AMD A12-9800 vs Intel Core i5-4440S Comparison

The AMD A12-9800 and Intel Core i5-4440S are both 4-core, 4-thread desktop processors that land at the same 30th percentile of all CPUs, yet their benchmark results tell a story of consistent, if modest, separation. The data shows a head-to-head sweep: the Intel part wins all five Cinebench comparisons, with the AMD chip trailing by roughly 15.5% to 15.8% in every single test, a remarkably uniform margin that suggests a fundamental architectural efficiency gap rather than a workload-specific advantage.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The Intel Core i5-4440S wins every recorded benchmark, but the margin is tight and consistent. In Cinebench R15 multicore, the Intel part scores 375 against the AMD A12-9800's 316, a delta of -15.7%. That 59-point gap is the largest single difference in raw terms, yet the percentage deficit is nearly identical across all other tests, indicating the performance ratio is stable regardless of the workload's threading demands.

Moving to Cinebench R20, the multicore scores are 1566 for Intel and 1318 for AMD, representing a -15.8% difference. The single-core R20 test shows 220 versus 186, a -15.5% gap. This near-identical percentage in both single-core and multi-core tests is telling: the Intel architecture's advantage is not tied to core scaling or parallel efficiency, but to per-thread throughput. The A12-9800's higher clock speeds are simply not enough to overcome this deficit.

The Cinebench R23 results reinforce the pattern. The multicore test yields 3729 for the i5-4440S versus 3140 for the A12-9800, a -15.8% delta. Single-core R23 shows 526 against 443, also -15.8%. The consistency is almost mathematical: every single benchmark returns a deficit between -15.5% and -15.8% for the AMD part. This uniformity suggests that the performance difference is a fixed property of the two chips under Cinebench's rendering workload, not a variable that changes with clock speed or cache usage. The AMD chip's boost clock of 4.20 GHz is significantly higher than the Intel's 3.30 GHz, yet the Intel part still wins by the same margin, implying the Intel core is executing instructions more efficiently per clock cycle.

The average benchmark scores tell a similar story at a smaller scale. The AMD A12-9800 posts an average benchmark score of 1081, while the Intel Core i5-4440S is at 1078, a difference of just 0.3% in AMD's favor. This is a critical nuance: when averaged across a broader benchmark suite, the two chips are effectively tied, with the Intel part only 0.2% behind the AMD chip in the rival list. The Cinebench-focused head-to-head shows Intel dominance, but the wider average score suggests that other workloads, not captured in the head-to-head, might favor the AMD part.

The Verdict

From the data alone, the Intel Core i5-4440S is the clear winner for Cinebench-style rendering workloads, beating the AMD A12-9800 by a consistent 15.7% to 15.8% margin across all tests. The Intel chip's scores are uniformly higher in both single-core and multi-core scenarios, which indicates a stronger per-thread performance that benefits everything from lightly threaded tasks to fully saturated multicore rendering. Users prioritizing raw CPU compute in applications similar to Cinebench should select the Intel part.

However, the average benchmark score paints a more balanced picture. The AMD A12-9800's average of 1081 is technically higher than the Intel's 1078, and the nearest rival data shows the AMD chip is 0.3% ahead of the Intel part, while the Intel part is 0.2% behind the AMD chip. This suggests that in a broader mix of applications, the AMD chip may close the gap or even take a slight lead. The Intel i5-4440S wins every head-to-head benchmark, but the AMD A12-9800 wins the average score comparison by a hair, which is a fascinating contradiction. The verdict depends on the workload: for Cinebench-like rendering, pick Intel; for a general average of performance, the data is nearly a tie, with AMD holding a negligible edge.

Architecture Differences

The architectural divide between these two chips is substantial. The AMD A12-9800 uses the Excavator architecture on the Bristol Ridge codename, built on a 28 nm process at GlobalFoundries. It integrates 3,100 million transistors on a 250 mm² die. The Intel Core i5-4440S uses the Haswell architecture, built on a 22 nm process at Intel, with 1,400 million transistors on a 177 mm² die. The transistor count difference is stark: AMD packs over twice as many transistors into a larger die, yet still loses in performance, which points to the Excavator design being less efficient per transistor than Haswell.

The cache hierarchies are completely different. The AMD chip has a 320 KB L1 cache and a 2 MB L2 cache, with no L3 cache at all. The Intel chip has 64 KB of L1 per core, 256 KB of L2 per core, and a 6 MB shared L3 cache. The lack of L3 cache on the AMD part is a significant disadvantage in many workloads, as the Intel chip can store more frequently accessed data closer to the cores. The memory support also diverges: the AMD A12-9800 uses DDR4 memory with a dual-channel bus and a specified bandwidth of 38.4 GB/s, while the Intel i5-4440S uses DDR3 memory with a dual-channel bus and no bandwidth figure listed. The DDR4 support gives AMD a modern memory interface, but the data shows it does not translate into a compute win.

Other differences include the socket and integrated graphics. The AMD chip uses AMD Socket AM4 and includes Radeon R7 integrated graphics, while the Intel chip uses Intel Socket 1150 and includes Intel HD 4600. The AMD chip has PCIe Gen 3 with 8 lanes from the CPU, while the Intel chip lists PCIe Gen 3 without a lane count. The AMD part's production status is listed as "Active," while the Intel part's status is null, and the release dates are far apart: the AMD chip launched in 2017, while the Intel chip launched in 2013.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ on several key specification fields. The base clock is 3.80 GHz for the AMD A12-9800 versus 2.80 GHz for the Intel Core i5-4440S. The boost clock is 4.20 GHz for AMD versus 3.30 GHz for Intel. Both have 4 cores and 4 threads, and both have a TDP of 65 watts. The process node is 28 nm for AMD and 22 nm for Intel. The foundry is GlobalFoundries for AMD and Intel for the i5-4440S.

The cache specifications are not directly comparable. AMD lists a total L1 of 320 KB and L2 of 2 MB with no L3. Intel lists L1 as 64 KB per core, L2 as 256 KB per core, and L3 as 6 MB shared. The memory support is DDR4 for AMD and DDR3 for Intel, with memory bandwidth listed only for AMD at 38.4 GB/s. The sockets are AMD Socket AM4 versus Intel Socket 1150. The integrated graphics are Radeon R7 versus Intel HD 4600. The part numbers are "AD9800AUABBOXAD9800AUM44AB" for AMD and "SR14L" for Intel. Both have locked multipliers, and neither supports ECC memory.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has a higher clock speed?

A: The AMD A12-9800 has a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 4.20 GHz, both significantly higher than the Intel Core i5-4440S's base of 2.80 GHz and boost of 3.30 GHz.

Q: Does the AMD A12-9800 beat the Intel Core i5-4440S in any Cinebench test?

A: No. The head-to-head data shows the Intel Core i5-4440S wins all five Cinebench tests, with the AMD chip trailing by 15.5% to 15.8% in every case.

Q: How do their average benchmark scores compare?

A: The AMD A12-9800 has an average benchmark score of 1081, while the Intel Core i5-4440S has an average of 1078, giving AMD a 0.3% advantage in the head-to-head rival data.

Q: What is the difference in their cache configurations?

A: The AMD A12-9800 has a 320 KB L1 and 2 MB L2 cache with no L3 cache. The Intel Core i5-4440S has 64 KB L1 per core, 256 KB L2 per core, and a 6 MB shared L3 cache.

Q: Which memory type does each processor support?

A: The AMD A12-9800 supports DDR4 memory with a dual-channel bus and 38.4 GB/s bandwidth. The Intel Core i5-4440S supports DDR3 memory with a dual-channel bus, though no bandwidth figure is listed.

Q: Do both processors have the same TDP?

A: Yes, both the AMD A12-9800 and the Intel Core i5-4440S have a TDP of 65 watts.

Where Each One Wins

The Intel Core i5-4440S wins every recorded Cinebench benchmark, from the R15 multicore score of 375 to the R23 single-core score of 526. Its consistent 15.7% to 15.8% advantage in both single-core and multi-core tests makes it the clear choice for any rendering or compute workload that behaves like Cinebench. The presence of a 6 MB L3 cache likely contributes to this edge, as does the more efficient Haswell core design despite the lower clock speeds. For users running CPU-intensive applications that scale with per-thread performance, the Intel chip is the data-backed winner.

The AMD A12-9800's wins are more subtle and appear only in the aggregate. Its average benchmark score of 1081 edges out the Intel's 1078, and the rival comparison shows AMD at a 0.3% advantage over the Intel part. This suggests that in a broader mix of workloads beyond Cinebench, the AMD chip may perform comparably or slightly better. The AMD part also has the advantage of DDR4 memory support, a newer socket in AM4, and a higher boost clock of 4.20 GHz, which may help in bursty, single-threaded tasks that are not well-represented by the Cinebench suite. Additionally, the AMD chip includes Radeon R7 integrated graphics, which may offer different capabilities compared to Intel HD 4600, though no benchmark data is provided for either. For users who prioritize a modern platform with DDR4 and a newer socket, the AMD A12-9800 offers those features, but for raw Cinebench-style compute, the Intel Core i5-4440S is the definitive winner.