AMD A12-9800E vs Intel Core i3-4330 Comparison

Where Each One Wins

The AMD A12-9800E and Intel Core i3-4330 present a surprisingly narrow performance envelope in the recorded benchmarks, but the distribution of wins is entirely one-sided. The Intel Core i3-4330 takes all five head-to-head benchmark contests, though the margins are consistently slim, never exceeding 0.6%. The AMD A12-9800E does not record a single win in the direct comparison suite.

Looking at the broader benchmark averages, the AMD A12-9800E posts an average score of 1033 across all recorded tests, while the Intel Core i3-4330 averages 1020. This means the AMD part actually holds a slight edge in overall aggregate performance when considering the full set of benchmark measurements, even though it loses every direct head-to-head comparison. The discrepancy comes from the AMD chip having additional Geekbench results in its record set, including a multicore score of 1521 and a single-core score of 631, which are not present in the Intel sample.

The use-case split becomes clearer when examining the character of the workloads. The Intel Core i3-4330 wins in every Cinebench iteration, from the older R15 multicore test (298 vs 297, a 0.3% margin) through R20 multicore (1245 vs 1239, 0.5%), R20 single-core (175 vs 174, 0.6%), R23 multicore (2966 vs 2950, 0.5%), and R23 single-core (418 vs 416, 0.5%). These are rendering workloads that stress sustained compute throughput, and the Intel part shows a consistent, if marginal, advantage there.

The AMD A12-9800E, by contrast, shows its strength in the Geekbench metrics, where it records a multicore score of 1521 and a single-core score of 631. These figures are not directly compared against the Intel part in the head-to-head table, but they contribute to the AMD chip's higher average score. For workloads resembling Geekbench's mixed integer and floating-point tasks, the AMD part appears better suited, while the Intel part holds the edge in Cinebench's rendering pipeline.

The nearest rival data reinforces this split. The AMD A12-9800E sits at the 28th percentile of all CPUs, with its closest competitor being the AMD A10-9700 at an average score of 1034, a delta of -0.1%. The Intel Core i3-4330 also sits at the 28th percentile, with its nearest rival being the Intel Pentium Gold G5600 at 1022, also a -0.2% delta. Both chips occupy the same percentile tier, but they achieve it through different workload profiles.

The Verdict

For a user whose primary workload is Cinebench-style rendering, the Intel Core i3-4330 is the marginally better choice. It wins all five recorded head-to-head comparisons, with the largest margin being 0.6% in Cinebench R20 single-core. The margins are small enough that real-world differences would be difficult to perceive, but the benchmark data is unambiguous: Intel wins every direct test.

For a user whose workload aligns more closely with Geekbench-style mixed tasks, the AMD A12-9800E offers the better aggregate profile. Its average benchmark score of 1033 exceeds the Intel part's 1020, and its Geekbench multicore score of 1521 indicates strong parallel throughput in that specific test suite. The AMD chip also carries a lower TDP of 35 watts versus the Intel part's 54 watts, which suggests it may be easier to cool and quieter in operation, though the database records no thermal or acoustic measurements.

Users who require DDR4 memory support should favor the AMD A12-9800E, as it supports DDR4, while the Intel Core i3-4330 is limited to DDR3. Conversely, users with an existing DDR3 platform or an Intel Socket 1150 motherboard might find the Intel part a better fit for their hardware. The AMD chip uses AMD Socket AM4, which is a different physical platform entirely.

The Intel Core i3-4330 also offers a higher base clock of 3.50 GHz versus the AMD's 3.10 GHz, though the AMD chip has a boost clock of 3.80 GHz that the Intel part lacks entirely. The AMD chip has 4 physical cores versus the Intel's 2, but both present 4 threads to software, as the Intel part uses Hyper-Threading.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The five recorded head-to-head comparisons all favor the Intel Core i3-4330, but the margins are remarkably tight. In Cinebench R15 multicore, the Intel part scores 298 against the AMD's 297, a delta of -0.3%. This is essentially a tie, well within typical run-to-run variance. The same pattern repeats in Cinebench R20 multicore, where Intel scores 1245 versus AMD's 1239, a 0.5% margin. The AMD chip's four cores do not translate into a multicore advantage in this workload, likely due to the Excavator architecture's lower per-core efficiency.

The single-core results follow the same trend. In Cinebench R20 single-core, the Intel part scores 175 against 174, a 0.6% delta, the largest margin in the entire head-to-head set. Cinebench R23 single-core shows Intel at 418 versus 416, again 0.5%. These margins are consistent across all five tests, suggesting a systematic but very small performance advantage for the Intel architecture in Cinebench workloads.

The average benchmark scores tell a slightly different story. The AMD A12-9800E averages 1033 across all its recorded benchmarks, while the Intel Core i3-4330 averages 1020. This 13-point gap in favor of AMD comes from the Geekbench results, which are only recorded for the AMD part in this dataset. The AMD chip's Geekbench multicore score of 1521 is notably strong, and its single-core score of 631 contributes meaningfully to the average.

The nearest rival data places both chips in similar company. The AMD A12-9800E's closest rival is the AMD A10-9700 at 1034, just 0.1% ahead. The Intel Core i3-4330's closest rival is the Intel Pentium Gold G5600 at 1022, 0.2% behind. Both chips also compare closely against the AMD A10-7890K (1035) and the AMD A8-7680 (1036) for the AMD part, and the Intel Core i3-4160 (1017) and the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 2500U (1024) for the Intel part. This places both CPUs in a performance cluster where differences of 1-2% separate a wide range of older and entry-level processors.

FAQ

Q: Which CPU wins the most benchmark comparisons?

A: The Intel Core i3-4330 wins all five recorded head-to-head benchmark comparisons against the AMD A12-9800E, covering Cinebench R15 multicore, R20 multicore, R20 single-core, R23 multicore, and R23 single-core.

Q: How large is the performance gap between the two CPUs?

A: The largest margin in any head-to-head test is 0.6% in Cinebench R20 single-core, where the Intel Core i3-4330 scores 175 versus the AMD A12-9800E's 174. The smallest margin is 0.3% in Cinebench R15 multicore, where Intel scores 298 against AMD's 297.

Q: Which CPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD A12-9800E has a higher average benchmark score of 1033, compared to the Intel Core i3-4330's 1020. This is due to the AMD part's Geekbench results, which are not recorded for the Intel part in the database.

Q: What are the core and thread counts for each CPU?

A: The AMD A12-9800E has 4 cores and 4 threads, while the Intel Core i3-4330 has 2 cores and 4 threads. Both present the same number of threads to software, but the AMD part uses physical cores while the Intel part uses Hyper-Threading.

Q: What memory types do these CPUs support?

A: The AMD A12-9800E supports DDR4 memory in a dual-channel configuration, while the Intel Core i3-4330 supports DDR3 memory in a dual-channel configuration. Neither supports ECC memory.

Q: How do these CPUs compare in their nearest rival groups?

A: The AMD A12-9800E's closest rival is the AMD A10-9700 with an average score of 1034, a 0.1% difference. The Intel Core i3-4330's closest rival is the Intel Pentium Gold G5600 with an average score of 1022, a 0.2% difference. Both CPUs sit at the 28th percentile of all recorded CPUs.

Architecture Differences

The AMD A12-9800E and Intel Core i3-4330 differ fundamentally in their underlying architectures. The AMD part uses the Excavator architecture on the Bristol Ridge codename, built on a 28 nm process node at GlobalFoundries. It integrates 3,100 million transistors on a 250 mm² die. The Intel part uses the Haswell architecture, built on a 22 nm process at Intel's own foundry, with 1,400 million transistors on a 177 mm² die. The AMD chip is physically larger and uses a more mature process node, while the Intel chip is smaller and denser.

The cache configurations are notably different. The AMD A12-9800E has 320 KB of L1 cache and 2 MB of L2 cache, with no L3 cache recorded. The Intel Core i3-4330 has 64 KB of L1 cache per core and 256 KB of L2 cache per core, plus 4 MB of shared L3 cache. The Intel part's L3 cache likely explains its consistent, if small, advantage in Cinebench workloads, where repeated data access benefits from a larger last-level cache.

The integrated graphics differ as well. The AMD A12-9800E includes Radeon R7 graphics, while the Intel Core i3-4330 includes Intel HD 4600. The database records no graphics benchmark scores, so a direct comparison is not possible, but the presence of different GPU architectures means the two parts will have different capabilities for display output and light graphics workloads.

The memory support separates the platforms further. The AMD part uses DDR4 memory, while the Intel part uses DDR3. This reflects the different release dates: the AMD A12-9800E was released on July 26, 2017, while the Intel Core i3-4330 was released on August 31, 2013. The AMD part supports PCIe Gen 3 with 8 lanes from the CPU, while the Intel part supports PCIe Gen 3 without a lane count specified in the records.

The power envelopes are distinct. The AMD A12-9800E has a TDP of 35 watts, while the Intel Core i3-4330 has a TDP of 54 watts. The AMD part achieves its lower power draw with a lower base clock of 3.10 GHz, but it has a boost clock of 3.80 GHz, which the Intel part lacks entirely. The Intel part runs at a fixed 3.50 GHz. Neither CPU has an unlocked multiplier, so overclocking is not a supported feature for either part.

The sockets are incompatible: the AMD A12-9800E uses AMD Socket AM4, while the Intel Core i3-4330 uses Intel Socket 1150. This means a platform choice is required before selecting either CPU. The AMD part's production status is listed as active, while the Intel part's production status is not recorded in the database.