Core i7-5850HQ vs Ryzen 5 3500U

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.

Head-to-Head Verdict, Benchmarks, Value & Long-Term Outlook

This comparison brings together gaming FPS, productivity performance, platform differences, power efficiency, pricing context, and upgrade path so you can see which CPU actually makes more sense.

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).

Core i7-5850HQ

2015

Ryzen 5 3500U

2019

Why buy it

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

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

❌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.

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 matters more to you. For gaming, Ryzen 5 3500U is ahead with a 0.6% average FPS lead across 2 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 better fit. You are getting 0.4% better PassMark, backed by 4 cores and 8 threads. It also carries 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 looks like the safer overall buy. Ryzen 5 3500U is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you a 0.6% average FPS lead across 2 shared CPU game tests in our data.

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

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

Games Benchmarks

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.

Core i7-5850HQ Benchmark Check

Ryzen 5 3500U Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i7-5850HQ	Ryzen 5 3500U
1080p
low	167 FPS	169 FPS
medium	142 FPS	149 FPS
high	113 FPS	120 FPS
ultra	91 FPS	98 FPS
1440p
low	143 FPS	142 FPS
medium	120 FPS	121 FPS
high	94 FPS	95 FPS
ultra	76 FPS	76 FPS
4K
low	68 FPS	67 FPS
medium	61 FPS	61 FPS
high	48 FPS	48 FPS
ultra	37 FPS	37 FPS

Open Core i7-5850HQ Open Ryzen 5 3500U

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i7-5850HQ	Ryzen 5 3500U
1080p
low	172 FPS	120 FPS
medium	154 FPS	105 FPS
high	145 FPS	97 FPS
ultra	110 FPS	78 FPS
1440p
low	153 FPS	103 FPS
medium	133 FPS	90 FPS
high	124 FPS	83 FPS
ultra	99 FPS	70 FPS
4K
low	120 FPS	77 FPS
medium	108 FPS	69 FPS
high	86 FPS	56 FPS
ultra	62 FPS	42 FPS

Open Core i7-5850HQ Open Ryzen 5 3500U

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i7-5850HQ	Ryzen 5 3500U
1080p
low	172 FPS	171 FPS
medium	172 FPS	171 FPS
high	172 FPS	171 FPS
ultra	172 FPS	171 FPS
1440p
low	172 FPS	171 FPS
medium	172 FPS	171 FPS
high	172 FPS	171 FPS
ultra	172 FPS	171 FPS
4K
low	172 FPS	171 FPS
medium	172 FPS	171 FPS
high	172 FPS	171 FPS
ultra	172 FPS	171 FPS

Open Core i7-5850HQ Open Ryzen 5 3500U

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i7-5850HQ	Ryzen 5 3500U
1080p
low	172 FPS	171 FPS
medium	172 FPS	171 FPS
high	172 FPS	171 FPS
ultra	172 FPS	171 FPS
1440p
low	172 FPS	171 FPS
medium	172 FPS	171 FPS
high	172 FPS	171 FPS
ultra	172 FPS	171 FPS
4K
low	172 FPS	171 FPS
medium	172 FPS	171 FPS
high	172 FPS	171 FPS
ultra	172 FPS	171 FPS

Open Core i7-5850HQ Open Ryzen 5 3500U

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-5850HQ and Ryzen 5 3500U

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.