Core i7-4930MX vs Ryzen 5 2500U

Core i7-4930MX vs Ryzen 5 2500U Performance Spectrum

Core i7-4930MX

4 / 8

6,387

0.0%

6,494

+1.7%

Ryzen Threadripper 3970X

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 i7-4930MX vs Ryzen 5 2500U 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 i7-4930MX vs Ryzen 5 2500U: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

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

Core i7-4930MX

2013

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +8.9% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+100% larger total L3 cache (8 MB vs 4 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (6,387 vs 6,494).
❌280% higher power demand at 57W vs 15W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Ryzen 5 2500U can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Ryzen 5 2500U

2017

Why buy it

✅+1.7% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 15W instead of 57W, a 42W reduction.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (12 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Radeon Vega 8, while Core i7-4930MX needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-4930MX across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Smaller total L3 cache (4 MB vs 8 MB).
❌Launch MSRP is still $349 MSRP, while Core i7-4930MX mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 5 2500U better than Core i7-4930MX?

It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, Core i7-4930MX is ahead with a 8.9% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 5 2500U pulls ahead with 1.7% better PassMark. Core i7-4930MX also has the bigger cache pool with 100% larger total L3 cache (8 MB vs 4 MB).

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 5 2500U is the stronger fit. You are getting 1.7% better PassMark, backed by 4 cores and 8 threads.

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

Ryzen 5 2500U is the better buy right now. Ryzen 5 2500U comes in at an unclear MSRP at $349 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it still gives you 1.7% better PassMark. The compromise is that Core i7-4930MX is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 8.9% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (18.6 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), so you are getting the faster CPU without taking a value hit on paper.

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

Ryzen 5 2500U makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2017 vs 2013) and 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 i7-4930MX vs Ryzen 5 2500U Technical Specifications

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

Core i7-4930MX

The Core i7-4930MX is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 29 April 2013 (12 years ago). It is based on the Haswell (2013−2015) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 3 GHz, with boost up to 3.9 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: PGA946. Thermal design power (TDP): 57 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 6,387 points. Launch price was $1,096.

Ryzen 5 2500U

The Ryzen 5 2500U is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 26 October 2017 (8 years ago). It is based on the Raven Ridge (2017−2019) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 2 GHz, with boost up to 3.6 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB (total). L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: FP5. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2400. Passmark benchmark score: 6,494 points. Launch price was $149.

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Processing Power

Both the Core i7-4930MX and Ryzen 5 2500U share an identical 4-core/8-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 3.9 GHz on the Core i7-4930MX versus 3.6 GHz on the Ryzen 5 2500U — a 8% clock advantage for the Core i7-4930MX (base: 3 GHz vs 2 GHz). The Core i7-4930MX uses the Haswell (2013−2015) architecture (22 nm), while the Ryzen 5 2500U uses Raven Ridge (2017−2019) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-4930MX scores 6,387 against the Ryzen 5 2500U's 6,494 — a 1.7% lead for the Ryzen 5 2500U. L3 cache: 8 MB (total) on the Core i7-4930MX vs 4 MB (total) on the Ryzen 5 2500U.

Feature	Core i7-4930MX	Ryzen 5 2500U
Cores / Threads	4 / 8	4 / 8
Boost Clock	3.9 GHz+8%	3.6 GHz
Base Clock	3 GHz+50%	2 GHz
L3 Cache	8 MB (total)+100%	4 MB (total)
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	512 kB (per core)+100%
Process	22 nm	14 nm-36%
Architecture	Haswell (2013−2015)	Raven Ridge (2017−2019)
PassMark	6,387	6,494+2%
Geekbench 6 Single	—	818
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	2,310

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Memory & Platform

The Core i7-4930MX uses the PGA946 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Ryzen 5 2500U uses FP5 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i7-4930MX	Ryzen 5 2500U
Socket	PGA946	FP5
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	—	DDR4-2400
Max RAM Capacity	—	32 GB
RAM Channels	—	2
ECC Support	—	No
PCIe Lanes	—	12

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Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Core i7-4930MX) / AMD-V (Ryzen 5 2500U). The Ryzen 5 2500U includes integrated graphics (Radeon Vega 8), while the Core i7-4930MX requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Ryzen 5 2500U targets Mainstream Laptop.