Intel Core i7 8550U vs the AMD Ryzen 7 5800U
Recently I was comparing my trusting Samsung Note 9 laptop to a new inexpensive mini PC (Ace Magician Dual LAN Mini Desktop PC). Surprisingly, the Intel Core i7 8550U in the Note 9 actually held up pretty well vs the the newer AMD Ryzen 7 5800U:
- The AMD Ryzen 7 5800U has 8 cores and 16 threads, while the Intel Core i7 8550U has 4 cores and 8 threads. This means that the AMD CPU can handle more tasks simultaneously and perform better in multi-threaded applications¹².
- The AMD Ryzen 7 5800U has a higher turbo clock speed of 4.4 GHz, compared to the Intel Core i7 8550U’s 4.0 GHz. This means that the AMD CPU can boost its performance for short periods of time when needed¹².
- The AMD Ryzen 7 5800U has a larger L3 cache of 16 MB, while the Intel Core i7 8550U has 8 MB. The cache is a fast memory that stores frequently used data and instructions, so having a larger cache can improve the CPU’s performance¹².
- The AMD Ryzen 7 5800U has a higher PassMark score of 18742, while the Intel Core i7 8550U has 5942. The PassMark score is a benchmark that measures the overall performance of a CPU based on various tests¹.
- The AMD Ryzen 7 5800U has a smaller semiconductor size of 7 nm, while the Intel Core i7 8550U has 14 nm. The semiconductor size is the technology used to create the CPU’s transistors, and smaller transistors usually mean lower power consumption and higher efficiency¹².
- The Intel Core i7 8550U has a higher market share of 0.46%, while the AMD Ryzen 7 5800U has 0.01%. The market share indicates how popular a CPU is among users, and higher market share usually means better compatibility and support¹.
Based on these differences, the AMD Ryzen 7 5800U seems to be a superior CPU in terms of performance, efficiency and features, while the Intel Core i7 8550U may have some advantages in terms of availability and compatibility. In my case, the overall performance difference is small enough in low thread count applications that I am just going to stick with my laptop.
However, you should also consider other factors such as price, energy use, cooling system, graphics card, etc. when choosing a laptop or mini desktop CPU.
I hope this helps you make an informed decision. If you want to learn more about these CPUs, you can check out these links:
¹: UserBenchmark: AMD Ryzen 7 5800U vs Intel Core i7-8550U
²: AMD Ryzen 7 5800U vs Intel Core i7-8550U: What is the difference?
Source:
(1) UserBenchmark: AMD Ryzen 7 5800U vs Intel Core i7-8550U. https://cpu.userbenchmark.com/Compare/Intel-Core-i7-8550U-vs-AMD-Ryzen-7-5800U/m320742vsm1433044.
(2) AMD Ryzen 7 5800U vs Intel Core i7-8550U – Versus. https://versus.com/en/amd-ryzen-7-5800u-vs-intel-core-i7-8550u.
(3) Intel Core i7 8550U vs AMD Ryzen 7 4800U – NanoReview. https://nanoreview.net/en/cpu-compare/intel-core-i7-8550u-vs-amd-ryzen-7-4800u.
(4) Ryzen 7 5800U vs. Core i7-1185G7: Everything you need to know – PCWorld. https://www.pcworld.com/article/394456/ryzen-7-5800u-vs-core-i7-1185g7-everything-you-need-to-know.html.