AMD A12-9800E vs AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 2500U Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data shows a decisive sweep for the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 2500U across the shared benchmark suite, with the AMD A12-9800E failing to secure a single head-to-head victory. The largest margin appears in Cinebench R15 multi-core, where the Ryzen 5 PRO 2500U scores 553 against the A12-9800E's 297, a delta of -46.3 percent from the A12's perspective. That is nearly double the multi-threaded rendering throughput, and it reflects a fundamental gap in simultaneous processing capability.

Geekbench multi-core tells a similar story, though with a slightly narrower relative margin. The Ryzen 5 PRO 2500U posts 2540 versus 1521 for the A12-9800E, a delta of -40.1 percent. In single-core Geekbench, the Ryzen 5 PRO 2500U leads with 867 against 631, a -27.2 percent delta. The single-core gap is smaller in percentage terms, but it still represents a substantial advantage in per-thread performance, which matters for lightly threaded workloads and everyday responsiveness.

It is importantly while the head-to-head table captures only three shared tests, the broader database entries include additional Cinebench results for the A12-9800E that have no counterpart in the Ryzen 5 PRO 2500U's recorded metrics. The A12-9800E reaches 1239 in Cinebench R20 multi-core, 174 in R20 single-core, 2950 in R23 multi-core, and 416 in R23 single-core. These scores cannot be directly compared to the Ryzen part, but they provide context for the A12's absolute performance level. The Ryzen 5 PRO 2500U's own Cinebench R15 single-core score of 134 is not present in the A12's record, so no direct head-to-head exists for that test either.

When placed against nearest rivals from the database, both processors sit at the 28th percentile of all CPUs. The A12-9800E's average benchmark score is 1033, within 0.1 percent of the AMD A10-9700 (1034), 0.2 percent above the Intel Pentium G4560 (1031), 0.2 percent below the AMD A10-7890K (1035), and 0.3 percent below the AMD A8-7680 (1036). The Ryzen 5 PRO 2500U averages 1024, exactly matching the AMD Phenom II X6 1075T, sitting 0.1 percent above the Intel Core i7-975 (1023), 0.1 percent below the Intel Processor N150 (1025), and 0.2 percent above the Intel Pentium Gold G5600 (1022). These rival comparisons show that despite the Ryzen part's dominant head-to-head wins, its overall average score places it in the same percentile band as the older A12, largely because the average includes only a limited set of tests with different weighting.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from entirely different AMD design generations. The A12-9800E uses the Excavator architecture, codenamed Bristol Ridge, built on a 28 nm process at GlobalFoundries. It integrates 3,100 million transistors on a 250 mm² die. The Ryzen 5 PRO 2500U uses the Zen architecture, codenamed Raven Ridge, built on a 14 nm process, also at GlobalFoundries, with a die size of 246 mm². The transistor count for the Ryzen part is not recorded in the database, but the process node shrink from 28 nm to 14 nm is a defining difference that explains much of the efficiency and performance gap.

Core and thread counts differ significantly. The A12-9800E has 4 cores and 4 threads, meaning no simultaneous multithreading. The Ryzen 5 PRO 2500U also has 4 cores but 8 threads, doubling the logical thread count. This directly explains the multi-core benchmark margins: the Ryzen part can execute two threads per core, while the A12 cannot. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the Ryzen part's 553 versus 297 aligns with the expected scaling from 4 to 8 threads on a newer architecture.

Cache hierarchies are structured differently. The A12-9800E has 320 KB of L1 cache and 2 MB of L2 cache, with no L3 cache recorded. The Ryzen 5 PRO 2500U lists L1 as 96 KB per core, L2 as 512 KB per core, and L3 as 4 MB shared. For a 4-core part, that translates to roughly 384 KB of L1 total and 2 MB of L2 total, but the shared L3 cache is a major architectural addition that the A12 entirely lacks. A shared L3 pool allows frequently accessed data to stay closer to all cores, reducing latency in multi-threaded workloads.

Clock speeds tell a nuanced story. The A12-9800E has a base clock of 3.10 GHz and a boost clock of 3.80 GHz. The Ryzen 5 PRO 2500U has a base clock of 2000.00 MHz (2.00 GHz) and a boost clock of 3.60 GHz. Despite the lower base clock, the Ryzen part wins all shared benchmarks, indicating that its higher instructions-per-clock (IPC) from the Zen architecture more than compensates for the raw clock deficit. The A12's boost clock is 200 MHz higher, but that does not translate into better single-core results: the Ryzen part leads Geekbench single-core by 236 points.

Thermal design power differs dramatically. The A12-9800E is rated at 35 watts, while the Ryzen 5 PRO 2500U is rated at 15 watts. This is notable because the Ryzen part achieves superior performance at less than half the TDP, a direct consequence of the 14 nm process and Zen's efficiency improvements. The A12 is a desktop part on AMD Socket AM4, while the Ryzen 5 PRO 2500U is a mobile part on AMD Socket FP5. Both support DDR4 memory with dual-channel buses, but the Ryzen part records a memory bandwidth of 38.4 GB/s, while the A12's memory bandwidth is not listed. Neither supports ECC memory. Both use PCIe Gen 3 with 8 CPU lanes.

Integrated graphics also differ. The A12-9800E carries Radeon R7 graphics, while the Ryzen 5 PRO 2500U carries Radeon Vega 8. The database does not include GPU benchmark scores for either, so no quantitative comparison is possible, but the architectural distinction is clear: Vega 8 is a newer GPU design than the R7 series.

Where Each One Wins

The Ryzen 5 PRO 2500U wins every benchmark where both processors have recorded scores. In multi-core workloads, its 8 threads provide a clear advantage: Cinebench R15 multi-core shows a 46.3 percent lead, and Geekbench multi-core shows a 40.1 percent lead. This makes it the obvious choice for parallel tasks such as video rendering, 3D scene creation, compilation, and any workload that scales with thread count. The single-core Geekbench win of 27.2 percent also indicates superiority in everyday tasks like web browsing, office applications, and light productivity, where single-thread performance dominates.

The A12-9800E has no recorded wins in the head-to-head data. Its only potential advantages are structural rather than performance-based. As a desktop part on Socket AM4, it may be easier to integrate into a traditional desktop system, and its 35 W TDP, while higher than the Ryzen mobile part, is still modest for a desktop CPU. The A12's higher base clock of 3.10 GHz versus 2.00 GHz might suggest better sustained performance in short bursts, but the benchmark data does not support that conclusion, as the Ryzen part wins single-core tests despite the lower base clock.

The A12-9800E's additional Cinebench R20 and R23 scores, which have no Ryzen counterpart, show that it can complete modern rendering workloads, but at a level consistent with its 28th percentile ranking. Its average benchmark score of 1033 places it in the same neighborhood as the A10-9700, Pentium G4560, A10-7890K, and A8-7680, all within a 0.3 percent band. The Ryzen 5 PRO 2500U's average of 1024 places it near the Phenom II X6 1075T, Core i7-975, Processor N150, and Pentium Gold G5600, also within a 0.2 percent band. Despite the Ryzen part's head-to-head dominance, its average score is actually 9 points lower than the A12's average, which highlights how average scores can obscure large differences in specific tests.

The Verdict

Based strictly on the recorded benchmarks, the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 2500U is the superior processor in every measurable comparison. It wins all three head-to-head tests with margins ranging from 27.2 percent to 46.3 percent. It achieves this while consuming 15 watts versus the A12-9800E's 35 watts, and it does so with a lower base clock and a slightly lower boost clock. The Zen architecture's IPC advantage, combined with 8 threads and a shared L3 cache, makes the Ryzen part categorically faster in both single-core and multi-core tasks.

The A12-9800E's case rests entirely on factors not captured in the benchmark data. It is a desktop part with a 35 W TDP, which might be preferable in a system where a mobile socket is not an option. It also has a higher base clock, which could theoretically benefit workloads that do not allow boost behavior, but the benchmark results do not show any such advantage. The A12's 28th percentile ranking and average score of 1033 place it among older quad-core parts, and its lack of SMT is a structural disadvantage in modern multi-threaded software.

Who should pick which? The data supports the Ryzen 5 PRO 2500U for anyone who needs performance in both single-threaded and multi-threaded applications, especially in a mobile or low-power context. Its 15 W TDP makes it suitable for thin laptops and compact systems where thermals are constrained. The A12-9800E would only be reasonable for a desktop build where the AM4 socket is already in place and the workload is entirely legacy or single-threaded, but even then, the Ryzen part's single-core lead suggests it would still be faster. The database does not record a single test where the A12 outperforms the Ryzen part, so the verdict is unambiguous.

FAQ

Q: How much faster is the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 2500U in multi-core Cinebench R15?

A: The Ryzen 5 PRO 2500U scores 553 versus 297 for the A12-9800E, a delta of -46.3 percent from the A12's perspective, meaning the Ryzen part is roughly 86 percent faster in that test.

Q: What is the difference in thread counts between the two processors?

A: The A12-9800E has 4 cores and 4 threads, while the Ryzen 5 PRO 2500U has 4 cores and 8 threads, giving the Ryzen part twice the logical thread count.

Q: Which processor has the higher boost clock?

A: The A12-9800E has a boost clock of 3.80 GHz, while the Ryzen 5 PRO 2500U has a boost clock of 3.60 GHz. Despite the A12's higher boost clock, the Ryzen part wins all single-core benchmarks.

Q: Do both processors support the same memory type?

A: Yes, both support DDR4 memory with dual-channel buses. The Ryzen 5 PRO 2500U records a memory bandwidth of 38.4 GB/s, while the A12-9800E's memory bandwidth is not listed in the database.

Q: What are the TDP ratings for each processor?

A: The A12-9800E is rated at 35 watts, and the Ryzen 5 PRO 2500U is rated at 15 watts, meaning the Ryzen part achieves higher performance at less than half the TDP.

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

A: The A12-9800E has an average benchmark score of 1033, while the Ryzen 5 PRO 2500U averages 1024. Both sit at the 28th percentile of all CPUs, despite the Ryzen part's dominant head-to-head wins.