Core i7-5850HQ vs Ryzen 5 3500U

Core i7-5850HQ vs Ryzen 5 3500U Performance Spectrum

Core i7-5850HQ

4 / 8

6,866

+0.4%

6,836

0.0%

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 i7-5850HQ vs Ryzen 5 3500U 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 i7-5850HQ vs Ryzen 5 3500U: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

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

Core i7-5850HQ

2015

Why buy it

✅+0.4% higher PassMark.
✅+50% larger total L3 cache (6 MB vs 4 MB).

Trade-offs

❌213.3% higher power demand at 47W vs 15W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Ryzen 5 3500U can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Ryzen 5 3500U

2019

Why buy it

✅Draws 15W instead of 47W, a 32W reduction.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (12 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Radeon Vega 8, while Core i7-5850HQ needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (6,836 vs 6,866).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (4 MB vs 6 MB).

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 5 3500U better than Core i7-5850HQ?

It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, Ryzen 5 3500U is ahead with a 1.4% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Core i7-5850HQ pulls ahead with 0.4% better PassMark. Core i7-5850HQ 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, Core i7-5850HQ is the stronger fit. You are getting 0.4% better PassMark, backed by 4 cores and 8 threads. It also has the larger cache pool with 50% larger total L3 cache (6 MB vs 4 MB).

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

Ryzen 5 3500U still makes the most sense overall. Ryzen 5 3500U comes in at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it still gives you a 1.4% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data.

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

Ryzen 5 3500U makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2019 vs 2015). That makes it the safer long-term bet.

Core i7-5850HQ vs Ryzen 5 3500U Technical Specifications

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

Core i7-5850HQ

The Core i7-5850HQ is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2 June 2015 (10 years ago). It is based on the Broadwell-H (2015) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 2.7 GHz, with boost up to 3.6 GHz. L3 cache: 6 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: BGA1364. Thermal design power (TDP): 47 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 6,866 points. Launch price was $434.

Ryzen 5 3500U

The Ryzen 5 3500U is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 6 January 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 2.1 GHz, with boost up to 3.7 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB (total). L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 12 nm process technology. Socket: FP5. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 6,836 points. Launch price was $149.

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Processing Power

Both the Core i7-5850HQ and Ryzen 5 3500U share an identical 4-core/8-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 3.6 GHz on the Core i7-5850HQ versus 3.7 GHz on the Ryzen 5 3500U — a 2.7% clock advantage for the Ryzen 5 3500U (base: 2.7 GHz vs 2.1 GHz). The Core i7-5850HQ uses the Broadwell-H (2015) architecture (14 nm), while the Ryzen 5 3500U uses Picasso-U (Zen+) (2019−2020) (12 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-5850HQ scores 6,866 against the Ryzen 5 3500U's 6,836 — a 0.4% lead for the Core i7-5850HQ. L3 cache: 6 MB (total) on the Core i7-5850HQ vs 4 MB (total) on the Ryzen 5 3500U.

Feature	Core i7-5850HQ	Ryzen 5 3500U
Cores / Threads	4 / 8	4 / 8
Boost Clock	3.6 GHz	3.7 GHz+3%
Base Clock	2.7 GHz+29%	2.1 GHz
L3 Cache	6 MB (total)+50%	4 MB (total)
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	512K (per core)+100%
Process	14 nm	12 nm-14%
Architecture	Broadwell-H (2015)	Picasso-U (Zen+) (2019−2020)
PassMark	6,866	6,836
Cinebench R23 Multi	—	3,545
Geekbench 6 Single	—	876
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	1,898

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Memory & Platform

The Core i7-5850HQ uses the BGA1364 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Ryzen 5 3500U uses FP5 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i7-5850HQ	Ryzen 5 3500U
Socket	BGA1364	FP5
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	—	DDR4-2400
Max RAM Capacity	—	64 GB
RAM Channels	—	2
ECC Support	—	No
PCIe Lanes	—	12

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Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Core i7-5850HQ) / AMD-V (Ryzen 5 3500U). The Ryzen 5 3500U includes integrated graphics (Radeon Vega 8), while the Core i7-5850HQ requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Ryzen 5 3500U targets Budget. Direct competitor: Ryzen 5 3500U rivals Core i5-10210U.