AMD A10-9700 vs Intel Core i7-4558U Comparison

FAQ

Q: Which processor has the higher multi-core Cinebench R23 score?

A: The AMD A10-9700 scores 3004 points in Cinebench R23 multi-core, while the Intel Core i7-4558U scores 2532 points. That puts AMD ahead by 15.7%.

Q: How do the two chips compare in average benchmark score?

A: The Intel Core i7-4558U has an average benchmark score of 1038, and the AMD A10-9700 scores 1034. The delta between them is just 0.4% in favor of Intel.

Q: What percentile do both CPUs occupy?

A: Both the Intel Core i7-4558U and the AMD A10-9700 sit at the 28th percentile among all CPUs in the database. They are statistically equivalent in overall standing.

Q: Which processor has more physical cores?

A: The AMD A10-9700 has four physical cores, while the Intel Core i7-4558U has two. Both support four threads total.

Q: What is the memory bandwidth difference?

A: The AMD A10-9700 supports DDR4 memory with a dual-channel bus and 38.4 GB/s of bandwidth. The Intel Core i7-4558U supports DDR3 memory, but no bandwidth figure is listed for it.

Q: Which chip has a larger transistor count?

A: The AMD A10-9700 contains 3,100 million transistors on a 250 mm² die, while the Intel Core i7-4558U has 1,300 million transistors on a 118 mm² die.

Architecture Differences

The Intel Core i7-4558U and AMD A10-9700 come from fundamentally different design philosophies. Intel's part is built on the Haswell architecture with the Haswell-ULT codename, fabricated on a 22 nm process at Intel's own foundry. AMD counters with the Excavator architecture under the Bristol Ridge codename, produced by GlobalFoundries on a 28 nm node. The process gap explains part of the efficiency divide: Intel packs 1,300 million transistors into a 118 mm² die, whereas AMD scales up to 3,100 million transistors across a 250 mm² die.

Core configuration is where the divergence becomes sharpest. The i7-4558U is a dual-core part with Hyper-Threading, yielding two physical cores and four threads. The A10-9700 is a true quad-core design with four physical cores and four threads, meaning it does not rely on simultaneous multithreading. Cache hierarchies reflect their different origins: Intel allocates 64 KB of L1 per core, 256 KB of L2 per core, and 4 MB of shared L3, while AMD provides 320 KB of total L1, 2 MB of L2, and no L3 at all.

Memory support is a generational split. The i7-4558U uses DDR3 memory, while the A10-9700 moves to DDR4 with a dual-channel bus and a rated 38.4 GB/s of bandwidth. PCIe connectivity also differs — AMD lists Gen 3 with 8 CPU lanes, whereas Intel's part has no PCIe specification listed. Integrated graphics are present on both: Intel pairs its chip with HD 5100, while AMD includes Radeon R7.

Market positioning separates them further. The Intel chip is a mobile part on the BGA 1168 socket with a 28 W TDP, released in 2013. The AMD chip is a desktop processor on the AM4 socket with a 65 W TDP, released in 2017, and is now marked end-of-life. The Intel part has no production status listed. Neither chip has an unlocked multiplier, and neither supports ECC memory.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark data paints a consistent picture: AMD wins every single head-to-head test, though the margins are uniform. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the A10-9700 scores 302 against Intel's 255, a delta of -15.6% from Intel's perspective. Moving to Cinebench R20 multi-core, AMD scores 1261 versus Intel's 1063, a 15.7% gap. The pattern holds in Cinebench R23 multi-core, where AMD's 3004 beats Intel's 2532 by the same 15.7% margin.

Single-core results tell a similar story. In Cinebench R20 single-core, the A10-9700 posts 178 against the i7-4558U's 149, a 16.3% advantage for AMD. Cinebench R23 single-core shows AMD ahead at 424 versus 357, a 15.8% gap. Across all five benchmark comparisons, AMD wins by a margin ranging from 15.6% to 16.3%.

The Intel chip does have one benchmark category where it appears: Geekbench. The i7-4558U scores 1967 in multi-core and 941 in single-core, but the A10-9700 has no Geekbench scores listed. That absence means the only direct comparisons come from Cinebench, where AMD is unbeaten.

Looking at the average benchmark scores, the two processors are nearly identical. Intel's 1038 average is within 0.4% of AMD's 1034, and both are bracketed by the same group of rivals. Intel's nearest rivals include the AMD A8-7680 (1036, 0.2% delta), AMD A10-7890K (1035, 0.3% delta), and AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 3700U (1041, -0.3% delta). AMD's nearest rivals include the A10-7890K (1035, -0.1% delta), A12-9800E (1033, 0.1% delta), and Intel Pentium G4560 (1031, 0.3% delta). Both chips land in the same performance tier despite their architectural differences.

Specification Differences

| Specification | Intel Core i7-4558U | AMD A10-9700 |

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

| Manufacturer | Intel | AMD |

| Cores | 2 | 4 |

| Threads | 4 | 4 |

| Base Clock | 2.80 GHz | 3.50 GHz |

| Boost Clock | 3.30 GHz | 3.80 GHz |

| TDP | 28 W | 65 W |

| Socket | Intel BGA 1168 | AMD Socket AM4 |

| Architecture | Haswell | Excavator |

| Process Node | 22 nm | 28 nm |

| Foundry | Intel | GlobalFoundries |

| Transistors | 1,300 million | 3,100 million |

| Die Size | 118 mm² | 250 mm² |

| L1 Cache | 64 KB (per core) | 320 KB |

| L2 Cache | 256 KB (per core) | 2 MB |

| L3 Cache | 4 MB (shared) | None |

| Memory Support | DDR3 | DDR4 |

| Memory Bus | Not listed | Dual-channel |

| Memory Bandwidth | Not listed | 38.4 GB/s |

| PCIe | Not listed | Gen 3, 8 Lanes (CPU only) |

| Integrated Graphics | Intel HD 5100 | Radeon R7 |

| Market Segment | Mobile | Desktop |

| Release Date | 2013-06-03 | 2017-07-26 |

| Part Number | SR188 | AD9700AGM44AB |

The clock speeds favor AMD at both ends. The A10-9700 runs at 3.50 GHz base and 3.80 GHz boost, while the i7-4558U operates at 2.80 GHz base and 3.30 GHz boost. TDP is a two-fold difference: Intel draws 28 W, AMD draws 65 W. The socket situation is incompatible — Intel uses BGA 1168, AMD uses AM4. Cache organization differs substantially, with Intel offering per-core L1 and L2 allocations plus a shared L3, while AMD provides unified L1 and L2 totals with no L3.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD A10-9700 is the clear winner in raw compute performance across all tested Cinebench workloads. Its 15.6% to 16.3% advantage in multi-core and single-core tests means it is the better choice for CPU-bound tasks like video rendering, 3D scene compilation, and batch processing. The quad-core design with higher clocks — 3.50 GHz base and 3.80 GHz boost — gives it a sustained throughput edge that shows up in every benchmark iteration. It also brings DDR4 memory support with 38.4 GB/s of bandwidth, which can help in memory-sensitive workloads.

The Intel Core i7-4558U wins in efficiency and mobility. At 28 W TDP versus 65 W, it draws less than half the power budget. Its smaller die size — 118 mm² versus 250 mm² — and lower transistor count of 1,300 million versus 3,100 million suggest a more power-conscious design. The mobile market segment and BGA 1168 socket indicate it belongs in thin-and-light laptops where thermal headroom is limited. Its per-core L1 and L2 caches plus 4 MB of shared L3 provide a different cache hierarchy that may benefit certain latency-sensitive workloads, though the benchmark data does not isolate that effect.

In overall standing, neither chip dominates. Both sit at the 28th percentile among all CPUs, and their average benchmark scores are separated by just 0.4%. The AMD A10-9700 wins five head-to-head comparisons and zero go to Intel, but the average scores suggest that the Cinebench suite may favor AMD's architecture more than other workloads would. The Intel part's Geekbench scores — 1967 multi-core and 941 single-core — provide data points that have no AMD equivalent, so direct comparison in that test is impossible.

The choice between these two comes down to context. For a desktop system where power draw is a secondary concern and CPU throughput is primary, the A10-9700's four cores and higher clocks deliver better results in every measured test. For a mobile platform where battery life and thermal output matter, the i7-4558U's 28 W TDP and smaller footprint make it the more practical fit, even with its lower benchmark scores. AMD's part is end-of-life while Intel's has no production status listed, which may affect long-term availability.