AMD A10 PRO-7850B vs Intel Core i5-5200U Comparison

The Intel Core i5-5200U and the AMD A10 PRO-7850B represent two very different philosophies from the same era, and the benchmark data shows a clear, if narrow, victory for the Intel part. With an average benchmark score of 838 against the AMD’s 828, the i5-5200U holds a slight overall edge, but the nature of that edge is far more important than its size. The data reveals a fundamental split: the Intel chip dominates in every head-to-head test listed, while the AMD chip counters with a raw physical configuration that the benchmarks do not fully reward.

Where Each One Wins

The Intel Core i5-5200U wins outright in every benchmark category where both processors have recorded scores. This is a clean sweep, with the data showing two wins for Intel and zero for AMD in the head-to-head comparison. The most significant victory comes in the single-core test, where the i5-5200U scores 742 compared to the A10 PRO-7850B’s 462, a massive 60.6% advantage. This is not a marginal difference; it is a generational gap in per-thread performance. In multi-core workloads, the Intel chip again takes the lead, scoring 1464 against the AMD’s 1194, a 22.6% difference. What is striking here is that the AMD part has twice the physical cores (4 vs 2), yet still loses by a wide margin in a test that should favor it. The i5-5200U’s hyper-threading allows it to present 4 threads to the operating system, matching the A10’s thread count, but the Intel architecture executes those threads far more efficiently.

The AMD A10 PRO-7850B does not win any benchmark in the provided data. Its strengths, however, lie in its specifications rather than its tested performance. It offers a higher base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 4.00 GHz, compared to the Intel’s 2.20 GHz and 2.70 GHz respectively. In purely clock-for-clock situations, the AMD chip should have an advantage in raw throughput, but the benchmark results show that is not the case. The A10 also has a larger L2 cache (4 MB vs 256 KB per core) and a higher memory bandwidth (34.1 GB/s vs 25.6 GB/s). These are theoretical advantages that the real-world tests fail to translate into competitive scores. The data implies that the AMD’s Steamroller architecture, running on a 28 nm process, is less efficient per clock than Intel’s Broadwell design on a 14 nm process.

The Verdict

For any workload that relies on single-threaded performance—the foundation of most everyday applications, older games, and lightly-threaded productivity software—the Intel Core i5-5200U is the clear choice. Its 60.6% lead in single-core Geekbench is definitive. The data shows that the i5-5200U’s architecture is simply more potent per cycle, and even its lower clock speeds cannot hold it back. Users who prioritize responsive, snappy performance in typical desktop tasks should pick the Intel part without hesitation.

The AMD A10 PRO-7850B is harder to recommend based on this data alone. It loses in both benchmarks, and while it has more physical cores, that advantage is neutralized by the Intel’s superior thread handling. The only scenario where the AMD chip makes sense from the provided figures is if a user absolutely requires its specific platform features—such as the PCIe Gen 3 lanes or the Radeon R7 integrated graphics—and is willing to sacrifice significant multi-core performance. However, the benchmarks do not show any workload where the A10 wins. The verdict is straightforward: the Intel Core i5-5200U is the faster processor in every measured metric, and the data provides no reason to choose the AMD part for performance reasons.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The most decisive result is in the Geekbench single-core test. The Intel Core i5-5200U scores 742, while the AMD A10 PRO-7850B scores 462. This 60.6% delta is the largest gap between the two chips in any test. It indicates that the Intel core, despite its lower 2.20 GHz base clock, is vastly more efficient at executing a single thread. The AMD’s 3.70 GHz clock is over 68% higher, yet it cannot overcome the architectural efficiency of the Intel Broadwell design. This is a clear case where clock speed is not a proxy for performance.

In the Geekbench multi-core test, the Intel i5-5200U scores 1464 against the AMD’s 1194, a 22.6% advantage for Intel. This is a particularly telling result because the AMD processor has four physical cores, while the Intel has only two with hyper-threading. Despite the AMD chip having double the raw core count and a higher clock speed, it still falls behind. The data suggests that the Intel’s two cores with four threads manage to outperform the AMD’s four cores with four threads. This points to significant inefficiencies in the AMD architecture, possibly related to its shared floating-point units or its lower instructions-per-clock rate. The 22.6% delta in multi-core is substantial, but it is far smaller than the 60.6% single-core gap, implying that the A10’s extra cores do help close the distance in parallel workloads, just not enough to win.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The Intel Core i5-5200U has a slightly higher average benchmark score of 838, compared to the AMD A10 PRO-7850B’s 828.

Q: How much faster is the Intel chip in single-core performance?

A: The Intel Core i5-5200U scores 742 in Geekbench single-core, which is 60.6% higher than the AMD A10 PRO-7850B’s score of 462.

Q: Does the AMD processor have more cores?

A: Yes, the AMD A10 PRO-7850B has 4 physical cores, while the Intel Core i5-5200U has 2 cores with 4 threads.

Q: What is the memory bandwidth difference?

A: The AMD A10 PRO-7850B supports 34.1 GB/s of memory bandwidth, while the Intel Core i5-5200U supports 25.6 GB/s.

Q: Which processor has a higher boost clock?

A: The AMD A10 PRO-7850B has a boost clock of 4.00 GHz, which is higher than the Intel Core i5-5200U’s boost clock of 2.70 GHz.

Q: Are both processors end-of-life?

A: Yes, both the Intel Core i5-5200U and the AMD A10 PRO-7850B have a production status of "End-of-life."

Architecture Differences

The two chips come from fundamentally different design schools. The Intel Core i5-5200U is built on a 14 nm process by Intel, featuring 1,300 million transistors on an 82 mm² die. Its architecture, Broadwell-U, is a mobile-first design with a 15W TDP. In contrast, the AMD A10 PRO-7850B is built on a 28 nm process by GlobalFoundries, packing 2,411 million transistors onto a 245 mm² die. Its Steamroller architecture, codenamed Kaveri, is a desktop part with a 95W TDP. This process and die-size disparity is a major factor in the performance gap. The Intel’s smaller, denser process allows for more efficient power use and higher clock-for-clock performance.

The cache hierarchies also differ significantly. The Intel chip has 64 KB of L1 and 256 KB of L2 per core, with a 3 MB shared L3 cache. The AMD chip has a simpler layout: 256 KB of L1 and 4 MB of L2, with no L3 cache. The AMD’s larger L2 cache is a direct response to the lack of L3, but the data shows it does not compensate for the architectural efficiency of the Intel’s cache hierarchy. The Intel chip’s L3 cache provides a shared pool of fast memory that helps with multi-threaded workloads, while the AMD’s larger L2 is split per module, which can create bottlenecks.

The integrated graphics also differ, with the Intel featuring Intel HD 5500 and the AMD featuring Radeon R7. While no graphics benchmarks are provided, the data on the CPU side shows a clear performance hierarchy. The AMD’s larger transistor count and die size suggest a more complex GPU and CPU design, but the benchmark results show the Intel CPU is still faster. The process node advantage is the most critical architectural difference, as it directly impacts power efficiency and the ability to reach higher clock speeds without thermal issues.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ on nearly every core specification. The Intel Core i5-5200U has 2 cores and 4 threads, while the AMD A10 PRO-7850B has 4 cores and 4 threads. The base clock is 2.20 GHz for Intel and 3.70 GHz for AMD, with boost clocks of 2.70 GHz and 4.00 GHz respectively. The TDP is a major differentiator: the Intel is a 15W part, while the AMD is a 95W part. This makes the Intel ideal for thin-and-light laptops, while the AMD is suited for desktop systems with robust cooling.

The sockets are completely different: the Intel uses Intel BGA 1168 (a soldered, non-upgradeable mount), while the AMD uses the socketed AMD Socket FM2+. The process nodes differ, with the Intel on 14 nm and the AMD on 28 nm. The memory support is DDR3 for both, but the AMD offers a higher memory bandwidth of 34.1 GB/s versus Intel’s 25.6 GB/s. The PCIe support also differs: the Intel uses Gen 2 with 12 lanes, while the AMD uses Gen 3 with 16 lanes. Neither chip supports ECC memory, and neither has an unlocked multiplier.

The cache configuration is another clear difference. The Intel has 64 KB L1 and 256 KB L2 per core, plus a 3 MB shared L3. The AMD has 256 KB L1 and 4 MB L2, with no L3. The AMD’s total L2 is larger, but the Intel’s L3 provides a different type of cache access. The release dates are also different, with the AMD launching in July 2014 and the Intel in February 2015. Finally, the Intel has a launch MSRP of $281, while the AMD has no listed launch MSRP in the data. The Intel’s part number is SR23Y, and the AMD’s is AD785BXBI44JA.