AMD A8-7680 vs Intel Pentium Gold G5620 Comparison

The benchmark data is unequivocal: the Intel Pentium Gold G5620 outperforms the AMD A8-7680 in every single head-to-head test, with a consistent margin of roughly 20% across both single-core and multi-core workloads. The Intel part wins all five compared benchmarks, while the AMD processor fails to secure a single victory.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The most striking pattern in the data is the uniformity of Intel's advantage. Across five Cinebench tests spanning R15, R20, and R23, the Pentium Gold G5620 leads by exactly 20% or just slightly above. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, Intel scores 364 against AMD's 303, a 20.1% advantage. The R20 multi-core test shows a nearly identical story: 1517 versus 1264, a 20% gap. R23 multi-core follows the same trend with 3613 against 3011, again a 20% difference.

Single-core performance tells the same tale, which is notable given that the AMD part has double the physical cores. In Cinebench R20 single-core, the Pentium Gold G5620 posts 214 points compared to 178 for the A8-7680, a 20.2% lead. The R23 single-core test shows 510 versus 425, a 20% margin. These results indicate that Intel's architectural efficiency more than compensates for its core-count disadvantage in every measured scenario.

The average benchmark scores reinforce this hierarchy. The Pentium Gold G5620 holds an average score of 1045, placing it at the 29th percentile of all CPUs. The A8-7680 averages 1036, sitting at the 28th percentile. While both are near the bottom quartile of the CPU landscape, the Intel chip maintains a consistent edge that the percentile rankings slightly obscure due to rounding.

Looking at nearest rivals provides additional context. The Pentium Gold G5620's closest competitor is the AMD PRO A10-9700, which matches its 1045 average score with a 0% delta. The A8-7680's nearest rival is the AMD A10-7890K, which scores 1035 and trails by 0.1%. This places both processors in a tightly contested mid-low tier, but the head-to-head data leaves no ambiguity about which is faster.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from fundamentally different design philosophies and manufacturing generations. The Intel Pentium Gold G5620 is built on Coffee Lake architecture using a 14 nm process at Intel's own foundry. It features 2 physical cores with 4 threads via Hyper-Threading, a base clock of 4.00 GHz, and no boost clock. The AMD A8-7680 uses the older Excavator architecture on a 28 nm process from GlobalFoundries, packing 4 physical cores with 4 threads and no simultaneous multithreading. Its base clock is 3.50 GHz with a boost up to 3.80 GHz.

The transistor and die size figures highlight the generational gap. AMD's chip contains 3,100 million transistors on a 250 mm² die, while Intel's smaller 126 mm² die has no disclosed transistor count. The process node difference — 14 nm versus 28 nm — explains much of the performance-per-clock advantage Intel demonstrates, as smaller transistors switch faster and more efficiently.

Cache configurations differ substantially. The Intel processor provides 64 KB of L1 per core and 256 KB of L2 per core, backed by 4 MB of shared L3 cache. The AMD chip offers 320 KB of total L1 and 2 MB of L2, with no L3 cache at all. The absence of L3 cache on the AMD part is a significant architectural handicap, particularly in multi-threaded workloads where shared data access benefits from a large, fast cache pool.

Memory support further separates the two. Intel uses DDR4 memory with dual-channel support and a bandwidth of 38.4 GB/s. AMD relies on older DDR3 memory, also dual-channel, but with a lower peak bandwidth of 34.1 GB/s. The Intel chip also supports ECC memory, while the AMD part does not. PCIe connectivity differs as well: Intel offers Gen 3 with 16 lanes from the CPU, while AMD lists simply Gen 3 without specifying lane count.

Where Each One Wins

The Pentium Gold G5620 wins everywhere the data measures. Its 20% lead in single-core tests makes it the clear choice for applications that depend on responsiveness per thread, such as older games, lightly threaded productivity software, and general desktop navigation. The 510-point R23 single-core score versus 425 demonstrates that even with half the physical cores, the Intel chip delivers superior performance in tasks that cannot leverage multiple threads.

In multi-core workloads, the Intel processor also prevails despite the AMD's core advantage. The 3613 versus 3011 R23 multi-core result shows that Intel's four threads outperform AMD's four physical cores in heavily threaded rendering tasks. This suggests that the Excavator architecture's per-core efficiency is so far behind Coffee Lake that raw core count cannot compensate.

For the AMD A8-7680, the only potential advantages lie outside the benchmark suite. Its 45 W TDP is lower than Intel's 54 W, which could matter in thermally constrained systems. It also uses DDR3 memory, which might allow upgrades in older FM2+ motherboards without changing RAM. However, the data shows no benchmark scenario where the AMD chip wins, so any practical advantage must come from platform compatibility rather than raw performance.

Specification Differences

The specifications reveal a clear trade-off between core count and efficiency. The AMD A8-7680 offers 4 cores to Intel's 2, but Intel compensates with 4 threads and a 4.00 GHz base clock versus AMD's 3.50 GHz base and 3.80 GHz boost. The Intel chip's 14 nm process node is two generations ahead of AMD's 28 nm, which explains its superior performance per clock.

The memory subsystem shows Intel's advantage in both type and bandwidth: DDR4 at 38.4 GB/s versus DDR3 at 34.1 GB/s. Intel also supports ECC memory, a feature absent on the AMD part. The L3 cache difference is stark — 4 MB shared on Intel versus no L3 on AMD — and directly impacts multi-core performance.

Power consumption favors AMD at 45 W versus Intel's 54 W, and the AMD processor remains in active production while Intel's is end-of-life. The Intel chip has a launch MSRP of $93, while the AMD part has no listed launch MSRP. Both processors have locked multipliers and target the desktop market. Sockets are incompatible: Intel uses Socket 1151, AMD uses Socket FM2+. Integrated graphics differ, with Intel featuring UHD Graphics 630 and AMD offering Radeon R7.

FAQ

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

A: The Intel Pentium Gold G5620 wins every multi-core test. In Cinebench R23 multi-core, it scores 3613 versus 3011 for the AMD A8-7680, a 20% advantage despite having only 2 cores compared to AMD's 4.

Q: Does the AMD A8-7680's extra cores help in any benchmark?

A: No. The AMD processor loses all five compared benchmarks. Despite having 4 physical cores to Intel's 2, the A8-7680 trails by exactly 20% in both R20 and R23 multi-core tests.

Q: What is the single-core performance difference?

A: The Intel chip leads by 20.2% in Cinebench R20 single-core (214 versus 178) and by 20% in R23 single-core (510 versus 425). This consistency suggests a fundamental per-clock efficiency gap.

Q: Which processor has better memory support?

A: The Intel Pentium Gold G5620 supports DDR4 memory with 38.4 GB/s bandwidth and ECC capability. The AMD A8-7680 uses DDR3 with 34.1 GB/s bandwidth and no ECC support.

Q: How do their average benchmark scores compare?

A: The Intel processor averages 1045 points at the 29th percentile of all CPUs. The AMD processor averages 1036 points at the 28th percentile. The 9-point difference is small but consistent across individual tests.

Q: Which processor is more power-efficient?

A: The AMD A8-7680 has a 45 W TDP compared to Intel's 54 W TDP, making it the lower-power option. However, this efficiency comes with significantly lower performance in every measured benchmark.

The Verdict

The data leaves no room for ambiguity: the Intel Pentium Gold G5620 is the superior processor in every measurable benchmark category. Its 20% lead across single-core and multi-core tests, combined with DDR4 memory support, ECC capability, and a more modern 14 nm process node, makes it the clear choice for anyone building a system where performance matters. The only advantages the AMD A8-7680 holds are a lower 45 W TDP and an active production status, but these practical benefits cannot offset a consistent 20% performance deficit.

For users running lightly threaded applications, the Intel chip's single-core dominance (510 versus 425 in R23) ensures snappier response in everyday tasks. For users with multi-threaded workloads, the Intel processor still wins despite fewer physical cores, thanks to Hyper-Threading and superior architecture. The AMD A8-7680 might appeal to those with existing FM2+ motherboards and DDR3 memory who want a drop-in upgrade, but anyone starting fresh or prioritizing performance should choose the Pentium Gold G5620. The benchmark data is unambiguous: Intel wins all five head-to-head tests, and the average score difference, while small, consistently favors the Pentium Gold.