AMD Ryzen Embedded R1606G vs AMD 3015e vs AMD 3015Ce

AMD Ryzen Embedded R1606G

The AMD Ryzen Embedded R1606G is a dual-core SoC designed for embedded systems that was announced in March 2019. It is similar to the Ryzen 3 3200U (or the 2200U with slightly increased clock speed) and based on the first generation of the Zen architecture. The Ryzen features two Zen cores with support for the thread-doubling SMT tech, clocked at 2.6 GHz - 3.5 GHz. The built-in Radeon RX Vega 3 iGPU has 3 CUs (192 unified shaders) clocked at up to 1,200 MHz. The default TDP is 15 W which makes the Ryzen a good fit for thin mid-range laptops.

In comparison to the faster Ryzen 3000 CPUs, the 3200U and therefore the R1606G is not using the newer Zen+ microarchitecture and is still manufactured in 14nm. Compared to the old Ryzen 3 2200U, the 3200U and R1606G therefore only offers a 100 MHz higher clock speed.

The R1606G is compatible with single-channel or dual-channel DDR4-2400 RAM. Please go to our Raven Ridge launch article for details on the architecture and more.

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 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.