Core i5-8279U vs Ryzen 7 3780U

Core i5-8279U vs Ryzen 7 3780U Performance Spectrum

Core i5-8279U

4 / 8

7,464

0.0%

7,483

+0.3%

Ryzen Embedded R1606G

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7965WX

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 i5-8279U vs Ryzen 7 3780U 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 i5-8279U vs Ryzen 7 3780U: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

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

Core i5-8279U

2019

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +8.2% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+50% larger total L3 cache (6 MB vs 4 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (7,464 vs 7,483).
❌86.7% higher power demand at 28W vs 15W.

Ryzen 7 3780U

2019

Why buy it

✅+0.3% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 15W instead of 28W, a 13W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-8279U across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Smaller total L3 cache (4 MB vs 6 MB).

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 7 3780U better than Core i5-8279U?

It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, Core i5-8279U is ahead with a 8.2% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 7 3780U pulls ahead with 0.3% better PassMark. Core i5-8279U also has the bigger cache pool with 50% larger total L3 cache (6 MB vs 4 MB).

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 7 3780U is the stronger fit. You are getting 0.3% better PassMark, backed by 4 cores and 8 threads.

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

Ryzen 7 3780U still makes the most sense overall. Ryzen 7 3780U comes in at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it still gives you 0.3% better PassMark.

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

Ryzen 7 3780U makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting more multi-core headroom with 4 cores / 8 threads instead of 4/8. That extra compute headroom is more likely to matter as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

Core i5-8279U vs Ryzen 7 3780U Technical Specifications

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

Core i5-8279U

The Core i5-8279U is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 3 April 2019 (6 years ago). It is based on the Coffee Lake-U (2018−2019) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 2.4 GHz, with boost up to 4.1 GHz. L3 cache: 6 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1528. Thermal design power (TDP): 28 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 7,464 points. Launch price was $320.

Ryzen 7 3780U

The Ryzen 7 3780U is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 22 October 2019 (6 years ago). It is based on the Picasso-U (Zen+) (2019−2020) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 2.3 GHz, with boost up to 4 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB (total). L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 12 nm process technology. Socket: FP5. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 7,483 points. Launch price was $149.

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Processing Power

Both the Core i5-8279U and Ryzen 7 3780U share an identical 4-core/8-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 4.1 GHz on the Core i5-8279U versus 4 GHz on the Ryzen 7 3780U — a 2.5% clock advantage for the Core i5-8279U (base: 2.4 GHz vs 2.3 GHz). The Core i5-8279U uses the Coffee Lake-U (2018−2019) architecture (14 nm), while the Ryzen 7 3780U uses Picasso-U (Zen+) (2019−2020) (12 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-8279U scores 7,464 against the Ryzen 7 3780U's 7,483 — a 0.3% lead for the Ryzen 7 3780U. L3 cache: 6 MB (total) on the Core i5-8279U vs 4 MB (total) on the Ryzen 7 3780U.

Feature	Core i5-8279U	Ryzen 7 3780U
Cores / Threads	4 / 8	4 / 8
Boost Clock	4.1 GHz+2%	4 GHz
Base Clock	2.4 GHz+4%	2.3 GHz
L3 Cache	6 MB (total)+50%	4 MB (total)
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	512 kB (per core)+100%
Process	14 nm	12 nm-14%
Architecture	Coffee Lake-U (2018−2019)	Picasso-U (Zen+) (2019−2020)
PassMark	7,464	7,483

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Memory & Platform

The Core i5-8279U uses the FCBGA1528 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Ryzen 7 3780U uses FP5 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.