Intel Core i5-10310U vs AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 4650U

Intel Core i5-10310U

The Intel Core i5-10310U is a power efficient quad-core SoC for notebooks based on the Comet Lake (CML-U) generation and was announced in August 2019. Compared to the similar Whiskey Lake processors (e.g. Core i5-8665U), the only difference is support for higher memory speeds (DDR4-2666 vs 2400) and two additional cores in the top model (not in this i5). The processor cores are clocked between 1.7 and 4.4 GHz (unverified). Thanks to HyperThreading 8 threads can be used. Compared to the faster i5-10510U, the level 3 cache was reduced from 8 to 6 MB. More information on Comet Lake and all the models and articles on it can be found here. The CPU supports the professional management features under the vPro umbrella.

The integrated graphics adapter however is still the same as in the previous generations. It should be still called Intel HD Graphics 620 and clock from 300 - 1100 MHz in the i5. Furthermore, the SoC integrates a VP9 and H.265 de- and encoder and an integrated dual channel DDR4-2666 / LPDDR4x 2933 / LPDDR3-2133 memory controller.

Performance

The average 10310U in our database is not really any different than other quad-core laptop CPUs running at similar clock speeds, such as the Ryzen 5 3450U or the Core i5-1035G4.

Your mileage may vary depending on how high the CPU power limits are and how competent the cooling solution of your system is.

Power consumption

This Core i5 has a default TDP (also known as the long-term power limit) of 15 W, a value that laptop manufacturers are free to change to anything between 10 W and 25 W with clock speeds and performance changing correspondingly. Perhaps more importantly, short-term power consumption can be as high as 80 W or even 90 W as far as 10th gen Comet Lake U chips are concerned, making passively cooled designs unlikely.

This Intel processor is manufactured on a fairly old, as of late 2022, 14 nm Intel process for subpar energy efficiency.

AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 4650U

The AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 4650U is a processor for thin and light laptops based on the Renoir architecture. The 4650U integrates six cores based on the Zen 2 microarchitecture. They are clocked at 2.1 (guaranteed base clock) to 4 GHz (Turbo) with SMT for a total of 12 threads. The chip is manufactured on the modern 7 nm TSMC process and partly thanks to it AMD advertises a 2x improved performance per Watt for the Renoir chips.

The PRO processors offer a range of business features like hardware security (e.g., AMD Memory Guard), manageability (e.g., support for Microsoft Endpoint Manager), and longer availability and software stability.

In addition to the six CPU cores, the APU also integrates a Radeon RX Vega 6 integrated graphics adapter with 6 CUs at up to 1500 MHz. The dual channel memory controller supports DDR4-3200 and energy efficient LPDDR4-4266 RAM. Furthermore, 8 MB level 3 cache can be found on the chip. See our hub page on the Renoir Processors for more information.

Performance

The average 4650U in our database is just as fast as the Intel Core i7-11375H and the AMD Ryzen 5 4600U are in multi-thread workloads. This is a fairly decent mid-range CPU, as of late 2021.

Your mileage may vary depending on how high the CPU power limits are and how competent the cooling solution of your system is.

Power consumption

This Ryzen 5 series chip has a default TDP (also known as the long-term power limit) of 15 W. Which is a tad too high to allow for passively cooled designs, besides, laptop makers aren't really obliged to stick to it.

The AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 4650U is manufactured on TSMC's 7 nm process, leading to average, as of mid 2023, energy efficiency.