AMD Ryzen 5 150 vs AMD Ryzen 5 7520U: Processors of Different Classes

AMD Ryzen 5 150 and Ryzen 5 7520U belong to the mobile Ryzen 5 family but are designed for different laptops. The Ryzen 5 150 is targeted at high-performance models with more serious cooling, whereas the Ryzen 5 7520U was created for budget and energy-efficient devices.

The differences involve architecture, core count, cache, integrated graphics, and power consumption. Therefore, it is not possible to choose between them based solely on the processor name.

Zen 3+ vs Zen 2

The Ryzen 5 150 utilizes the Zen 3+ architecture and features 6 cores and 12 threads. Its maximum frequency reaches 4.55 GHz, and it has 16 MB of L3 cache. The thermal design power (TDP) is adjustable within a range of 35-54 W.

On the other hand, the Ryzen 5 7520U is based on the older Zen 2 architecture. It has 4 cores and 8 threads, with a frequency of up to 4.3 GHz and 4 MB of L3 cache. The standard TDP is 15 W.

Thus, the Ryzen 5 150 has 50% more physical cores, a more modern architecture, and four times the L3 cache. Its higher power limit also allows it to sustain increased frequencies under load for longer periods.

CPU Performance

When performing tasks like document editing, video watching, and having multiple browser tabs open, both processors provide acceptable responsiveness. However, the difference becomes noticeable during multitasking and prolonged loads.

The Ryzen 5 150 is better suited for:

• Compiling programs;
• Processing photos and videos;
• Working with large spreadsheets;
• Running multiple heavy applications simultaneously.

In multi-threaded tests, the Ryzen 5 150 can outperform the Ryzen 5 7520U by about two times. This gap is explained not only by the additional cores but also by the higher performance of Zen 3+, the increased cache, and significantly greater power budget.

In single-threaded tasks, the advantage is smaller, but the Ryzen 5 150 is still faster. This is reflected in application launch speeds, processing complex pages, and overall system responsiveness.

The Ryzen 5 7520U is suitable for studying, browsing, and regular office work. However, its four Zen 2 cores may already limit the system when running video calls, a browser with many tabs, and work programs simultaneously.

Radeon 660M vs Radeon 610M

The Ryzen 5 150 is equipped with integrated Radeon 660M graphics with six RDNA 2 compute units. The Ryzen 5 7520U features Radeon 610M, which has the same architecture but only two compute units.

Radeon 610M is primarily intended for display output, hardware video decoding, and the most undemanding games. In heavier projects, it usually needs to run at 720p resolution and minimum settings.

Radeon 660M is significantly more powerful. It handles popular online games, older AAA titles, and less demanding modern releases much better. The actual gap depends on memory frequency, cooling, and power settings of the specific laptop, but the Radeon 660M is generally much faster than the Radeon 610M.

The main limitation of the Ryzen 5 7520U is indeed its graphics. The two compute units are sufficient for everyday tasks but inadequate for modern gaming and serious 3D workloads.

Memory and Platform Capabilities

The Ryzen 5 7520U is typically used with soldered LPDDR5. The maximum memory capacity is 16 GB, and the possibility of future upgrades is often absent.

It is especially important to be cautious with laptops that have 8 GB of RAM. Some of the memory is reserved for the integrated graphics, so multitasking may quickly exhaust the available capacity.

The Ryzen 5 150 supports up to 64 GB of DDR5 or LPDDR5. The specific configuration depends on the laptop manufacturer, but the platform overall provides more options for work tasks and long-term use.

Support for PCI Express 4.0 on the Ryzen 5 150 is an additional advantage, although in typical laptops, the difference compared to PCIe 3.0 rarely plays a decisive role.

Power Consumption and Battery Life

The Ryzen 5 7520U consumes less power and generates less heat. With a 15-watt TDP, it can be installed in thin laptops with compact cooling systems.

Such models are often lighter, quieter, and more affordable. Under light loads, they can also run longer on battery, although the final autonomy depends on the battery, display, and manufacturer settings.

The Ryzen 5 150 requires a more powerful cooling system. Laptops with it may be heavier, noisier, and more expensive. Under sustained load, the fans will work harder, so it is worthwhile to compare not only the processors but also the specific models of devices.

Key Specifications

Which to Choose

The Ryzen 5 150 is preferable for programming, multitasking, content processing, and occasional gaming. It is significantly faster in CPU performance and is equipped with much more powerful integrated graphics.

The Ryzen 5 7520U is worth considering for a budget laptop intended for browsing, document editing, studying, and video watching. Its main advantages are low power consumption, compact cooling, and a more affordable price point.

Conclusion

The AMD Ryzen 5 150 confidently wins in performance. It has more cores, a more modern architecture, increased cache, and significantly faster integrated graphics.

The Ryzen 5 7520U remains a reasonable choice only for simple tasks and at a noticeably lower price point for laptops. At comparable prices, a model with the Ryzen 5 150 offers a much greater performance margin but may be heavier, noisier, and more demanding in terms of cooling.