AMD Ryzen 7 3700U vs Intel Core i7-5500U Comparison

The AMD Ryzen 7 3700U and the Intel Core i7-5500U represent two very different eras of mobile computing. The Ryzen 7 3700U is a 2019 part built on a modern 12 nm process, while the Core i7-5500U is a 2015 Broadwell chip. The database shows a clear generational gap, with the Ryzen part winning the majority of head-to-head comparisons, yet the older Intel chip still holds a notable advantage in single-threaded tests. This analysis explores what the recorded benchmarks reveal about their relative strengths, weaknesses, and ideal use cases.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has more cores and threads?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 3700U has 4 cores and 8 threads. The Intel Core i7-5500U has 2 cores and 4 threads. This gives the AMD part twice the thread count, which is a major factor in its multi-core benchmark performance.

Q: How large is the performance gap in multi-core benchmarks?

A: The gap is substantial. In the Cinebench R15 multi-core test, the AMD Ryzen 7 3700U scores 672, while the Intel Core i7-5500U scores 240. This represents a 180% advantage for the AMD processor. In Geekbench multi-core, the AMD part leads with 2377 points versus 1689 for Intel, a 40.7% difference.

Q: Does the Intel Core i7-5500U win any benchmark?

A: Yes, it wins the Geekbench single-core test. The Intel chip scores 881, while the AMD Ryzen 7 3700U scores 682. This gives the Intel part a 22.6% lead in that specific test.

Q: What is the difference in their process nodes?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 3700U is manufactured on a 12 nm process at GlobalFoundries. The Intel Core i7-5500U is built on a 14 nm process at Intel. The AMD part's smaller node is more modern and contributes to its higher transistor count of 4,940 million, compared to 1,300 million for the Intel chip.

Q: What kind of memory do they support?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 3700U supports DDR4 memory, while the Intel Core i7-5500U supports DDR3. Both use a dual-channel memory bus. The Intel part has a recorded memory bandwidth of 25.6 GB/s, while no specific bandwidth figure is available for the AMD part.

Q: What is the production status of each chip?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 3700U has a production status of "Active." The Intel Core i7-5500U is listed as "End-of-life." This indicates the AMD part is still in production, while the Intel chip has been discontinued.

The Verdict

The data points to two distinct scenarios. For anyone running multi-threaded workloads, the AMD Ryzen 7 3700U is the clear choice. Its 180% lead in Cinebench R15 multi-core and 40.7% lead in Geekbench multi-core are decisive. The Ryzen part also has a higher average benchmark score of 968, compared to 953 for the Intel chip. The AMD processor's 4 cores and 8 threads simply overwhelm the Intel part's 2 cores and 4 threads in parallel tasks.

On the other hand, the Intel Core i7-5500U is the better option for single-threaded performance. Its 22.6% advantage in Geekbench single-core is significant. This makes it more suitable for older software that relies heavily on a single core, or for tasks like basic web browsing and document editing where multi-core scaling is limited.

However, the overall picture favors the AMD Ryzen 7 3700U. It wins two out of the three head-to-head benchmarks, and its multi-core victories are far larger than the Intel chip's single-core win. The Ryzen part is also more future-proof, being active in production and supporting the newer DDR4 memory standard. The Intel part, while competent in single-threaded tasks, is an end-of-life product with a much older architecture. For a modern user, the database strongly suggests the AMD Ryzen 7 3700U is the better all-around processor.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head data reveals a stark contrast in performance characteristics. The most dramatic difference is in the Cinebench R15 multi-core test. The AMD Ryzen 7 3700U scores 672, while the Intel Core i7-5500U scores 240. The AMD part is 180% faster. This is a massive margin, directly attributable to the AMD chip having double the cores and threads. The Intel part's 2-core design simply cannot keep up when all threads are loaded.

In the Geekbench multi-core test, the AMD Ryzen 7 3700U again takes the lead, scoring 2377 against the Intel Core i7-5500U's 1689. The 40.7% advantage for AMD is smaller than in Cinebench, but still a clear victory. This shows the AMD part's advantage is consistent across different multi-threaded workloads, though the degree of advantage can vary depending on the test.

The single-core test tells a different story. In Geekbench single-core, the Intel Core i7-5500U scores 881, while the AMD Ryzen 7 3700U scores 682. The Intel part leads by 22.6%. This is a notable reversal. The Intel chip's higher base clock of 2.40 GHz (compared to 2.30 GHz for AMD) and its boost clock of 3.00 GHz (compared to 4.00 GHz for AMD) do not tell the whole story. Despite having a lower boost clock, the Intel part wins on a per-core basis. This suggests the older Broadwell architecture has a higher instructions-per-clock (IPC) efficiency in single-threaded tasks, at least as measured by this benchmark.

The database shows that the AMD part's wins are larger in magnitude than its loss. A 180% and a 40.7% win versus a 22.6% loss. This asymmetry is crucial. The AMD Ryzen 7 3700U does not just win more tests; it wins them by a much wider margin than it loses. This makes the overall case for the AMD part stronger, as its multi-core dominance is more significant than the Intel part's single-core edge.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ across almost every major specification. The core and thread counts are the most obvious difference: the AMD Ryzen 7 3700U has 4 cores and 8 threads, while the Intel Core i7-5500U has 2 cores and 4 threads. This doubles the parallel processing capability of the AMD part.

Clock speeds also differ. The AMD part has a base clock of 2.30 GHz and a boost clock of 4.00 GHz. The Intel part has a base clock of 2.40 GHz and a boost clock of 3.00 GHz. While the Intel chip has a slightly higher base clock, the AMD chip has a significantly higher boost clock, which can give it an advantage in bursty workloads that require a single core to run at maximum speed.

The process node is another key difference. The AMD Ryzen 7 3700U is built on a 12 nm process, while the Intel Core i7-5500U is built on a 14 nm process. This is reflected in the transistor counts: 4,940 million for AMD versus 1,300 million for Intel. The die size also differs, with the AMD part measuring 210 mm² and the Intel part measuring 82 mm².

Memory support is different as well. The AMD part supports DDR4, while the Intel part supports DDR3. Both use a dual-channel memory bus. The Intel part has a specified memory bandwidth of 25.6 GB/s; no such figure is recorded for the AMD part. The integrated graphics differ, with the AMD part featuring Radeon Vega 10 and the Intel part featuring Intel HD 5500.

The sockets are incompatible: the AMD Ryzen 7 3700U uses AMD Socket FP5, while the Intel Core i7-5500U uses Intel BGA 1168. The PCIe support also differs, with the AMD part supporting Gen 3, while the Intel part supports Gen 2 with 12 lanes (CPU only). The launch MSRP for the Intel part was $393, while no launch MSRP is recorded for the AMD part.

Architecture Differences

The architectural divide is substantial. The AMD Ryzen 7 3700U is based on the Zen+ architecture, codenamed Picasso, and belongs to the 3000 series. The Intel Core i7-5500U is based on the Broadwell architecture, specifically Broadwell-U. These are two completely different design philosophies from different eras.

The AMD part uses a 12 nm process at GlobalFoundries, while the Intel part uses a 14 nm process at Intel. The AMD chip packs 4,940 million transistors into a 210 mm² die, while the Intel chip has 1,300 million transistors on an 82 mm² die. The larger die and higher transistor count on the AMD side indicate a more complex design with more resources for parallel execution.

Cache hierarchies also differ. The AMD Ryzen 7 3700U has 96 KB of L1 cache per core and 512 KB of L2 cache per core, with a shared 4 MB L3 cache. The Intel Core i7-5500U has 64 KB of L1 cache per core and 256 KB of L2 cache per core, also with a shared 4 MB L3 cache. The AMD part has more L1 and L2 cache per core, which can help reduce memory latency for frequently accessed data.

The integrated graphics are also different. The AMD part uses Radeon Vega 10, while the Intel part uses Intel HD 5500. Neither has a recorded benchmark score for graphics, but the different architectures suggest different levels of graphical capability. The AMD part's newer architecture and larger die likely provide more graphics processing resources.

The memory controllers differ as well. The AMD part supports DDR4 memory, which is a newer and generally faster standard than the DDR3 supported by the Intel part. The Intel part has a recorded memory bandwidth of 25.6 GB/s, while no such figure is available for the AMD part, making a direct comparison of memory throughput impossible from the data.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Ryzen 7 3700U is the clear winner in multi-threaded workloads. The data shows a 180% advantage in Cinebench R15 multi-core and a 40.7% advantage in Geekbench multi-core. This makes it the better choice for video encoding, 3D rendering, software compilation, and any other task that can utilize all available cores and threads. Its 4 cores and 8 threads provide twice the parallel capacity of the Intel part, and the benchmark results confirm that this translates directly into performance. Users who run heavy productivity applications or any form of content creation should strongly favor the AMD part based on these numbers.

The Intel Core i7-5500U wins in the single-threaded Geekbench test, with a 22.6% lead. This makes it the better choice for older software that is not optimized for multi-core processors, or for tasks that are inherently serial, such as some legacy applications, certain scripting tasks, or general system responsiveness in lightweight environments. The Intel part's higher base clock of 2.40 GHz, despite its lower boost clock of 3.00 GHz, may contribute to this result. For users who primarily run a few applications at a time and do not stress all cores, the Intel part could feel more responsive in certain scenarios.

However, the scope of the Intel part's victory is limited. It wins only one out of three head-to-head benchmarks, and its single-core lead is smaller than the AMD part's multi-core leads. The AMD Ryzen 7 3700U also has the higher average benchmark score of 968 versus 953, and a higher percentile rank at 26 versus 25 for the Intel part. The data suggests that while the Intel part has a niche advantage in single-threaded tasks, the AMD part is the more balanced and capable processor overall. For a modern user with a mixed workload, the AMD Ryzen 7 3700U is the safer and more powerful recommendation.