AMD Ryzen 5 3501U vs Intel Core i3-10320 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark data presents a decisive overall picture, but the story is more nuanced than a simple tally of wins. The Intel Core i3-10320 wins 10 of the 11 recorded head-to-head comparisons, with the AMD Ryzen 5 3501U taking only a single victory. However, the magnitude of those wins varies wildly, and the one AMD triumph is notable for its direction.

Starting with the Intel victories, the most lopsided result comes in extended instructions, where the Core i3-10320 scores 9284 against the Ryzen 5 3501U's 3274, a 183.6% advantage. This is a massive gap that suggests the Intel part is substantially better equipped for workloads leveraging advanced SIMD or cryptographic instruction sets. Random string sorting also shows a wide gulf, with Intel at 17821 versus AMD's 10414, a 71.1% lead, indicating stronger memory access patterns or better cache handling for pointer-chasing workloads.

Data compression continues the trend, with the Intel chip scoring 140255 compared to 87380 for the AMD, a 60.5% delta. Floating point math follows at 53.3% (19483 vs 12707), while prime number finding shows a 52.4% difference (32 vs 21), a smaller absolute gap but still a clear edge. Multithread performance favors Intel by 41.2% (9982 vs 7071), and physics calculations show a 42.7% lead (689 vs 483). Even integer math, often a closer contest, lands at an 18% advantage for Intel (31071 vs 26321). Single-thread performance is also firmly in Intel's court, with a 33% lead (2841 vs 2136).

The single AMD win is in data encryption, where the Ryzen 5 3501U scores 5580 against Intel's 3458, a 38% reversal. This is a significant outlier. It implies that AMD's Picasso architecture has a hardware advantage in encryption-related operations, likely tied to its integrated security features or different instruction scheduling. This is not a trivial result; for anyone running full-disk encryption or VPN traffic, the Ryzen part would demonstrably handle that specific load better.

Contextualizing the Core i3-10320 against its own nearest rivals, its average benchmark score is 14852, which sits 1.7% above the Intel Core i5-9600K (14605) and is only 0.2% below the Intel Core i7-9750H (14886). The Ryzen 5 3501U, meanwhile, has an average score of 14320, placing it 0.1% above the AMD Ryzen Embedded V2546 (14336) and 0.3% below the AMD Ryzen 3 7320C (14277). Both chips land in the 69th percentile of all CPUs in the database, meaning they occupy similar overall performance strata despite the head-to-head deltas.

Architecture Differences

The two processors diverge sharply in their fundamental designs, which explains the benchmark splits. The Intel Core i3-10320 is a desktop part built on Intel's 14 nm process, using the Comet Lake architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads, with base and boost clocks of 3.80 GHz and 4.60 GHz respectively. Its cache layout is 64 KB of L1 per core, 256 KB of L2 per core, and 8 MB of shared L3. The chip draws a TDP of 91 watts and uses the Intel Socket 1200. It supports DDR4 memory on a dual-channel bus with a theoretical bandwidth of 42.7 GB/s, and it offers PCIe Gen 3 with 16 lanes from the CPU.

The AMD Ryzen 5 3501U is a mobile processor, fabricated by GlobalFoundries on a 12 nm node. It uses the Picasso codename, which is built on the Zen+ microarchitecture. It also has 4 cores, but only 4 threads, meaning it lacks simultaneous multithreading. Its clocks are much lower: 2.10 GHz base and 3.70 GHz boost. The TDP is dramatically lower at 15 watts, fitting its mobile Socket FP5 package. The cache hierarchy differs: 96 KB of L1 per core, 512 KB of L2 per core, and just 4 MB of shared L3. Transistor count is listed at 4,940 million on a 210 mm² die, while the Intel part has no transistor or die size figures recorded. Memory bandwidth is lower at 38.4 GB/s, though it still uses dual-channel DDR4. The AMD chip's PCIe implementation is simply labeled Gen 3 without a lane count.

The process node difference (14 nm vs 12 nm) is less significant than the architectural philosophies. Intel's Comet Lake is a refined version of an older design with high clock speeds, while AMD's Picasso is a Zen+ derivative optimized for power efficiency. The thread count difference is critical: Intel has 8 threads versus AMD's 4, which directly contributes to the multithread benchmark gap (41.2%). The L3 cache difference (8 MB vs 4 MB) also favors Intel, likely explaining the compression and string sorting advantages.

Where Each One Wins

The data paints a clear picture of workload suitability. The Intel Core i3-10320 is the dominant choice for any compute-heavy, multi-threaded, or single-threaded performance task. Its 33% single-thread lead over the AMD chip means everyday responsiveness, office work, and lightly threaded applications will feel noticeably snappier on Intel. The 41.2% multithread advantage extends to video encoding, 3D rendering, and software compilation, where the extra threads and higher clocks translate directly into faster completion times. The 183.6% edge in extended instructions makes Intel the clear pick for scientific computing, image processing, or any software leveraging AVX2 or similar extensions. Even integer-heavy workloads like data compression (60.5% ahead) favor Intel.

The AMD Ryzen 5 3501U has a narrow but real niche: data encryption. Its 38% lead in that specific benchmark is the only category where it wins, and it is worth taking seriously for security-focused workloads. For users running BitLocker, LUKS, or heavy TLS termination, the AMD chip would show measurable improvements. That said, the Ryzen part's 15 watt TDP versus Intel's 91 watts suggests it is designed for sustained operation in thin-and-light laptops where thermals are constrained. The benchmark scores do not reflect power efficiency directly, but the TDP difference implies the AMD chip could deliver its performance without thermal throttling in a compact chassis, whereas the Intel chip would require a substantial cooling solution.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has higher single-thread performance?

A: The Intel Core i3-10320 wins single-thread benchmarks decisively, scoring 2841 versus the AMD Ryzen 5 3501U's 2136, a 33% advantage.

Q: Is the AMD Ryzen 5 3501U better at any benchmark?

A: Yes, the Ryzen 5 3501U wins the data encryption test, scoring 5580 against Intel's 3458, a 38% lead. This is the only benchmark where AMD takes the win.

Q: How do the core and thread counts compare?

A: Both chips have 4 cores, but the Intel Core i3-10320 has 8 threads while the AMD Ryzen 5 3501U has only 4 threads, giving Intel a significant multithreading advantage.

Q: What are the clock speed differences?

A: The Intel chip runs at a 3.80 GHz base and 4.60 GHz boost, while the AMD chip operates at 2.10 GHz base and 3.70 GHz boost, which explains Intel's single-thread dominance.

Q: How does the cache configuration differ?

A: Intel provides 64 KB L1 and 256 KB L2 per core, with 8 MB shared L3. AMD provides 96 KB L1 and 512 KB L2 per core, but only 4 MB shared L3.

Q: Which processor has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The Intel Core i3-10320 has an average benchmark score of 14852, compared to the AMD Ryzen 5 3501U's 14320, a difference of about 3.7%.

The Verdict

The data is unambiguous for most use cases. The Intel Core i3-10320 should be the choice for any desktop user prioritizing raw performance, whether for gaming, content creation, or heavy multitasking. Its wins span every major compute category except encryption, and its 8 threads and higher clocks make it the superior engine for parallel workloads. The 69th percentile ranking for both chips in the database masks the fact that Intel is consistently faster across the board.

The AMD Ryzen 5 3501U makes sense only in a specific scenario: a thin-and-light laptop where power draw is paramount and the workload is encryption-heavy. Its 15 watt TDP is one-sixth of Intel's 91 watt figure, which is a massive efficiency gap that the benchmarks do not capture. For a user who values battery life and portability above all else, and who works primarily with encrypted data streams, the AMD chip could be justified. But for anyone asking which processor is faster, the recorded scores point to Intel every time, with an average score lead of roughly 532 points and a head-to-head win rate of 10 out of 11.

Specification Differences

| Specification | Intel Core i3-10320 | AMD Ryzen 5 3501U |

|----------------|---------------------|-------------------|

| Series | Core 10th Gen | 3000 series |

| Manufacturer | Intel | AMD |

| Base Clock | 3.80 GHz | 2.10 GHz |

| Boost Clock | 4.60 GHz | 3.70 GHz |

| TDP | 91 W | 15 W |

| Socket | Intel Socket 1200 | AMD Socket FP5 |

| Process Node | 14 nm | 12 nm |

| Foundry | Intel | GlobalFoundries |

| Codename | Comet Lake | Picasso |

| Transistors | Not recorded | 4,940 million |

| Die Size | Not recorded | 210 mm² |

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

| L2 Cache | 256 KB (per core) | 512 KB (per core) |

| L3 Cache | 8 MB (shared) | 4 MB (shared) |

| Memory Bandwidth | 42.7 GB/s | 38.4 GB/s |

| PCIe | Gen 3, 16 Lanes (CPU only) | Gen 3 |

| Integrated Graphics | UHD Graphics 630 | Radeon Vega 8 |

| Market Segment | Desktop | Mobile |

| Release Date | 2020-04-29 | 2026-05-31 |

| Part Number | SRH3G | YM3501C4T4MFG |

| Threads | 8 | 4 |