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Apple M5 vs AMD E2-3800 with Radeon HD 8280: Comparison
Apple M5 vs AMD E2-3800 with Radeon HD 8280: the l2 cache difference
The gap that matters here is l2 cache: Apple M5 16 MB against AMD E2-3800 with Radeon HD 8280 2 MB, which puts Apple M5 88% ahead. On total cores there is little in it, 10 on the Apple M5 versus 4 on the AMD E2-3800 with Radeon HD 8280. On efficiency cores there is little in it, 6 on the Apple M5 versus 0 on the AMD E2-3800 with Radeon HD 8280. Total threads is closer, 10 on the Apple M5 versus 4 on the AMD E2-3800 with Radeon HD 8280. There is a split on p-core base clock as well, 2.9 GHz on the Apple M5 versus 1.3 GHz on the AMD E2-3800 with Radeon HD 8280. Tdp is not the same on both, 22 W on the Apple M5 versus 15 W on the AMD E2-3800 with Radeon HD 8280. They differ on form factor too, Laptop on the Apple M5 versus Laptops on the AMD E2-3800 with Radeon HD 8280.
Which should you buy, Apple M5 or AMD E2-3800 with Radeon HD 8280?
it is the wrong buy for buyers needing x86 software compatibility without emulation. It is equally the pick for MacBook Air, MacBook Pro 14-inch, or iPad Pro buyers wanting Apple's current base-tier chip with meaningfully improved on-device AI performance. It is the wrong buy for buyers needing more than 10 cores for sustained heavy multi-threaded work, look at the M5 Pro or M5 Max instead. The AMD E2-3800 with Radeon HD 8280 suits E-Series platform upgrades or repairs and budget legacy builds, though it is not built for modern gaming or productivity workloads and new builds.
Where the two are identical
Where they agree, they agree completely, performance cores included, so the decision does not turn on any of those.
Specs and benchmarks
Form Factor
- Apple M5
- Laptop
- AMD E2-3800 with Radeon HD 8280
- Laptops
TDP
- Apple M5
- 22 W
- AMD E2-3800 with Radeon HD 8280
- 15 W
Process Node
- Apple M5
- 3 nm
- AMD E2-3800 with Radeon HD 8280
- 28 nm
Total Cores
- Apple M5
- 10Best
- AMD E2-3800 with Radeon HD 8280
- 4
Performance Cores
- Apple M5
- 4
- AMD E2-3800 with Radeon HD 8280
- 4
Efficiency Cores
- Apple M5
- 6Best
- AMD E2-3800 with Radeon HD 8280
- 0
Total Threads
- Apple M5
- 10Best
- AMD E2-3800 with Radeon HD 8280
- 4
P-Core Base Clock
- Apple M5
- 2.9 GHz
- AMD E2-3800 with Radeon HD 8280
- 1.3 GHz
L2 Cache
- Apple M5
- 16 MBBest
- AMD E2-3800 with Radeon HD 8280
- 2 MB-87%
Which one should you pick?
Choose Apple M5 if you want the higher L2 cache (16 MB vs 2 MB).
Choose AMD E2-3800 with Radeon HD 8280 if you already have it on hand or find it at a lower price.