Ryzen 5 3550H
VS
Core i5-9400H

Ryzen 5 3550H vs Core i5-9400H

AMD

Ryzen 5 3550H

4 Cores8 Thrd35 WWMax: 3.7 GHz2019
VS
Intel

Core i5-9400H

4 Cores8 Thrd45 WWMax: 4.3 GHz2019

Performance Spectrum - CPU

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.

Value Upgrade Path

This is the official ChipVERSUS Value Rating, comparing raw performance (PassMark) per dollar. Components placed above yours deliver better value for money. The Ryzen 5 3550H is positioned at rank 683 and the Core i5-9400H is on rank 421, so the Core i5-9400H offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.

MSRP is the manufacturer's suggested retail price.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.

Performance Per Dollar Ryzen 5 3550H

#671
Atom x5-Z8300
MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A
953%
#672
Atom Z3735G
MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A
939%
#673
Core i5-480M
MSRP: $81|Avg: $77
862%
#674
Core i5-460M
MSRP: $80|Avg: $129
858%
#675
Core i5-2540M
MSRP: $266|Avg: $10
850%
#677
Core i5-450M
MSRP: $32|Avg: $31
821%
#678
Core i3-380M
MSRP: $49|Avg: $25
788%
#679
Core i5-430M
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33
786%
#680
Core 2 Duo T6600
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4
765%
#683
Ryzen 5 3550H
MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A
100%
#696
Processor N95
MSRP: $160|Avg: $80
97%
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Core i5-9400H

#409
Atom x5-Z8300
MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A
565%
#410
Atom Z3735G
MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A
556%
#411
Core i5-480M
MSRP: $81|Avg: $77
511%
#412
Core i5-460M
MSRP: $80|Avg: $129
508%
#413
Core i5-2540M
MSRP: $266|Avg: $10
504%
#415
Core i5-450M
MSRP: $32|Avg: $31
487%
#416
Core i3-380M
MSRP: $49|Avg: $25
467%
#417
Core i5-430M
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33
466%
#418
Core 2 Duo T6600
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4
453%
#421
Core i5-9400H
MSRP: $182|Avg: N/A
100%
#426
Celeron 2981U
MSRP: $137|Avg: N/A
100%
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Leadership: The Core i5-9400H delivers superior performance across the board. It outperforms the Ryzen 5 3550H in both compute-intensive tasks (1.3% faster) and gaming workloads.
InsightRyzen 5 3550HCore i5-9400H
Gaming
Lower gaming performance
Superior gaming performance
Workstation
Weaker in multi-core tasks
Better multi-core power
Price
More affordable ($0)
⚠️ Higher cost ($182)
Longevity
✨ Modern (Picasso-U (Zen+) (2019−2020) / 12 nm)
✨ Modern (Coffee Lake-H (2018−2019) / 14 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

InsightRyzen 5 3550HCore i5-9400H
Cost Efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost
More affordable ($0)
⚠️ Higher cost ($182)

Performance Check

Paired with RTX 4090

To accurately isolate CPU performance, all benchmarks below use an NVIDIA RTX 4090 as the reference GPU. This eliminates GPU-side bottlenecks and highlights pure processing throughput differences between the CPUs.

Note: Real-world results may vary based on your actual GPU. CPU performance impact is more visible in processing-intensive titles and high-refresh-rate gaming scenarios.

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Ryzen 5 3550H and Core i5-9400H

AMD

Ryzen 5 3550H

The Ryzen 5 3550H 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): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 7,696 points. Launch price was $149.

Intel

Core i5-9400H

The Core i5-9400H is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 23 April 2019 (6 years ago). It is based on the Coffee Lake-H (2018−2019) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 2.5 GHz, with boost up to 4.3 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB. L2 cache: 1 MB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: BGA1440. Thermal design power (TDP): 45 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 7,794 points. Launch price was $149.

Processing Power

Both the Ryzen 5 3550H and Core i5-9400H share an identical 4-core/8-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 3.7 GHz on the Ryzen 5 3550H versus 4.3 GHz on the Core i5-9400H — a 15% clock advantage for the Core i5-9400H (base: 2.1 GHz vs 2.5 GHz). The Ryzen 5 3550H uses the Picasso-U (Zen+) (2019−2020) architecture (12 nm), while the Core i5-9400H uses Coffee Lake-H (2018−2019) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Ryzen 5 3550H scores 7,696 against the Core i5-9400H's 7,794 — a 1.3% lead for the Core i5-9400H. L3 cache: 4 MB (total) on the Ryzen 5 3550H vs 8 MB on the Core i5-9400H.

FeatureRyzen 5 3550HCore i5-9400H
Cores / Threads
4 / 8
4 / 8
Boost Clock
3.7 GHz
4.3 GHz+16%
Base Clock
2.1 GHz
2.5 GHz+19%
L3 Cache
4 MB (total)
8 MB+100%
L2 Cache
512K (per core)
1 MB+100%
Process
12 nm-14%
14 nm
Architecture
Picasso-U (Zen+) (2019−2020)
Coffee Lake-H (2018−2019)
PassMark
7,696
7,794+1%
Geekbench 6 Single
1,341
🧠

Memory & Platform

The Ryzen 5 3550H uses the FP5 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core i5-9400H uses BGA1440 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

FeatureRyzen 5 3550HCore i5-9400H
Socket
FP5
BGA1440
PCIe Generation
PCIe 3.0
PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed
DDR4-2666
Max RAM Capacity
128 GB
RAM Channels
2
ECC Support
PCIe Lanes
16
🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Ryzen 5 3550H) / VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Core i5-9400H). The Core i5-9400H includes integrated graphics (UHD Graphics 630), while the Ryzen 5 3550H requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i5-9400H targets High Performance Laptop. Direct competitor: Core i5-9400H rivals Ryzen 5 4600H.

FeatureRyzen 5 3550HCore i5-9400H
Integrated GPU
Yes
IGPU Model
UHD Graphics 630
Unlocked
No
AVX-512
No
Virtualization
VT-x, VT-d, EPT
Target Use
High Performance Laptop