AMD Ryzen 3 7320U vs Intel Core i7-7567U

AMD Ryzen 3 7320U

The AMD Ryzen 3 7320U is a mobile processor for cheap laptops of the Mendocino series. It integrates four older Zen 2 cores (similar to the Ryzen 4000 series like the Ryzen 3 4300U). The CPU cores clock from 2.4 GHz (base) to 4.1 GHz (single core Turbo) and can use 4 MB L3 cache. Thanks to SMT/Hyperthreading, the CPU can work on 8 threads simultaneously. The integrated memory controller only supports fast LPDDR5 memory (5500 MHz max.). Compared to the fastest Mendocino model the Ryzen 5 7520U, the 7320U offers lower clocked CPU cores (400 MHz base, and 200 MHz Turbo).

The integrated graphics adapter (Radeon 610M iGPU) uses the modern RDNA 2 architecture, but only 2 CUs (128 shaders) and clocks with up to 1.9 GHz.

Performance

We have not tested a single system built around the 7320U, as of September 2023. Expect the chip to be about as fast as the Ryzen 3 3100 (four Zen 2 cores running up to 3.9 GHz).

Your mileage may vary depending on how high the CPU power limits are and how competent the cooling solution of your laptop is.

Mendocino series chips are produced on a relatively modern 6nm FinFET process at TSMC and should offer a good power efficiency. The R3 7320U is rated at 8-15 W TDP and therefore well suited for thin and light laptops.

Intel Core i7-7567U

The Intel Core i7-7567U is a fast dual-core SoC for notebooks based on the Kaby Lake architecture and was announced in January 2017. The CPU has two processor cores clocked at 3.5-4 GHz (two cores up to 3.9 GHz). The processor can execute up to four threads simultaneously thanks to Hyper Threading. It is also equipped with an Intel Iris Plus Graphics 650 GPU with 64 MB eDRAM, a dual-channel memory controller (DDR4) as well as VP9 and H.265 video decoding as well as encoding. The chip is still manufactured in a 14nm process with FinFET transistors.

Compared to the Core i7-7560, the 7567U has a higher TDP of 28 vs. 15 Watts as well as higher clocks.

Architecture

Intel basically uses the same micro architecture compared to Skylake, so the per-MHz performance does not differ. The manufacturer only reworked the Speed Shift technology for faster dynamic adjustments of voltages and clocks, and the improved 14nm process allows much higher frequencies combined with better efficiency than before.

Performance

Thanks to the high clocks pf up to 4 GHz and 64 MB eDRAM (can also be used as L4 cache by the CPU), the Core i7-7567U is the fastest dual-core for notebooks in the beginning of 2017. It competes with lower clocked quad-core models and can convince by the excellent single-thread performance. Some games might require a real quad-core though and could not run perfectly on the dual-core, despite Hyper Threading.

Graphics

The integrated Intel Iris Plus 650 Graphics is the GT3e model of the Kaby Lake GPU (Intel Gen. 9.5). It has 48 Execution Units running at 300-1100 MHz and the performance is comparable to a GeForce 920MX thanks to fast eDRAM cache. However, there aren't any significant improvements compared to the old Iris Pro 550, so modern games can often not be played smoothly or only at the lowest or medium settings, respectively.

Contrary to Skylake, Kaby lake now also supports H.265/HEVC Main 10 with a 10-bit color depth as well as Google's VP9 codec. The dual-core Kaby Lake processors announced in January should also support HDCP 2.2.

Power Consumption

The chip is manufactured in an improved 14nm process with FinFET transistors, which improves the efficiency even further. Intel specifies the TDP with 28 Watts, which can be reduced to 23 Watts (cTDP Down) depending on the usage scenario. The TDP is pretty high compared to the common 15-Watt TDP for dual-core processors, but allows a better utilization of CPU and GPU Turbo.