AMD A10-7860K vs AMD PRO A10-9700E Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark results paint a split picture, with each processor claiming decisive victories in different test suites. The AMD A10-7860K wins five of the seven head-to-head comparisons, but the AMD PRO A10-9700E takes the two most lopsided wins by a wide margin.

The A10-7860K dominates the Cinebench suite. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, it scores 279 against the PRO A10-9700E's 259, a 7.2% advantage. That pattern holds through every Cinebench iteration. In R20 multi-core, the A10-7860K posts 1166 versus 1081, a 7.3% lead. Single-core R20 shows the same margin: 164 versus 152, again 7.3%. The R23 tests follow suit, with the A10-7860K scoring 2778 in multi-core versus 2574, and 392 in single-core versus 363, both roughly 7.3% to 7.4% ahead. These consistent margins across all Cinebench versions indicate a steady, architecture-level performance advantage under this workload, not a quirk of any single test version.

The PRO A10-9700E strikes back in Geekbench. The multi-core score is 1430 versus 1103, a massive 29.6% lead. Single-core is similarly dominant: 577 versus 447, a 29.1% advantage. This is not a small edge; it is a near-third-of-the-score gap. The Geekbench tests clearly reward whatever architectural differences favor the PRO A10-9700E, and they do so consistently across both single and multi-threaded workloads.

Looking at the broader context, both chips sit near the bottom of the database. The PRO A10-9700E has a 25th percentile rank among all CPUs, while the A10-7860K sits at the 24th percentile. Their average benchmark scores are close: 919 for the PRO A10-9700E and 904 for the A10-7860K. The PRO A10-9700E's nearest rival is the AMD Ryzen Embedded R1305G at a 0% delta, and it is also within 0.2% to 0.5% of the AMD Athlon Silver 3050U and Intel Pentium Gold G6405T. The A10-7860K's nearest rivals are the Intel Core i7-940 and Core i5-5350U with a 0.1% delta, and the Core i5-4258U at 0.2%. The delta percentages against these rivals are all within a fraction of a percent, indicating that both processors are essentially interchangeable in overall database ranking with a cluster of older or low-power parts.

In terms of aggregate wins, the A10-7860K takes five benchmarks, while the PRO A10-9700E wins two. However, the magnitude of the PRO's wins in Geekbench (29.6% and 29.1%) far exceeds the magnitude of the A10-7860K's Cinebench margins (around 7.3%). The database records show that the A10-7860K is the more consistent performer across the majority of tests, but the PRO A10-9700E has a distinct advantage in the Geekbench workload that is nearly four times larger than any rival delta seen elsewhere.

The Verdict

The data supports a clear verdict: the AMD A10-7860K is the stronger all-around performer for most workloads. It wins five out of seven head-to-head tests, and its Cinebench victories, while not enormous, are consistent across every version of that benchmark. The 7.3% to 7.4% lead in Cinebench R15, R20, and R23, both single and multi-core, indicates a reliable advantage in rendering and CPU-intensive tasks. Its average benchmark score of 904 is only 1.6% behind the PRO A10-9700E's 919, but that gap is driven entirely by the Geekbench results.

The AMD PRO A10-9700E wins the Geekbench tests by a wide margin, 29.6% and 29.1%. This is not a minor edge; it is a decisive one. For any workload that resembles Geekbench's test pattern, the PRO A10-9700E is the correct choice. The data shows a 25th percentile ranking versus 24th, and an average score that is 15 points higher, but those overall figures are skewed by the PRO's Geekbench dominance.

The verdict from the recorded data is straightforward: the A10-7860K is the better CPU for Cinebench-style applications, and the PRO A10-9700E is the better CPU for Geekbench-style applications. Since Cinebench represents a larger number of traditional CPU tasks, the A10-7860K is the safer pick for general-purpose use. The PRO A10-9700E is the specialist, excelling in the test where it has a clear architectural edge.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from different AMD architectures. The PRO A10-9700E uses the Excavator core architecture, built on the Bristol Ridge codename. The A10-7860K uses the Steamroller architecture, under the Godaveri codename. Both are manufactured on the same 28 nm process node at GlobalFoundries, but the similarities end there.

The die sizes differ slightly. The PRO A10-9700E has a 250 mm² die with 3,100 million transistors. The A10-7860K has a 245 mm² die with 2,411 million transistors. The PRO A10-9700E packs more transistors into a slightly larger area, indicating a denser design.

The cache hierarchy is notably different. The PRO A10-9700E has a larger L1 cache at 320 KB, but a smaller L2 cache at 2 MB. The A10-7860K has a smaller L1 cache at 256 KB, but a larger L2 cache at 4 MB. Neither CPU has L3 cache, so the A10-7860K's double-sized L2 cache could be a factor in its Cinebench performance, while the PRO A10-9700E's larger L1 might contribute to its Geekbench advantage.

Memory support is another major split. The PRO A10-9700E supports DDR4 memory with dual-channel and a bandwidth of 38.4 GB/s. The A10-7860K supports DDR3, also dual-channel, but with a lower bandwidth of 34.1 GB/s. The PRO A10-9700E has the higher memory bandwidth due to the newer memory standard.

The platform and connectivity differ significantly. The PRO A10-9700E uses the AMD Socket AM4, while the A10-7860K uses the older Socket FM2+. The PRO A10-9700E has PCIe Gen 3 with 8 CPU lanes, while the A10-7860K has PCIe Gen 3 with 16 CPU lanes. The A10-7860K has double the PCIe lanes available for CPU-attached devices.

The PRO A10-9700E has a locked multiplier, while the A10-7860K has an unlocked multiplier, allowing for overclocking. The production status also differs: the PRO A10-9700E is still active, whereas the A10-7860K is end-of-life. The integrated graphics are both labeled Radeon R7, and neither supports ECC memory.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has the higher boost clock?

A: The AMD A10-7860K has a boost clock of 4.00 GHz, while the AMD PRO A10-9700E has a boost clock of 3.50 GHz.

Q: What is the TDP difference between the two?

A: The PRO A10-9700E has a TDP of 35 W, while the A10-7860K has a TDP of 65 W. The PRO A10-9700E consumes less power.

Q: Which CPU is better for Cinebench R23 multi-core?

A: The AMD A10-7860K scores 2778 in Cinebench R23 multi-core, which is 7.3% ahead of the PRO A10-9700E's score of 2574.

Q: Which CPU has the higher Geekbench multi-core score?

A: The AMD PRO A10-9700E scores 1430 in Geekbench multi-core, a 29.6% advantage over the A10-7860K's score of 1103.

Q: What memory types do these CPUs support?

A: The PRO A10-9700E supports DDR4 memory, while the A10-7860K supports DDR3 memory. Both use dual-channel configuration.

Q: Are both CPUs still in production?

A: The PRO A10-9700E is listed as Active, while the A10-7860K is listed as End-of-life.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD A10-7860K wins in Cinebench R15 multi-core, Cinebench R20 multi-core, Cinebench R20 single-core, Cinebench R23 multi-core, and Cinebench R23 single-core. These are all rendering and compute tasks, and the A10-7860K leads by a consistent 7.2% to 7.4% in each. The larger 4 MB L2 cache, the higher base and boost clocks (3.60 GHz and 4.00 GHz versus 3.00 GHz and 3.50 GHz), and the double PCIe lanes (16 versus 8) likely contribute to its performance in these threaded workloads. The A10-7860K is the choice for Cinebench-style rendering, video encoding, and other CPU-bound tasks that follow the same pattern.

The AMD PRO A10-9700E wins in Geekbench multi-core and Geekbench single-core. These are the two largest margins in the comparison, at 29.6% and 29.1% respectively. The PRO A10-9700E benefits from its Excavator architecture, the higher memory bandwidth of DDR4 (38.4 GB/s versus 34.1 GB/s), and its 320 KB L1 cache. It is the better choice for software that scales with Geekbench's test methodology, including memory-bound tasks and shorter, bursty workloads. The PRO A10-9700E also has the advantage of being an active product with a lower TDP (35 W versus 65 W), making it more suitable for power-constrained systems.

In the broader database, the PRO A10-9700E sits at the 25th percentile, slightly above the A10-7860K's 24th percentile. The average benchmark score favors the PRO A10-9700E at 919 versus 904. This means that for a typical mix of applications, the PRO A10-9700E has a slight edge in the aggregate, even though it loses most individual tests. The A10-7860K's wins are narrow, while the PRO A10-9700E's Geekbench wins are huge, which pulls the average up.

Specification Differences

| Specification | AMD PRO A10-9700E | AMD A10-7860K |

| :--- | :--- | :--- |

| Base Clock | 3.00 GHz | 3.60 GHz |

| Boost Clock | 3.50 GHz | 4.00 GHz |

| TDP | 35 W | 65 W |

| Socket | AMD Socket AM4 | AMD Socket FM2+ |

| Architecture | Excavator | Steamroller |

| Codename | Bristol Ridge | Godaveri |

| Transistors | 3,100 million | 2,411 million |

| Die Size | 250 mm² | 245 mm² |

| L1 Cache | 320 KB | 256 KB |

| L2 Cache | 2 MB | 4 MB |

| Memory Support | DDR4 | DDR3 |

| Memory Bandwidth | 38.4 GB/s | 34.1 GB/s |

| PCIe Lanes (CPU) | 8 Lanes | 16 Lanes |

| Multiplier Unlocked | No | Yes |

| Production Status | Active | End-of-life |

| Part Number | AD970BAHM44AB | AD786KYBJABOXAD786KYBJCSBXAD786KYBI44JC |