Core i7-11850HE vs Ryzen 5 8500G

The Core i7-11850HE packs 8 cores / 16 threads, while the Ryzen 5 8500G offers 6 cores / 12 threads — the Core i7-11850HE has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.7 GHz on the Core i7-11850HE versus 5 GHz on the Ryzen 5 8500G — a 6.2% clock advantage for the Ryzen 5 8500G (base: 2.1 GHz vs 3.5 GHz). The Core i7-11850HE uses the Tiger Lake-H (2021) architecture (10 nm), while the Ryzen 5 8500G uses Phoenix2 (2024) (4 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-11850HE scores 21,365 against the Ryzen 5 8500G's 21,481 — a 0.5% lead for the Ryzen 5 8500G. Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 1,984 vs 2,500, a 23% lead for the Ryzen 5 8500G that directly translates to higher frame rates. L3 cache: 24 MB (total) on the Core i7-11850HE vs 16 MB (total) on the Ryzen 5 8500G.

The Core i7-11850HE uses the FCBGA1787 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Ryzen 5 8500G uses AM5 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR4-3200 on the Core i7-11850HE versus DDR5-5200 on the Ryzen 5 8500G — the Ryzen 5 8500G supports 22.2% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Ryzen 5 8500G supports up to 256 GB of RAM compared to 128 GB — 66.7% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 20 (Core i7-11850HE) vs 14 (Ryzen 5 8500G) — the Core i7-11850HE offers 6 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: RM590E,QM580E (Core i7-11850HE) and A620,B650,B650E,X670,X670E,B840,B850,X870,X870E (Ryzen 5 8500G).

Only the Ryzen 5 8500G has an unlocked multiplier for overclocking — a significant advantage for enthusiasts seeking extra performance. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Core i7-11850HE) vs AMD-V (Ryzen 5 8500G). Both include integrated graphics — UHD Graphics (Core i7-11850HE) and Radeon 740M (Ryzen 5 8500G) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i7-11850HE targets Embedded/Industrial, Ryzen 5 8500G targets General Use. Direct competitor: Core i7-11850HE rivals Ryzen Embedded V3000; Ryzen 5 8500G rivals Core i5-13400.

The Core i7-11850HE launched at $400 MSRP, while the Ryzen 5 8500G debuted at $179. At current prices ($75 vs $150), the Core i7-11850HE is $75 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i7-11850HE delivers 284.9 pts/$ vs 143.2 pts/$ for the Ryzen 5 8500G — making the Core i7-11850HE the 66.2% better value option.