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AMD Ryzen 5 8540U vs AMD Ryzen 5 8640U: Comparison
Where the two are identical
The common ground is wider than the gap: total cores, total threads, p-core boost clock, p-core base clock and tdp are identical here. They match on 11 further specifications as well.
Which should you buy, Ryzen 5 8540U or Ryzen 5 8640U?
The Ryzen 5 8540U suits ultraportable laptops and business travel, though it is not built for gaming laptops and heavy content creation. Buy the Ryzen 5 8640U for midrange thin-and-light laptops and office work, browsing and video calls, though it is not the pick for modern games at high settings without a dedicated GPU and copilot+ PC AI features, which need a 40+ TOPS NPU. It is not the one for heavy video rendering or 3D work, where 8-core chips finish much sooner. Our rating of the Ryzen 5 8540U (7.8/10): the AMD Ryzen 5 8540U is a well-balanced ultraportable chip that prioritizes battery life and everyday responsiveness. Our rating of the Ryzen 5 8640U (7.8/10): the AMD Ryzen 5 8640U is a well-balanced ultraportable chip that prioritizes battery life and everyday responsiveness.
Frequently asked questions
Is the L3 Cache the same on the Ryzen 5 8540U and Ryzen 5 8640U?
It is. Both are listed at 16 MB, so it is not a reason to pick one over the other.
Specs and benchmarks
Form Factor
- AMD Ryzen 5 8540U
- Laptop
- AMD Ryzen 5 8640U
- Laptop
Codename
- AMD Ryzen 5 8540U
- Hawk Point
- AMD Ryzen 5 8640U
- Hawk Point
Release Year
- AMD Ryzen 5 8540U
- 2023
- AMD Ryzen 5 8640U
- 2023
TDP
- AMD Ryzen 5 8540U
- 28 W
- AMD Ryzen 5 8640U
- 28 W
iGPU
- AMD Ryzen 5 8540U
- AMD Radeon 740M/760M/780M Graphics (RDNA 3)
- AMD Ryzen 5 8640U
- AMD Radeon 740M/760M/780M Graphics (RDNA 3)
Market Segment
- AMD Ryzen 5 8540U
- Laptop
- AMD Ryzen 5 8640U
- Laptop
Microarchitecture
- AMD Ryzen 5 8540U
- Zen 4 (Phoenix/Hawk Point)
- AMD Ryzen 5 8640U
- Zen 4 (Phoenix/Hawk Point)
Socket
- AMD Ryzen 5 8540U
- BGA (soldered, mobile)
- AMD Ryzen 5 8640U
- BGA (soldered, mobile)
Process Node
- AMD Ryzen 5 8540U
- 4 nm
- AMD Ryzen 5 8640U
- 4 nm
Total Cores
- AMD Ryzen 5 8540U
- 6
- AMD Ryzen 5 8640U
- 6
Total Threads
- AMD Ryzen 5 8540U
- 12
- AMD Ryzen 5 8640U
- 12
SMT Enabled
- AMD Ryzen 5 8540U
- Yes
- AMD Ryzen 5 8640U
- Yes
P-Core Base Clock
- AMD Ryzen 5 8540U
- 1.7 GHz
- AMD Ryzen 5 8640U
- 1.7 GHz
P-Core Boost Clock
- AMD Ryzen 5 8540U
- 4.9 GHz
- AMD Ryzen 5 8640U
- 4.9 GHz
L3 Cache
- AMD Ryzen 5 8540U
- 16 MB
- AMD Ryzen 5 8640U
- 16 MB
Base Power
- AMD Ryzen 5 8540U
- 28 W
- AMD Ryzen 5 8640U
- 28 W
Memory Type
- AMD Ryzen 5 8540U
- DDR5, LPDDR5x
- AMD Ryzen 5 8640U
- DDR5, LPDDR5x
Integrated Graphics
- AMD Ryzen 5 8540U
- Yes
- AMD Ryzen 5 8640U
- Yes
Which one should you pick?
Choose 8540U if you want the higher L3 cache (16 MB vs 16 MB).
Choose 8640U if you already have it on hand or find it at a lower price.
Verdict
AMD Ryzen 5 8540U
7.8 / 10 Expert Rating
The AMD Ryzen 5 8540U is a well-balanced ultraportable chip that prioritizes battery life and everyday responsiveness.
AMD Ryzen 5 8640U
7.8 / 10 Expert Rating
The AMD Ryzen 5 8640U is a well-balanced ultraportable chip that prioritizes battery life and everyday responsiveness.