AMD Athlon 200GE vs Intel Core i7-3630QM Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data shows a clear split between these two processors, with the Intel Core i7-3630QM taking six of the seven head-to-head benchmarks. The most consistent margin appears across the Cinebench suite, where the Intel part leads by roughly 25% in every tested workload. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the i7-3630QM scores 439 against the Athlon 200GE’s 350, a 25.4% advantage. That same 25.4% delta repeats in Cinebench R20 multi-core, where the scores are 1832 versus 1461, and again in Cinebench R23 multi-core at 4364 versus 3479.

Single-core Cinebench results follow the same pattern. The Intel chip posts 258 in Cinebench R20 single-core versus 206 for the AMD part, a 25.2% edge. In Cinebench R23 single-core, the margin is 25.5%, with scores of 616 and 491. These consistent deltas suggest the i7-3630QM’s advantage is structural rather than workload-specific, likely tied to its additional cores and threads.

The Geekbench multi-core test tells a similar story, though with a smaller margin. The Intel processor scores 2111, while the Athlon 200GE manages 1912, a 10.4% lead. This narrower gap indicates that the AMD chip’s newer architecture partially compensates for its lower core count in some multi-threaded scenarios.

The single exception, and the AMD part’s sole win, comes in Geekbench single-core. There the Athlon 200GE scores 925 against the Intel chip’s 633, a 31.6% advantage for AMD. This is a substantial reversal, and it highlights that the Zen architecture’s per-core efficiency is significantly ahead of Ivy Bridge. The delta here is larger than any of the Intel wins, suggesting that the Athlon 200GE has a genuine strength in lightly threaded, single-core-focused tasks.

Overall, the head-to-head data shows a processor that wins most benchmarks by a comfortable margin, but loses the one test that measures raw single-thread performance by an even larger amount. The Intel part’s win count stands at six, with the AMD part taking one.

Where Each One Wins

The Intel Core i7-3630QM dominates in multi-threaded productivity workloads. Every Cinebench multi-core test, from R15 through R23, shows the Intel part ahead by roughly 25%. This is the expected outcome for a 4-core, 8-thread processor facing a 2-core, 4-thread part. The database’s average benchmark score for the Intel chip is 1289, while the Athlon 200GE sits at 1261, a difference of 28 points. Both parts land in a similar overall percentile range, 35th for Intel and 34th for AMD, which places them close in aggregate performance despite their different architectures.

The AMD Athlon 200GE wins in single-core Geekbench, and by a wide margin. The 31.6% advantage in that test is notable because it is the largest delta in the entire comparison. This makes the AMD part the better choice for applications that rely heavily on single-thread performance, such as older games or lightly threaded legacy software. The Athlon 200GE also operates at a base clock of 3.20 GHz versus the Intel chip’s 2.40 GHz, which contributes to its single-core strength.

For multi-threaded rendering, video encoding, or compilation workloads, the Intel i7-3630QM is the clear pick. The 25.4% advantage in Cinebench R15, R20, and R23 multi-core is consistent and repeatable. The Geekbench multi-core result, while narrower at 10.4%, still favors Intel. The Intel part’s 4 cores and 8 threads provide twice the thread count, which directly translates to better scaling in parallel workloads.

The Athlon 200GE’s advantage in single-core Geekbench suggests it handles interactive or latency-sensitive tasks with less lag. Its higher base clock and newer Zen architecture deliver stronger per-thread throughput. However, the Intel part’s boost clock of 3.40 GHz does not appear in the single-core Geekbench result, indicating that the AMD part’s architecture is more efficient at the same clock level.

In practical terms, a user running a mix of lightly threaded desktop applications and occasional multi-core tasks would likely see better responsiveness from the Athlon 200GE. A user focused on rendering, batch processing, or other parallel workloads would prefer the Intel i7-3630QM. The data does not show any scenario where the two parts trade places; the Intel chip wins every multi-threaded benchmark, and the AMD chip wins the one single-threaded benchmark that was recorded.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The Intel Core i7-3630QM has an average benchmark score of 1289, while the AMD Athlon 200GE sits at 1261. The Intel part leads by 28 points.

Q: How large is the Intel part’s lead in Cinebench R23 multi-core?

A: The Intel Core i7-3630QM scores 4364, and the AMD Athlon 200GE scores 3479. That is a 25.4% advantage for Intel.

Q: Which processor wins in Geekbench single-core, and by how much?

A: The AMD Athlon 200GE wins Geekbench single-core with a score of 925 against the Intel Core i7-3630QM’s 633. The AMD part leads by 31.6%.

Q: How many benchmarks does each processor win?

A: The Intel Core i7-3630QM wins six of the seven head-to-head benchmarks. The AMD Athlon 200GE wins one.

Q: What is the difference in the Geekbench multi-core scores?

A: The Intel Core i7-3630QM scores 2111, and the AMD Athlon 200GE scores 1912. The Intel part is ahead by 10.4%.

Q: Which processor has the higher base clock speed?

A: The AMD Athlon 200GE has a base clock of 3.20 GHz, while the Intel Core i7-3630QM has a base clock of 2.40 GHz.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ in nearly every core specification. The Intel Core i7-3630QM has 4 cores and 8 threads, while the AMD Athlon 200GE has 2 cores and 4 threads. The Intel part’s base clock is 2.40 GHz with a boost clock of 3.40 GHz; the AMD part has a base clock of 3.20 GHz and no boost clock listed. Thermal design power differs substantially, with the Intel chip rated at 45 watts and the AMD chip at 35 watts.

The sockets are incompatible. The Intel part uses Intel Socket G2 (988B), while the AMD part uses AMD Socket AM4. Memory support also differs: the Intel chip uses DDR3, and the AMD chip uses DDR4. The memory bus is dual-channel for both, but the recorded memory bandwidth is 25.6 GB/s for Intel and 42.7 GB/s for AMD. Neither part supports ECC memory.

PCIe lane availability is another difference. The Intel part provides Gen 3 with 16 lanes (CPU only), while the AMD part provides Gen 3 with 8 lanes (CPU only). Integrated graphics differ as well: the Intel chip has Intel HD 4000, and the AMD chip has Radeon Vega 3. The market segment is mobile for Intel and desktop for AMD. Production status is end-of-life for Intel and active for AMD. The release dates are September 29, 2012 for Intel and September 5, 2018 for AMD. The launch MSRP for the Intel part is $378, and for the AMD part it is $55.

Architecture Differences

The microarchitectures are generations apart. The Intel Core i7-3630QM uses Ivy Bridge, built on a 22 nm process at Intel’s foundry. The AMD Athlon 200GE uses Zen, built on a 14 nm process at GlobalFoundries. The transistor counts reflect the different design philosophies: the Intel chip has 1,480 million transistors on a 160 mm² die, while the AMD chip has 4,950 million transistors on a 209.8 mm² die.

Cache hierarchies are structured differently. The Intel part has 64 KB of L1 cache per core, 256 KB of L2 cache per core, and 6 MB of shared L3 cache. The AMD part has 96 KB of L1 cache per core, 512 KB of L2 cache per core, and 4 MB of shared L3 cache. The AMD part’s larger per-core caches align with its stronger single-core performance, while the Intel part’s larger shared L3 cache benefits its multi-threaded workloads.

The integrated graphics are from different eras. Intel HD 4000 is the Ivy Bridge generation GPU, while Radeon Vega 3 is a much newer design from the Zen era. The process node difference, 22 nm versus 14 nm, gives the AMD part a density advantage, though the Intel part’s smaller die size shows that its design is simpler. The AMD part’s higher transistor count on a larger die indicates a more complex integrated design, including the Vega graphics block.

The memory bandwidth difference, 25.6 GB/s versus 42.7 GB/s, stems from the DDR3 versus DDR4 transition. This bandwidth advantage for the AMD part likely contributes to its single-core Geekbench win, as memory latency and throughput are critical for that test. The PCIe lane count difference, 16 versus 8, reflects the mobile versus desktop positioning, though both support Gen 3.

The generation labels confirm the gap: Intel lists this as a Core i7 (Ivy Bridge) generation part, while AMD lists it as Athlon (Zen (Raven Ridge)). The Zen architecture’s per-core efficiency is evident in the Geekbench single-core score, while the Ivy Bridge design’s strength in multi-threading comes from its higher core and thread count. These are fundamentally different design goals, one favoring parallel throughput and the other favoring single-thread efficiency.