AMD Ryzen 5 3501U vs Intel Core i5-14500 Comparison

The AMD Ryzen 5 3501U and Intel Core i5-14500 occupy opposite ends of the performance spectrum, with the database recording 11 benchmark wins for the Intel part and zero for the AMD mobile chip. The Ryzen 5 3501U is a 15-watt mobile processor built for efficiency, while the Core i5-14500 is a 65-watt desktop processor with a hybrid core layout. The average benchmark scores illustrate the gap: the Intel part scores 38531, placing it in the 86th percentile of all CPUs, while the AMD part scores 14320, placing it in the 69th percentile.

Where Each One Wins

The Core i5-14500 wins every single head-to-head benchmark in the database. There is no workload category in the recorded measurements where the Ryzen 5 3501U takes a lead. The Intel part dominates both multi-threaded and single-threaded tasks, as shown by its PassMark scores: 30777 in multithread versus 7071 for the AMD chip, and 3952 in single-thread versus 2136 for the AMD chip. The closest margin in the head-to-head results is in single-thread performance, where the Intel part leads by 46 percent. The largest lead is in extended instructions, where the Intel part is 85.4 percent ahead.

The Ryzen 5 3501U does not win any of the 11 recorded head-to-head tests, so its strengths are not visible in direct comparison. However, its placement in the database relative to other low-power parts shows it is not an outlier. Its nearest rival is the AMD Ryzen Embedded V2546, which scores 14336, a delta of -0.1 percent. The Ryzen 3 7320C scores 14277, a delta of 0.3 percent, and the Intel Core 7 160UL scores 14232, a delta of 0.6 percent. The Intel Core i5-10400F scores 14185, a delta of 1 percent. These figures indicate the Ryzen 5 3501U is competitive within its own power class, even though it cannot match the desktop Intel part.

For the Core i5-14500, its nearest rivals are all high-end parts: the Intel Core Ultra 5 235T scores 38561, a delta of -0.1 percent; the Intel Xeon w3-2525 scores 38392, a delta of 0.4 percent; the Intel Core 9 270H scores 38335, a delta of 0.5 percent; and the Intel Core Ultra 9 285H scores 38312, a delta of 0.6 percent. This grouping confirms the i5-14500 sits in a performance tier far above the Ryzen 5 3501U.

Architecture Differences

The two processors are built on fundamentally different designs. The Ryzen 5 3501U uses the Zen+ architecture under the Picasso codename, manufactured on a 12 nm process by GlobalFoundries. It has 4 cores and 4 threads, with a base clock of 2.10 GHz and a boost clock of 3.70 GHz. The thermal design power is 15 watts. The cache layout includes 96 KB of L1 per core, 512 KB of L2 per core, and 4 MB of shared L3. The chip uses a 210 mm² die with 4,940 million transistors. It supports DDR4 memory in a dual-channel configuration with 38.4 GB/s of bandwidth, and PCIe Gen 3. The integrated graphics are Radeon Vega 8. It is a mobile part on AMD Socket FP5, with the part number YM3501C4T4MFG.

The Core i5-14500 uses the Raptor Lake architecture, specifically the Raptor Lake-R refresh, manufactured on a 10 nm process by Intel. It has 14 cores and 20 threads, with a base clock of 2.60 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz. The thermal design power is 65 watts. The cache layout includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 1.25 MB of L2 per core, and 24 MB of shared L3. The die size is 215 mm², though the transistor count is not recorded in the database. It supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory in a dual-channel configuration, and it supports PCIe Gen 5 with 16 lanes from the CPU. It includes ECC memory support, which the AMD part does not. The integrated graphics are UHD Graphics 770. It is a desktop part on Intel Socket 1700, with the part number SRN3T.

The core count difference is the most significant architectural factor. The Intel part has 10 more cores and 16 more threads. The L3 cache is 6 times larger on the Intel part: 24 MB versus 4 MB. The boost clock is 1.30 GHz higher on the Intel part. The process nodes differ by 2 nm, with Intel's 10 nm process being denser than GlobalFoundries' 12 nm process. The memory bandwidth for the Intel part is not recorded, so a direct comparison is not possible from the data.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The largest recorded margin is in extended instructions, where the Intel part scores 22473 and the AMD part scores 3274, a delta of -85.4 percent. This test measures SIMD and vector workload performance, and the gap reflects both the core count and the newer architecture. Floating point math shows a similar pattern: the Intel part scores 79576 versus 12707, a delta of -84 percent. Integer math scores 108124 versus 26321, a delta of -75.7 percent. Prime number finding scores 106 versus 21, a delta of -80.2 percent.

Data compression shows the Intel part scoring 371294 versus 87380, a delta of -76.5 percent. Data encryption scores 21457 versus 5580, a delta of -74 percent. Random string sorting scores 40980 versus 10414, a delta of -74.6 percent. The multithread benchmark, which is the broadest measure of parallel throughput, shows the Intel part scoring 30777 versus 7071, a delta of -77 percent. The physics benchmark scores 1746 versus 483, a delta of -72.3 percent.

The single-thread benchmark has the smallest delta in the head-to-head set: the Intel part scores 3952 versus 2136, a delta of -46 percent. This is still a substantial lead, but it is less than half the margin seen in extended instructions. The single-thread result indicates that even on a per-core basis, the Raptor Lake architecture is significantly stronger than Zen+. The boost clock difference of 1.30 GHz contributes to this, as does the IPC improvement from the newer microarchitecture.

Cinebench results are recorded only for the Intel part, so they cannot be compared directly. The Core i5-14500 scores 2435 in Cinebench R15 multi-core and 273 in single-core. In Cinebench R20, it scores 10985 multi-core and 1550 single-core. In Cinebench R23, it scores 15012 multi-core and 1917 single-core. Geekbench scores for the Intel part are 13390 multi-core and 2099 single-core. These figures provide additional context for the Intel part's absolute performance, but no AMD equivalents exist in the recorded data.

The Verdict

The data is unambiguous: the Core i5-14500 is the faster processor in every recorded benchmark. The 46 percent lead in single-thread performance and the 77 percent lead in multithread performance place it in a different performance class. The Intel part also holds a higher percentile ranking, 86th versus 69th, and a higher average benchmark score, 38531 versus 14320.

The Ryzen 5 3501U is not a weak processor relative to its peers. Its nearest rivals score within 1 percent of its average, and it holds its own against other low-power mobile chips. But the comparison here is against a desktop part with 3.5 times the core count, a 1.30 GHz higher boost clock, and six times the L3 cache. The results are decisive.

For workloads that require parallel throughput, such as data compression, encryption, or physics simulations, the Core i5-14500 delivers between 72.3 percent and 85.4 percent more performance. For single-threaded tasks, the Intel part still leads by a wide margin. The only scenario where the Ryzen 5 3501U is preferable is one where the 15-watt power envelope is a hard constraint, as its thermal design power is 50 watts lower than the Intel part. The database does not record power efficiency benchmarks, so a direct efficiency comparison cannot be made, but the thermal design power figures are clear.

The Core i5-14500 also offers ECC memory support, which the AMD part lacks, and supports both DDR4 and DDR5, while the AMD part supports only DDR4. The Intel part uses PCIe Gen 5, while the AMD part uses Gen 3. These features make the Intel part more suitable for workstation or server-adjacent tasks where data integrity and memory flexibility matter.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has more cores?

A: The Intel Core i5-14500 has 14 cores and 20 threads. The AMD Ryzen 5 3501U has 4 cores and 4 threads.

Q: What is the single-thread performance difference?

A: The Intel Core i5-14500 scores 3952 in PassMark single-thread, while the AMD Ryzen 5 3501U scores 2136. The Intel part leads by 46 percent.

Q: Does the AMD Ryzen 5 3501U win any benchmark?

A: No. The recorded head-to-head results show 11 wins for the Intel Core i5-14500 and 0 wins for the AMD Ryzen 5 3501U.

Q: What memory types does each processor support?

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 3501U supports DDR4 only. The Intel Core i5-14500 supports both DDR4 and DDR5.

Q: Which processor has a larger L3 cache?

A: The Intel Core i5-14500 has 24 MB of shared L3 cache. The AMD Ryzen 5 3501U has 4 MB of shared L3 cache.

Q: What is the thermal design power of each processor?

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 3501U has a TDP of 15 watts. The Intel Core i5-14500 has a TDP of 65 watts.

Q: Does the Intel Core i5-14500 support ECC memory?

A: Yes, the Intel Core i5-14500 supports ECC memory. The AMD Ryzen 5 3501U does not.