AMD PRO A10-8750B vs Intel Xeon E5530 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark data shows a consistent, though narrow, advantage for the AMD PRO A10-8750B across all five direct comparison tests. In every recorded workload, from older Cinebench R15 to the more recent R23, the AMD part finishes ahead of the Intel Xeon E5530 by a margin that hovers just under nine percent.

The most decisive result comes in the single-core Cinebench R20 test, where the AMD PRO A10-8750B scores 149 against the Intel Xeon E5530's 137, a difference of 8.8 percent. This is the largest delta in the entire head-to-head set. The remaining four tests, Cinebench R15 multicore, R20 multicore, R23 multicore, and R23 singlecore, all show the AMD part winning by exactly 8.5 percent. For instance, in Cinebench R23 multicore, the AMD PRO A10-8750B records 2525 points, while the Intel Xeon E5530 manages 2328 points. The single-core R23 result follows the same pattern: 356 versus 328.

Notably, the Intel Xeon E5530 does not win a single benchmark in this pairing. The database records zero wins for the Intel part, which reflects a fundamental gap in per-clock efficiency and architectural age. The AMD PRO A10-8750B is built on a 28 nm process and runs at a base clock of 3.60 GHz with a boost of 4.00 GHz. The Intel Xeon E5530, by contrast, operates at 2.40 GHz base and 2.67 GHz boost on a 45 nm process. Even though the Intel part supports eight threads through Hyper-Threading, the raw clock advantage of the AMD silicon is sufficient to overcome the thread-count deficit in these workloads.

The average benchmark scores in the database reinforce this trend. The AMD PRO A10-8750B holds an average score of 821, placing it in the 22nd percentile of all CPUs. The Intel Xeon E5530 trails with an average of 801 and sits in the 21st percentile. This two-percentile gap, while small in absolute terms, is consistent with the head-to-head deltas. The nearest rivals for the AMD part include the Intel Xeon E5540 at 820 average score, a 0.1 percent difference, and the AMD A10 PRO-7850B at 828, which is 0.8 percent ahead. The Intel Xeon E5530's closest rival is the AMD A10-7700K, which matches it exactly at 801 average score, and the Intel Pentium Silver J5040, also at 801.

FAQ

Q: Which processor wins the most benchmarks in this comparison?

A: The AMD PRO A10-8750B wins all five recorded head-to-head benchmarks. The Intel Xeon E5530 does not win a single test.

Q: How large is the performance gap between these two CPUs?

A: The AMD part leads by 8.5 percent in Cinebench R15 multicore, R20 multicore, R23 multicore, and R23 singlecore. The largest margin is in Cinebench R20 singlecore, where the AMD part leads by 8.8 percent.

Q: What do the average benchmark scores indicate about overall performance?

A: The AMD PRO A10-8750B has an average benchmark score of 821, which puts it in the 22nd percentile of all CPUs. The Intel Xeon E5530 has an average score of 801, placing it in the 21st percentile.

Q: Which processor has more threads?

A: The Intel Xeon E5530 supports 8 threads, while the AMD PRO A10-8750B supports 4 threads. Despite this thread advantage, the Intel part still loses all multicore benchmarks.

Q: Which processor has a higher clock speed?

A: The AMD PRO A10-8750B runs at a base clock of 3.60 GHz and boosts to 4.00 GHz. The Intel Xeon E5530 runs at 2.40 GHz base and boosts to 2.67 GHz.

Q: What are the closest rivals for each processor according to the database?

A: For the AMD PRO A10-8750B, the closest rival is the Intel Xeon E5540 with an average score of 820, a 0.1 percent difference. For the Intel Xeon E5530, the closest rivals are the AMD A10-7700K and Intel Pentium Silver J5040, both with an average score of 801 and a 0 percent difference.

The Verdict

The data points to a straightforward conclusion for most desktop workloads: the AMD PRO A10-8750B is the faster processor. It wins every benchmark in the comparison, and its average score of 821 versus 801 confirms that the edge is not limited to a single test type. The consistent 8.5 percent margin across multicore tests is notable because the Intel Xeon E5530 has twice the thread count. That means the AMD part's higher clock speed, 3.60 GHz base versus 2.40 GHz, and its newer architecture are delivering more work per clock cycle.

However, the Intel Xeon E5530 should not be dismissed entirely. It supports ECC memory, which the AMD part does not. It also uses a triple-channel memory configuration, compared to the AMD part's dual-channel setup. For a server or workstation environment where data integrity and memory bandwidth are critical, the Intel part has a functional advantage that the benchmark scores do not capture. The Intel Xeon E5530 also has a lower TDP of 80 watts versus 95 watts, which matters in dense server deployments.

For users prioritizing raw application performance, particularly in rendering or single-threaded workloads, the AMD PRO A10-8750B is the clear choice based on the recorded data. For users who need ECC support or are building a legacy server platform with triple-channel memory, the Intel Xeon E5530 remains a viable option despite its lower scores. The benchmark data shows the AMD part wins on performance, but the Intel part wins on platform features.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ in nearly every core specification except core count and memory type. Both have 4 cores, but the Intel Xeon E5530 doubles the thread count to 8, while the AMD PRO A10-8750B stays at 4 threads. The base clock differs substantially: 3.60 GHz for the AMD part versus 2.40 GHz for the Intel part. Boost clocks are 4.00 GHz and 2.67 GHz, respectively. The TDP also differs, with the AMD part rated at 95 watts and the Intel part at 80 watts.

The cache hierarchy is entirely different. The AMD PRO A10-8750B has 256 KB of L1 cache and 4 MB of L2 cache, with no L3 cache. The Intel Xeon E5530 has 64 KB of L1 cache per core, 256 KB of L2 cache per core, and 8 MB of shared L3 cache. The memory bus width differs as well: the AMD part uses dual-channel DDR3 with a theoretical bandwidth of 34.1 GB/s, while the Intel part uses triple-channel DDR3 with a bandwidth of 25.6 GB/s. ECC memory support is present only on the Intel Xeon E5530. The AMD part includes integrated Radeon R7 graphics, while the Intel part has no integrated graphics. PCIe support also differs: the AMD part uses Gen 3 with 16 lanes from the CPU, while the Intel part uses Gen 2.

Architecture Differences

The two CPUs come from very different design eras. The AMD PRO A10-8750B uses the Steamroller architecture, codenamed Godaveri, built on a 28 nm process at GlobalFoundries. It integrates 2,411 million transistors on a 245 mm² die. The Intel Xeon E5530 uses the Nehalem architecture, codenamed Gainestown, built on a 45 nm process at Intel. It packs 731 million transistors on a 263 mm² die. The transistor count difference is stark, with the AMD part featuring over three times as many transistors, which reflects the integrated graphics and newer process technology.

The AMD part's architecture includes a Radeon R7 integrated GPU, making it a true APU. The Intel part has no integrated graphics, which is typical for a server-oriented Xeon. The AMD part also supports PCIe Gen 3, while the Intel part is limited to Gen 2. The memory controllers differ in width as noted, with the AMD part offering higher theoretical bandwidth despite fewer channels, due to its newer memory controller design.

The release dates underscore the generational gap. The Intel Xeon E5530 was released in March 2009, while the AMD PRO A10-8750B arrived in September 2015, over six years later. That time difference explains the architectural advantages: smaller process node, higher clock speeds, integrated graphics, and faster PCIe. The Intel part compensates with Hyper-Threading, a shared L3 cache, and ECC support. Both are end-of-life products, but the AMD part represents a later design point. The Intel part has a launch MSRP of $530, which was noted at introduction, while the AMD part has no recorded launch MSRP in the database.