AMD Ryzen Embedded V2546 vs Intel Core 3 304 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data shows a clear split between single-thread dominance and multi-thread endurance. The Intel Core 3 304 wins 13 of the 17 head-to-head benchmarks, while the AMD Ryzen Embedded V2546 wins 4. The margins, however, tell a more nuanced story than the raw win count.

Starting with the single-core results, the Intel part is decisively ahead. In Cinebench R15 single-core, the Intel Core 3 304 scores 264 against the AMD's 116, a 56.1% advantage. The gap persists in Cinebench R20 single-core, where Intel leads 587 to 486, a 17.2% edge. Cinebench R23 single-core shows Intel at 1765 versus AMD at 1158, a 34.4% lead. PassMark single-thread results reinforce this pattern: Intel scores 3614, AMD scores 1609, a 55.5% difference.

The Intel part also wins the floating-point math test decisively. PassMark floating point math shows Intel at 29722 versus AMD at 18534, a 37.6% margin. In PassMark physics, Intel scores 868 against AMD's 441, a 49.2% advantage. The find-prime-numbers test is even more lopsided: Intel scores 68, AMD scores 22, a 67.6% gap.

The AMD Ryzen Embedded V2546 fights back in specific workloads. The largest single win comes in Cinebench R23 multi-core, where AMD scores 8207 against Intel's 5263, a 55.9% advantage. PassMark data compression shows AMD at 136097 versus Intel at 114775, an 18.6% edge. PassMark integer math favors AMD at 30739 against Intel's 24640, a 24.8% margin. Finally, random string sorting is nearly even, with AMD at 13926 and Intel at 13659, a 2% difference.

The multi-core picture is inconsistent across Cinebench versions. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, Intel wins narrowly at 849 versus 827, a 2.6% margin. In Cinebench R20 multi-core, Intel leads more clearly at 4160 versus 3446, a 17.2% edge. Yet in Cinebench R23 multi-core, AMD reverses the result with that 55.9% blowout. This inconsistency suggests workload-specific scaling behavior rather than a universal multi-thread advantage for either chip.

PassMark multithread also goes to Intel, scoring 11625 against AMD's 9656, a 16.9% lead. Data encryption is close, with Intel at 8501 and AMD at 8046, a 5.4% margin. Extended instructions favor Intel at 9686 versus 8799, a 9.2% difference.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from fundamentally different design philosophies. The AMD Ryzen Embedded V2546 uses the Zen 2 architecture on a 7 nm TSMC process, with a die size of 156 mm² and 9,800 million transistors. It has 6 cores and 12 threads, enabled by simultaneous multithreading. The Intel Core 3 304 uses the Wildcat Lake architecture on a 3 nm Intel process, with 5 cores and 5 threads, meaning no hyper-threading support.

Cache configurations differ substantially. The AMD chip has 64 KB of L1 per core, 512 KB of L2 per core, and 8 MB of shared L3 cache. The Intel chip has 192 KB of L1 total, 2.5 MB of L2 total, and 6 MB of shared L3. Per-core cache capacity favors AMD for L2, while Intel's L1 is larger in aggregate.

Clock speeds tell a different story. The AMD part has a base clock of 3.00 GHz and a boost clock of 3.95 GHz. The Intel part starts much lower at 1.50 GHz base but boosts to 4.30 GHz. The Intel boost advantage of 0.35 GHz over AMD explains part of the single-thread performance gap, but the much lower base clock suggests power management priorities.

Thermal design power differs by more than double. The AMD Ryzen Embedded V2546 has a TDP of 35 watts, while the Intel Core 3 304 has a TDP of 15 watts. This positions the Intel part for lower-power mobile applications, while the AMD chip targets desktop embedded use.

Memory support diverges significantly. AMD supports DDR4 memory on a dual-channel bus with 51.2 GB/s bandwidth and ECC memory support. Intel supports DDR5 and LPDDR5X on a single-channel bus with 59.7 GB/s bandwidth and no ECC. The bandwidth numbers are close, but channel count and memory type differences affect real-world scaling.

PCIe connectivity also differs. AMD provides PCIe Gen 3 with 20 lanes, while Intel provides PCIe Gen 4 with 6 lanes. The lane count difference is substantial for expansion-heavy workloads, though the Intel interface is a generation newer.

Integrated graphics distinguish the pair. AMD integrates Radeon Graphics with 384 shader processors. Intel integrates Xe3 Graphics with 1 Xe core. The AMD part uses socket FP6, while Intel uses BGA 1516, making the Intel chip soldered rather than socketed.

Where Each One Wins

The Intel Core 3 304 dominates single-threaded and lightly threaded workloads. The Cinebench R15 single-core score of 264 versus 116 indicates a 128-point advantage, or more than double. This makes the Intel chip the better choice for applications that rely on one or two threads, such as older productivity software, web browsing, or lightly threaded legacy code.

The Intel part also wins in floating-point math, physics simulation, and prime number finding. The PassMark floating point math score of 29722 is 59% higher than AMD's 18534. The physics score of 868 is nearly double AMD's 441. Prime number finding shows Intel at 68 versus AMD at 22, a threefold difference. These results point to strong scalar and vector execution per core.

The AMD Ryzen Embedded V2546 wins in specific throughput scenarios. The Cinebench R23 multi-core result of 8207 versus 5263 shows AMD's 12 threads beating Intel's 5 threads by 55.9%. This indicates that when the workload scales well across many threads, the AMD chip's SMT advantage becomes decisive.

Data compression favors AMD at 136097 versus 114775, an 18.6% edge. This workload likely benefits from the larger 8 MB L3 cache and the dual-channel memory interface. Integer math also favors AMD at 30739 versus 24640, a 24.8% advantage. Random string sorting is essentially tied, with AMD ahead by only 2%.

For power-sensitive applications, the Intel chip's 15 watt TDP versus AMD's 35 watts is a significant differentiator. The Intel part achieves its single-thread lead while consuming less than half the thermal envelope, suggesting better per-watt performance in burst workloads.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has the higher single-thread performance?

A: The Intel Core 3 304 wins all single-thread benchmarks. In Cinebench R23 single-core, Intel scores 1765 versus AMD's 1158, a 34.4% advantage. PassMark single-thread shows Intel at 3614 versus AMD at 1609, a 55.5% margin.

Q: Which processor is better for multi-threaded workloads?

A: The results are mixed. AMD wins Cinebench R23 multi-core at 8207 versus 5263, a 55.9% lead. However, Intel wins Cinebench R20 multi-core at 4160 versus 3446 and PassMark multithread at 11625 versus 9656. The AMD chip has 12 threads versus Intel's 5, which helps in well-parallelized workloads.

Q: What memory types does each processor support?

A: The AMD Ryzen Embedded V2546 supports DDR4 on a dual-channel bus with 51.2 GB/s bandwidth and ECC memory. The Intel Core 3 304 supports DDR5 and LPDDR5X on a single-channel bus with 59.7 GB/s bandwidth and no ECC support.

Q: How do the thermal design powers compare?

A: The AMD part has a TDP of 35 watts, while the Intel part has a TDP of 15 watts. The Intel chip delivers higher single-thread performance within a lower thermal envelope.

Q: Which processor has more PCIe lanes?

A: The AMD Ryzen Embedded V2546 provides 20 PCIe Gen 3 lanes, while the Intel Core 3 304 provides 6 PCIe Gen 4 lanes. The AMD chip offers more lanes for expansion, though the Intel interface is a generation newer.

Q: What is the production status of each processor?

A: Both processors are listed as Active in production. The AMD chip was released on November 9, 2020, while the Intel chip has a release date of April 15, 2026.

The Verdict

The data supports a clear division of use cases. The Intel Core 3 304 is the choice for single-threaded applications, low-power mobile deployments, and workloads dominated by floating-point math or physics calculations. Its 15 watt TDP and 4.30 GHz boost clock make it suitable for thermally constrained designs. The PassMark single-thread score of 3614 is more than double the AMD's 1609, which translates to snappier response in everyday tasks.

The AMD Ryzen Embedded V2546 is the choice for throughput-oriented workloads that scale across many threads. Its 12 threads and 8 MB L3 cache deliver a 55.9% win in Cinebench R23 multi-core and an 18.6% win in data compression. The dual-channel memory bus and 20 PCIe lanes support more ambitious embedded system designs. The 35 watt TDP is higher, but the socketed FP6 form factor allows for upgrades or replacement.

For mixed workloads, the Intel part wins more benchmarks overall (13 versus 4) and has a higher average benchmark score relative to its nearest rivals. The Intel chip sits at the 68th percentile versus all CPUs, while AMD sits at the 69th percentile, essentially tied. The average benchmark score for AMD is 14336, for Intel it is 13745, a difference of 591 points or roughly 4.3%.

The launch MSRP for the Intel Core 3 304 is $309. No launch MSRP is recorded for the AMD part.

Specification Differences

| Specification | AMD Ryzen Embedded V2546 | Intel Core 3 304 |

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

| Cores | 6 | 5 |

| Threads | 12 | 5 |

| Base Clock | 3.00 GHz | 1.50 GHz |

| Boost Clock | 3.95 GHz | 4.30 GHz |

| TDP | 35 watts | 15 watts |

| Socket | AMD Socket FP6 | Intel BGA 1516 |

| Architecture | Zen 2 | Wildcat Lake |

| Process Node | 7 nm | 3 nm |

| Foundry | TSMC | Intel |

| Transistors | 9,800 million | Not recorded |

| Die Size | 156 mm² | Not recorded |

| L1 Cache | 64 KB per core | 192 KB total |

| L2 Cache | 512 KB per core | 2.5 MB total |

| L3 Cache | 8 MB shared | 6 MB shared |

| Memory Support | DDR4 | DDR5, LPDDR5X |

| Memory Bus | Dual-channel | Single-channel |

| Memory Bandwidth | 51.2 GB/s | 59.7 GB/s |

| ECC Memory | Yes | No |

| PCIe | Gen 3, 20 Lanes | Gen 4, 6 Lanes |

| Integrated Graphics | Radeon Graphics 384SP | Intel Xe3 Graphics (1 Xe) |

| Market Segment | Desktop | Mobile |

| Release Date | 2020-11-09 | 2026-04-15 |

| Part Number | 100-000000246 | SAE3K |