AMD A8-9600 vs Intel Core i3-4130 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data shows a consistent, though narrow, advantage for the Intel Core i3-4130 across every Cinebench iteration tested. Out of five head-to-head comparisons, the Intel part wins all five, with the largest margin appearing in the Cinebench R20 single-core test.

In Cinebench R15 multicore, the i3-4130 scores 285 against 281 for the A8-9600, a delta of 1.4%. The R20 multicore test shows a similar pattern: 1189 for Intel versus 1174 for AMD, a 1.3% gap. The R23 multicore result repeats the trend with 2833 against 2797, again a 1.3% difference. These are tight margins, but they are consistent across three generations of the Cinebench rendering workload, indicating that the Intel part holds a small but repeatable lead in multi-threaded tasks.

Single-core performance tells a slightly more pronounced story. In Cinebench R20 single-core, the i3-4130 posts 168 points versus 165 for the A8-9600, a 1.8% advantage. The R23 single-core run shows 400 against 394, a 1.5% lead. The single-core deltas are the largest of any benchmark category in this comparison, underscoring that the Intel architecture delivers a relatively stronger per-thread performance advantage over the AMD part.

The average benchmark scores in the database place the i3-4130 at 975 and the A8-9600 at 962. Both processors sit at the 26th percentile among all CPUs tracked, meaning they occupy a similar tier in the overall performance distribution. The nearest rivals for the Intel chip include the AMD Athlon X4 840 and Intel Core i3-4150T, each with an identical average score of 975, as well as the AMD A10-7870K at 975. The Intel Core i5-5257U trails by 0.1% with a score of 976. For the AMD part, the Intel Pentium Gold G5500T and Intel Core i3-4360T each score 963, a 0.1% deficit, while the AMD Ryzen Embedded R1600 comes in at 958, which is 0.4% behind. The Intel Celeron N5100 leads slightly at 966.

Architecture Differences

The fundamental architectural split between these two processors is substantial. The Intel Core i3-4130 is built on the Haswell architecture using a 22 nm process at Intel's foundry, while the AMD A8-9600 uses the Excavator architecture on a 28 nm process at GlobalFoundries. This process difference is significant: the Intel part integrates 1,400 million transistors on a 177 mm² die, whereas the AMD chip packs 3,100 million transistors onto a 250 mm² die. The larger transistor count for AMD does not translate into a performance advantage in the recorded benchmarks, as the Intel design achieves higher scores despite fewer transistors.

Core configuration differs as well. The i3-4130 has 2 physical cores with 4 threads, relying on Hyper-Threading to reach that thread count. The A8-9600 has 4 physical cores and 4 threads, with no simultaneous multithreading. In practice, both CPUs present 4 logical threads to the operating system, but they achieve this through different means: Intel through two fast cores with SMT, AMD through four slower Excavator cores.

Cache hierarchies are notably different. The Intel part offers 64 KB of L1 cache per core, 256 KB of L2 per core, and 3 MB of shared L3 cache. The AMD part has a total of 320 KB of L1 cache and 2 MB of L2 cache, with no L3 cache at all. The absence of L3 on the AMD chip is a meaningful structural difference, as the Intel processor can rely on a shared pool of fast memory to reduce latency for frequently accessed data. The AMD design compensates with a larger aggregate L1, but the lack of L3 is a clear architectural gap.

Memory support diverges entirely. The i3-4130 supports DDR3 memory on a dual-channel bus, while the A8-9600 supports DDR4 memory, also dual-channel, with a recorded memory bandwidth of 38.4 GB/s. The Intel part has no listed memory bandwidth figure. The socket platforms are incompatible: Intel uses Socket 1150, while AMD uses Socket AM4. This means any platform choice locks the user into one ecosystem or the other with no upgrade path across the two.

Both processors include integrated graphics. The Intel part features Intel HD 4400, while the AMD part includes Radeon R7 graphics. Neither processor supports ECC memory. Both have locked multipliers, so neither is intended for overclocking via multiplier adjustment. PCIe support shows Gen 3 on both, but the AMD part specifies 8 lanes for the CPU only, while the Intel listing does not provide a lane count.

Where Each One Wins

The Intel Core i3-4130 wins in every recorded benchmark category in this comparison. Its margins are modest, ranging from 1.3% to 1.8%, but they are uniform. The strongest case for the Intel part is single-core performance, where the deltas are at the higher end of the range. Workloads that depend heavily on per-thread performance, such as lightly threaded applications, legacy software, or games that rely on a few strong cores, would favor the i3-4130 based on these results.

The AMD A8-9600 does not win any head-to-head benchmark in the database. However, the data does not show a catastrophic defeat. The margins are close enough that the AMD part remains competitive in multi-threaded rendering tasks, where it trails by only 1.3% to 1.4%. For users already on the AM4 platform, the A8-9600 provides a functional quad-core option with DDR4 memory support and a higher transistor budget, which may matter for certain integrated graphics or platform-level considerations. The Radeon R7 integrated graphics could be relevant for systems without a discrete GPU, though the database does not include graphics benchmarks for either part.

The release dates differ by nearly four years. The i3-4130 was released on 2013-08-31, while the A8-9600 launched on 2017-07-26. The newer AMD part benefits from DDR4 memory support and a more modern socket, but the benchmark data shows that the older Intel design still edges it out in raw CPU compute. Both parts carry an active production status, so neither is listed as discontinued.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has a higher multi-core score in Cinebench R23?

A: The Intel Core i3-4130 scores 2833 in Cinebench R23 multicore, while the AMD A8-9600 scores 2797. The Intel part leads by 1.3%.

Q: What is the single-core performance difference in Cinebench R20?

A: The i3-4130 records 168 points in Cinebench R20 single-core, versus 165 for the A8-9600. That is a 1.8% advantage for the Intel processor.

Q: How do the core and thread counts compare?

A: The Intel Core i3-4130 has 2 cores and 4 threads. The AMD A8-9600 has 4 cores and 4 threads. Both present 4 logical threads to software.

Q: Do these processors support the same memory type?

A: No. The Intel part supports DDR3, while the AMD part supports DDR4. The AMD chip has a recorded memory bandwidth of 38.4 GB/s; the Intel listing does not include a bandwidth figure.

Q: Which processor has a larger L3 cache?

A: The Intel Core i3-4130 has 3 MB of shared L3 cache. The AMD A8-9600 has no L3 cache at all.

Q: What are the average benchmark scores for each processor?

A: The Intel Core i3-4130 has an average benchmark score of 975. The AMD A8-9600 has an average benchmark score of 962. Both sit at the 26th percentile among all CPUs.

Specification Differences

| Specification | Intel Core i3-4130 | AMD A8-9600 |

|---|---|---|

| Cores | 2 | 4 |

| Threads | 4 | 4 |

| Base Clock | 3.40 GHz | 3.10 GHz |

| Boost Clock | Not listed | 3.40 GHz |

| TDP | 54 W | 65 W |

| Socket | Intel Socket 1150 | AMD Socket AM4 |

| Architecture | Haswell | Excavator |

| Process Node | 22 nm | 28 nm |

| Transistors | 1,400 million | 3,100 million |

| Die Size | 177 mm² | 250 mm² |

| L1 Cache | 64 KB (per core) | 320 KB (total) |

| L2 Cache | 256 KB (per core) | 2 MB (total) |

| L3 Cache | 3 MB (shared) | None |

| Memory Support | DDR3 | DDR4 |

| Memory Bandwidth | Not listed | 38.4 GB/s |

| PCIe | Gen 3 | Gen 3, 8 Lanes (CPU only) |

| Integrated Graphics | Intel HD 4400 | Radeon R7 |

| Release Date | 2013-08-31 | 2017-07-26 |

| Part Number | SR1NP | AD9600AGABBOXAD9600AGM44AB |

The table above captures the fields where the two parts differ. The Intel chip offers a higher base clock, lower TDP, smaller process node, and an L3 cache. The AMD chip counters with more physical cores, a boost clock, DDR4 support, a higher transistor count, and a larger die. The benchmark results indicate that the Intel part converts its architectural advantages into a slight but consistent performance lead across all tested workloads.