Is Ryzen 5 3500U worth it? Learn all about the AMD chip for notebooks

Ryzen 5 3500U is an AMD chip with an intermediate profile that appears in several cost-effective laptops in the market. Among the machines equipped with the processor, it is worth mentioning models such as the Ideapad S145, from Lenovo, and the Aspire 3, from Acer, both focused on productivity. The four-core, eight-thread CPU was launched in early 2019 and draws attention to the low TDP.

Also, the chip features Radeon Vega 8 integrated board, from the manufacturer itself, which promises to crash head-on even with dedicated input options. Check below for more details about the AMD processor for laptops and see if it is worth buying a computer with a CPU.

Ryzen 5 3500U Datasheet

Ryzen 5 3500U
Released2019
Cores / Threads4/8
Speed2.1 GHz to 3.7 GHz
L1 / L2 / L3 cache384 KB, 2 MB, and 4 MB
OverclockNo
Integrated videoAMD Vega 8
GPU Clock1,200 MHz
TDP15 Watts

Specifications

The Ryzen 5 3500U is a four-core, eight-thread processor that operates with clocks between 2.1 and 3.7 GHz. The chip is intended for mobile devices only and has support for up to two memory channels, which in turn can reach the maximum frequency of 2,400 MHz.

Unlike most AMD line processors, the Ryzen 5 3500U does not have the multiplier unlocked, ie no overclock here. Manufactured in the 12 nm process, the AMD processor works with maximum temperatures of up to 105ºC with a TDP of only 15 Watts, which suggests good energy performance.

Performance

The AMD midrange processor can be a good alternative for those who need a notebook for work or even for some casual games. Despite the good specifications, the clock and frequency of supported memories already indicate that the model does not tend to be a good option for more demanding players.

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As an APU, which combines central processing with graphics solution, the Ryzen 5 3500U promises performance capable of facing common day-to-day tasks without problems and also allows only with the chip you can already have higher resolutions for notebooks with better screens.

Consumption

With only 15 Watts of TDP, the trend is that the Ryzen 5 3500U can bring greater autonomy to the models it equips. The reduced TPD also allows a more discrete thermal solution to be adopted, thus allowing the processor to be offered in thinner notebook models.

By not bringing such high clocks, it is possible to imagine that the Ryzen 5 3500U is an interesting option for those who cannot stay all the time with the notebook plugged in. But all this focus on energy efficiency will cause the chip to slow down at some point, both to lower the machine’s temperature and to maintain its autonomy.

Integrated Video

The integrated model video is one of its most relevant features, as the integrated Vega 8 GPU promises to be much more efficient than solutions from competitors, such as Intel’s UHD Graphics, for example.

The model’s graphics chip offers a frequency of up to 1,200 MHz with eight dedicated graphics cores, and also brings native support for DirectX 12 and the FreeSync feature, which aims to synchronize frames to prevent image breaks.

Competitors

Whoever looks for a notebook equipped with the Ryzen 5 3500U processor, may end up facing options from competitors such as the Intel Core i5 8265U, which also appears in laptop models such as the Lenovo Ideapad S145 and Acer Aspire 5.

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Like the AMD processor, the Core i5 focuses on energy efficiency and features four cores and eight threads, with frequencies between 1.6 and 3.9 GHz. Intel’s chip also offers integrated UHD Graphics video, which should bring much lower performance compared to AMD’s processor.

Cost-benefit

Within its segment, the Ryzen 5 3500U may indeed be a more affordable notebook processor choice, since it is an APU, thus avoiding a dedicated video card. This way, models equipped with the AMD chip should appear with lower values, but not so much.

In the case of Ideapad S145, by Lenovo, for instance, the version with the Ryzen chip costs $488, while the option with a more recent Core i5 processor, of the tenth generation, comes out at least $499 – both according to Amazon.

So, the difference is even on the video card. Even when compared to models with dedicated input GPUs, the Ryzen 5 3500U should do very well. Moreover, the processor has a good number of cores and threads and offers a clock equivalent to competing models, but without sacrificing energy efficiency, very important in laptops.

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