AMD Ryzen 5 3501U vs AMD Ryzen Embedded 9900X3D Comparison

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Ryzen 5 3501U and the AMD Ryzen Embedded 9900X3D target entirely different market segments, and the recorded data reflects that split clearly. The Ryzen 5 3501U is a mobile processor in the 3000 series, built on the Picasso architecture with a 15 W TDP. Its benchmark profile is fully populated, with an average benchmark score of 14,320 and a percentile rank of 69 among all CPUs. The Ryzen Embedded 9900X3D, by contrast, is a desktop-class embedded part in the 9000 series, built on Granite Ridge with a 120 W TDP. The database currently has no recorded benchmark scores for the 9900X3D, which means direct wins cannot be assigned from measurements.

The Ryzen 5 3501U wins in every category where data exists, simply because it is the only one of the two with recorded results. Its single-thread score of 2,136 and multi-thread score of 7,071 are the only measured points of comparison available. The 9900X3D has an average benchmark score of 0 and no nearest rivals, so the database cannot confirm any performance advantage for it at this time. The wins for the 3501U are therefore all measured wins across the PassMark suite, while the 9900X3D has no measured wins in the current data.

The use-case split is one of mobility versus embedded compute. The 3501U, with its 15 W TDP, 4 cores, and Radeon Vega 8 integrated graphics, is positioned for thin-and-light mobile systems. The 9900X3D, with 12 cores, 24 threads, 128 MB of L3 cache, and a 120 W TDP, is positioned for embedded desktop workloads where core count and cache capacity matter more than power efficiency. The absence of benchmark data for the 9900X3D means the database cannot yet quantify how its larger core and cache configuration translates into measured performance.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has more cores?

A: The AMD Ryzen Embedded 9900X3D has 12 cores and 24 threads, while the AMD Ryzen 5 3501U has 4 cores and 4 threads.

Q: Which processor has a higher boost clock?

A: The AMD Ryzen Embedded 9900X3D boosts to 5.50 GHz, compared to the AMD Ryzen 5 3501U's boost clock of 3.70 GHz.

Q: Which processor supports ECC memory?

A: The AMD Ryzen Embedded 9900X3D supports ECC memory, while the AMD Ryzen 5 3501U does not.

Q: Which processor has a larger L3 cache?

A: The AMD Ryzen Embedded 9900X3D has 128 MB of shared L3 cache, whereas the AMD Ryzen 5 3501U has 4 MB of shared L3 cache.

Q: Which processor has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 3501U has an average benchmark score of 14,320, while the AMD Ryzen Embedded 9900X3D currently has no recorded average benchmark score.

Q: Which processor uses a newer process node?

A: The AMD Ryzen Embedded 9900X3D is built on a 4 nm process from TSMC, while the AMD Ryzen 5 3501U uses a 12 nm process from GlobalFoundries.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head benchmark list in the database is empty, so the comparison relies on the Ryzen 5 3501U's recorded PassMark scores and the 9900X3D's lack of recorded scores. The 3501U's strongest results come in data compression, where it scores 87,380, and integer math, where it scores 26,321. Floating-point math reaches 12,707, random string sorting reaches 10,414, and data encryption reaches 5,580. Extended instruction testing yields 3,274, while physics scores 483 and prime number finding scores only 21. The single-thread score of 2,136 and multi-thread score of 7,071 round out the full profile.

The 9900X3D has no benchmark entries, so there are no exact deltas to cite between the two processors. The nearest rivals for the 3501U provide context for its performance tier. The AMD Ryzen Embedded V2546 scores 14,336, placing it 0.1% ahead of the 3501U. The AMD Ryzen 3 7320C scores 14,277, 0.3% behind. The Intel Core 7 160UL scores 14,232, 0.6% behind, and the Intel Core i5-10400F scores 14,185, 1% behind. These deltas show that the 3501U sits in a tightly packed performance band where a 1% swing separates four competitors.

Because the 9900X3D lacks recorded measurements, the database cannot produce a single head-to-head delta between the two. The 3501U's percentile rank of 69 places it above the median CPU in the database, while the 9900X3D's percentile rank of 50 is a placeholder value tied to its zero average score, not a measured outcome. The practical interpretation is that the 3501U has a fully characterized performance profile, while the 9900X3D remains unmeasured.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ across nearly every specification field. The Ryzen 5 3501U has 4 cores and 4 threads, while the Ryzen Embedded 9900X3D has 12 cores and 24 threads. Base clocks are 2.10 GHz for the 3501U and 4.40 GHz for the 9900X3D, with boost clocks of 3.70 GHz and 5.50 GHz respectively. TDP ratings are 15 W for the mobile part and 120 W for the embedded desktop part.

Memory support differs entirely. The 3501U uses DDR4 with dual-channel memory and a memory bandwidth of 38.4 GB/s, with no ECC support. The 9900X3D uses DDR5 with dual-channel memory and a memory bandwidth of 89.6 GB/s, with ECC support enabled. PCIe generations also differ: the 3501U is Gen 3, while the 9900X3D is Gen 5 with 24 lanes on the CPU only.

The sockets are different as well. The 3501U uses AMD Socket FP5, while the 9900X3D uses AMD Socket AM5. The multiplier is locked on the 3501U and unlocked on the 9900X3D. Integrated graphics differ: the 3501U has Radeon Vega 8, while the 9900X3D has a generic Radeon Graphics solution. The 3501U targets the mobile market segment, and the 9900X3D targets the desktop segment. Both are listed as active in production, and neither has a launch MSRP recorded in the database.

Architecture Differences

The architecture gap between the two is substantial. The Ryzen 5 3501U is a Picasso part from the Zen+ generation, manufactured on a 12 nm process at GlobalFoundries. It contains 4,940 million transistors on a 210 mm² die. Its cache layout is 96 KB of L1 per core, 512 KB of L2 per core, and 4 MB of shared L3 cache. The 3501U has no 3D V-Cache.

The Ryzen Embedded 9900X3D is a Granite Ridge part from the Zen 5 generation, manufactured on a 4 nm process at TSMC. It contains 16,630 million transistors across a dual-die design with each die at 70.6 mm². Its cache layout is 80 KB of L1 per core, 1 MB of L2 per core, and 128 MB of L3 cache, which is the largest cache allocation in this comparison by a wide margin. The 128 MB L3 figure represents the 9900X3D's defining architectural feature, a 32-fold increase over the 3501U's 4 MB L3.

Cache organization differs beyond total capacity. The 3501U has 96 KB of L1 per core and 512 KB of L2 per core, while the 9900X3D has 80 KB of L1 per core and 1 MB of L2 per core. The 12-core part therefore has more L2 per core, but slightly less L1 per core. The L3 difference dominates, however, since the 9900X3D's 128 MB shared pool is intended to serve 12 cores with a massive working set, whereas the 3501U's 4 MB pool serves only 4 cores.

Process technology and foundry also separate the two. The 12 nm GlobalFoundries process for the 3501U represents an older node, while the 4 nm TSMC process for the 9900X3D represents a denser, more advanced node. Transistor counts reflect this: 4,940 million versus 16,630 million. The 9900X3D also has an unlocked multiplier, a feature absent from the 3501U, and its 24 PCIe Gen 5 lanes exceed the 3501U's Gen 3 connectivity. The architectural direction is clear: the 3501U is a power-efficient mobile chip from the Zen+ era, while the 9900X3D is a high-core-count, high-cache embedded desktop processor from the Zen 5 era. The database has not yet recorded benchmark scores for the 9900X3D, so the performance consequences of these architectural differences remain unquantified in the measured data.