AMD Ryzen 5 3500U vs Intel Celeron N4500

AMD Ryzen 5 3500U

The AMD Ryzen 5 3500U is a mobile SoC that was announced in January 2019. It combines four Zen+ cores (8 threads) clocked at 2.1 GHz to 3.7 GHz with a Radeon RX Vega 8 iGPU with 8 CUs (512 Shaders) clocked at up to 1200 MHz. Specified at 15 Watt TDP, the SoC is intended for thin mid-range laptops. In Chromebooks, AMD calles the APU AMD Ryzen 5 3500C, but the specifications (and performance) are the same.

The Picasso SoC uses the Zen+ microarchitecture with slight improvements that should lead to a 3% IPS (performance per clock) improvements. Furthermore, the 12 nm process allows for higher clocks at similar power consumption.

The integrated dual-channel memory controller supports up to DDR4-2400 memory. As the features of the Picasso APUs are the same compared to the Raven Ridge predecessors, we point to our Raven Ridge launch article.

Performance

The average 3500U in our database matches the Intel Core i7-1065G7 in multi-thread performance to be an OK lower mid-range option, as of early 2021.

The Honor MagicBook 14 is among the fastest laptops powered by the 3500U that we know of. It can be up to 50% faster in CPU-bound workloads than the slowest system featuring the same chip in our database, as of August 2023.

Power consumption

This Ryzen 5 series chip has a default TDP (also known as the long-term power limit) of 15 W, a value that laptop makers are free to set to anything between 12 W and 35 W with clock speeds and performance changing accordingly as a result. Either way, this is a tad too high to allow for passively cooled designs.

The chip is manufactured on a 12 nm process for subpar, as of late 2022, energy efficiency.

Intel Celeron N4500

The Intel Celeron N4500 is a dual-core SoC of the Jasper Lake series that is primarily intended for inexpensive notebooks and was announced in early 2021. The two Tremont CPU cores clock between 1.1 and 2.8 GHz (single core Burst) and offer no HyperThreading. The N4500 uses 1.5 MB L2 and 4 MB L3 cache. The chip is manufactured on the first-gen 10 nm Intel process.

Architecture

The processor architecture is called Tremont and a complete redesign compared to the old Golmont Plus cores in the predecessor. According to Intel, the single thread performance of a core could is up two 30% better on average (10 - 80% in all tests of SPECint and SPECfp).

Features

In addition to the dual-core CPU block, the SoC integrates a 16 EU Intel UHD Graphics GPU clocked from 350 - 750 MHz and a dual-channel DDR4 / quad-channel LPDDR4(x) memory controller (up to 16 GB, up to 2933 MHz). The chip now also partly integrates Wi-Fi 6 (Gig+), 8 PCIe 3.0 lanes, 14 USB 2.0/ 3.2 ports and two SATA 6.0 ports. The package got bigger and measures 35 x 24 mm (compared to 25 x 24 mm for the N5030 e.g.). The SoC is directly soldered to the mainboard (BGA) and can't be easily replaced.

Performance

The average N4500 in our database shapes up to be a fairly slow processor, its multi-thread benchmark scores only just matching those of the Core i3-4010U. (The latter saw the light of day in 2013 as a lower mid-range, dual-core CPU designed for use in ultraportable laptops.) In other words, expect the Celeron to be painfully slow in all but the most basic activities.

You mileage may vary depending on how high the CPU power limits are.

Power consumption

Like most N-class Intel chips, the Celeron has a default TDP (also known as the long-term power limit) of 6 W. This is not much at all and thus good enough for passively cooled tablets, laptops, mini-PCs.

The Celeron N4500 is built with Intel's 2nd generation 10 nm process (not 10 nm SuperFin or Intel 7) for low, as of mid 2023, energy efficiency.