AMD 3015e vs AMD Ryzen 7 2800H vs AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 2500U

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 Ryzen 5 PRO 2500U

The AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 2500U is a mobile APU for thin and light business laptops that was announced in January 2017. Compared to the similar consumer Ryzen 5 2500U, the PRO 2500U offers additional security features and longer part availability / warranty.

It includes four Zen cores clocked at 2 to 3.6 GHz and offers 4 MB L3-Cache. The integrated graphics card is called Radeon RX Vega 8 and offers 8 CUs (512 Shaders) clocked at up to 1100 MHz. The TDP is configurable between 12 and 25 Watt (15 Watt nominal). More information on Raven Ridge can be found in our launch article.