AMD A10-7890K vs Intel Pentium G4560 Comparison
AMD A10-7890K
Pentium G4560
PERFORMANCE BENCHMARKS
Analysis: AMD A10-7890K vs Intel Pentium G4560
The AMD A10-7890K and Intel Pentium G4560 are two desktop processors from different eras and design philosophies, yet benchmark results place them in an unusually tight performance band. Both chips land in the 28th percentile of all CPUs tracked, and their average benchmark scores are separated by a razor-thin margin (1035 vs. 1031). The data shows a clean sweep for the AMD part across all five Cinebench tests, but every victory is marginal, with the largest delta being just 0.7%. This is a comparison defined by near-parity in raw compute, with the deciding factors being platform features, power efficiency, and integrated graphics capability.
The Verdict
The benchmark data points to a statistical tie in CPU throughput. The AMD A10-7890K wins all five head-to-head Cinebench tests, but the margins are trivial: 0.7% in Cinebench R15 multi-core, 0.4% in R20 multi-core, 0.6% in R20 single-core, 0.4% in R23 multi-core, and 0.2% in R23 single-core. In practical terms, no user will perceive a difference between a score of 303 and 301, or 424 and 423. Both processors sit at the 28th percentile of all CPUs, and their nearest rivals overlap heavily — the A10-7890K sits within 0.3% of the AMD A10-9700 and AMD A8-7680, while the Pentium G4560 is within 0.4% of the AMD Ryzen Embedded V1202B and 0.2% of the Intel Xeon E5620.
Given this performance parity, the choice hinges on platform priorities. The A10-7890K is the pick for users who need an unlocked multiplier (it supports overclocking, the Pentium does not) and a substantially more capable integrated GPU (Radeon R7 vs. Intel HD 610). It also runs on the AMD Socket FM2+ platform with DDR3 memory. The Pentium G4560 is the pick for users prioritizing power efficiency and a modern platform: its TDP is 51W versus 95W for the AMD, it uses DDR4 memory with higher bandwidth (38.4 GB/s vs. 34.1 GB/s), and it is built on Intel's 14 nm process versus AMD's 28 nm node. The Pentium also remains in active production, while the A10-7890K is end-of-life. For a new build, the Pentium's platform longevity and efficiency make it the more sensible default; for an existing FM2+ system or a build where iGPU performance matters more than CPU-bound tasks, the A10-7890K holds the edge.
FAQ
Q: Which processor has a higher multi-core score in Cinebench R23?
A: The AMD A10-7890K scores 3009, while the Intel Pentium G4560 scores 2996. The AMD part leads by 0.4%.
Q: Are these CPUs comparable in single-core performance?
A: Yes. In Cinebench R23 single-core, the A10-7890K scores 424 and the Pentium G4560 scores 423, a 0.2% difference. In Cinebench R20 single-core, the margin is 0.6% (178 vs. 177).
Q: What are the core and thread configurations?
A: The AMD A10-7890K has 4 cores and 4 threads. The Intel Pentium G4560 has 2 cores and 4 threads, using Hyper-Threading to match the thread count.
Q: Does either processor support ECC memory?
A: No. Both the AMD A10-7890K and Intel Pentium G4560 list ECC memory support as false.
Q: Which processor is more power-efficient according to the data?
A: The Intel Pentium G4560 has a significantly lower TDP at 51W, compared to the AMD A10-7890K's 95W TDP. The Intel chip also uses a more advanced 14 nm process node versus AMD's 28 nm.
Q: What is the production status of each chip?
A: The AMD A10-7890K is listed as end-of-life, while the Intel Pentium G4560 is listed as active.
Architecture Differences
The two processors represent fundamentally different architectural approaches. The AMD A10-7890K uses the Steamroller architecture under the codename Godaveri. It is built on a 28 nm process at GlobalFoundries, with a transistor count of 2,411 million on a 245 mm² die. The chip features 4 physical cores with no multi-threading, running at a base clock of 4.00 GHz and a boost clock of 4.30 GHz. Its cache hierarchy includes 256 KB of L1 cache and 4 MB of L2 cache, with no L3 cache present.
The Intel Pentium G4560 uses the Kaby Lake architecture, built on Intel's 14 nm process. It has 2 physical cores but supports 4 threads via Hyper-Threading, with a base clock of 3.50 GHz and no boost clock. The cache layout is per-core for L1 (64 KB per core) and L2 (256 KB per core), with a shared 3 MB L3 cache. Intel lists no transistor count or die size for this chip.
The memory support differs fundamentally: the AMD part uses DDR3 memory, while the Intel part uses DDR4. Both run dual-channel memory, but the Intel chip has a higher theoretical memory bandwidth at 38.4 GB/s versus 34.1 GB/s for AMD. Both support PCIe Gen 3 with 16 lanes from the CPU, and neither supports ECC memory.
The integrated graphics solutions are a major differentiator. The A10-7890K pairs its CPU cores with a Radeon R7 iGPU, while the Pentium G4560 includes Intel HD 610 graphics. The Radeon R7 is positioned as a more capable integrated solution for gaming and media workloads, though the data does not include specific iGPU benchmarks.
Specification Differences
The key specification gaps between the two parts are stark. The AMD A10-7890K offers 4 cores and 4 threads, while the Intel Pentium G4560 offers 2 cores and 4 threads. The AMD part has a higher base clock (4.00 GHz vs. 3.50 GHz) and adds a boost clock (4.30 GHz) that the Intel chip lacks entirely. TDP is a major split: the AMD chip draws 95W, the Intel chip draws 51W.
The process node favors Intel by a full generation: 14 nm for the Pentium versus 28 nm for the A10-7890K. The AMD chip is unlocked (multiplier unlocked: true), while the Intel chip is locked (multiplier unlocked: false). Memory support diverges: DDR3 for AMD, DDR4 for Intel. The AMD part has a larger aggregate cache (4 MB L2, no L3) versus Intel's smaller per-core L1/L2 but with a shared 3 MB L3.
The sockets are incompatible: AMD uses Socket FM2+, Intel uses Socket 1151. Release dates are roughly a year apart (AMD in January 2016, Intel in January 2017). The AMD part is end-of-life, while the Intel part remains active. The AMD chip has a larger die (245 mm²) with a listed transistor count (2,411 million); Intel lists neither.
Head-to-Head Benchmarks
The benchmark results show a consistent but minuscule advantage for the AMD A10-7890K across all five Cinebench tests. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the AMD scores 303 against Intel's 301, a 0.7% delta — the largest margin in the entire comparison. This test, which is more sensitive to core count, favors the AMD's 4 physical cores over Intel's 2 cores with Hyper-Threading, but the difference is negligible.
In Cinebench R20 multi-core, the AMD scores 1263 against 1258, a 0.4% delta. The single-core tests show even tighter margins: R20 single-core has AMD at 178 and Intel at 177 (0.6% delta), and R23 single-core has AMD at 424 and Intel at 423 (0.2% delta). The R23 multi-core test shows AMD at 3009 and Intel at 2996, again a 0.4% delta.
The pattern is clear: the AMD A10-7890K wins every test, but the largest victory is under one percentage point. The average benchmark scores tell the same story — 1035 for AMD versus 1031 for Intel. Both chips are clustered with the same nearest rivals; the AMD A10-7890K's closest competitor is the AMD A10-9700 (1034, +0.1% delta), while the Intel Pentium G4560's closest is the AMD A12-9800E (1033, -0.2% delta). This is a dead heat in compute performance, with architecture and platform features — not raw throughput — being the real differentiators.