AMD Athlon X4 830 vs Intel Core i5-5250U Comparison

The Verdict

The benchmark data tells a clear story: the AMD Athlon X4 830 wins every single head-to-head benchmark against the Intel Core i5-5250U, with a consistent margin of roughly 15.7–15.8% across all five tests. If your priority is raw compute performance, the AMD chip is the pick. It scores 248 vs 209 in Cinebench R15 multi-core, 1035 vs 873 in R20 multi-core, and 2465 vs 2079 in R23 multi-core. The single-core gap is nearly identical: 146 vs 123 in R20, and 348 vs 293 in R23.

That said, the Intel part is not without its place. It is a 15W mobile chip with integrated Intel HD 6000 graphics, while the AMD Athlon X4 830 is a 65W desktop part with no integrated graphics at all. The data shows the Intel chip belongs in a low-power laptop or ultrabook scenario, whereas the AMD chip belongs in a desktop build where a discrete GPU is assumed. The Intel part also has a launch MSRP of $315, but pricing is not the deciding factor here — performance and platform are.

For a builder who already has an FM2+ motherboard and a spare GPU, the Athlon X4 830 is the obvious choice. For someone who needs a complete mobile solution with on-chip graphics and minimal power draw, the i5-5250U is the only one of these two that fits. The average benchmark scores are nearly identical — 856 for Intel, 848 for AMD — which means the overall performance class is the same, even though the AMD wins every direct comparison. The difference is in the shape of that performance: the AMD is consistently faster per-thread and per-core, while the Intel offers efficiency and iGPU capability.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Athlon X4 830 wins in every measured multi-core workload. Cinebench R15 multi-core shows 248 vs 209, R20 multi-core shows 1035 vs 873, and R23 multi-core shows 2465 vs 2079. That is a uniform ~15.7% advantage across three generations of the Cinebench test. The AMD also wins all single-core tests: R20 single-core 146 vs 123, and R23 single-core 348 vs 293, both at a ~15.8% margin.

The Intel i5-5250U wins in no benchmark here. Its wins are contextual, not performance-based. It has integrated Intel HD 6000 graphics, which the AMD completely lacks. It draws 15W vs 65W, making it suitable for fanless or ultra-light designs. It uses a smaller 14nm process vs 28nm, and its 133 mm² die is far smaller than the AMD's 245 mm². The Intel part also supports PCIe Gen 2 with 12 lanes, while the AMD offers PCIe Gen 3 with 16 lanes — so the AMD has a bandwidth advantage for GPUs and NVMe, but only if the rest of the platform supports it.

In a Geekbench context, the Intel shows a multicore score of 1587 and single-core 825. These numbers are not directly comparable to the Cinebench runs, but they exist only for the Intel part in the data, so no cross-CPU verdict can be drawn from them. The AMD has no Geekbench result listed.

Architecture Differences

The Intel Core i5-5250U is built on Broadwell-U, a 14nm process from Intel, with 2 cores and 4 threads. Its base clock is 1600 MHz with a boost to 2.70 GHz. The cache hierarchy is 64 KB L1 per core, 256 KB L2 per core, and 3 MB shared L3. The transistor count is 1,900 million on a 133 mm² die. It supports DDR3 dual-channel memory with 29.9 GB/s bandwidth. The integrated graphics is Intel HD 6000. It uses the Intel BGA 1168 socket and is a mobile part.

The AMD Athlon X4 830 uses the Steamroller architecture on a 28nm process from GlobalFoundries. It has 4 cores and 4 threads — no SMT. Base clock is 3.00 GHz with a boost to 3.40 GHz. The cache is 256 KB L1 total and 4 MB L2 total; there is no L3 cache. Transistors are 2,411 million on a 245 mm² die. Memory support is DDR3 dual-channel with 34.1 GB/s bandwidth. There is no integrated graphics. The socket is AMD Socket FM2+, and it is a desktop part. The multiplier is unlocked, meaning overclocking is possible, whereas the Intel multiplier is locked.

The process node difference is stark: 14nm vs 28nm, which explains why the Intel chip fits in a 15W envelope despite similar performance class. The AMD uses more than four times the power. The memory bandwidth difference favors AMD (34.1 vs 29.9 GB/s), and the PCIe generation and lane count also favor AMD (Gen 3, 16 lanes vs Gen 2, 12 lanes). The Intel part has a smaller die and fewer transistors, yet still delivers competitive average scores.

FAQ

Q: Which CPU is faster overall?

A: The AMD Athlon X4 830 wins every head-to-head benchmark in the data. The margins are consistent at about 15.7–15.8% across all Cinebench R15, R20, and R23 tests, both multi-core and single-core.

Q: Why would anyone choose the Intel i5-5250U?

A: The Intel part has integrated Intel HD 6000 graphics, a 15W TDP, and a 14nm process. It is designed for mobile use with a BGA socket, whereas the AMD has no iGPU, draws 65W, and is a desktop socketed part. If the system needs on-chip graphics and low power, the Intel is the only option of the two.

Q: Does the AMD support error-correcting memory?

A: No. Both the AMD Athlon X4 830 and the Intel Core i5-5250U have ECC memory support listed as false in the data.

Q: Can the AMD be overclocked?

A: Yes. The multiplier is unlocked on the AMD Athlon X4 830. The Intel i5-5250U has a locked multiplier, so no such overclocking is possible.

Q: How do their average benchmark scores compare?

A: The Intel i5-5250U has an average benchmark score of 856, placing it at the 23rd percentile of all CPUs. The AMD Athlon X4 830 has an average of 848, also at the 23rd percentile. The Intel is listed as a nearest rival of the AMD with a delta of -0.9%, meaning the Intel is about 0.9% ahead on average.

Q: What memory standards do they support?

A: Both support DDR3 in dual-channel configuration. The AMD offers higher peak bandwidth at 34.1 GB/s versus the Intel's 29.9 GB/s.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The most decisive result is the consistency. Across five separate Cinebench runs, the AMD Athlon X4 830 beats the Intel i5-5250U by nearly the same percentage every time. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the AMD scores 248 against the Intel's 209, a delta of -15.7% (from the Intel's perspective). In R20 multi-core, the scores are 1035 vs 873, again -15.7%. R23 multi-core shows 2465 vs 2079, still -15.7%. The single-core tests are equally uniform: R20 single-core 146 vs 123 (-15.8%), and R23 single-core 348 vs 293 (-15.8%).

That uniformity suggests the performance gap is not workload-specific but rather a fundamental per-clock or per-core advantage. The AMD's higher base clock (3.00 GHz vs 1.60 GHz) and boost clock (3.40 GHz vs 2.70 GHz) likely drive this. The AMD also has twice the physical cores (4 vs 2), though the Intel uses hyperthreading to reach 4 threads. The result is that the AMD is faster in every threaded test, and also faster in single-threaded tests — the latter being notable because the Intel's boost clock is only 700 MHz lower, yet it still loses by 15.8%.

The largest absolute win for the AMD is in Cinebench R23 multi-core, where it leads by 386 points (2465 vs 2079). The smallest absolute win is in R20 single-core, where it leads by 23 points (146 vs 123). The percentage margins are nearly identical, which means the AMD scales its advantage proportionally as the workload grows. There are no benchmarks in the data where the Intel wins, so the head-to-head record is 5 wins for AMD, 0 for Intel.

Specification Differences

The two CPUs differ on nearly every specification that matters for a build decision. The Intel i5-5250U has 2 cores and 4 threads; the AMD Athlon X4 830 has 4 cores and 4 threads. Base clocks are 1600 MHz vs 3000 MHz — a 1.4 GHz difference. Boost clocks are 2.70 GHz vs 3.40 GHz — a 700 MHz gap. TDP is 15W vs 65W, a difference of 50W.

The process nodes are 14nm (Intel) vs 28nm (AMD). Transistor counts are 1,900 million vs 2,411 million. Die sizes are 133 mm² vs 245 mm². The Intel uses a 64 KB L1 per core and 256 KB L2 per core, with 3 MB shared L3; the AMD uses a flat 256 KB L1 and 4 MB L2 with no L3. Memory bandwidth is 29.9 GB/s vs 34.1 GB/s. PCIe is Gen 2 with 12 lanes on the Intel, vs Gen 3 with 16 lanes on the AMD.

The Intel has integrated HD 6000 graphics; the AMD has none. The Intel socket is BGA 1168 (mobile); the AMD is Socket FM2+ (desktop). The Intel multiplier is locked; the AMD is unlocked. The Intel has a launch MSRP of $315; the AMD has no listed MSRP. The Intel was released on 2015-02-28; the AMD has no release date in the data. Both are end-of-life, both use dual-channel DDR3, and neither supports ECC. The Intel part number is SR26C; the AMD is AD830XYBI44JA.