AMD Athlon 220GE vs Intel Core i5-3475S Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark data presents a remarkably consistent picture: the AMD Athlon 220GE wins every single head-to-head comparison, though by a narrow margin. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the Athlon scores 379 against the Intel Core i5-3475S’s 371, a 2.1% advantage. The single-core R15 test shows the same pattern, with the Athlon at 53 and the Intel at 52, a 1.9% edge.

Moving to Cinebench R20, the margins hold steady. The Athlon’s multi-core score of 1580 surpasses the i5-3475S’s 1547 by 2.1%. In single-core R20, the Athlon’s 223 beats the Intel’s 218 by 2.2%. The most recent Cinebench R23 results reinforce the trend: the Athlon records 3764 multi-core and 531 single-core, while the i5-3475S manages 3685 and 520 respectively, with the same 2.1% delta in both tests.

These are tight spreads, but they are entirely one-directional. The data shows no benchmark where the Intel part pulls ahead. Across all six head-to-head tests, the AMD Athlon 220GE claims a clean sweep, with winsA showing 0 for Intel and winsB showing 6 for AMD. The average benchmark scores corroborate this: the Intel i5-3475S sits at 1091, while the Athlon sits at 1088 — a difference of only 0.2% in the Intel’s favor when averaged across a broader benchmark set, but that aggregate figure masks the consistent Cinebench losses.

It is worth noting the context of these scores. Both processors land in the 30th percentile of all CPUs, meaning they occupy a similar performance tier overall. The nearest rival list for the Intel part includes the AMD Athlon 220GE with a deltaPct of 0.2, placing them essentially neck-and-neck in aggregate performance. Yet in the specific Cinebench workloads, the Athlon’s newer architecture delivers a small but repeatable advantage.

FAQ

Q: Which processor wins the head-to-head benchmark comparisons?

A: The AMD Athlon 220GE wins all six head-to-head tests, with deltas ranging from 1.9% to 2.2% over the Intel Core i5-3475S.

Q: How do the average benchmark scores compare?

A: The Intel Core i5-3475S has an average benchmark score of 1091, while the AMD Athlon 220GE scores 1088, a difference of 0.2% in favor of Intel.

Q: What are the core and thread counts for each processor?

A: The Intel Core i5-3475S has 4 cores and 4 threads, while the AMD Athlon 220GE has 2 cores and 4 threads.

Q: What is the TDP difference between the two?

A: The Intel Core i5-3475S has a TDP of 65 watts, while the AMD Athlon 220GE has a TDP of 35 watts.

Q: What memory types do the two processors support?

A: The Intel Core i5-3475S supports DDR3 memory, while the AMD Athlon 220GE supports DDR4 memory with a memory bandwidth of 42.7 GB/s.

Q: Are both processors currently in production?

A: The AMD Athlon 220GE has an active production status, while the production status for the Intel Core i5-3475S is not listed in the data.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap between these two chips is substantial, reflecting their different design eras. The Intel Core i5-3475S uses the Ivy Bridge architecture, built on a 22 nm process node at Intel’s foundry. It packs 1,400 million transistors into a 160 mm² die. In contrast, the AMD Athlon 220GE uses the Zen architecture (specifically the Raven Ridge variant), fabricated on a 14 nm process by GlobalFoundries. This design contains 4,950 million transistors spread across a 209.8 mm² die — over three times the transistor count and a larger physical footprint.

Cache hierarchies differ markedly as well. The Intel chip provides 64 KB of L1 cache per core and 256 KB of L2 cache per core, with a shared 6 MB L3 cache. The AMD part counters with 96 KB of L1 per core and 512 KB of L2 per core, but a smaller shared L3 cache of 4 MB. This means the Athlon dedicates more on-die memory closer to each core, while the Intel chip offers a larger pool of last-level cache.

The memory interfaces point in different directions. Intel’s Ivy Bridge pairs with DDR3 memory over a dual-channel bus, while AMD’s Zen architecture supports DDR4 with a specified memory bandwidth of 42.7 GB/s. The integrated graphics also diverge: Intel integrates HD 4000 graphics, while AMD includes Radeon Vega 3. PCI Express connectivity differs too, with the Intel part providing Gen 3 with 16 lanes from the CPU, and the AMD part offering Gen 3 with 8 lanes.

The release dates underscore the generational split — the Intel chip arrived in 2012, while the AMD chip launched in 2018. The AMD Athlon 220GE carries a launch MSRP of $65. Notably, the Intel part’s socket is Intel Socket 1155, whereas the AMD uses AMD Socket AM4, meaning platform choices are entirely separate.

Specification Differences

The two processors diverge on nearly every core specification. The Intel Core i5-3475S offers 4 cores and 4 threads, while the AMD Athlon 220GE provides 2 cores and 4 threads. Base clocks differ: Intel runs at 2.90 GHz, while AMD runs higher at 3.40 GHz. The Intel chip has a boost clock of 3.60 GHz, whereas the AMD part lists no boost clock at all.

Power consumption presents a stark contrast. The Intel processor draws 65 watts TDP, while the AMD processor draws just 35 watts — nearly half the power envelope. This aligns with the different market positioning, though both are desktop parts.

Memory support separates them further: Intel uses DDR3, AMD uses DDR4. The AMD part specifies a memory bandwidth of 42.7 GB/s, while the Intel part does not list a bandwidth figure. ECC memory is unsupported on both, and neither has an unlocked multiplier.

PCI Express configurations differ, with the Intel offering 16 CPU lanes versus the AMD’s 8 CPU lanes, both at Gen 3. The process nodes are distinct — 22 nm for Intel, 14 nm for AMD — as are the transistor counts (1,400 million vs 4,950 million) and die sizes (160 mm² vs 209.8 mm²). The integrated graphics are different models, and the sockets are incompatible. The AMD part has an active production status, while the Intel part’s status is not recorded; the AMD also has a part number (YD220GC6M2OFB) and a launch MSRP, whereas the Intel has a part number (SR0PP) but no MSRP listed.

The Verdict

The data points to a clear but narrow winner. The AMD Athlon 220GE outperforms the Intel Core i5-3475S in every head-to-head Cinebench test, with advantages between 1.9% and 2.2%. It achieves this with a dramatically lower TDP of 35 watts versus 65 watts, and it supports newer DDR4 memory. For anyone building a system today, the AMD part’s active production status and modern platform make it the more viable choice from the available evidence.

However, the Intel chip is not without its own merits. It matches the Athlon’s aggregate average score (1091 vs 1088), and it provides twice the physical cores (4 vs 2), which can matter in workloads that scale with core count rather than clock speed. Its larger 6 MB L3 cache and 16 PCI Express lanes also offer structural advantages. But the benchmark results show that in the tested Cinebench workloads, the Athlon’s higher base clock and newer architecture compensate for its core deficit.

The verdict hinges on what the benchmarks actually measure. In pure rendering and single-threaded performance, the AMD Athlon 220GE is the winner in this pairing. The performance gap is small, but it is consistent across every test. For a buyer choosing between these two specific chips, the data favors AMD on performance per watt and outright speed in the tested applications.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Athlon 220GE claims victory in all six head-to-head benchmarks, making it the clear choice for Cinebench-type workloads — multi-threaded rendering and single-threaded tasks alike. Its wins span R15, R20, and R23 versions of Cinebench, covering both multi-core and single-core variants. This consistency suggests the Athlon’s architecture handles these workloads uniformly well. Its 35-watt TDP also positions it favorably for low-power builds where thermal and energy constraints are priorities.

The Intel Core i5-3475S, despite losing every head-to-head test, retains some advantages in the broader data. Its average benchmark score of 1091 edges out the Athlon’s 1088, indicating that in a wider range of tests beyond Cinebench, the Intel part performs comparably or slightly better. The 4-core configuration provides additional physical cores that could benefit workloads outside the tested suite, and the 16 PCI Express lanes allow for more expansion bandwidth. The 6 MB L3 cache is larger than the Athlon’s 4 MB, which may help in cache-sensitive applications.

Use-case selection follows the data. If the workload is primarily Cinebench-style rendering or general productivity where the tested benchmarks are representative, the AMD Athlon 220GE is the stronger performer. If the use case involves applications that favor higher core counts or broader PCI Express connectivity, the Intel Core i5-3475S offers structural benefits, even if those benefits did not translate into wins in the head-to-head tests. The Intel part also pairs with DDR3 memory, which might be relevant for users with existing DDR3 platforms, while the AMD part requires DDR4.

Ultimately, the benchmark database shows a 6-0 sweep for the AMD Athlon 220GE in direct comparison, but the aggregate scores indicate these are closely matched processors overall. The choice depends on whether the specific workload aligns with Cinebench-like patterns or with the Intel chip’s alternative strengths.