AMD A12-9800 vs Intel Core i7-4610M Comparison

The Verdict

The data clearly favors the AMD A12-9800 across every recorded benchmark. In all five head-to-head Cinebench tests, the AMD part wins, with margins ranging from 14.1% to 14.8%. The A12-9800 is the pick for anyone prioritizing raw multi-threaded and single-threaded rendering performance. The Intel Core i7-4610M, while not far behind in average benchmark score (1094 vs 1081), is a mobile part from an older generation, and its recorded performance trails the AMD desktop chip in every test. However, the i7-4610M does have one clear advantage: power consumption. Its TDP is 37 watts versus 65 watts for the A12-9800. If the build is constrained by thermals or battery life, the Intel part is the practical choice. The A12-9800 is the better performer; the i7-4610M is the more efficient option. Neither part unlocks multipliers, so overclocking is not a differentiator.

Architecture Differences

The AMD A12-9800 is built on the Excavator architecture, codenamed Bristol Ridge, using a 28 nm process from GlobalFoundries. It is a desktop part with 4 cores and 4 threads. The Intel Core i7-4610M uses the Haswell architecture on a 22 nm process from Intel, with 2 cores and 4 threads. The A12-9800 has a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 4.20 GHz. The i7-4610M runs at 3.00 GHz base and 3.70 GHz boost. The AMD chip has a higher transistor count (3,100 million) and a larger die size (250 mm²) compared to Intel's 960 million transistors on a 131 mm² die. Cache configurations differ significantly: the A12-9800 has 320 KB of L1 cache and 2 MB of L2 cache, with no L3 cache. The i7-4610M has 64 KB L1 per core, 256 KB L2 per core, and 4 MB of shared L3 cache. Memory support also diverges: the AMD part uses DDR4 with a dual-channel bus and 38.4 GB/s bandwidth, while the Intel part uses DDR3 with dual-channel and 25.6 GB/s bandwidth. Both lack ECC support. PCIe lanes differ: the A12-9800 provides Gen 3 with 8 lanes (CPU only), while the i7-4610M provides Gen 3 with 16 lanes (CPU only). The integrated graphics are Radeon R7 on the AMD side and Intel HD 4600 on the Intel side. The A12-9800 is still listed as active production, while the i7-4610M is end-of-life. The Intel part has a launch MSRP of $346.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data shows a consistent pattern: the AMD A12-9800 wins every Cinebench test in the head-to-head set. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the A12-9800 scores 316 against 277 for the i7-4610M, a 14.1% advantage. Cinebench R20 multi-core follows the same margin: 1318 versus 1155, again 14.1% ahead. The single-core results show a slightly larger gap. In Cinebench R20 single-core, the A12-9800 scores 186 versus 162, which is 14.8% higher. Cinebench R23 multi-core gives the AMD chip 3140 against 2750, a 14.2% lead, and Cinebench R23 single-core shows 443 versus 388, also 14.2% ahead. No benchmark in the recorded set favors the Intel part. The average benchmark score from the database puts the A12-9800 at 1081 and the i7-4610M at 1094, a difference of only 1.2%. That average, however, includes a Geekbench multi-core score of 1903 and a Geekbench single-core score of 1024 for the i7-4610M, tests that are not recorded for the AMD part. When comparing only the overlapping Cinebench tests, the A12-9800 is consistently faster by roughly 14%. The i7-4610M's nearest rival in the database, the Intel Core i7-4600M, scores 1093, a 0.1% difference, which indicates the 4610M is typical of its direct mobile sibling. The A12-9800 sits near the Intel Core i5-4440S, which scores 1078, a 0.3% difference, and the Intel Core i5-2320 at 1083, a 0.2% difference. The AMD part's percentile rank among all CPUs is 30, the same as the Intel part, meaning both sit in the lower-mid range of the full CPU landscape despite the A12-9800's head-to-head wins.

FAQ

Q: Which CPU is faster in multi-core workloads?

A: The AMD A12-9800. In Cinebench R23 multi-core, it scores 3140 versus 2750 for the Intel Core i7-4610M, a 14.2% lead. The same pattern appears in Cinebench R15 (316 vs 277) and R20 (1318 vs 1155).

Q: Does the Intel Core i7-4610M win any benchmark?

A: In the recorded head-to-head set, no. The Intel part has zero wins across five Cinebench tests. The database does show Geekbench scores for the i7-4610M (1903 multi-core, 1024 single-core), but no Geekbench results exist for the A12-9800, so a direct comparison in that test is not possible from the data.

Q: How do their power requirements compare?

A: The Intel Core i7-4610M has a TDP of 37 watts, while the AMD A12-9800 has a TDP of 65 watts. The Intel part draws substantially less power, which matters for mobile builds or compact systems with limited cooling.

Q: Which CPU supports DDR4 memory?

A: The AMD A12-9800 supports DDR4 with dual-channel memory and 38.4 GB/s bandwidth. The Intel Core i7-4610M supports DDR3 with dual-channel memory and 25.6 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: Are these CPUs still in production?

A: The AMD A12-9800 is listed as active production. The Intel Core i7-4610M is end-of-life.

Q: How does the i7-4610M compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The i7-4610M has an average benchmark score of 1094. Its closest rival, the Intel Core i7-4600M, scores 1093, a 0.1% difference. The Intel Core i7-2670QM scores 1096, a 0.1% difference. The Intel Core i5-3470S scores 1095, a 0.1% difference, and the Intel Core i7-10510Y scores 1092, a 0.2% difference. The i7-4610M sits essentially level with its direct peers.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD A12-9800 wins every recorded performance test. It is the choice for Cinebench rendering workloads, whether multi-core or single-core. Its 14.1% to 14.8% margins across R15, R20, and R23 are consistent, which suggests the advantage is not test-specific but structural. The A12-9800 also offers a higher boost clock (4.20 GHz vs 3.70 GHz) and more cores (4 vs 2), though both have 4 threads. It supports DDR4 memory with higher bandwidth (38.4 GB/s vs 25.6 GB/s), which can help in memory-sensitive tasks. The AMD part is also still in active production, which means availability is less of a concern for new builds.

The Intel Core i7-4610M wins in efficiency and platform integration. Its 37 watt TDP is nearly half that of the A12-9800, making it suitable for laptops, small form factor systems, or any build where heat output and power draw are the primary constraints. The i7-4610M also has 16 PCIe Gen 3 lanes versus 8 on the AMD part, which could matter for configurations with multiple expansion cards or high-bandwidth devices. It includes 4 MB of shared L3 cache, which the AMD part lacks entirely, and the Intel part has a smaller die (131 mm² vs 250 mm²) and lower transistor count (960 million vs 3,100 million), indicating a more efficient design per unit of silicon. The i7-4610M's average benchmark score of 1094 is slightly higher than the A12-9800's 1081, though that includes Geekbench results not available for the AMD chip.

For a builder optimizing purely for rendering performance, the A12-9800 is the clear winner. For a builder optimizing for power draw, thermals, or PCIe expansion, the i7-4610M is the better fit. The data does not show any scenario where the Intel part outperforms the AMD part in Cinebench, but the power and platform differences are real and measurable.

Specification Differences

The two CPUs differ in nearly every major specification category. The AMD A12-9800 has 4 cores and 4 threads; the Intel Core i7-4610M has 2 cores and 4 threads. Base clocks are 3.80 GHz for AMD and 3.00 GHz for Intel. Boost clocks are 4.20 GHz for AMD and 3.70 GHz for Intel. TDP is 65 watts for AMD and 37 watts for Intel. Sockets are AMD Socket AM4 for the A12-9800 and Intel Socket G3 for the i7-4610M. Architecture is Excavator (codename Bristol Ridge) for AMD and Haswell for Intel. Process nodes are 28 nm (GlobalFoundries) for AMD and 22 nm (Intel) for Intel. Transistor counts are 3,100 million for AMD and 960 million for Intel. Die sizes are 250 mm² for AMD and 131 mm² for Intel. Cache: the A12-9800 has 320 KB L1 and 2 MB L2 with no L3; the i7-4610M has 64 KB L1 per core, 256 KB L2 per core, and 4 MB shared L3. Memory support is DDR4 for AMD and DDR3 for Intel, with dual-channel buses on both. Memory bandwidth is 38.4 GB/s for AMD and 25.6 GB/s for Intel. ECC memory is not supported by either. PCIe is Gen 3 with 8 lanes (CPU only) for AMD and Gen 3 with 16 lanes (CPU only) for Intel. Integrated graphics are Radeon R7 for AMD and Intel HD 4600 for Intel. Market segments are Desktop for AMD and Mobile for Intel. Production status is Active for AMD and End-of-life for Intel. Release dates are 2017-07-26 for the A12-9800 and 2014-01-31 for the i7-4610M. The Intel part has a launch MSRP of $346; the AMD part has no recorded launch MSRP. Neither CPU has an unlocked multiplier.