AMD A12-9800E vs Intel Core i7-975 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark data shows a consistent, though narrow, advantage for the Intel Core i7-975 across every recorded workload. The AMD A12-9800E does not win a single head-to-head comparison in the database; the Intel part claims all five recorded wins. The margins, however, are remarkably slim, ranging from 0.6% to 0.8%, which indicates that the two processors are functionally equivalent in raw compute performance despite their vastly different architectures and release eras.

In the Cinebench R15 multi-core test, the Intel Core i7-975 scores 299 against the AMD A12-9800E's 297, a delta of -0.7% from the AMD part's perspective. This is a margin of just 2 points, well within typical run-to-run variance for a benchmark of this type. The Cinebench R20 multi-core test shows a similar pattern: Intel scores 1249, AMD scores 1239, with a delta of -0.8%. Again, the 10-point gap is statistically minor, but it does point to a slight edge in sustained multi-threaded rendering work for the Intel chip.

Single-core performance tells the same story. In Cinebench R20 single-core, Intel leads 175 to 174, a delta of -0.6%. The Cinebench R23 single-core test shows Intel ahead 419 to 416, a delta of -0.7%. These differences are almost negligible in practical terms, yet they are consistent: the Intel Core i7-975 is the victor in every single recorded benchmark, even if the victories are by razor-thin margins.

The largest relative advantage for Intel appears in the multi-core tests, where the delta is -0.8% in both Cinebench R20 and R23. The smallest margin is in Cinebench R20 single-core at -0.6%. The overall pattern suggests that the Intel chip's hyper-threading capability, which provides 8 threads versus the AMD part's 4, does not translate into a substantial multi-threaded advantage in these specific workloads. The AMD A12-9800E's 4 physical cores, despite lacking hyper-threading, manage to stay within striking distance of the Intel part's 8 threads.

The average benchmark scores in the database reinforce this closeness. The AMD A12-9800E has an average benchmark score of 1033 across all recorded tests, while the Intel Core i7-975 averages 1023. This means that when looking at the broader picture beyond the head-to-head tests, the AMD part actually holds a slight overall advantage of about 1% in average score. This discrepancy between the head-to-head results and the overall averages suggests that the AMD chip performs relatively better in workloads not covered by the five head-to-head comparisons, such as the Geekbench tests where it records 1521 multi-core and 631 single-core scores.

Both processors sit at the 28th percentile among all CPUs in the database, placing them in the same tier of overall performance. The nearest rivals for the AMD part include the AMD A10-9700 with an average score of 1034 (delta -0.1%), the Intel Pentium G4560 at 1031 (delta 0.2%), the AMD A10-7890K at 1035 (delta -0.2%), and the AMD A8-7680 at 1036 (delta -0.3%). For the Intel part, the nearest rivals are the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 2500U at 1024 (delta 0%), the AMD Phenom II X6 1075T at 1024 (delta -0.1%), the Intel Pentium Gold G5600 at 1022 (delta 0.1%), and the Intel Processor N150 at 1025 (delta -0.2%). These rival lists further demonstrate that both chips occupy a performance bracket where small differences dominate.

The Verdict

The data delivers a clear verdict: the Intel Core i7-975 wins every head-to-head benchmark, but by such narrow margins that the practical difference is essentially nil. A 0.6% to 0.8% lead in rendering workloads does not constitute a meaningful performance advantage for real-world use. The Intel chip's win count of 5 to 0 is decisive on paper, yet the actual score differences of 2 to 10 points are the kind of variation that could flip with a different driver version or background process.

For users who prioritize raw single-thread performance, the Intel Core i7-975 is the nominal winner. Its single-core scores of 175 in Cinebench R20 and 419 in Cinebench R23 edge out the AMD part's 174 and 416, respectively. However, these margins are too small to be perceptible in everyday computing, web browsing, or office applications. The database records both chips at the 28th percentile, confirming they are peers in the performance hierarchy.

For multi-threaded workloads, the Intel part again takes the recorded wins, but the story is more nuanced. The Intel Core i7-975's 8 threads versus the AMD A12-9800E's 4 threads would normally suggest a substantial multi-core advantage for Intel. The data shows no such advantage: the Intel lead in Cinebench R23 multi-core is just 24 points out of 2974, a 0.8% margin. This indicates that the AMD part's Excavator architecture, despite its age, delivers efficient multi-threaded scaling, or that the Cinebench workloads in question are not heavily thread-bound at this performance level.

The overall average benchmark scores complicate the picture. The AMD A12-9800E's average of 1033 exceeds the Intel Core i7-975's 1023, suggesting that in the broader benchmark suite, the AMD chip performs slightly better. This is particularly notable given that the AMD part includes integrated Radeon R7 graphics, which the Intel chip lacks entirely. The AMD processor also draws far less power, with a 35W TDP versus the Intel part's 130W TDP, a difference that does not appear in the benchmark scores but has significant implications for system design and operating costs.

The production status is another differentiator. The AMD A12-9800E is listed as active, meaning it is still available for new systems. The Intel Core i7-975 is end-of-life, which limits its availability to used or refurbished markets. For a builder today, the AMD part is the only one of the two that can be sourced as a new product.

Where Each One Wins

The Intel Core i7-975 wins in every recorded head-to-head benchmark, but the margins are so small that they define its advantage only in the strictest sense. The Cinebench R15 multi-core test shows Intel ahead by 2 points, Cinebench R20 multi-core by 10 points, Cinebench R20 single-core by 1 point, Cinebench R23 multi-core by 24 points, and Cinebench R23 single-core by 3 points. If the goal is to maximize scores across these specific Cinebench tests, the Intel part is the choice, albeit by a margin that will not be noticeable without a stopwatch.

The AMD A12-9800E wins in the broader benchmark comparison. Its average benchmark score of 1033 is 10 points higher than the Intel part's 1023, a 1% advantage. The Geekbench results, which are only recorded for the AMD part, show a multi-core score of 1521 and a single-core score of 631. These figures, while not directly comparable in a head-to-head since the Intel chip lacks Geekbench entries in the database, contribute to the AMD part's higher average. The AMD chip also wins decisively on power efficiency: a 35W TDP versus 130W, a 95W difference that makes the AMD part far more suitable for compact or low-power systems.

The AMD part also wins on platform longevity. Its AMD Socket AM4 with DDR4 memory support and PCIe Gen 3 represents a modern platform, while the Intel part uses the legacy Intel Socket 1366 with DDR3 memory and PCIe Gen 2. The AMD chip includes integrated Radeon R7 graphics, eliminating the need for a separate graphics card in basic systems. The Intel part has no integrated graphics, requiring a discrete GPU for any display output.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has the higher single-core performance?

A: The Intel Core i7-975 records higher single-core scores in both Cinebench R20 and R23. It scores 175 in R20 single-core versus the AMD A12-9800E's 174, and 419 in R23 single-core versus 416. The margins are 0.6% and 0.7% respectively.

Q: How do the multi-core scores compare?

A: The Intel Core i7-975 wins all three multi-core tests. In Cinebench R15, Intel scores 299 versus AMD's 297. In Cinebench R20, Intel scores 1249 versus 1239. In Cinebench R23, Intel scores 2974 versus 2950. The deltas range from -0.7% to -0.8%.

Q: Which processor has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD A12-9800E has an average benchmark score of 1033, which is higher than the Intel Core i7-975's average of 1023. The Intel part's closest rival in the database is the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 2500U with a matching average of 1024.

Q: What is the TDP difference between the two?

A: The AMD A12-9800E has a TDP of 35W, while the Intel Core i7-975 has a TDP of 130W. This represents a 95W difference in thermal design power, making the AMD part substantially more power-efficient.

Q: Do both processors support the same memory type?

A: No. The AMD A12-9800E supports DDR4 memory in a dual-channel configuration, while the Intel Core i7-975 supports DDR3 memory in a triple-channel configuration. The Intel part has a recorded memory bandwidth of 25.6 GB/s; no bandwidth figure is recorded for the AMD part.

Q: Which processor includes integrated graphics?

A: The AMD A12-9800E includes Radeon R7 integrated graphics. The Intel Core i7-975 has no integrated graphics, meaning a discrete graphics card is required for display output.

Architecture Differences

The AMD A12-9800E uses the Excavator architecture on the Bristol Ridge codename, built on a 28 nm process at GlobalFoundries. It contains 3,100 million transistors on a 250 mm² die. The Intel Core i7-975 uses the Nehalem architecture on the Bloomfield codename, built on a 45 nm process at Intel. It contains 731 million transistors on a 263 mm² die. The transistor count difference is stark: the AMD chip packs over four times as many transistors, yet the die size is slightly smaller, reflecting the more advanced 28 nm node versus Intel's 45 nm node.

The cache configurations differ significantly. The AMD part has 320 KB of L1 cache and 2 MB of L2 cache, with no L3 cache present. The Intel part has 64 KB of L1 cache per core and 256 KB of L2 cache per core, plus an 8 MB shared L3 cache. The Intel chip's large L3 cache is a hallmark of the Nehalem architecture, providing a shared pool for all four cores and eight threads. The AMD part forgoes L3 entirely, relying on its L2 cache and the memory controller.

The memory architecture reflects their respective eras. The AMD part uses a dual-channel DDR4 memory bus, while the Intel part uses a triple-channel DDR3 bus with a recorded bandwidth of 25.6 GB/s. The Intel part's triple-channel configuration was a premium feature in 2009, but DDR4's higher clock speeds on the AMD platform offer a modern alternative. PCIe support also differs: the AMD part provides PCIe Gen 3 with 8 lanes from the CPU, while the Intel part uses PCIe Gen 2.

The Intel Core i7-975 includes hyper-threading, giving it 4 cores and 8 threads, while the AMD A12-9800E has 4 cores and 4 threads with no simultaneous multithreading. The Intel part also has an unlocked multiplier, allowing overclocking, whereas the AMD part's multiplier is locked. The Intel chip's production status is end-of-life, while the AMD chip remains active. The AMD part integrates Radeon R7 graphics; the Intel part has none.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ on nearly every specification field in the database. The AMD A12-9800E has a base clock of 3.10 GHz and a boost clock of 3.80 GHz, while the Intel Core i7-975 has a base clock of 3.33 GHz and a boost clock of 3.60 GHz. The AMD part boosts higher, but the Intel part has a higher base clock. The TDP difference is substantial: 35W for AMD versus 130W for Intel. The AMD part uses AMD Socket AM4, while the Intel part uses Intel Socket 1366.

The core and thread counts differ: both have 4 cores, but the Intel part has 8 threads versus the AMD part's 4 threads. The process nodes are different: 28 nm for AMD, 45 nm for Intel. The foundries differ: GlobalFoundries for AMD, Intel for Intel. The transistor counts are 3,100 million for AMD and 731 million for Intel. The die sizes are 250 mm² for AMD and 263 mm² for Intel.

The cache hierarchies are distinct. The AMD part has 320 KB of L1 and 2 MB of L2, with no L3. The Intel part has 64 KB of L1 per core, 256 KB of L2 per core, and 8 MB of shared L3. Memory support differs: DDR4 for AMD, DDR3 for Intel. The memory bus is dual-channel for AMD and triple-channel for Intel. The memory bandwidth is recorded only for the Intel part at 25.6 GB/s. PCIe support is Gen 3 with 8 lanes for AMD, Gen 2 for Intel.

Integrated graphics are present only on the AMD part, as Radeon R7. The production status is active for AMD and end-of-life for Intel. The release dates differ by eight years: the AMD part launched in 2017, the Intel part in 2009. The Intel part has a recorded launch MSRP of $1059; no launch MSRP is recorded for the AMD part. The multiplier is unlocked on the Intel part and locked on the AMD part. The part numbers are AD9800AHM44AB for AMD and SLBEQ for Intel.