AMD Ryzen 5 3501U vs Intel Core i9-14900 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data leaves no ambiguity at the top level: the Intel Core i9-14900 wins all 11 shared benchmark comparisons against the AMD Ryzen 5 3501U. The widest margins appear in compute-heavy workloads. In floating point math, the i9-14900 scores 120262 against 12707 for the Ryzen 5 3501U, a delta of -89.4%. Integer math shows a similar split, with the Intel part at 175010 versus 26321, a 85% gap. Extended instructions follow the same pattern: 30624 versus 3274, a 89.3% deficit for the AMD chip.

The multithreaded result is central to understanding this pairing. The i9-14900 records 44578 in PassMark multithread, while the Ryzen 5 3501U manages 7071, leaving the AMD part 84.1% behind. That gap is consistent with the core and thread disparity between the two, though the database also shows the Intel chip winning single-thread tests by a smaller but still decisive margin. In PassMark single thread, the i9-14900 scores 4323 against 2136, a 50.6% delta. So the Intel processor leads not only through parallel throughput but also through higher per-core performance.

Data compression tells the same story. The i9-14900 posts 550271 in PassMark data compression, versus 87380 for the Ryzen 5 3501U, a 84.1% difference. Data encryption shows 33540 against 5580, an 83.4% gap. Random string sorting, a memory-heavy workload, favors Intel at 61060 versus 10414, a 82.9% delta. The smallest margin in the entire comparison is still substantial: prime number finding puts Intel at 188 and AMD at 21, a 88.8% difference. Physics simulation, which often reflects multi-core scaling, records 2486 for Intel and 483 for AMD, an 80.6% gap.

The average benchmark score reinforces the hierarchy. The Ryzen 5 3501U sits at 14320, while the i9-14900 reaches 58115, roughly four times higher. In percentile terms, the AMD chip ranks at the 69th percentile among all CPUs in the database, while the Intel chip ranks at the 92nd. The nearest rivals for each processor confirm their respective positioning: the Ryzen 5 3501U trades within 0.1% of the AMD Ryzen Embedded V2546, 0.3% of the AMD Ryzen 3 7320C, 0.6% of the Intel Core 7 160UL, and 1% of the Intel Core i5-10400F. The i9-14900 sits within 0.4% of the Intel Xeon Platinum 8260M, 0.5% of the AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D, 0.7% of the Intel Xeon w5-2545, and 1% of the AMD EPYC 9015. These neighbor groups show that each processor competes in a very different performance band.

FAQ

Q: Which processor wins the most benchmarks in the head-to-head comparison?

A: The Intel Core i9-14900 wins all 11 shared benchmarks. The Ryzen 5 3501U records zero wins.

Q: How large is the single-thread performance gap?

A: In PassMark single thread, the Intel Core i9-14900 scores 4323 against 2136 for the AMD Ryzen 5 3501U, a 50.6% advantage.

Q: What does the multithread score indicate about workload scaling?

A: The Intel Core i9-14900 scores 44578 in PassMark multithread versus 7071 for the AMD Ryzen 5 3501U, an 84.1% lead, indicating substantially higher parallel throughput.

Q: Are these processors near each other in overall benchmark averages?

A: No. The Ryzen 5 3501U has an average benchmark score of 14320, while the Intel Core i9-14900 averages 58115. Their nearest rivals also occupy separate performance tiers.

Q: What are the percentile rankings?

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 3501U sits at the 69th percentile of all CPUs in the database. The Intel Core i9-14900 sits at the 92nd percentile.

Q: Does the AMD processor win in any measured category at all?

A: In the shared PassMark tests recorded in the database, the AMD Ryzen 5 3501U does not win a single category. The Intel Core i9-14900 leads in every one.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from different design lineages. The AMD Ryzen 5 3501U uses the Picasso codename, built on the Zen+ architecture, with a generation label of Ryzen 5 (Zen+ (Picasso)). The Intel Core i9-14900 uses the Raptor Lake architecture with the Raptor Lake-R codename, labeled as Core i9 (Raptor Lake Refresh). The AMD part is fabricated on a 12 nm process at GlobalFoundries, while the Intel part uses a 10 nm process at Intel. Die size differs as well: the Ryzen 5 3501U measures 210 mm² with 4,940 million transistors, while the i9-14900 measures 257 mm² with no transistor count recorded in the database.

Cache organization separates the two clearly. The Ryzen 5 3501U provides 96 KB of L1 per core, 512 KB of L2 per core, and 4 MB of shared L3. The i9-14900 provides 80 KB of L1 per core, 2 MB of L2 per core, and 36 MB of shared L3. The Intel processor therefore holds a significant L3 advantage, which matters for workloads with large working sets that benefit from on-die caching. The core counts differ fundamentally: the Ryzen 5 3501U has 4 cores and 4 threads, while the i9-14900 has 24 cores and 32 threads. The thread count exceeding the core count on the Intel part indicates hybrid core organization, with some cores contributing additional threads.

Memory support diverges as well. The Ryzen 5 3501U supports DDR4 only, through a dual-channel bus, with a recorded memory bandwidth of 38.4 GB/s. The Intel Core i9-14900 supports both DDR4 and DDR5, also through a dual-channel bus, though no memory bandwidth figure is listed for it. ECC memory support also differs: the AMD processor does not support ECC, while the Intel processor does. PCIe capability favors the Intel part, which lists PCIe Gen 5 with 16 lanes from the CPU, while the AMD part lists PCIe Gen 3 without a lane count. Integrated graphics differ too, with the AMD chip using Radeon Vega 8 and the Intel chip using UHD Graphics 770.

Specification Differences

The core count difference is the most obvious spec gap: 4 cores for the AMD Ryzen 5 3501U versus 24 cores for the Intel Core i9-14900. Threads follow at 4 versus 32. Base clocks are close, with the AMD part at 2.10 GHz and the Intel part at 2.00 GHz, but boost clocks diverge sharply: 3.70 GHz for the AMD chip versus 5.80 GHz for the Intel chip. Thermal design power ranges from 15 W on the AMD mobile part to 65 W on the Intel desktop part.

The sockets are incompatible: AMD Socket FP5 for the Ryzen 5 3501U, Intel Socket 1700 for the Core i9-14900. Market segments differ, with the AMD chip categorized as Mobile and the Intel chip as Desktop. Process nodes differ at 12 nm versus 10 nm. L3 cache is 4 MB shared on the AMD part versus 36 MB shared on the Intel part. L2 per core is 512 KB on the AMD part versus 2 MB on the Intel part. L1 per core is 96 KB on the AMD part versus 80 KB on the Intel part. Memory support lists DDR4 for AMD and DDR4/DDR5 for Intel. ECC memory is absent on the AMD part and present on the Intel part. PCIe generation differs at Gen 3 versus Gen 5. The release dates are not directly comparable, with the Intel part carrying a launch MSRP of $549, while the AMD part has no launch MSRP recorded.

Where Each One Wins

The benchmark data points to distinct usage profiles. The Intel Core i9-14900 wins every recorded comparison, so any workload captured by these tests favors Intel. That includes data compression, where the i9-14900 scores 550271 versus 87380; encryption, at 33540 versus 5580; and floating point math, at 120262 versus 12707. Integer math, extended instructions, prime number finding, random string sorting, and physics simulation all follow the same direction. The multithread score of 44578 against 7071 indicates that heavily parallel workloads, such as rendering, compilation, or scientific computing, would see a large advantage on the Intel part.

The single-thread results, 4323 versus 2136, show that even lightly threaded applications benefit from the Intel processor. The Ryzen 5 3501U does not present a win in any measured category, so the database does not support a use case where the AMD chip outperforms the Intel part in raw performance. However, the specification differences suggest contexts where the AMD part is the only viable option: it is a mobile processor on AMD Socket FP5 with a 15 W TDP, while the Intel part is a desktop processor on Intel Socket 1700 with a 65 W TDP. Systems requiring a low-power mobile socket would use the Ryzen 5 3501U by platform constraint, not by performance advantage. The Intel part also supports newer PCIe Gen 5 and ECC memory, which matters for workstation or server-oriented builds that need those capabilities.

The Verdict

The data supports one clear conclusion: the Intel Core i9-14900 outperforms the AMD Ryzen 5 3501U in every benchmark shared between them. The average benchmark score of 58115 for the Intel part versus 14320 for the AMD part places them in entirely different tiers. The 92nd percentile ranking for the i9-14900 against the 69th percentile for the Ryzen 5 3501U confirms that positioning. Buyers choosing between these two on performance alone would select the Intel processor without hesitation based on the recorded results.

The AMD Ryzen 5 3501U still has a defined role, but it is not a competitive one against the i9-14900. It belongs to the mobile segment with a 15 W TDP, a 4-core/4-thread configuration, and DDR4 support. The Intel part belongs to the desktop segment with a 65 W TDP, 24 cores and 32 threads, DDR4/DDR5 support, PCIe Gen 5, and ECC memory. The launch MSRP of $549 for the i9-14900 is recorded, though no comparable figure exists for the AMD part.

For workloads measured in the database, the Intel Core i9-14900 is the correct choice. For a platform requiring a low-power mobile processor on AMD Socket FP5, the Ryzen 5 3501U is the only one of the two that fits. The decision, based strictly on the data, depends on platform and power constraints rather than performance expectations.