AMD A12-9800E vs AMD Athlon X4 950 Comparison
AMD A12-9800E
Athlon X4 950
PERFORMANCE BENCHMARKS
Analysis: AMD A12-9800E vs AMD Athlon X4 950
Where Each One Wins
The benchmark data splits these two Bristol Ridge parts into clear roles. The AMD Athlon X4 950 wins every single recorded head-to-head test, taking all five Cinebench comparisons. The AMD A12-9800E does not win a single benchmark in the database. That is the entire story in terms of raw compute performance: the Athlon X4 950 is consistently ahead across every workload the database records.
The Athlon X4 950 wins by margins that are small but uniform. In Cinebench R15 multicore, it scores 306 against 297, a 3% advantage. In Cinebench R20 multicore, it scores 1277 against 1239, a 3.1% lead. The single-core tests tell the same tale: Cinebench R20 single-core shows 180 versus 174, a 3.4% edge, while Cinebench R23 single-core shows 429 versus 416, a 3.1% lead. The largest single gap is the R20 single-core test at 3.4%, but every margin sits in the 3% to 3.4% band. This is not a case of one chip dominating in one workload and losing in another; the Athlon simply holds a steady, modest advantage everywhere.
Where the A12-9800E makes its case is not in the recorded CPU benchmarks. It carries an integrated Radeon R7 GPU, a feature the Athlon X4 950 completely lacks. The database contains no graphics benchmarks for either part, so any judgment about iGPU performance must stay qualitative. But the presence of the Radeon R7 means the A12-9800E can handle display output and basic graphics acceleration without a discrete card, while the Athlon X4 950 requires a separate GPU for any visual output. For a system builder focused purely on processor compute, the Athlon is the choice. For a build that needs integrated graphics, the A12-9800E is the only one of the two that can do it at all.
Power consumption is the other differentiator. The A12-9800E has a 35 W TDP, while the Athlon X4 950 has a 65 W TDP. The A12-9800E delivers nearly the same compute performance, within roughly 3% on every test, while drawing a much lower thermal envelope. The database does not include any power measurements, but the TDP figures are recorded facts. That makes the A12-9800E the more thermally efficient option, at the cost of a small performance deficit and the inclusion of an iGPU that the Athlon lacks.
The average benchmark score puts the Athlon X4 950 at 1047, with the A12-9800E at 1033. The Athlon sits at the 29th percentile of all CPUs in the database, while the A12-9800E sits at the 28th. Both are entry-level desktop parts by that measure, but the Athlon is marginally higher in the overall distribution.
The Verdict
The data points to a simple conclusion: the AMD Athlon X4 950 is the faster processor in every recorded benchmark. If the decision rests on CPU compute alone, the Athlon X4 950 wins outright. It leads in Cinebench R15 multicore by 3%, in R20 multicore by 3.1%, in R20 single-core by 3.4%, in R23 multicore by 3.1%, and in R23 single-core by 3.1%. There is no recorded workload where the A12-9800E pulls ahead.
The A12-9800E is the pick for a different reason: its 35 W TDP and integrated Radeon R7 graphics. The Athlon X4 950 has no integrated graphics at all, which means any system built around it needs a discrete GPU. The A12-9800E can run a display out of the box, and it does so while consuming significantly less power. The performance cost is small, a 3% to 3.4% deficit depending on the test, but for a compact or low-power desktop, that trade is often worthwhile.
Both chips share the same architecture, codename, socket, and process node. The Athlon X4 950 has a higher base clock of 3.50 GHz against 3.10 GHz, while both boost to 3.80 GHz. That base-clock difference is likely the main driver of the consistent performance gap. The A12-9800E compensates with a lower TDP and integrated graphics.
For a builder who already has a graphics card and wants maximum CPU performance from this pair, the Athlon X4 950 is the clear recommendation. For a builder who wants a single-chip solution with display output and lower power draw, the A12-9800E is the only sensible choice. The data supports both picks, depending on which requirement matters more.
Head-to-Head Benchmarks
The head-to-head results are remarkably consistent. Across all five recorded Cinebench tests, the Athlon X4 950 wins by margins between 3% and 3.4%. The smallest lead is in Cinebench R15 multicore, where the Athlon scores 306 against the A12-9800E's 297, a 3% difference. The largest lead is in Cinebench R20 single-core, where the Athlon scores 180 against 174, a 3.4% edge.
Cinebench R20 multicore shows the Athlon at 1277 and the A12-9800E at 1239, a 3.1% gap. Cinebench R23 multicore shows 3041 versus 2950, again 3.1%. Cinebench R23 single-core shows 429 versus 416, also 3.1%. The pattern is unmistakable: the Athlon X4 950 is faster, but only by a narrow margin, and that margin is nearly identical regardless of whether the workload is single-threaded or multi-threaded.
The A12-9800E does have one additional benchmark in the database that the Athlon lacks: Geekbench multicore at 1521 and Geekbench single-core at 631. Those scores cannot be compared head-to-head because the Athlon X4 950 has no recorded Geekbench result, but they do provide context for where the A12-9800E sits. Its nearest rivals in the database include the AMD A10-9700 with an average score of 1034, the Intel Pentium G4560 at 1031, the AMD A10-7890K at 1035, and the AMD A8-7680 at 1036. The A12-9800E's average of 1033 places it within 0.3% of these parts, indicating it is a very typical performer for its class.
The Athlon X4 950's nearest rivals tell a similar story. Its average score of 1047 sits 0.1% above the AMD PRO A10-8770 at 1046, 0.1% above the Intel Core i5-6350HQ at 1046, 0.2% above the AMD PRO A10-9700 at 1045, and 0.2% above the Intel Pentium Gold G5620 at 1045. The Athlon is essentially tied with that group, which means its edge over the A12-9800E, while real, does not push it into a higher performance class. Both chips are clustered at the same tier, with the Athlon simply holding a narrow lead within that tier.
FAQ
Q: Which CPU is faster overall, the AMD Athlon X4 950 or the AMD A12-9800E?
A: The AMD Athlon X4 950 wins every recorded benchmark. It leads in Cinebench R15 multicore by 3%, in R20 multicore by 3.1%, in R20 single-core by 3.4%, in R23 multicore by 3.1%, in R23 single-core by 3.1%. The A12-9800E has zero wins in the head-to-head data.
Q: What is the difference in multicore performance?
A: In Cinebench R15 multicore, the Athlon X4 950 scores 306 against 297, a 3% lead. In Cinebench R20 multicore, it scores 1277 against 1239, a 3.1% lead. In Cinebench R23 multicore, it scores 3041 against 2950, a 3.1% lead.
Q: Is the A12-9800E better in single-core performance?
A: No. The Athlon X4 950 wins single-core tests as well. It scores 180 against 174 in Cinebench R20 single-core, a 3.4% lead, and 429 against 416 in Cinebench R23 single-core, a 3.1% lead.
Q: Does the Athlon X4 950 have integrated graphics?
A: No. The Athlon X4 950 lists no integrated graphics. The A12-9800E includes a Radeon R7 integrated GPU, so it can handle display output without a separate graphics card.
Q: How do the two CPUs compare in power consumption?
A: The A12-9800E has a 35 W TDP, while the Athlon X4 950 has a 65 W TDP. The A12-9800E delivers within 3% to 3.4% of the Athlon's performance while drawing a much lower TDP.
Q: What are the average benchmark scores for each?
A: The Athlon X4 950 has an average benchmark score of 1047, putting it at the 29th percentile of all CPUs. The A12-9800E has an average score of 1033, at the 28th percentile.
Architecture Differences
Both processors are built on the same Excavator architecture with the Bristol Ridge codename. They share the same 28 nm process node from GlobalFoundries, the same transistor count of 3,100 million, and the same die size of 250 mm². Both use the AMD Socket AM4 and both are 4-core, 4-thread parts. Neither has a multiplier unlocked, and both support DDR4 memory in a dual-channel configuration. ECC memory is not supported on either chip.
The cache hierarchy is identical as well. Each has 320 KB of L1 cache, 2 MB of L2 cache, and no L3 cache at all. The PCIe implementation matches on both parts, PCIe Gen 3 with 8 lanes from the CPU. Both were released on the same date, 2017-07-17 and both are marked Active in the production status. The part numbers differ, as expected, with the Athlon listed as AD950XAGM44AB and the A12-9800E as AD9800EHM44AB.
The key architectural difference is the presence of an integrated Radeon GPU on the A12-9800E, which is listed as Radeon R7. The Athlon X4 950 has no integrated graphics. The A12-9800E also belongs to the A12 generation, while the Athlon belongs to the Athlon generation, though both share the Bristol Ridge codename. These are the only meaningful architecture-level distinctions between the two.
Specification Differences
The two parts differ in a small set of recorded specifications. The base clock is higher on the Athlon X4 950 at 3.50 GHz, compared to 3.10 GHz on the A12-9800E. Both boost to 3.80 GHz. The TDP is 65 W on the Athlon and 35 W on the Athlon, a substantial difference that favors the A12-9800E for low-power systems.
The Athlon X4 950 has a memory bandwidth figure of 38.4 GB/s in the database, while the A12-9800E has no recorded memory bandwidth value. Both support DDR4 memory in dual-channel mode. The integrated graphics field is the other major difference: the A12-9800E carries a Radeon R7, while the Athlon X4 950 has none.
The generations listed are Athlon (Bristol Ridge) for one and A12 (Bristol Ridge) for the other, though both use the same codename. The part numbers are different, as expected for distinct models. All other recorded specifications, including cores, threads, socket, architecture, process node, foundry, transistor count, die size, cache, memory support, ECC support, PCIe lanes, market segment, production status, release date, and multiplier unlock status, are identical between the two.