AMD Athlon X4 950 vs Intel Core i7-4558U Comparison

The AMD Athlon X4 950 and Intel Core i7-4558U occupy opposite ends of the desktop-versus-mobile spectrum, yet their benchmark results place them in a surprisingly close overall performance tier. The AMD part, a 4-core desktop chip from the Bristol Ridge generation, squares off against a 2-core/4-thread Intel mobile processor from the Haswell era. While the Athlon secures every head-to-head victory in the provided Cinebench suite, the Core i7 counters with a lower thermal envelope and integrated graphics capabilities. The data shows a consistent, if moderate, performance advantage for the AMD processor across all tested workloads.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The AMD Athlon X4 950 wins all five head-to-head benchmark comparisons, with margins ranging narrowly from 20% to 20.8%. In Cinebench R15 multicore, the Athlon scores 306 against the Core i7-4558U’s 255, a 20% advantage. This pattern repeats in Cinebench R20 multicore, where the AMD chip posts 1277 versus 1063, a 20.1% lead.

Single-core performance tells a similar story. The Athlon X4 950 achieves a Cinebench R20 single-core score of 180, while the Core i7-4558U manages 149. That 20.8% delta is the largest margin in the entire comparison. The Cinebench R23 results reinforce the trend: the AMD processor scores 3041 in multi-core and 429 in single-core, against 2532 and 357 for the Intel part, respectively — both roughly 20% gaps.

The consistency of these margins is notable. Across every test, the delta stays between 20% and 20.8%, suggesting a systematic performance difference tied to architecture and clock behavior rather than workload-specific quirks. The Athlon’s higher base clock of 3.50 GHz and boost clock of 3.80 GHz, compared to the Intel’s 2.80 GHz base and 3.30 GHz boost, likely drive much of this gap. In the broader context, the Athlon X4 950 sits at the 29th percentile of all CPUs with an average benchmark score of 1047, while the Core i7-4558U ranks at the 28th percentile with an average score of 1038 — a difference of just 0.9% in aggregate, despite the head-to-head sweep.

Architecture Differences

The two processors diverge fundamentally in their underlying designs. The AMD Athlon X4 950 uses the Excavator architecture on the Bristol Ridge codename, built on a 28 nm process at GlobalFoundries. It packs 3,100 million transistors onto a 250 mm² die. The Intel Core i7-4558U, by contrast, employs the Haswell architecture under the Haswell-ULT codename, fabricated on a 22 nm process by Intel, with 1,300 million transistors on a 118 mm² die.

Core and thread configurations differ as well. The AMD part offers four physical cores with four threads, while the Intel chip provides two physical cores with four threads via Hyper-Threading. Cache hierarchies reflect these design philosophies: the Athlon has 320 KB of L1 cache and 2 MB of L2 cache with no L3, whereas the Core i7-4558U carries 64 KB of L1 per core, 256 KB of L2 per core, and a shared 4 MB L3 cache.

Memory support separates the two further. The Athlon X4 950 supports DDR4 memory with a dual-channel bus and a rated bandwidth of 38.4 GB/s, while the Core i7-4558U uses DDR3 with no memory bus or bandwidth figures listed. The AMD chip also includes PCIe Gen 3 with 8 lanes (CPU only), whereas the Intel part has no PCIe specification provided. Integrated graphics appear only on the Intel processor, which includes Intel HD 5100; the Athlon lists no integrated graphics at all.

Thermal design power highlights the mobile focus of the Intel part: the Core i7-4558U draws 28 W, while the Athlon X4 950 consumes 65 W. This 37 W difference underscores that the AMD chip’s performance advantage comes at a significantly higher power cost. The socket situation also reflects their market segments: the Athlon uses AMD Socket AM4 for desktop builds, while the Intel part uses Intel BGA 1168, a soldered mobile package.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Athlon X4 950 wins in every benchmark category presented. For multi-threaded workloads, its four physical cores provide a straightforward advantage over the Intel’s two cores with Hyper-Threading. Cinebench R15, R20, and R23 multi-core tests all show the Athlon roughly 20% ahead. Users running CPU-bound rendering tasks, video encoding, or compilation workloads would see measurable improvements with the AMD part.

Single-core performance also favors the Athlon, with about a 20% lead in both Cinebench R20 and R23 single-core tests. This suggests the higher clock speeds (3.50 GHz base, 3.80 GHz boost) compensate for any architectural efficiency gains the newer Intel design might offer. For everyday responsive tasks like web browsing, office applications, or light code editing, the Athlon would deliver snappier results.

The Intel Core i7-4558U, despite losing all head-to-head tests, holds advantages in areas that benchmarks do not capture directly. Its 28 W TDP makes it suitable for thin-and-light laptops where thermal management is critical, whereas the 65 W Athlon demands a desktop cooling solution. The integrated Intel HD 5100 graphics means the Core i7 can drive a display without a discrete GPU, while the Athlon requires a separate graphics card. For systems where power efficiency and space are priorities over raw compute, the Intel part remains viable.

The average benchmark scores tell a nuanced story. The Athlon’s 1047 average edge over the Core i7’s 1038 is marginal in the grand scheme, placing both in the 28th-29th percentile of all CPUs. The nearest rivals for the Athlon include the AMD PRO A10-8770 and Intel Core i5-6350HQ, both within 0.1% of its score, while the Core i7-4558U’s closest competitor, the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 3700U, sits only 0.3% ahead. This suggests that in real-world usage, the two processors would feel comparable for most tasks, with the Athlon’s consistent 20% Cinebench lead being the most pronounced difference.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has more cores?

A: The AMD Athlon X4 950 has 4 cores and 4 threads, while the Intel Core i7-4558U has 2 cores and 4 threads.

Q: How much faster is the AMD Athlon X4 950 in multi-core Cinebench R23?

A: The Athlon X4 950 scores 3041 in Cinebench R23 multi-core, which is 20.1% higher than the Core i7-4558U’s 2532.

Q: Does the Intel Core i7-4558U include integrated graphics?

A: Yes, the Core i7-4558U includes Intel HD 5100 integrated graphics. The AMD Athlon X4 950 does not list any integrated graphics.

Q: What is the thermal design power difference between the two?

A: The AMD Athlon X4 950 has a TDP of 65 W, while the Intel Core i7-4558U has a TDP of 28 W.

Q: Which processor supports DDR4 memory?

A: The AMD Athlon X4 950 supports DDR4 memory with a dual-channel bus and 38.4 GB/s bandwidth. The Intel Core i7-4558U supports DDR3 memory.

Q: How do their overall benchmark averages compare?

A: The Athlon X4 950 has an average benchmark score of 1047, placing it at the 29th percentile, while the Core i7-4558U averages 1038 at the 28th percentile.

Specification Differences

| Specification | AMD Athlon X4 950 | Intel Core i7-4558U |

|---|---|---|

| Cores | 4 | 2 |

| Threads | 4 | 4 |

| Base Clock | 3.50 GHz | 2.80 GHz |

| Boost Clock | 3.80 GHz | 3.30 GHz |

| TDP | 65 W | 28 W |

| Socket | AMD Socket AM4 | Intel BGA 1168 |

| Architecture | Excavator | Haswell |

| Codename | Bristol Ridge | Haswell-ULT |

| Process Node | 28 nm | 22 nm |

| Foundry | GlobalFoundries | Intel |

| Transistors | 3,100 million | 1,300 million |

| Die Size | 250 mm² | 118 mm² |

| L1 Cache | 320 KB | 64 KB (per core) |

| L2 Cache | 2 MB | 256 KB (per core) |

| L3 Cache | None | 4 MB (shared) |

| Memory Support | DDR4 | DDR3 |

| Memory Bus | Dual-channel | Not specified |

| Memory Bandwidth | 38.4 GB/s | Not specified |

| PCIe | Gen 3, 8 Lanes (CPU only) | Not specified |

| Integrated Graphics | None | Intel HD 5100 |

| Market Segment | Desktop | Mobile |

| Release Date | 2017-07-26 | 2013-06-03 |

| Part Number | AD950XAGM44AB | SR188 |