Apple A8X vs AMD Ryzen 5 3500C

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CPU comparison with benchmarks

-VS-

CPU lineage

Apple A8X or Apple A8X – which processor offers superior performance? In this comparison, we examine disparities and assess which of these two CPUs outperforms the other. We delve into technical specifications and benchmark outcomes.
The Apple A8X features 3 processor cores and has the capability to manage 3 threads concurrently.
It was released in Q3/2014 and belongs to the 8 generation of the Apple A series series.
The AMD Ryzen 5 3500C features 4 processor cores and has the capability to manage 8 threads concurrently.
It was released in Q3/2020 and belongs to the 3 generation of the AMD Ryzen 5 series.
To use the AMD Ryzen 5 3500C, you'll need a motherboard with a FP5 socket.
Apple A8/A8X Group AMD Ryzen 3000C
8 Generation 3
Mobile Segment Mobile
Apple A8X Name AMD Ryzen 5 3500C
Apple A series Family AMD Ryzen 5
 
 

CPU Cores and Base Frequency

The Apple A8X has 3 CPU cores and can calculate 3 threads in parallel.
The clock frequency of the Apple A8X is 1.5 GHz
The AMD Ryzen 5 3500C has 4 CPU cores and can calculate 8 threads in parallel.
The clock frequency of the AMD Ryzen 5 3500C is 2.1 GHz
and turbo frequency for one core is 3.7 GHz.
3 Threads 8
normal Core architecture normal
No Hyperthreading Yes
No Overclocking No
3x Typhoon Cores 4x
3 CPU Cores 4
None None 3.7 GHz
1.5 GHz Frequency 2.1 GHz
None None 2.5 GHz
 
 

Internal Graphics

The Apple A8X has integrated graphics, called iGPU for short.
Specifically, the Apple A8X uses the Apple A8X, which has 256 texture shaders
and 32 execution units.
The iGPU uses the system's main memory as graphics memory and sits on the processor's die.
The AMD Ryzen 5 3500C has integrated graphics, called iGPU for short.
Specifically, the AMD Ryzen 5 3500C uses the AMD Radeon Vega 8 Graphics, which has 512 texture shaders
and 8 execution units.
256 Shaders 512
Q3/2014 Release date Q1/2018
20 nm Technology 14 nm
-- Direct X 12
2.0 GB Max. GPU Memory 2.0 GB
-- Max. displays --
32 Execution units 8
0.45 GHz GPU frequency 1.2 GHz
5 Generation 8
-- GPU (Turbo) --
Apple A8X GPU name AMD Radeon Vega 8 Graphics
 
 

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

-- AI specifications --
-- AI hardware --
 
 

Hardware codec support

A photo or video codec that is accelerated in hardware can greatly accelerate the working speed of a processor and extend the battery life of notebooks or smartphones when playing videos.
No VP8 Decode / Encode
Decode VC-1 Decode
Decode / Encode JPEG Decode / Encode
No AV1 No
No h265 / HEVC (8 bit) Decode / Encode
Decode AVC Decode / Encode
Decode h264 Decode / Encode
No VP9 Decode / Encode
No h265 / HEVC (10 bit) Decode / Encode
 
 

Memory & PCIe

The processor supports a maximum memory capacity of 2.0 GB distributed across 1 memory channels. It offers a peak memory bandwidth of 12.8 GB/s. Both the type and quantity of memory can have a substantial impact on the overall system performance.
The processor supports a maximum memory capacity of 64.0 GB distributed across 2 memory channels. It offers a peak memory bandwidth of 39.5 GB/s. Both the type and quantity of memory can have a substantial impact on the overall system performance.
pci PCIe pci
No AES-NI Yes
LPDDR3-1600 Memory type DDR4-2666
No ECC Yes
2.0 GB Max. Memory 64.0 GB
1 Memory channels 2
12.8 GB/s Bandwidth 39.5 GB/s
 
 

Thermal Management

The processor has a thermal design power (TDP) of 8 W watts.
TDP indicates the cooling solution needed to effectively manage the processor's heat. It generally provides an approximate indication of the actual power consumption of the CPU itself.
The processor has a thermal design power (TDP) of 15 W watts.
None TDP down 12 W
None TDP up 25 W
8 W TDP (PL1 / PBP) 15 W
-- Tjunction max 105 °C
 
 

Technical details

The Apple A8X is manufactured using a 20 nm process.
A smaller manufacturing process indicates a more contemporary and energy-efficient CPU.
In total, this processor boasts a generous 4.0 MB cache.
A substantial cache can significantly enhance the processor's performance, particularly in scenarios like gaming.
The AMD Ryzen 5 3500C is manufactured using a 12 nm process.
Q3/2014 Release date Q3/2020
None Virtualization AMD-V, SVM
ISA extensions SSE4a, SSE4.1, SSE4.2, FMA3, AVX2
20 nm Technology 12 nm
Chiplet Chip design Chiplet
-- Release price --
A8 Architecture Picasso (Zen+)
4.0 MB L3-Cache 4.0 MB
iOS Operating systems Windows 10, Linux, Windows 11
Technical data sheet Documents Technical data sheet
ARMv8-A64 (64 bit) Instruction set (ISA) x86-64 (64 bit)
-- Part Number --
Socket FP5
2.0 MB L2-Cache 2.0 MB
 
 

Benchmarks

Estimated results for PassMark CPU Mark

AMD Ryzen 5 3500C
4C 8T @ 2.1 GHz
5377
5377
Apple A8X
3C 3T @ 1.5 GHz
2356
2356

Geekbench 5, 64bit (Multi-Core)

AMD Ryzen 5 3500C
4C 8T @ 2.1 GHz
3080
3080
Apple A8X
3C 3T @ 1.5 GHz
1075
1075

Geekbench 6 (Multi-Core)

AMD Ryzen 5 3500C
4C 8T @ 2.1 GHz
2072
2072
Apple A8X
3C 3T @ 1.5 GHz
959
959

Geekbench 6 (Single-Core)

AMD Ryzen 5 3500C
4C 8T @ 2.1 GHz
928
928
Apple A8X
3C 3T @ 1.5 GHz
427
427

Geekbench 5, 64bit (Single-Core)

AMD Ryzen 5 3500C
4C 8T @ 2.1 GHz
719
719
Apple A8X
3C 3T @ 1.5 GHz
386
386