AMD Athlon PRO 200GE vs Intel Core i7-8665UE Comparison

The AMD Athlon PRO 200GE and the Intel Core i7-8665UE are both end-of-life processors, but they target fundamentally different segments. The Athlon PRO is a desktop-oriented 2-core/4-thread part on the AM4 socket, while the i7-8665UE is a mobile-focused 4-core/8-thread chip soldered to the BGA 1528 package. Despite their different origins, their average benchmark scores are nearly identical—1200 for the AMD and 1193 for the Intel—placing them in the same performance tier. However, the headline numbers hide a clear split: the i7-8665UE wins every single head-to-head benchmark in the data, often by a consistent margin of roughly 21%.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The pattern is unmistakable. Across all five shared Cinebench tests, the Intel Core i7-8665UE takes the win, and the margin is remarkably consistent. In Cinebench R15 multicore, the i7 scores 415 against the Athlon’s 326, a deficit of -21.4% for the AMD part. That exact percentage repeats in Cinebench R20 multicore, where the Intel chip hits 1732 versus 1362. The consistency suggests a fixed architectural advantage rather than a workload-specific quirk—the Intel chip is delivering roughly the same relative lead across the board.

Single-core results follow the same script. In Cinebench R20 single-core, the i7-8665UE posts 244 points, while the Athlon PRO 200GE manages only 191, a -21.7% gap. The newer Cinebench R23 test shows the same story: the Intel part scores 582 in single-core against the AMD’s 457, and 4124 in multi-core versus 3243. The deltaPct in both R23 tests sits at -21.4% and -21.5%, respectively. There are no benchmark wins for the AMD chip in this head-to-head dataset—the win count is 0 for the Athlon and 5 for the Intel.

The magnitude of the lead is worth emphasizing. A 21% deficit in multi-core is substantial, but the i7-8665UE’s advantage in single-core is nearly identical, which means the Intel part is not just leveraging its extra cores. It is faster per thread as well. The Athlon PRO 200GE is not competitive in any measured metric here. However, the overall average benchmark scores tell a different story: the AMD chip’s average is 1200, and the Intel’s is 1193. That near-parity is explained by the fact that the Athlon has additional benchmark data—Geekbench scores—that the Intel processor lacks in this dataset. The Intel chip’s Cinebench dominance is real, but it does not extend to every possible workload in the broader database.

Where Each One Wins

The i7-8665UE wins every workload represented in the head-to-head tests. For multi-threaded productivity—rendering, video encoding, or any task that scales across cores—the Intel part’s 4 cores and 8 threads give it a clear edge over the 2-core/4-thread Athlon. The Cinebench R23 multicore score of 4124 versus 3243 is a 27% raw advantage, which translates to noticeably shorter render times in practice. Single-core tasks, such as lightly-threaded legacy applications or daily desktop responsiveness, also favor the Intel chip by a similar margin, as shown by the R20 and R23 single-core tests.

The Athlon PRO 200GE, despite losing every head-to-head test, still has a place. Its Geekbench scores—1887 multi-core and 932 single-core—are not directly comparable to the Intel’s Cinebench numbers, but they show the AMD part is a functional entry-level processor. In a system where the workload is basic office work, web browsing, or light media playback, the Athlon’s 35W TDP and AM4 socket make it a simpler drop-in for desktop builds. The i7-8665UE, conversely, is a 15W mobile part soldered to a board, so it is not a DIY upgrade path. If you are building a new desktop, the Athlon is the only one you can actually purchase and install. If you are comparing pre-built or embedded systems, the Intel part’s performance is strictly better.

FAQ

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

A: The Intel Core i7-8665UE is faster in every multi-core test. It scores 415 vs 326 in Cinebench R15, 1732 vs 1362 in R20, and 4124 vs 3243 in R23, each a -21.4% deficit for the AMD Athlon PRO 200GE.

Q: Is the Athlon PRO 200GE better in single-core performance?

A: No. The Intel chip also wins single-core tests. In Cinebench R20 single-core, the i7-8665UE scores 244 against the Athlon’s 191, and in R23 single-core, it scores 582 vs 457.

Q: How do their average benchmark scores compare?

A: The averages are nearly identical. The AMD Athlon PRO 200GE has an average benchmark score of 1200, while the Intel Core i7-8665UE averages 1193. The Intel chip’s nearest rival is the Intel Core i3-4170 at 1193 with a 0% delta, while the AMD chip’s nearest rival is the Intel Core i5-3330 at 1200 with a 0% delta.

Q: Do both processors support ECC memory?

A: No. Neither the AMD Athlon PRO 200GE nor the Intel Core i7-8665UE supports ECC memory, according to the data.

Q: What is the core and thread count difference?

A: The AMD Athlon PRO 200GE has 2 cores and 4 threads. The Intel Core i7-8665UE has 4 cores and 8 threads, which is double the core count and double the thread count.

Q: What are the TDP ratings of each chip?

A: The AMD Athlon PRO 200GE has a TDP of 35 watts. The Intel Core i7-8665UE has a TDP of 15 watts, making it a lower-power part despite higher performance in the tested benchmarks.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ in nearly every fundamental specification. The AMD Athlon PRO 200GE has 2 cores and 4 threads, while the Intel Core i7-8665UE has 4 cores and 8 threads. Base clocks are starkly different: the Athlon runs at 3.20 GHz, while the i7-8665UE has a base clock of 1700.00 MHz (1.70 GHz) but a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. The Athlon has no boost clock listed. TDP is another major split—35W for the AMD part versus 15W for the Intel chip.

Sockets are incompatible: the AMD uses AMD Socket AM4, while the Intel uses Intel BGA 1528. The memory support differs as well. The Athlon supports DDR4 only, while the Intel chip supports both DDR3 and DDR4. Memory bandwidth is slightly higher on the AMD part at 42.7 GB/s versus 38.4 GB/s on the Intel. PCIe lanes differ significantly: the Athlon offers Gen 3 with 4 lanes (CPU only), while the Intel part offers Gen 3 with 16 lanes (CPU only). Integrated graphics are different—Radeon Vega 3 on the AMD, UHD Graphics 620 on the Intel. The market segment also differs: the Athlon is listed as Server/Workstation, while the Intel is Mobile. The Athlon’s part number is YD200BC6M20FB; the Intel’s is SRF9W.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap is significant. The AMD Athlon PRO 200GE is built on the Zen architecture (codename Zen, Raven Ridge generation) using a 14 nm process from GlobalFoundries. It has 4,800 million transistors on a 192 mm² die. Cache layout includes 96 KB of L1 per core, 512 KB of L2 per core, and 4 MB of shared L3. The Intel Core i7-8665UE uses the Whiskey Lake architecture (Whiskey Lake-U) on Intel’s 14 nm process. Its cache is smaller per core—64 KB L1 and 256 KB L2—but the L3 is larger at 8 MB shared. The Intel chip’s transistor count and die size are not listed.

The core count difference stems from the architectural design. The Athlon’s Zen architecture is a 2-core implementation, while the Intel’s Whiskey Lake is a 4-core design. The Intel part also has a higher boost clock of 4.40 GHz, which is a feature the Athlon lacks entirely. The memory controller on the Intel chip supports both DDR3 and DDR4, whereas the Athlon is limited to DDR4. The PCIe implementation is another distinction: 4 lanes on the AMD versus 16 lanes on the Intel, both Gen 3. The AMD part’s integrated graphics is Radeon Vega 3, while the Intel uses UHD Graphics 620. The release dates are close—September 17, 2018 for the AMD and September 30, 2018 for the Intel—but the architectures are unrelated.

The Verdict

The data is unambiguous. The Intel Core i7-8665UE is the faster processor in every benchmark where both are tested. It leads by roughly 21% in all Cinebench multi-core tests (R15, R20, R23) and by a similar margin in single-core tests (R20 and R23). If raw performance is the only criterion, the Intel chip wins outright. Its 4-core/8-thread configuration, higher boost clock, and larger 8 MB L3 cache give it a structural advantage that the Athlon PRO 200GE cannot overcome.

However, the choice is not purely about speed. The Athlon PRO 200GE is a socketed AM4 desktop processor, making it a viable option for a budget desktop build where you can choose the motherboard and memory. The Intel i7-8665UE is a BGA 1528 mobile part, which means it is soldered to the board and not a DIY component. The AMD chip also has a higher memory bandwidth (42.7 GB/s vs 38.4 GB/s) and a higher TDP (35W vs 15W), suggesting it is designed for a different power envelope. The Intel part’s 15W TDP is a clear advantage for fanless or low-power designs, but that is a system-level benefit, not a performance one.

For a builder selecting a processor for a new desktop, the Athlon PRO 200GE is the only practical choice between these two, simply because it fits AM4. For anyone evaluating a complete system, the i7-8665UE is the better performer across the board. The Intel chip also carries a launch MSRP of $409, which you can state once as a reference point. The Athlon has no listed launch MSRP. If you need the fastest CPU in this comparison and can accept a soldered mobile chip, the i7-8665UE is the pick. If you are assembling a desktop and need a functional, low-cost part on an AM4 board, the Athlon PRO 200GE is your only option—and it will lose in every benchmark to the Intel part.