Ryzen 3 3100 vs Ryzen 5 PRO 4650U

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.

Ryzen 3 3100

2020

Why buy it

✅+100% larger total L3 cache (16 MB vs 8 MB).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (11,928 vs 12,073).
❌Launch MSRP is still $99 MSRP, while Ryzen 5 PRO 4650U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌333.3% higher power demand at 65W vs 15W.

Ryzen 5 PRO 4650U

2020

Why buy it

✅Draws 15W instead of 65W, a 50W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (8 MB vs 16 MB).

Ryzen 3 3100

2020

Ryzen 5 PRO 4650U

2020

Why buy it

✅+100% larger total L3 cache (16 MB vs 8 MB).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Why buy it

✅Draws 15W instead of 65W, a 50W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (11,928 vs 12,073).
❌Launch MSRP is still $99 MSRP, while Ryzen 5 PRO 4650U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌333.3% higher power demand at 65W vs 15W.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (8 MB vs 16 MB).

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 5 PRO 4650U better than Ryzen 3 3100?

Yes. Ryzen 5 PRO 4650U is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 1.3% average FPS lead across 2 shared CPU game tests in our data, 1.2% better PassMark, and the stronger long-term platform, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Ryzen 5 PRO 4650U is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 1.3% more average FPS across 2 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 5 PRO 4650U is the better fit. You are getting 1.2% better PassMark, backed by 6 cores and 12 threads.

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

Ryzen 5 PRO 4650U is the smarter buy by a wide margin for a fresh build. Ryzen 5 PRO 4650U is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $99 MSRP, and it gives you a 1.3% average FPS lead across 2 shared CPU game tests in our data. Ryzen 3 3100 only looks stronger on raw value math because it is so cheap, but its absolute performance tier is too low to be the smarter recommendation now. At roughly 11,928 PassMark with 4 cores and 8 threads, it only makes sense as a bare-minimum stopgap or a very constrained existing-platform upgrade.

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

Ryzen 5 PRO 4650U is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting more multi-core headroom with 6 cores / 12 threads instead of 4/8. That extra compute headroom should age better as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

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.

Ryzen 3 3100 Benchmark Check

Ryzen 5 PRO 4650U Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Ryzen 3 3100	Ryzen 5 PRO 4650U
1080p
low	166 FPS	179 FPS
medium	136 FPS	146 FPS
high	118 FPS	118 FPS
ultra	93 FPS	93 FPS
1440p
low	144 FPS	151 FPS
medium	115 FPS	122 FPS
high	94 FPS	97 FPS
ultra	72 FPS	76 FPS
4K
low	68 FPS	71 FPS
medium	58 FPS	61 FPS
high	46 FPS	48 FPS
ultra	36 FPS	38 FPS

Open Ryzen 3 3100 Open Ryzen 5 PRO 4650U

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Ryzen 3 3100	Ryzen 5 PRO 4650U
1080p
low	271 FPS	160 FPS
medium	228 FPS	137 FPS
high	191 FPS	125 FPS
ultra	147 FPS	99 FPS
1440p
low	231 FPS	137 FPS
medium	200 FPS	119 FPS
high	169 FPS	111 FPS
ultra	133 FPS	91 FPS
4K
low	165 FPS	118 FPS
medium	148 FPS	106 FPS
high	118 FPS	97 FPS
ultra	89 FPS	75 FPS

Open Ryzen 3 3100 Open Ryzen 5 PRO 4650U

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Ryzen 3 3100	Ryzen 5 PRO 4650U
1080p
low	298 FPS	302 FPS
medium	298 FPS	302 FPS
high	298 FPS	302 FPS
ultra	298 FPS	302 FPS
1440p
low	298 FPS	302 FPS
medium	298 FPS	302 FPS
high	298 FPS	302 FPS
ultra	298 FPS	302 FPS
4K
low	298 FPS	302 FPS
medium	268 FPS	302 FPS
high	226 FPS	300 FPS
ultra	179 FPS	240 FPS

Open Ryzen 3 3100 Open Ryzen 5 PRO 4650U

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Ryzen 3 3100	Ryzen 5 PRO 4650U
1080p
low	298 FPS	302 FPS
medium	298 FPS	302 FPS
high	298 FPS	302 FPS
ultra	298 FPS	302 FPS
1440p
low	298 FPS	302 FPS
medium	298 FPS	302 FPS
high	298 FPS	302 FPS
ultra	298 FPS	302 FPS
4K
low	298 FPS	302 FPS
medium	298 FPS	302 FPS
high	298 FPS	302 FPS
ultra	298 FPS	284 FPS

Open Ryzen 3 3100 Open Ryzen 5 PRO 4650U

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Ryzen 3 3100 and Ryzen 5 PRO 4650U

Ryzen 3 3100

The Ryzen 3 3100 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 24 April 2020 (5 years ago). It is based on the Matisse (Zen 2) (2019−2020) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 3.6 GHz, with boost up to 3.9 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB (total). L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 7 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 11,928 points. Launch price was $99.

Ryzen 5 PRO 4650U

The Ryzen 5 PRO 4650U is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 7 May 2020 (5 years ago). It is based on the Renoir-U PRO (Zen 2) (2020) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 2.1 GHz, with boost up to 4 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB (total). L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 7 nm process technology. Socket: FP6. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 12,073 points. Launch price was $149.

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Processing Power

The Ryzen 3 3100 packs 4 cores / 8 threads, while the Ryzen 5 PRO 4650U offers 6 cores / 12 threads — the Ryzen 5 PRO 4650U has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.9 GHz on the Ryzen 3 3100 versus 4 GHz on the Ryzen 5 PRO 4650U — a 2.5% clock advantage for the Ryzen 5 PRO 4650U (base: 3.6 GHz vs 2.1 GHz). The Ryzen 3 3100 uses the Matisse (Zen 2) (2019−2020) architecture (7 nm), while the Ryzen 5 PRO 4650U uses Renoir-U PRO (Zen 2) (2020) (7 nm). In PassMark, the Ryzen 3 3100 scores 11,928 against the Ryzen 5 PRO 4650U's 12,073 — a 1.2% lead for the Ryzen 5 PRO 4650U. L3 cache: 16 MB (total) on the Ryzen 3 3100 vs 8 MB (total) on the Ryzen 5 PRO 4650U.

Feature	Ryzen 3 3100	Ryzen 5 PRO 4650U
Cores / Threads	4 / 8	6 / 12+50%
Boost Clock	3.9 GHz	4 GHz+3%
Base Clock	3.6 GHz+71%	2.1 GHz
L3 Cache	16 MB (total)+100%	8 MB (total)
L2 Cache	512K (per core)	512K (per core)
Process	7 nm	7 nm
Architecture	Matisse (Zen 2) (2019−2020)	Renoir-U PRO (Zen 2) (2020)
PassMark	11,928	12,073+1%

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Memory & Platform

The Ryzen 3 3100 uses the AM4 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Ryzen 5 PRO 4650U uses FP6 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.