AMD A10-7850K vs Intel Core i5-4210U Comparison

The AMD A10-7850K and Intel Core i5-4210U represent two very different approaches to computing from the same era, one built for desktop performance and the other for mobile efficiency. While both CPUs land in the 21st percentile of all processors, their benchmark results tell a story of specialization, with the Intel chip delivering decisively better performance in the tests available, despite having fewer physical cores.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The data from the direct comparison is unambiguous. In the Geekbench multicore test, the Intel Core i5-4210U scores 1395, a full 18.4% ahead of the AMD A10-7850K's 1139. This is a significant margin, especially considering the Intel chip only has 2 physical cores with 4 threads, while the AMD part has 4 physical cores with 4 threads. The performance gap suggests that the Intel architecture is far more efficient at extracting work per clock cycle.

The single-core results are even more lopsided. The i5-4210U posts a Geekbench single-core score of 745, compared to just 453 for the A10-7850K. That is a 39.2% advantage for Intel, a massive difference that indicates the Haswell core design is substantially more powerful per thread than AMD's Steamroller architecture. For any workload that depends on single-threaded performance, this gap will be immediately noticeable.

Looking at the broader benchmark picture, the i5-4210U also has Cinebench scores across multiple versions. In Cinebench R15 multicore it scores 197, in R20 multicore it hits 824, and in R23 multicore it reaches 1962. Single-core results in R20 and R23 are 116 and 277, respectively. The A10-7850K has no Cinebench results in the data, so a direct comparison there is impossible, but the Geekbench results alone establish a clear hierarchy.

The average benchmark score for the A10-7850K is 796, while the i5-4210U averages 788. This puts them nearly identical in aggregate, but this is misleading. The average is skewed by the fact that the AMD chip has only two Geekbench results, both low, while the Intel chip includes several Cinebench tests that likely balance the overall figure. In the tests they share, Intel wins both, and wins big.

Architecture Differences

The fundamental design philosophies diverge sharply. The AMD A10-7850K is built on a 28 nm process at GlobalFoundries, packing 2,411 million transistors into a 245 mm² die. It uses the Steamroller architecture under the Kaveri codename, with a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 4.00 GHz. It has 4 cores and 4 threads, with a 256 KB L1 cache and 4 MB of L2 cache, but no L3 cache. The chip runs on the AMD Socket FM2+ platform and carries a 95 W TDP.

The Intel Core i5-4210U uses the Haswell architecture on a 22 nm process at Intel, with 1,400 million transistors on a much smaller 118 mm² die. It has 2 cores and 4 threads via Hyper-Threading, with a base clock of just 1700.00 MHz (1.70 GHz) and a boost clock of 2.70 GHz. Its cache layout is different: 64 KB L1 per core, 256 KB L2 per core, and 3 MB of shared L3 cache. The i5-4210U is a mobile part on Intel BGA 1168, with a TDP of only 15 W.

The process node advantage is clear: Intel's 22 nm vs AMD's 28 nm. This explains why the i5-4210U can deliver higher performance with dramatically lower power consumption. The AMD chip has a 95 W TDP versus 15 W for Intel, a 6.3x difference. The A10-7850K also has a much larger die and more transistors, yet still falls behind in every benchmark.

Both support DDR3 memory and lack ECC support. The A10-7850K has PCIe Gen 3 with 16 lanes (CPU only), while the i5-4210U has no PCIe information listed. The AMD chip integrates Radeon R7 graphics, while Intel uses HD 4400. The A10-7850K has an unlocked multiplier, making it overclockable, while the i5-4210U is locked.

The Verdict

From the data alone, the Intel Core i5-4210U is the stronger performer. It wins both head-to-head benchmarks decisively, with an 18.4% lead in multicore and a 39.2% lead in single-core Geekbench scores. The i5-4210U achieves this with half the physical cores, a much lower clock speed, and a fraction of the power draw. The A10-7850K cannot overcome the architectural superiority of Haswell.

Who should pick the AMD A10-7850K? Only those who need a desktop part with an unlocked multiplier for overclocking and who value the integrated Radeon R7 graphics over Intel HD 4400. The AMD chip also has more L2 cache (4 MB vs 512 KB per core) and a higher boost clock (4.00 GHz vs 2.70 GHz), which might help in specific cache-sensitive or highly threaded scenarios, though the benchmark data does not show this advantage materializing.

Who should pick the Intel Core i5-4210U? Anyone prioritizing raw performance per watt. The 15 W TDP is astonishingly low for the performance on offer. Mobile users, or those building power-efficient systems, will find the i5-4210U vastly superior. The 39.2% single-core advantage makes it the clear choice for everyday tasks, office work, and any software that is not perfectly multi-threaded.

The production status tells part of the story: the A10-7850K is end-of-life, while the i5-4210U has no such status listed. The Intel part also launched later, in April 2014, versus January 2014 for AMD. Neither chip has a launch MSRP listed, so no pricing comparison is possible from the data.

Specification Differences

| Specification | AMD A10-7850K | Intel Core i5-4210U |

|---|---|---|

| Cores | 4 | 2 |

| Threads | 4 | 4 |

| Base Clock | 3.70 GHz | 1.70 GHz |

| Boost Clock | 4.00 GHz | 2.70 GHz |

| TDP | 95 W | 15 W |

| Socket | AMD Socket FM2+ | Intel BGA 1168 |

| Architecture | Steamroller | Haswell |

| Codename | Kaveri | Haswell |

| Process Node | 28 nm | 22 nm |

| Foundry | GlobalFoundries | Intel |

| Transistors | 2,411 million | 1,400 million |

| Die Size | 245 mm² | 118 mm² |

| L1 Cache | 256 KB | 64 KB (per core) |

| L2 Cache | 4 MB | 256 KB (per core) |

| L3 Cache | None | 3 MB (shared) |

| PCIe | Gen 3, 16 Lanes (CPU only) | Not listed |

| Integrated Graphics | Radeon R7 | Intel HD 4400 |

| Market Segment | Desktop | Mobile |

| Multiplier Unlocked | Yes | No |

| Release Date | 2014-01-13 | 2014-04-13 |

FAQ

Q: Which CPU has better single-core performance?

A: The Intel Core i5-4210U wins the Geekbench single-core test with a score of 745, which is 39.2% higher than the AMD A10-7850K's score of 453.

Q: How much faster is the Intel chip in multi-core workloads?

A: In the Geekbench multicore test, the i5-4210U scores 1395 versus 1139 for the A10-7850K, giving Intel an 18.4% lead.

Q: Does the AMD A10-7850K have more cores?

A: Yes, the A10-7850K has 4 physical cores and 4 threads, while the i5-4210U has 2 physical cores and 4 threads.

Q: What is the TDP difference between these two processors?

A: The AMD A10-7850K has a TDP of 95 W, while the Intel Core i5-4210U has a TDP of just 15 W.

Q: Can I overclock either of these CPUs?

A: The AMD A10-7850K has an unlocked multiplier, so it can be overclocked. The Intel Core i5-4210U has a locked multiplier, so it cannot.

Q: Which CPU has a larger cache?

A: The AMD A10-7850K has 256 KB of L1 and 4 MB of L2 cache. The Intel i5-4210U has 64 KB L1 per core, 256 KB L2 per core, and 3 MB of shared L3 cache.

Where Each One Wins

The Intel Core i5-4210U wins in every benchmark category where both chips have data. Its Geekbench multicore and single-core scores are both higher, with deltas of -18.4% and -39.2% respectively from the AMD's perspective. If you value performance in general-purpose computing, the i5-4210U is the winner.

The AMD A10-7850K wins on paper in several specification categories. It has more physical cores (4 vs 2), a higher base clock (3.70 GHz vs 1.70 GHz), a higher boost clock (4.00 GHz vs 2.70 GHz), more L2 cache (4 MB vs 512 KB total), and an unlocked multiplier for overclocking. It also has PCIe Gen 3 with 16 lanes, which the Intel part does not list.

In practical terms, the i5-4210U is the right choice for any workload that relies on single-threaded speed, which includes most everyday applications. Its 39.2% single-core advantage makes it feel snappier in general use. The 15 W TDP also makes it ideal for laptops and compact systems where heat and power are concerns.

The A10-7850K is only preferable if you need a desktop CPU with an unlocked multiplier for overclocking, or if the integrated Radeon R7 graphics are more important to you than the Intel HD 4400. The AMD part also has more raw L2 cache, which could theoretically benefit certain cache-heavy workloads, though the benchmark data does not demonstrate this advantage in practice.

Overall, the data is clear: the Intel Core i5-4210U is the better processor by a wide margin in the tests conducted, despite being a lower-power mobile chip. The AMD A10-7850K, for all its extra cores and higher clocks, cannot match the efficiency of Intel's Haswell architecture.