AMD 3015e vs AMD Ryzen 7 2800H vs AMD 3015Ce

AMD 3015e

The AMD 3015e is a dual-core, quad-thread processor (APU) of the Pollock product family. Its cores run at 1.2 GHz to 2.3 GHz and it has a low 6 W TDP, making it a good option for use in passively cooled laptops and ultra-small mini-PCs of the more affordable flavour. The processor first saw the light of day in 2020; it has a built-in Vega 3 graphics adapter running at up to 600 MHz.

Architecture & Features

This chip makes use of the rather dated Zen architecture for comparatively poor performance-per-MHz values. It has 4 MB of L3 cache and several PCI-Express 3.0 lanes for connecting NVMe SSDs, discrete graphics cards and other devices; its RAM controller functions in single-channel mode and supports DDR4-1600 memory or slower. AMD 3015e is compatible with Windows 10, Windows 11, and many Linux distros as well. Please note this is not a user-replaceable CPU. It gets soldered permanently to the motherboard (FT5 socket interface).

Performance

While we have not tested a single system built around the 3015e as of August 2023, we have some performance data for the 3050e, a chip that is just slightly superior. Based on that, the 3015e is a low-end option competing with the likes of the Intel N4500 and the Intel 4415U that is good for the most basic tasks and applications only.

Graphics

The Vega 3 runs at an unusually low clock rate of 600 MHz, or less. It will let you connect several monitors in resolutions as high as UHD 2160p, and it will happily decode AVC, HEVC and VP9-encoded videos, too. The latest AV1 video codec is not supported; such a video will have to be software-decoded, with the limited CPU horsepower putting a hard limit on video resolution that can be played back without stuttering. Expect to see a lot of dropped frames when watching a 1080p30 video.

Gaming is possible to a very limited extent with this iGPU. Even if it's CS:GO or a similarly old game that you want to play, be prepared to set the settings to Low.

Power consumption

This little AMD processor has a low default TDP (also known as the long-term power limit) of 6 W, making it one of the better options for use in a passively cooled laptop, tablet, mini-PC.

The AMD 3015e is manufactured on a 14 nm process leading to poor, as of mid 2023, energy efficiency.

AMD Ryzen 7 2800H

The AMD Ryzen 7 2800H is a mobile SoC that was announced late 2018. It is intended for mid-sized to big laptops and combines four Zen cores (8 threads) clocked at 3.3 (base) - 3.8 GHz (boost) with a Radeon RX Vega 11 Mobile graphics card with 11 CUs (704 Shaders). The integrated dual-channel memory controller supports up to DDR4-3200 memory.

Compared to the older Ryzen 7 2700U for slim and light laptops, the 2800H offers a higher TDP (45 Watt versus 15 Watt), higher clocked memory, a higher base clock (3.4 versus 2.2 GHz), and a faster integrated GPU.

More information on Raven Ridge can be found in our launch article.

The performance should be slightly better than the Ryzen 7 2700U due to the higher TDP and base clock speed. Especially longer loads should profit from this. Due to the high TDP (configurable from 35 - 54 Watt), the Ryzen 7 2800H is best suited for bigger laptops.

Power consumption

This Ryzen 7 has a default TDP (also known as the long-term power limit) of 45 W, a value that laptop manufacturers are free to change to anything between 35 W and 54 W with clock speeds and performance changing correspondingly. All the values are rather high, making a high-performance cooling solution with two or three fans pretty much a necessity.

The CPU is built on an old, as of late 2022, 14 nm process for subpar energy efficiency.

AMD 3015Ce

The AMD 3015Ce (Codename Dali) is a mobile APU that integrates two Zen cores (with SMT, therefore 4 threads) clocked at 1.2 to 2.3 GHz. It is the Chromebook version of the AMD 3015e with identical specifications. The integrated Radeon graphics card offers 3 CUs at up to 600 MHz (Radeon RX Vega 3). The single channel memory controller supports only DDR4-1600. The chip is manufactured in 14nm and officially counted to the 3000 series of mobile processors.

AMD compares the performance of the 3015e (and therefore also the identical 3015Ce) against the entry level Intel Celeron N4120 (Quad-Core Atom). The 3015e should be 36% faster in single thread Cinebench R20 test. This is expected as the Atom cores offer a low single thread performance. Multi-thread benchmarks were not provided, so we guess the N4120 will be faster with its 4 cores. In PCMark 10 the 3015e should be 18% faster and in the 3DMark Night Raid the integrated GPU should beat the UHD Graphics 600 in the N4120 by 24%.

More information on Raven Ridge can be found in our launch article.

Power consumption

This AMD APU has a 6 W default TDP (also known as the long-term power limit). TDP values that low are typical for affordable laptops as well as ultra-compact mini-PCs, mostly with no active cooling solution.

AMD 3015Ce is manufactured on a 14 nm process making for subpar, as of late 2022, energy efficiency.