AMD FX-9800P vs Intel Core i7-3537U Comparison

Where Each One Wins

The benchmark record splits cleanly along workload type. AMD FX-9800P takes five of the seven head-to-head tests, all of them in the Cinebench family. Intel Core i7-3537U wins the two Geekbench tests, and those wins are decisive. The Cinebench victories for AMD are narrow, consistently around 4%, while the Intel Geekbench wins are much larger, 12.6% in multi-core and 32.1% in single-core.

The FX-9800P builds its advantage in sustained rendering workloads. Cinebench R15 multi-core shows 210 for AMD against 201 for Intel, a 4.3% margin. Cinebench R20 multi-core repeats the pattern, 876 for AMD against 839 for Intel, a 4.2% gap. Cinebench R23 multi-core gives 2088 for AMD versus 1998 for Intel, again 4.3%. The single-core Cinebench tests follow the same shape: R20 single-core 123 to 118, R23 single-core 294 to 282, both roughly 4.1% in favor of AMD. This is a consistent, if modest, advantage across every Cinebench version recorded.

The Intel part wins where the workload depends on per-thread responsiveness in the Geekbench suite. Geekbench multi-core gives Intel 1269 against AMD 1127, a 12.6% lead. Geekbench single-core is the largest margin in the entire comparison, 658 for Intel versus 498 for AMD, a 32.1% advantage. The pattern suggests Intel has a substantial edge in the specific operations Geekbench stresses, while AMD holds a smaller but uniform edge in Cinebench's rendering pipeline.

Percentile placement reinforces the overall similarity. Intel sits at the 21st percentile of all CPUs in the database, AMD at the 20th. Their average benchmark scores are close as well, 766 for Intel and 745 for AMD. The nearest rivals for each are tightly clustered, Intel's closest competitor being the Intel Core i5-680 at 772, a 0.8% difference, while AMD's nearest rival is the Intel Core i5-750 at 747, a 0.3% difference. The two processors are near neighbors in the overall ranking, but their strengths sit in different corners of the benchmark suite.

Architecture Differences

The two designs come from different eras and different process technologies. Intel Core i7-3537U is built on Ivy Bridge architecture using Intel's 22 nm process, while AMD FX-9800P uses Excavator architecture on GlobalFoundries' 28 nm node. The Intel die is 118 mm², the AMD die is 250 mm². AMD lists 3,100 million transistors; Intel does not report a transistor count in the database.

Core configuration differs fundamentally. Intel has 2 physical cores with 4 threads through Hyper-Threading, while AMD has 4 physical cores and 4 threads, no SMT. The AMD part relies on physical cores where Intel leans on thread duplication. Clock behavior is also different. Intel runs at a 2000 MHz base clock with a 3.20 GHz boost, AMD at a 2700 MHz base clock with a 3.60 GHz boost. AMD starts higher and boosts higher, though the per-clock efficiency gap in the Geekbench results favors Intel.

Cache layouts are not directly comparable. Intel has 64 KB L1 per core, 256 KB L2 per core, and 4 MB shared L3. AMD has 320 KB total L1, 1 MB L2 per module, and no L3 cache at all. The absence of L3 on the AMD part is notable; the Intel part uses its shared 4 MB L3 to feed both cores. The AMD cache hierarchy relies on the larger L2 per module.

Memory support diverges by generation. Intel supports DDR3 on a dual-channel bus, AMD supports DDR4 on a dual-channel bus with a recorded bandwidth of 29.9 GB/s. The Intel part has no memory bandwidth figure in the database. Both lack ECC support. The integrated graphics differ as well, Intel HD 4000 on the Intel side, Radeon R7 8CU on the AMD side. The AMD part uses Socket FP4, the Intel part uses Intel BGA 1023. Both are locked multipliers, neither is unlocked. The AMD part is marked end-of-life in production status, while Intel's status is not recorded.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head table in the database is unusual because the two processor families trade wins by benchmark suite. Every Cinebench test goes to AMD, every Geekbench test goes to Intel, and the margins are lopsided in opposite directions.

Start with Cinebench R15 multi-core. AMD scores 210, Intel 201, a 4.3% margin. This is the smallest absolute gap in the Cinebench set, only 9 points. Cinebench R20 multi-core widens slightly, AMD 876 against Intel 839, a 4.2% margin, a 37-point gap. Cinebench R23 multi-core shows AMD 2088 against Intel 1998, a 4.3% margin, a 90-point gap. The relative delta is nearly identical across all three multi-core versions, hovering around 4.2% to 4.3%. AMD's advantage scales with the workload length, the point gap grows from 9 to 37 to 90, but the percentage stays flat.

Single-core Cinebench is tighter. R20 single-core gives AMD 123 against Intel 118, a 4.1% margin. R23 single-core gives AMD 294 against Intel 282, also 4.1%. The AMD single-core lead is real but small, and it is consistent across both Cinebench versions recorded.

Geekbench flips the script. Geekbench multi-core gives Intel 1269 against AMD 1127, a 12.6% margin, a 142-point gap. Geekbench single-core gives Intel 658 against AMD 498, a 32.1% margin, a 160-point gap. The Intel single-core lead is more than seven times larger in percentage terms than AMD's Cinebench single-core lead. The Geekbench multi-core margin, 12.6%, is triple the Cinebench multi-core margin. Whatever Geekbench measures, the Ivy Bridge core handles it far more efficiently than the Excavator core.

The database also places each chip among its nearest rivals. Intel's average score of 766 sits within 0.9% of the Intel Core i7-3687U at 773, and within 0.8% of the Intel Core i5-680 at 772. AMD's average of 745 sits within 0.3% of the Intel Core i5-750 at 747 and within 0.1% of both the AMD A10 PRO-7800B and Intel Core i5-4200U at 746. These rival clusters confirm that the two chips occupy the same performance tier overall, even though their individual test profiles diverge sharply.

Specification Differences

The recorded specifications differ on nearly every line. Process node: Intel 22 nm, AMD 28 nm. Die size: Intel 118 mm², AMD 250 mm². Transistor count: AMD 3,100 million, Intel not recorded. Cores: Intel 2, AMD 4. Threads: both 4. Base clock: Intel 2000 MHz, AMD 2700 MHz. Boost clock: Intel 3.20 GHz, AMD 3.60 GHz. TDP: Intel 17 W, AMD 15 W. Socket: Intel BGA 1023, AMD Socket FP4. Architecture: Intel Ivy Bridge, AMD Excavator. Codename: Intel Ivy Bridge, AMD Bristol Ridge. Generation: Intel Core i7 (Ivy Bridge), AMD FX (Bristol Ridge). Foundry: Intel, GlobalFoundries.

Cache differs structurally. Intel L1 is 64 KB per core, AMD L1 is 320 KB total. Intel L2 is 256 KB per core, AMD L2 is 1 MB per module. Intel L3 is 4 MB shared, AMD has no L3. Memory support: Intel DDR3, AMD DDR4. Memory bandwidth: AMD 29.9 GB/s, Intel not recorded. PCIe: AMD Gen 3, 8 lanes (CPU only), Intel not recorded. Integrated graphics: Intel HD 4000, AMD Radeon R7 8CU. Release date: Intel January 2013, AMD May 2016. Part number: Intel SR0XG, AMD FM980PADY44AB. Production status: AMD end-of-life, Intel not recorded. Multiplier unlocked: both false. ECC memory: both false. Market segment: both mobile. Launch MSRP: neither recorded.

The two share only a few features: dual-channel memory buses, mobile market segment, locked multipliers, no ECC support, four threads each.

FAQ

Q: Which processor is faster in Geekbench single-core?

A: Intel Core i7-3537U wins by a wide margin, 658 to 498, a 32.1% advantage.

Q: Which processor wins the Cinebench tests?

A: AMD FX-9800P wins all five Cinebench tests recorded, with margins between 4.1% and 4.3%.

Q: How do the core counts compare?

A: Intel has 2 cores and 4 threads, AMD has 4 cores and 4 threads.

Q: What is the cache configuration on each?

A: Intel has 64 KB L1 per core, 256 KB L2 per core, and 4 MB shared L3. AMD has 320 KB total L1, 1 MB L2 per module, and no L3.

Q: Which processor has a higher boost clock?

A: AMD FX-9800P boosts to 3.60 GHz, while Intel Core i7-3537U boosts to 3.20 GHz.

Q: How do their overall percentile rankings compare?

A: Intel sits at the 21st percentile of all CPUs, AMD at the 20th. Intel's average benchmark score is 766, AMD's is 745.

Q: What memory types do they support?

A: Intel supports DDR3, AMD supports DDR4 with a recorded bandwidth of 29.9 GB/s.

The Verdict

The data points to two different buyers. AMD FX-9800P is the choice for anyone whose workload is dominated by Cinebench-style rendering, where it holds a uniform 4.1% to 4.3% lead across every version recorded. It also offers four physical cores, a higher base clock of 2700 MHz, a higher boost clock of 3.60 GHz, a lower TDP of 15 W, DDR4 memory support with 29.9 GB/s bandwidth, and a larger die at 250 mm².

Intel Core i7-3537U is the choice for single-thread-sensitive applications, where its Geekbench single-core lead is enormous, 32.1% over AMD. Its Geekbench multi-core advantage of 12.6% is also substantial. It runs on Intel's 22 nm process with a smaller die of 118 mm² and a 17 W TDP. The Intel part reaches the 21st percentile with an average benchmark score of 766, narrowly above AMD's 745 and 20th percentile.

The nearest rival data tells the same story. Intel's closest competitor is the Intel Core i7-3687U at 773, only 0.9% away, while AMD's closest is the Intel Core i5-750 at 747, just 0.3% away. Both chips are mid-pack mobile processors from different generations, AMD releasing in May 2016 and Intel in January 2013. The AMD part is end-of-life, the Intel part has no recorded status.

For rendering workloads, take AMD. For single-thread responsiveness and general Geekbench performance, take Intel. The overall average scores are close enough that the decision should rest on the specific benchmark family that matches the intended use. The database shows no overall winner, it shows a split personality across the test suite. AMD wins where it counts for sustained multi-core rendering, Intel wins where it counts for per-thread efficiency. The FX-9800P is now end-of-life, which matters for long-term system planning, but the recorded performance data remains what it is.