AMD Ryzen 5 3501U vs Intel Core Ultra 5 245K Comparison

The AMD Ryzen 5 3501U and Intel Core Ultra 5 245K occupy opposite ends of the performance spectrum. The database shows a decisive split: the Ryzen 5 3501U is a mobile processor with a 15 W TDP and 4 cores, while the Core Ultra 5 245K is a desktop processor with a 125 W TDP and 14 cores. The Intel part wins all 11 head-to-head benchmark comparisons, with its smallest advantage being a 54.7% lead in single-threaded tests. The AMD part's average benchmark score of 14320 places it at the 69th percentile of all CPUs, while the Intel part's average score of 54053 places it at the 91st percentile. These are not competing products in the traditional sense; the data indicates two entirely different market segments with a massive performance gulf between them.

Where Each One Wins

The Intel Core Ultra 5 245K dominates every recorded benchmark category. Its largest win comes in the PassMark find prime numbers test, where it scores 414 versus the Ryzen 5 3501U's 21, a 94.9% difference. The extended instructions test shows a 91.3% gap (37617 versus 3274), and floating point math shows a 90.3% gap (130678 versus 12707). These results indicate the Intel part is overwhelmingly faster in arithmetic-heavy and instruction-dense workloads.

The Ryzen 5 3501U does not win any of the 11 head-to-head tests. Its most competitive result is the single-thread test, where it scores 2136 versus the Intel part's 4714, a 54.7% deficit. The Intel part leads by 73.3% in integer math (98524 versus 26321), 81% in data compression (458817 versus 87380), 81.1% in random string sorting (55098 versus 10414), 83.2% in data encryption (33286 versus 5580), 83.6% in multithread (43047 versus 7071), and 84.3% in physics (3081 versus 483).

The use-case split is defined by the platform, not by benchmark wins. The Ryzen 5 3501U is an actively produced mobile chip with a 15 W TDP, designed for battery-conscious laptops. The Core Ultra 5 245K is an actively produced desktop chip with a 125 W TDP, designed for high-throughput desktop workloads. The benchmark data confirms that the mobile part serves light productivity and general computing, while the desktop part serves heavy multi-threaded rendering, data processing, and high-frequency single-thread tasks.

Architecture Differences

The Ryzen 5 3501U uses the Picasso architecture, which is built on the Zen+ microarchitecture. It is manufactured on a 12 nm process at GlobalFoundries, with 4,940 million transistors on a 210 mm² die. The chip has 4 cores and 4 threads, with no simultaneous multithreading. The base clock is 2.10 GHz and the boost clock is 3.70 GHz. The cache hierarchy includes 96 KB of L1 per core, 512 KB of L2 per core, and 4 MB of shared L3. Memory support is limited to DDR4 over a dual-channel bus, with 38.4 GB/s of bandwidth. The integrated graphics are Radeon Vega 8. The socket is AMD Socket FP5, and the PCIe interface is Gen 3. ECC memory is not supported, and the multiplier is locked.

The Core Ultra 5 245K uses the Arrow Lake-S architecture, specifically the Arrow Lake microarchitecture. It is manufactured on a 3 nm process at TSMC, with 17,800 million transistors on a 243 mm² die. The chip has 14 cores and 14 threads, also without simultaneous multithreading. The base clock is 4.20 GHz and the boost clock is 5.20 GHz. The cache hierarchy is substantially larger: 192 KB of L1 per core, 3 MB of L2 per core, and 24 MB of shared L3. Memory support is DDR5 over a dual-channel bus, with 102.4 GB/s of bandwidth. The integrated graphics are Arc Xe-LPG Graphics with 64 execution units. The socket is Intel Socket 1851, and the PCIe interface is Gen 5 with 20 lanes on the CPU. ECC memory is supported, and the multiplier is unlocked.

The process node difference is significant: 12 nm versus 3 nm. The transistor count difference is also stark, 4,940 million versus 17,800 million, roughly 3.6 times more transistors in the Intel part. The L3 cache difference is 4 MB versus 24 MB, a sixfold gap. Memory bandwidth is 38.4 GB/s versus 102.4 GB/s, a 2.7 times difference. The Intel part also supports ECC memory, which the AMD part does not. The AMD part is a mobile chip with a 15 W TDP; the Intel part is a desktop chip with a 125 W TDP, an 8.3 times difference in power envelope.

The Verdict

The data does not support a performance comparison between these two parts as equals. The Intel Core Ultra 5 245K wins every head-to-head benchmark, and the margins are enormous. The smallest gap is 54.7% in single-thread performance, which is itself a decisive lead. The largest gap is 94.9% in find prime numbers. The average benchmark score difference is 54053 versus 14320, a 3.8 times difference in overall performance.

The Ryzen 5 3501U is the appropriate choice for a low-power mobile platform. Its 15 W TDP, 4 cores, and DDR4 support align with a thin-and-light laptop use case. Its percentile ranking of 69 indicates it sits above most CPUs in the database, but it is not designed for heavy compute. The Core Ultra 5 245K is the appropriate choice for a desktop platform requiring high throughput. Its 125 W TDP, 14 cores, DDR5 support, and Gen 5 PCIe position it for demanding workloads. Its percentile ranking of 91 places it near the top of the database. The benchmark data indicates no scenario where the Ryzen 5 3501U outperforms the Core Ultra 5 245K. The selection between them is dictated entirely by platform and power requirements, not by performance results.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has a higher single-thread score?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 245K scores 4714 in the PassMark single-thread test, while the AMD Ryzen 5 3501U scores 2136, a 54.7% difference.

Q: What is the multithread performance gap between the two?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 245K scores 43047 in the PassMark multithread test, while the AMD Ryzen 5 3501U scores 7071, an 83.6% difference.

Q: Do both processors support ECC memory?

A: No. The Intel Core Ultra 5 245K supports ECC memory, while the AMD Ryzen 5 3501U does not.

Q: What are the memory types and bandwidths?

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 3501U supports DDR4 with 38.4 GB/s bandwidth. The Intel Core Ultra 5 245K supports DDR5 with 102.4 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: How many cores does each processor have?

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 3501U has 4 cores and 4 threads. The Intel Core Ultra 5 245K has 14 cores and 14 threads.

Q: Which processor has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 245K has an average benchmark score of 54053, compared to the AMD Ryzen 5 3501U's 14320. The Intel part sits at the 91st percentile of all CPUs, while the AMD part sits at the 69th percentile.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The Intel Core Ultra 5 245K wins all 11 head-to-head comparisons. The most lopsided result is the find prime numbers test. The Intel part scores 414, the AMD part scores 21, and the delta is 94.9%. This test measures raw integer iteration speed, and the 14-core Intel part with its 5.20 GHz boost clock simply overwhelms the 4-core AMD part with its 3.70 GHz boost clock.

The extended instructions test shows a 91.3% gap. The Intel part scores 37617, the AMD part scores 3274. This test exercises SIMD and specialized instruction paths, where the newer Arrow Lake architecture and larger cache hierarchy provide a clear advantage. The floating point math test shows a 90.3% gap, with scores of 130678 and 12707. The Intel part's 3 MB per-core L2 and 24 MB shared L3 likely reduce memory stalls during floating point operations.

The physics test shows an 84.3% gap. The Intel part scores 3081, the AMD part scores 483. This benchmark is sensitive to multi-core scaling and per-core efficiency, both of which favor the desktop part. The multithread test shows an 83.6% gap, with scores of 43047 and 7071. The 14-core Intel part has 10 more cores than the AMD part, and the data confirms the scaling.

The data encryption test shows an 83.2% gap. The Intel part scores 33286, the AMD part scores 5580. Encryption workloads benefit from the newer instruction set and higher memory bandwidth available on the Intel platform. The random string sorting test shows an 81.1% gap, with scores of 55098 and 10414. The data compression test shows an 81% gap, with scores of 458817 and 87380. Both tests are memory and cache sensitive, and the Intel part's DDR5 bandwidth and larger L3 cache provide the advantage.

The integer math test shows a 73.3% gap. The Intel part scores 98524, the AMD part scores 26321. This is the smallest multi-threaded gap but still represents a massive difference. The single-thread test shows a 54.7% gap, with scores of 4714 and 2136. This is the closest result in the entire comparison, yet it still means the Intel part delivers more than double the single-thread performance.

The average benchmark data confirms the pattern. The Intel part's average score of 54053 places it among the top 9% of all CPUs in the database. The AMD part's average score of 14320 places it in the top 31%. The nearest rivals for the Intel part include the Intel Core i7-14700F (53620, 0.8% behind) and the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D (54762, 1.3% ahead). The nearest rivals for the AMD part include the Intel Core i5-10400F (14185, 1% behind) and the AMD Ryzen 3 7320C (14277, 0.3% ahead). These rival relationships show that the AMD part competes with older desktop and mid-range mobile chips, while the Intel part competes with high-end desktop and server-class silicon. The benchmark results indicate the Core Ultra 5 245K is not just faster than the Ryzen 5 3501U; it occupies a completely different performance class.