Core 3 N355 vs Ryzen 5 4500U

Core 3 N355 vs Ryzen 5 4500U Performance Spectrum

Core 3 N355

8 / 8

10,502

0.0%

10,692

+1.8%

Ryzen Threadripper 7960X

About PassMark

PassMark CPU Mark evaluates processor speed through complex mathematical computations. It provides a reliable metric to compare multi-core performance, where higher scores indicate faster processing for multitasking, gaming, and heavy workloads.

Core 3 N355 vs Ryzen 5 4500U FPS Benchmarks

Predicted gaming performance across popular games. Tested paired with GeForce RTX 5090 to isolate CPU performance.

Search any supported game below to compare 1080p FPS for both components.

Core 3 N355 vs Ryzen 5 4500U: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each CPU makes more sense in practice: gaming, heavier work, platform cost, power draw, and upgrade path.

Core 3 N355

2025

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +16.5% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Newer platform on FCBGA1264 with DDR5 support instead of FP6 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (10,502 vs 10,692).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (6 MB vs 8 MB).
❌Launch MSRP is still $300 MSRP, while Ryzen 5 4500U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

Ryzen 5 4500U

2020

Why buy it

✅+1.8% higher PassMark.
✅+33.3% larger total L3 cache (8 MB vs 6 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core 3 N355 across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Older platform position on FP6 with DDR4, while Core 3 N355 moves to FCBGA1264 and DDR5.

Quick Answers

So, is Core 3 N355 better than Ryzen 5 4500U?

It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, Core 3 N355 is ahead with a 16.5% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 5 4500U pulls ahead with 1.8% better PassMark. Ryzen 5 4500U also has the bigger cache pool with 33.3% larger total L3 cache (8 MB vs 6 MB).

Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 5 4500U is the stronger fit. You are getting 1.8% better PassMark, backed by 6 cores and 6 threads. It also has the larger cache pool with 33.3% larger total L3 cache (8 MB vs 6 MB).

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?

Core 3 N355 is the better buy right now. Core 3 N355 comes in at an unclear MSRP at $300 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it still gives you a 16.5% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. The compromise is that Ryzen 5 4500U is still stronger for heavier multi-core work with 1.8% better PassMark. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (35.0 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), so you are getting the faster CPU without taking a value hit on paper.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

Core 3 N355 makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2025 vs 2020) and a healthier platform with FCBGA1264 and DDR5 instead of FP6. That gives you a healthier platform runway for motherboard, RAM, and later CPU upgrades.

Core 3 N355 vs Ryzen 5 4500U Technical Specifications

Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

Core 3 N355

The Core 3 N355 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 7 January 2025 (less than a year ago). It is based on the Twin Lake (2024−2025) architecture. It features 8 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 0.1 GHz, with boost up to 3.9 GHz. L3 cache: 6 MB (total). L2 cache: 2 MB (total). Built on Intel 7 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1264. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR4, DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 10,502 points. Launch price was $149.

Ryzen 5 4500U

The Ryzen 5 4500U is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 6 January 2020 (5 years ago). It is based on the Renoir-U (Zen 2) (2020−2021) architecture. It features 6 cores and 6 threads. Base frequency is 2.3 GHz, with boost up to 4 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB (total). L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 7 nm process technology. Socket: FP6. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 10,692 points. Launch price was $149.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core 3 N355 packs 8 cores / 8 threads, while the Ryzen 5 4500U offers 6 cores / 6 threads — the Core 3 N355 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.9 GHz on the Core 3 N355 versus 4 GHz on the Ryzen 5 4500U — a 2.5% clock advantage for the Ryzen 5 4500U (base: 0.1 GHz vs 2.3 GHz). The Core 3 N355 uses the Twin Lake (2024−2025) architecture (Intel 7 nm), while the Ryzen 5 4500U uses Renoir-U (Zen 2) (2020−2021) (7 nm). In PassMark, the Core 3 N355 scores 10,502 against the Ryzen 5 4500U's 10,692 — a 1.8% lead for the Ryzen 5 4500U. L3 cache: 6 MB (total) on the Core 3 N355 vs 8 MB (total) on the Ryzen 5 4500U.

Feature	Core 3 N355	Ryzen 5 4500U
Cores / Threads	8 / 8+33%	6 / 6
Boost Clock	3.9 GHz	4 GHz+3%
Base Clock	0.1 GHz	2.3 GHz+2200%
L3 Cache	6 MB (total)	8 MB (total)+33%
L2 Cache	2 MB (total)+300%	512 kB (per core)
Process	Intel 7 nm	7 nm
Architecture	Twin Lake (2024−2025)	Renoir-U (Zen 2) (2020−2021)
PassMark	10,502	10,692+2%

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core 3 N355 uses the FCBGA1264 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Ryzen 5 4500U uses FP6 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.