ranking. Its average benchmark score of 14,320 puts it in line with the AMD Ryzen Embedded V2546 and the Intel Core 7 160UL. This processor is intended for low-power, portable systems where the integrated graphics matter and the CPU load is moderate.

The Ryzen 7 9700F is a desktop processor with a 65 W TDP, no integrated graphics, and a 94th percentile ranking. Its average benchmark score of 69,996 places it alongside the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX and the Intel Core i7-14700K. This processor is designed for high-performance desktop builds where a discrete GPU is present and multi-threaded workloads are common.

The selection between the two is therefore dictated by platform and workload. A user building a desktop system with a dedicated graphics card and demanding multi-threaded applications should choose the Ryzen 7 9700F. A user needing a low-power mobile chip with integrated graphics for everyday tasks would use the Ryzen 5 3501U. The benchmark data does not support choosing the Ryzen 5 3501U for raw performance, as it loses all 11 recorded tests.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The multithread test shows a score of 7,071 for the Ryzen 5 3501U and 36,470 for the Ryzen 7 9700F, a delta of -80.6%. This is a direct reflection of the core and thread count difference. The Ryzen 5 3501U has 4 cores and 4 threads, while the Ryzen 7 9700F has 8 cores and 16 threads. The Ryzen 7 9700F's multithread score is more than five times higher, which aligns with its additional processing resources.

The single-thread test records 2,136 for the Ryzen 5 3501U and 4,691 for the Ryzen 7 9700F, a delta of -54.5%. This is the smallest gap in the entire head-to-head set. The Ryzen 7 9700F still delivers more than double the single-thread performance, but the margin is less extreme than in multi-threaded tests. The single-thread advantage comes from the Ryzen 7 9700F's higher boost clock of 5.50 GHz against the Ryzen 5 3501U's 3.70 GHz, as well as the newer Zen 5 architecture.

The integer math test shows 26,321 for the Ryzen 5 3501U and 120,788 for the Ryzen 7 9700F, a delta of -78.2%. The floating point math test shows 12,707 versus 77,955, a delta of -83.7%. Both tests confirm that the Ryzen 7 9700F is substantially faster in arithmetic-heavy workloads, with the floating point gap being slightly larger.

The data compression test records 87,380 for the Ryzen 5 3501U and 421,988 for the Ryzen 7 9700F, a delta of -79.3%. The data encryption test shows 5,580 versus 21,488, a delta of -74%. The random string sorting test shows 10,414 versus 45,890, a delta of -77.3%. The extended instructions test shows the largest delta at -90.3%, with scores of 3,274 and 33,688. The find prime numbers test shows a delta of -88.5%, with scores of 21 and 183. The physics test shows a delta of -77.2%, with scores of 483 and 2,122.

Every single head-to-head test records a winner of AMD Ryzen 7 9700F. The deltas range from -54.5% in single-thread tests to -90.3% in extended instructions. The Ryzen 5 3501U has no wins in the recorded set, with the wins tally showing 0 for the Ryzen 5 3501U and 11 for the Ryzen 7 9700F.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 9700F has an average benchmark score of 69,996, while the AMD Ryzen 5 3501U has an average benchmark score of 14,320.

Q: What is the biggest performance gap between the two processors?

A: The largest delta is in the extended instructions test, where the Ryzen 7 9700F scores 33,688 and the Ryzen 5 3501U scores 3,274, a delta of -90.3%.

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

A: No. The recorded data shows 11 wins for the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F and 0 wins for the AMD Ryzen 5 3501U across all head-to-head benchmarks.

Q: How do the two processors compare in single-thread performance?

A: The Ryzen 7 9700F scores 4,691 in the single-thread test, while the Ryzen 5 3501U scores 2,136, a delta of -54.5%. This is the narrowest margin in the comparison.

Q: What is the difference in multithread performance?

A: The Ryzen 7 9700F scores 36,470 in the multithread test, while the Ryzen 5 3501U scores 7,071, a delta of -80.6%.

Q: Which processor has integrated graphics?

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 3501U has Radeon Vega 8 integrated graphics. The AMD Ryzen 7 9700F has no integrated graphics, listed as N/A.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from different architectural generations. The Ryzen 5 3501U uses the Picasso codename and is a Zen+ based design, while the Ryzen 7 9700F uses the Granite Ridge codename and is a Zen 5 design. The process nodes differ significantly. The Ryzen 5 3501U is built on a 12 nm process by GlobalFoundries, while the Ryzen 7 9700F is built on a 4 nm process by TSMC. The transistor count reflects this difference: the Ryzen 5 3501U has 4,940 million transistors on a 210 mm² die, while the Ryzen 7 9700F has 8,315 million transistors on a 70.6 mm² die.

The cache hierarchy differs as well. The Ryzen 5 3501U has 96 KB of L1 cache per core, 512 KB of L2 cache per core, and 4 MB of shared L3 cache. The Ryzen 7 9700F has 80 KB of L1 cache per core, 1 MB of L2 cache per core, and 32 MB of shared L3 cache. The L3 cache difference is substantial: 4 MB versus 32 MB. The L2 cache per core is also double on the Ryzen 7 9700F.

The memory support is another major architectural difference. The Ryzen 5 3501U supports DDR4 memory with a dual-channel bus and a memory bandwidth of 38.4 GB/s. The Ryzen 7 9700F supports DDR5 memory with a dual-channel bus and a memory bandwidth of 89.6 GB/s. The Ryzen 5 3501U does not support ECC memory, while the Ryzen 7 9700F does.

The PCIe capabilities differ. The Ryzen 5 3501U uses PCIe Gen 3. The Ryzen 7 9700F uses PCIe Gen 5 with 24 lanes for the CPU. The integrated graphics also separate the two: the Ryzen 5 3501U includes Radeon Vega 8, while the Ryzen 7 9700F has no integrated graphics. The Ryzen 7 9700F has an unlocked multiplier, while the Ryzen 5 3501U does not.

Specification Differences

The core and thread counts are a primary specification difference. The Ryzen 5 3501U has 4 cores and 4 threads, while the Ryzen 7 9700F has 8 cores and 16 threads. The base clock of the Ryzen 5 3501U is 2.10 GHz, while the Ryzen 7 9700F has a base clock of 3.80 GHz. The boost clock is 3.70 GHz for the Ryzen 5 3501U and 5.50 GHz for the Ryzen 7 9700F.

The TDP is 15 W for the Ryzen 5 3501U and 65 W for the Ryzen 7 9700F. The sockets are different: the Ryzen 5 3501U uses AMD Socket FP5, while the Ryzen 7 9700F uses AMD Socket AM5. The market segment is Mobile for the Ryzen 5 3501U and Desktop for the Ryzen 7 9700F.

The process node is 12 nm for the Ryzen 5 3501U and 4 nm for the Ryzen 7 9700F. The foundry is GlobalFoundries for the Ryzen 5 3501U and TSMC for the Ryzen 7 9700F. The transistor counts are 4,940 million and 8,315 million, respectively. The die sizes are 210 mm² and 70.6 mm².

The cache specifications differ. L1 cache is 96 KB per core on the Ryzen 5 3501U and 80 KB per core on the Ryzen 7 9700F. L2 cache is 512 KB per core versus 1 MB per core. L3 cache is 4 MB shared versus 32 MB shared.

Memory support is DDR4 for the Ryzen 5 3501U and DDR5 for the Ryzen 7 9700F. Memory bandwidth is 38.4 GB/s versus 89.6 GB/s. ECC memory support is absent on the Ryzen 5 3501U and present on the Ryzen 7 9700F. PCIe is Gen 3 for the Ryzen 5 3501U and Gen 5 with 24 lanes for the Ryzen 7 9700F.

Integrated graphics are present on the Ryzen 5 3501U (Radeon Vega 8) and absent on the Ryzen 7 9700F. The multiplier is locked on the Ryzen 5 3501U and unlocked on the Ryzen 7 9700F. The release dates are also different, with the Ryzen 5 3501U listed as 2026-05-31 and the Ryzen 7 9700F as 2025-09-15. The Ryzen 7 9700F has a launch MSRP of $289. The part numbers are YM3501C4T4MFG for the Ryzen 5 3501U and 100-000001902 for the Ryzen 7 9700F.