AMD Ryzen 5 3501U vs Intel Core 5 330 Comparison

The Verdict

The benchmark data presents a decisive outcome: the Intel Core 5 330 wins every single head-to-head test recorded in the database, 11 wins to 0 for the AMD Ryzen 5 3501U. The Intel part holds an average benchmark score of 18345 against 14320 for the AMD, placing it in the 72nd percentile of all CPUs compared to the AMD's 69th percentile. The Core 5 330 also sits in a stronger competitive bracket, trading blows with the Intel Core 7 360 (0.2% lower score) and the Intel Core i3-14100 (0.1% higher), while the Ryzen 5 3501U matches the AMD Ryzen Embedded V2546 within 0.1%.

For buyers choosing between these two mobile processors, the data points clearly to the Intel Core 5 330. It delivers a 54.3% higher multi-thread score, a 47.7% higher single-thread score, and leads in every computational category from encryption to floating-point math. The AMD Ryzen 5 3501U is not without merit: it uses a mature platform with dual-channel memory support and a lower launch position in the database, but its performance ceiling is measurably lower across the board. The Core 5 330 is the pick for any workload where speed matters, while the Ryzen 5 3501U could serve scenarios prioritizing the AMD ecosystem or dual-channel memory architecture, though the recorded data offers no benchmark where it wins outright.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from fundamentally different design generations. The AMD Ryzen 5 3501U is a 3000 series part built on the Picasso architecture, using AMD's Zen+ microarchitecture on a 12 nm process node fabricated by GlobalFoundries. It integrates 4,940 million transistors on a 210 mm² die. The Intel Core 5 330 belongs to the Wildcat Lake generation, using Intel's 3 nm process node, with no transistor or die size figures recorded in the database. The process node gap alone, 12 nm versus 3 nm, explains much of the efficiency and performance differential.

Core and thread counts diverge sharply. The AMD offers 4 cores and 4 threads, meaning no simultaneous multithreading. The Intel offers 6 cores and 6 threads, also without hyper-threading, but with two additional physical cores. Clock speeds tell a similar story: the Ryzen 5 3501U runs a 2.10 GHz base clock and a 3.70 GHz boost clock, while the Core 5 330 starts lower at 1.50 GHz base but boosts much higher to 4.60 GHz. That 0.90 GHz boost advantage explains the Intel part's single-thread dominance.

Cache hierarchies also differ. The AMD part allocates 96 KB of L1 per core, 512 KB of L2 per core, and 4 MB of shared L3. The Intel part lists 192 KB of L1, 2.5 MB of L2, and 6 MB of shared L3. The Intel cache totals are both larger in aggregate and positioned closer to the CPU, reinforcing its per-core performance edge.

Memory support represents a major architectural split. The AMD Ryzen 5 3501U uses DDR4 memory on a dual-channel bus with 38.4 GB/s of bandwidth. The Intel Core 5 330 supports DDR5 and LPDDR5X on a single-channel bus, yet still reaches 59.7 GB/s of memory bandwidth. That is a 55.5% higher memory bandwidth figure despite the single-channel configuration, a direct result of the newer memory standard. Neither processor supports ECC memory.

PCIe connectivity favors Intel as well. The Core 5 330 uses PCIe Gen 4 with 6 CPU lanes, while the Ryzen 5 3501U is limited to PCIe Gen 3. Integrated graphics differ: the AMD uses Radeon Vega 8, while the Intel uses Xe3 Graphics with 2 Xe cores. Both are mobile-segment parts, both are actively in production, and both have locked multipliers. The Intel part carries a launch MSRP of $309. The AMD part's launch MSRP is not recorded in the database.

Where Each One Wins

The recorded head-to-head benchmarks show no wins for the AMD Ryzen 5 3501U. Every one of the 11 tests favors the Intel Core 5 330. That does not mean the AMD chip lacks any useful position; it simply wins nowhere in the measured data.

The Intel Core 5 330 shows its largest advantages in compute-heavy workloads. The extended instructions test delivers a 74.4% lead, floating-point math a 71.0% lead, and prime number finding an 81.6% lead. These are the widest margins in the dataset. Encryption and compression workloads also favor Intel heavily: data encryption shows a 49.6% gap, data compression a 39.9% gap. The Intel part leads multithreaded performance by 54.3% and physics calculations by 59.8%, making it the clear choice for rendering, simulation, or any heavily threaded task.

The AMD Ryzen 5 3501U's closest relative performance comes in integer math, where the Intel lead narrows to 20.9%, and random string sorting, where the gap is 41.4%. Even in its best categories, the AMD chip still trails by a substantial margin. The single-thread results reinforce the pattern: the Core 5 330 scores 4088 against 2136, a 47.7% advantage. For users running single-threaded applications, the Intel part offers nearly double the throughput. The data shows no scenario in which the Ryzen 5 3501U emerges ahead, so the practical choice depends entirely on platform preference or ecosystem requirements rather than measured performance.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The Intel Core 5 330 records an average benchmark score of 18345, while the AMD Ryzen 5 3501U records 14320, a difference of roughly 28%.

Q: How do the core counts compare between the two chips?

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 3501U has 4 cores and 4 threads. The Intel Core 5 330 has 6 cores and 6 threads, giving it two additional physical cores.

Q: What is the memory bandwidth difference?

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 3501U uses dual-channel DDR4 with 38.4 GB/s of bandwidth. The Intel Core 5 330 uses single-channel DDR5 or LPDDR5X with 59.7 GB/s, a 55.5% higher figure.

Q: Does the AMD processor win any head-to-head benchmark?

A: No. The database records 11 head-to-head tests, and the Intel Core 5 330 wins all 11, with the AMD Ryzen 5 3501U recording zero wins.

Q: How do the boost clocks differ?

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 3501U boosts to 3.70 GHz, while the Intel Core 5 330 boosts to 4.60 GHz, a 0.90 GHz advantage for Intel.

Q: What is the process node for each processor?

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 3501U is built on a 12 nm process by GlobalFoundries. The Intel Core 5 330 is built on a 3 nm process by Intel.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The largest single victory for the Intel Core 5 330 comes in the prime number finding test. The Intel part scores 114 against 21 for the AMD Ryzen 5 3501U, an 81.6% lead. This test stresses integer iteration and branch prediction, areas where the newer architecture and higher boost clock dominate.

Extended instructions show a 74.4% gap. The Intel Core 5 330 scores 12808, the AMD 3274. This workload benefits from the Intel part's superior instruction handling and larger cache pool. Floating-point math follows at 71.0%: Intel 43885, AMD 12707. Physics calculations favor Intel by 59.8%, with scores of 1201 and 483 respectively.

The multithreaded benchmark shows why core count matters. Intel scores 15471, AMD scores 7071, a 54.3% margin. The two additional cores plus the higher boost clock produce a result that is not merely incremental but transformative for threaded workloads. Data encryption shows a 49.6% gap (11076 versus 5580), and single-thread performance shows a 47.7% gap (4088 versus 2136).

Random string sorting narrows the spread somewhat: Intel 17771, AMD 10414, a 41.4% lead. Data compression shows Intel 145287 against AMD 87380, a 39.9% margin. The closest test in the entire dataset is integer math, where Intel scores 33258 and AMD scores 26321, a 20.9% gap. Even that narrowest margin still represents a meaningful defeat for the AMD part. Across all tests, the Intel Core 5 330 maintains a consistent advantage that never falls below 20.9% and often exceeds 70%. The AMD Ryzen 5 3501U's best result, integer math, is still its worst relative performance for Intel, showing that the architectural gap between these two mobile processors is both wide and uniform.