AMD A10-9700 vs AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 2500U Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data contains one direct head-to-head comparison between the AMD A10-9700 and the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 2500U. This is the Cinebench R15 multi-core test, and the result is decisive. The Ryzen 5 PRO 2500U scores 553 while the A10-9700 scores 302. That gives the Ryzen part a 45.4% advantage, a substantial margin that points to a major architectural gap rather than a small clock-speed edge.

Looking at the broader benchmark results, the A10-9700 has a different set of test scores. In Cinebench R20 multi-core it scores 1261, while in single-core it scores 178. In Cinebench R23, the multi-core score is 3004 and the single-core score is 424. The Ryzen 5 PRO 2500U, by contrast, has additional data from Geekbench: a multi-core score of 2540 and a single-core score of 867. The Cinebench R15 single-core result for the Ryzen part is 134, which is lower than the A10-9700's Cinebench R20 single-core result, but these are different test versions and not directly comparable.

The average benchmark score tells a similar story. The A10-9700 has an average score of 1034, while the Ryzen 5 PRO 2500U sits at 1024. That is a remarkably narrow gap, only about 1%. Both processors land at the 28th percentile among all CPUs in the database. The difference between them in the head-to-head Cinebench R15 multi-core test, however, is far larger than the average scores suggest. This indicates that the Ryzen part's win in that specific test is offset by its weaker results in other benchmark categories, particularly single-threaded tests where clock speed and architecture efficiency matter.

The nearest rivals for the A10-9700 include the AMD A10-7890K with an average score of 1035 (a 0.1% difference), the AMD A12-9800E at 1033 (0.1% difference), the AMD A8-7680 at 1036 (0.2% difference), and the Intel Pentium G4560 at 1031 (0.3% difference). For the Ryzen 5 PRO 2500U, the nearest rivals are the AMD Phenom II X6 1075T at 1024 (0% difference), the Intel Core i7-975 at 1023 (0.1% difference), the Intel Processor N150 at 1025 (0.1% difference), and the Intel Pentium Gold G5600 at 1022 (0.2% difference). These rival sets show that both processors sit in the same performance tier on average, despite the Ryzen part's clear win in the one shared test.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from entirely different design eras within AMD's lineup. The A10-9700 uses the Excavator architecture, codenamed Bristol Ridge, built on a 28 nm process at GlobalFoundries. It has 4 cores and 4 threads, meaning no simultaneous multithreading. The Ryzen 5 PRO 2500U uses the Zen architecture, codenamed Raven Ridge, on a 14 nm process, also at GlobalFoundries. It has 4 cores and 8 threads, doubling the thread count via SMT.

The transistor count and die size also differ. The A10-9700 has 3,100 million transistors on a 250 mm² die. The Ryzen 5 PRO 2500U has no recorded transistor count, but its die size is 246 mm², nearly identical to the older part despite being on a more advanced process. This is notable because the Ryzen part includes a more modern CPU complex and a newer integrated GPU, the Radeon Vega 8, compared to the Radeon R7 in the A10-9700.

Cache layouts are fundamentally different. The A10-9700 has a 320 KB L1 cache and a 2 MB L2 cache, with no L3 cache at all. The Ryzen 5 PRO 2500U has 96 KB of L1 per core, 512 KB of L2 per core, and a 4 MB shared L3 cache. That L3 cache is a major architectural advantage for the Ryzen part, as it allows frequently accessed data to be shared across cores without hitting main memory as often.

Clock speeds also differ. The A10-9700 has a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 3.80 GHz. The Ryzen 5 PRO 2500U has a base clock of 2000.00 MHz (2.00 GHz) and a boost clock of 3.60 GHz. Despite the Ryzen part's lower base clock, it wins the Cinebench R15 multi-core test by a wide margin. This is a direct result of the Zen architecture's higher instructions per clock (IPC) compared to Excavator, combined with the extra threads.

The thermal design power (TDP) is a stark contrast. The A10-9700 has a TDP of 65 watts, while the Ryzen 5 PRO 2500U is rated at only 15 watts. That is a 50-watt difference, making the Ryzen part far more efficient per watt. The Ryzen part is a mobile processor on AMD Socket FP5, while the A10-9700 is a desktop processor on AMD Socket AM4. Both support DDR4 memory in dual-channel mode with the same 38.4 GB/s bandwidth, and both lack ECC support. Both also have PCIe Gen 3 with 8 lanes from the CPU.

The production status differs as well. The A10-9700 is end-of-life, released on 2017-07-26. The Ryzen 5 PRO 2500U is active, released on 2019-01-07. Neither processor has a recorded launch MSRP, and neither has an unlocked multiplier. The A10-9700's part number is AD9700AGM44AB, while the Ryzen 5 PRO 2500U's is YM250BC4T4MFB.

The Verdict

The data points to a clear winner in the only direct comparison available. The Ryzen 5 PRO 2500U outperforms the A10-9700 by 45.4% in Cinebench R15 multi-core. That is not a marginal difference; it is a generational leap. The Ryzen part accomplishes this with a much lower TDP (15 watts versus 65 watts), a smaller process node (14 nm versus 28 nm), and a more modern architecture (Zen versus Excavator).

However, the average benchmark scores complicate the picture. The A10-9700's average score of 1034 is slightly higher than the Ryzen 5 PRO 2500U's 1024. Both sit at the 28th percentile, meaning they are statistically in the same performance class when averaged across all tests in the database. The Ryzen part's single-core results, where it scores 867 in Geekbench and 134 in Cinebench R15, may not translate directly to the A10-9700's Cinebench single-core scores, but the overall averages suggest the A10-9700 holds its own in some workloads.

For a user choosing between these two, the Ryzen 5 PRO 2500U is the better choice for multi-threaded tasks. The 45.4% lead in Cinebench R15 multi-core is the strongest data point in either processor's favor. It also does so while consuming less than a quarter of the power, which is critical for mobile use cases. The A10-9700, being a desktop part with a higher TDP and no L3 cache, is harder to recommend from a pure performance standpoint.

That said, the A10-9700 has a small edge in average benchmark score, and its nearest rivals include desktop parts like the A10-7890K and Intel Pentium G4560, which suggests it remains competitive in its niche. The Ryzen 5 PRO 2500U's nearest rivals are older high-end parts like the Phenom II X6 1075T and Core i7-975, indicating it trades blows with legacy desktop hardware despite being a 15-watt mobile chip.

The verdict from the data is straightforward: the Ryzen 5 PRO 2500U is the superior processor in the one test they share, and it does so with far greater efficiency. The A10-9700's only advantage is a slightly higher average benchmark score, but that does not outweigh the multi-core deficit.

FAQ

Q: Which processor wins the Cinebench R15 multi-core test?

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 2500U wins with a score of 553, compared to the AMD A10-9700's 302, a 45.4% difference.

Q: What is the average benchmark score for each processor?

A: The AMD A10-9700 has an average benchmark score of 1034, while the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 2500U has an average score of 1024.

Q: How many threads does each processor have?

A: The AMD A10-9700 has 4 threads, while the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 2500U has 8 threads. Both have 4 cores.

Q: What are the TDP ratings for these processors?

A: The AMD A10-9700 has a TDP of 65 watts, and the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 2500U has a TDP of 15 watts.

Q: Do these processors have any L3 cache?

A: The AMD A10-9700 has no L3 cache. The AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 2500U has a 4 MB shared L3 cache.

Q: What is the production status of each processor?

A: The AMD A10-9700 is end-of-life, while the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 2500U is active.

Where Each One Wins

The Ryzen 5 PRO 2500U wins in multi-threaded synthetic workloads. Its 553 score in Cinebench R15 multi-core versus the A10-9700's 302 is the largest recorded margin between the two. The extra 4 threads from SMT and the 4 MB L3 cache are the likely contributors to this advantage. The Ryzen part also wins on efficiency, with a 15-watt TDP versus 65 watts, making it the clear choice for battery-powered or thermally constrained systems.

The A10-9700 wins on average benchmark score, with 1034 versus 1024. That is a slim 1% lead, but it is consistent across the database's aggregated results. The A10-9700 also has a higher base clock (3.50 GHz versus 2.00 GHz) and a slightly higher boost clock (3.80 GHz versus 3.60 GHz), which may help in single-threaded tasks that do not scale with additional threads. Its nearest rivals are all within 0.3% of its average score, showing that it sits in a tight performance cluster.

For desktop users with a Socket AM4 motherboard, the A10-9700 is the only one of the two that physically fits, since the Ryzen 5 PRO 2500U uses Socket FP5. That makes the A10-9700 the default choice for AM4 builds, despite its lower multi-core performance. For mobile users or anyone building a low-power system, the Ryzen 5 PRO 2500U is the stronger part, offering far better multi-core performance at a fraction of the power draw.

The data also shows that the Ryzen 5 PRO 2500U, despite being a mobile chip, matches the average score of desktop parts like the Phenom II X6 1075T and Core i7-975. This speaks to the efficiency of the Zen architecture. The A10-9700, meanwhile, matches the Pentium G4560 and other budget desktop parts, placing it in the entry-level segment. In a direct comparison, the Ryzen part wins the only shared benchmark, and that is the definitive result from the database.