AMD Athlon 220GE vs AMD PRO A10-8850B Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark data presents a remarkably consistent picture: the AMD Athlon 220GE wins every single recorded comparison between these two processors. Across five Cinebench tests spanning R15 through R23, the Athlon 220GE maintains a nearly uniform advantage of approximately 15% over the PRO A10-8850B. This consistency across different workload generations suggests a fundamental architectural superiority rather than a test-specific quirk.

In Cinebench R15 multicore, the Athlon 220GE scores 379 against the PRO A10-8850B's 321, a delta of -15.3% from the perspective of the older chip. The pattern holds exactly in Cinebench R20 multicore, where the Athlon reaches 1580 while the PRO A10 manages 1339, again a 15.3% gap. The single-core tests tell the same story: in Cinebench R20 single-core, the Athlon 220GE posts 223 versus 189, a 15.2% difference, while in Cinebench R23 single-core the scores are 531 against 450, a 15.3% margin.

The most recent test generation, Cinebench R23 multicore, shows the Athlon 220GE scoring 3764 compared to the PRO A10-8850B's 3189. This 575-point gap represents the largest absolute difference in the dataset, reinforcing that the newer processor's advantage does not fade under sustained multicore load. The aggregate benchmark score for the PRO A10-8850B sits at 1098, placing it at the 31st percentile of all CPUs in the database. The Athlon 220GE's average score is 1088, a 10-point difference that places it at the 30th percentile. Despite the head-to-head sweep, the two chips occupy nearly identical positions in the overall performance distribution.

This near-identical aggregate positioning is notable. The PRO A10-8850B's nearest rivals include the Intel Xeon E5-1603 v3 at an identical 1098 average score, the Intel Pentium 6805 at 1099 (0.1% ahead), and the Intel Core i5-3450S also at 1099. The Athlon 220GE's closest competitor is the Intel Core i5-3350P at 1088, with the Intel Core i5-2450P at 1086 and the Intel Core i3-6320 at 1085. Both chips effectively trade blows with mid-range Intel processors from the early-to-mid 2010s, despite their three-year release gap from each other.

Architecture Differences

The architectural divide between these two AMD processors could hardly be wider. The PRO A10-8850B, released in September 2015, uses the Steamroller architecture on a 28 nm process node built by GlobalFoundries. The Athlon 220GE, released in December 2018, uses the Zen architecture on a 14 nm node, also from GlobalFoundries. This node shrink represents a significant leap in transistor density and efficiency.

The PRO A10-8850B packs 2,411 million transistors into a 245 mm² die, while the Athlon 220GE contains 4,950 million transistors on a 209.8 mm² die. The newer chip crams more than twice the transistor count into a smaller physical area, a direct consequence of the denser 14 nm manufacturing process. The core configuration differs substantially: the PRO A10-8850B has 4 physical cores with 4 threads, while the Athlon 220GE has only 2 physical cores but also 4 threads thanks to simultaneous multithreading. The Athlon's base clock of 3.40 GHz is lower than the PRO A10-8850B's 3.90 GHz base and 4.10 GHz boost, yet the newer architecture compensates with superior instructions-per-clock.

Cache layouts reflect the different design philosophies. The PRO A10-8850B features 256 KB of L1 cache and 4 MB of L2 cache with no L3. The Athlon 220GE provides 96 KB of L1 per core, 512 KB of L2 per core, and 4 MB of shared L3 cache. The addition of L3 cache in the Zen design provides a meaningful latency advantage for frequently accessed data. Memory support also differs completely: the PRO A10-8850B uses DDR3 memory with 34.1 GB/s of bandwidth, while the Athlon 220GE uses DDR4 with 42.7 GB/s, a 25% improvement in theoretical bandwidth.

Power consumption presents one of the starkest contrasts. The PRO A10-8850B carries a 95 W TDP, while the Athlon 220GE draws only 35 W. This nearly threefold difference in thermal envelope means the Athlon 220GE not only outperforms in every benchmark but does so while generating far less heat. The PRO A10-8850B uses the AMD Socket FM2+ platform, while the Athlon 220GE uses Socket AM4, making them incompatible with each other's motherboards. Both chips include integrated graphics: the Radeon R7 in the PRO A10-8850B and the Radeon Vega 3 in the Athlon 220GE. Neither supports ECC memory, and both have locked multipliers. The PRO A10-8850B offers 16 PCIe Gen 3 lanes from the CPU, while the Athlon 220GE provides 8 lanes. The PRO A10-8850B is marked as end-of-life, while the Athlon 220GE remains in active production.

The Verdict

The recorded data leaves no ambiguity: the AMD Athlon 220GE is the superior processor in every benchmark category measured. It wins all five head-to-head comparisons with a consistent 15% margin, achieves higher scores in both single-core and multicore workloads, and does so with a 60 W lower TDP. The PRO A10-8850B's higher core count of 4 physical cores versus 2 does not translate into a performance advantage because the Zen architecture's efficiency more than compensates for the fewer physical cores.

Buyers building a new system should clearly choose the Athlon 220GE. Its active production status ensures ongoing availability, its AM4 socket provides a modern upgrade path, and its DDR4 memory support aligns with contemporary platforms. The PRO A10-8850B belongs to a legacy platform with DDR3 memory, a dead-end FM2+ socket, and end-of-life production status. The Athlon 220GE was launched with an MSRP of $65, though pricing considerations aside, the performance and efficiency data alone justify the recommendation.

The PRO A10-8850B's only practical appeal lies in its 16 PCIe Gen 3 lanes from the CPU, which could benefit certain expansion configurations, and its 4 physical cores without SMT, which may have specific software compatibility considerations. However, no benchmark in the database shows any scenario where these attributes translate into a measured performance win. For anyone choosing between these two processors based on the available test data, the Athlon 220GE is the clear pick.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has a higher clock speed?

A: The AMD PRO A10-8850B has a base clock of 3.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.10 GHz, while the AMD Athlon 220GE has a base clock of 3.40 GHz with no boost clock listed.

Q: How much faster is the Athlon 220GE in single-core performance?

A: In Cinebench R23 single-core, the Athlon 220GE scores 531 versus the PRO A10-8850B's 450, a 15.3% advantage. The Cinebench R20 single-core test shows a similar 15.2% margin (223 versus 189).

Q: Do both processors support ECC memory?

A: No. Both the AMD PRO A10-8850B and the AMD Athlon 220GE have ECC memory support set to false in the database.

Q: What are the power consumption figures for each chip?

A: The AMD PRO A10-8850B has a TDP of 95 W, while the AMD Athlon 220GE has a TDP of 35 W.

Q: Which processor has more cache?

A: The AMD PRO A10-8850B has 256 KB of L1 and 4 MB of L2 cache with no L3 cache. The AMD Athlon 220GE has 96 KB of L1 per core, 512 KB of L2 per core, and 4 MB of shared L3 cache.

Q: Are these processors compatible with the same motherboard socket and memory type?

A: No. The PRO A10-8850B uses AMD Socket FM2+ with DDR3 memory, while the Athlon 220GE uses AMD Socket AM4 with DDR4 memory.

Where Each One Wins

The benchmark data records zero wins for the AMD PRO A10-8850B and five wins for the AMD Athlon 220GE. No test category exists in the database where the older chip comes out ahead, making the use-case split entirely one-sided.

The Athlon 220GE wins in every Cinebench multicore tests across every generation: R15, R20, R23, with scores of 379, 1580, and 3764 respectively. The single-core tests also belong to the Athlon 220GE with scores of 223 and 531 in the R20 and R20 generations. The consistency of the 15% margin across all five tests suggests that the Athlon 220GE's advantage is robust regardless of workload type.

For users prioritizing low power consumption, high memory bandwidth, modern DDR4 support, L3 cache availability, active production status, energy efficiency per watt, and consistent benchmark performance, the Athlon 220GE is the only rational selection. The PRO A10-8850B retains only its higher base clock, higher boost clock, higher PCIe lane count from the CPU, larger die size, higher L1 cache, and its 4 physical cores without SMT.

The PRO A10-8850B's 95 W TDP and 34.1 GB/s memory bandwidth position it as a less efficient alternative. Its 28 nm process node, 245 mm² die, 4 MB L2 cache, DDR3 memory support, FM2+ socket compatibility, and end-of-life production status all point to a chip that has reached the end of its useful life in the desktop market. New system builders should note the Athlon 220GE's 35 W TDP, 14 nm process node, 4,950 million transistors, 4 MB shared L3 cache, DDR4 memory support, and active production status. Every measurable advantage in this comparison belongs to the AMD Athlon 220GE.