AMD PRO A10-8850B vs AMD PRO A12-9800 Comparison

FAQ

Q: Which processor has the higher boost clock, the AMD PRO A12-9800 or the AMD PRO A10-8850B?

A: The AMD PRO A12-9800 has a boost clock of 4.20 GHz, which is higher than the 4.10 GHz boost clock of the AMD PRO A10-8850B. The A12-9800 also has a lower base clock of 3.80 GHz compared to the A10-8850B's 3.90 GHz.

Q: How do the two chips compare in multi-core rendering performance in Cinebench R23?

A: The AMD PRO A12-9800 scores 3208 points in Cinebench R23 multi-core, while the AMD PRO A10-8850B scores 3189 points. This gives the A12-9800 a 0.6% advantage in that test.

Q: What are the socket requirements for each processor?

A: The AMD PRO A12-9800 uses AMD Socket AM4, while the AMD PRO A10-8850B uses AMD Socket FM2+. These sockets are not interchangeable, so platform choice is a key differentiator.

Q: Which processor supports faster memory?

A: The AMD PRO A12-9800 supports DDR4 memory with a bandwidth of 38.4 GB/s, whereas the AMD PRO A10-8850B supports DDR3 memory with a bandwidth of 34.1 GB/s. Both use dual-channel memory buses.

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

A: The AMD PRO A12-9800 has a TDP of 65 watts, significantly lower than the 95-watt TDP of the AMD PRO A10-8850B. This suggests the A12-9800 is more power-efficient.

Q: Are there any benchmark wins for the AMD PRO A10-8850B?

A: In the head-to-head benchmark set recorded in the database, the AMD PRO A12-9800 wins all five tests. The AMD PRO A10-8850B has zero wins in these comparisons.

Architecture Differences

The AMD PRO A12-9800, codenamed Bristol Ridge, is built on the Excavator architecture, while the AMD PRO A10-8850B, codenamed Godaveri, uses the older Steamroller architecture. Both are manufactured on a 28 nm process node by GlobalFoundries, but the transistor counts differ: the A12-9800 packs 3,100 million transistors on a 250 mm² die, while the A10-8850B has 2,411 million transistors on a 245 mm² die. This means the A12-9800 has a higher transistor density despite a nearly identical die size.

Cache hierarchies also diverge. The A12-9800 has 320 KB of L1 cache and 2 MB of L2 cache, while the A10-8850B has 256 KB of L1 cache and a larger 4 MB of L2 cache. Neither processor has L3 cache. The larger L2 on the A10-8850B may help in some workloads, but the newer Excavator core design in the A12-9800 appears to compensate in the recorded benchmarks.

Memory support is a major architectural split. The A12-9800 uses DDR4 with a peak bandwidth of 38.4 GB/s, while the A10-8850B is limited to DDR3 with a peak bandwidth of 34.1 GB/s. Both support dual-channel memory, but the newer memory standard gives the A12-9800 a theoretical bandwidth advantage. Neither chip supports ECC memory.

PCIe connectivity also differs. The A12-9800 provides Gen 3 with 8 lanes (CPU only), while the A10-8850B offers Gen 3 with 16 lanes (CPU only). This means the older chip has more PCIe lanes for expansion, which could matter for certain desktop configurations. Both integrate Radeon R7 graphics, though the specific GPU configurations are not detailed in the database.

The production statuses differ: the A12-9800 is listed as Active, while the A10-8850B is End-of-life. The A12-9800 was released on 2016-10-02, and the A10-8850B was released on 2015-09-28, about a year earlier. Both are desktop processors with locked multipliers, and neither has an unlocked multiplier option.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded head-to-head results show a consistent, if narrow, advantage for the AMD PRO A12-9800 across all five Cinebench tests. The largest delta is in Cinebench R23 single-core, where the A12-9800 scores 453 against the A10-8850B's 450, a 0.7% lead. This is the only test where the margin exceeds 0.6%, and it indicates that the Excavator core has a slight per-thread efficiency edge over Steamroller.

In multi-core tests, the A12-9800 wins by 0.6% in both Cinebench R15 and R20. Specifically, Cinebench R15 multi-core shows 323 for the A12-9800 versus 321 for the A10-8850B, and Cinebench R20 multi-core shows 1347 versus 1339. The Cinebench R23 multi-core result is also a 0.6% win, with scores of 3208 and 3189 respectively. These margins are small but consistent, suggesting that the A12-9800's architectural improvements deliver a measurable, if modest, performance uplift across all tested workloads.

Cinebench R20 single-core follows the same pattern: 190 for the A12-9800 versus 189 for the A10-8850B, a 0.5% advantage. Across all five tests, the A12-9800 wins every comparison, with deltas ranging from 0.5% to 0.7%. The average benchmark scores reflect this: the A12-9800 averages 1104 points, while the A10-8850B averages 1098 points, a difference of about 0.5%.

It is worth remembering both chips sit at the 31st percentile among all CPUs in the database, meaning their overall performance class is identical. The nearest rivals for the A12-9800 include the Intel Xeon E5-2603 v3 and the Intel Pentium Gold G6605, both with an average score of 1103 (a 0.1% delta), as well as the AMD Opteron 3280 and AMD Athlon X4 845, both scoring 1106 (a -0.2% delta). The A10-8850B's nearest rivals include the Intel Xeon E5-1603 v3 at 1098 (0% delta), the Intel Pentium 6805 at 1099 (-0.1%), the Intel Core i5-3450S at 1099 (-0.1%), and the Intel Core i7-2710QE at 1096 (0.1%). These rival comparisons show that both AMD parts are clustered with similar mainstream and older server chips.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ in several key specification fields. The most striking difference is the TDP: the AMD PRO A12-9800 draws 65 watts, while the AMD PRO A10-8850B draws 95 watts. This 30-watt gap is substantial and gives the A12-9800 a clear efficiency advantage, especially for compact or thermally constrained desktop builds.

Clock speeds are mixed. The A12-9800 has a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 4.20 GHz, while the A10-8850B has a base clock of 3.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.10 GHz. The A10-8850B starts higher but the A12-9800 boosts higher, which aligns with the single-core benchmark results favoring the A12-9800.

Memory support is another major difference: the A12-9800 uses DDR4 with 38.4 GB/s bandwidth, whereas the A10-8850B uses DDR3 with 34.1 GB/s bandwidth. Both are dual-channel. The A12-9800's support for newer memory is a forward-looking feature, though the measured performance impact is small.

PCIe lane counts also differ: the A12-9800 has 8 CPU lanes at Gen 3, while the A10-8850B has 16 CPU lanes at Gen 3. This is the only specification where the older chip is clearly superior, potentially benefiting systems with multiple add-in cards.

Cache sizes are different: the A12-9800 has 320 KB L1 and 2 MB L2, while the A10-8850B has 256 KB L1 and 4 MB L2. Neither has L3 cache. The A10-8850B's larger L2 could be beneficial for certain data-heavy workloads, but the benchmark data does not show a corresponding win.

Other differences include the socket (AM4 for the A12-9800, FM2+ for the A10-8850B), the architecture (Excavator vs Steamroller), the codename (Bristol Ridge vs Godaveri), the production status (Active vs End-of-life), the release date (2016-10-02 vs 2015-09-28), the transistor count (3,100 million vs 2,411 million), and the die size (250 mm² vs 245 mm²). The part numbers also differ: AD980BAUM44AB for the A12-9800 and AD885BXBI44JC for the A10-8850B. Both processors have 4 cores and 4 threads, are made by AMD, use 28 nm process, are from GlobalFoundries, have Radeon R7 integrated graphics, are for the desktop market, and do not support ECC memory.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD PRO A12-9800 wins in every recorded benchmark, so the use-case split is clear in favor of the newer chip. Its advantages are most pronounced in single-threaded workloads, where the 0.7% lead in Cinebench R23 single-core reflects a slightly better per-core architecture. The A12-9800 also wins multi-threaded tests by 0.6% across Cinebench R15, R20, and R23, making it the better choice for rendering and CPU-bound tasks that scale across four cores.

The A12-9800 is also the more power-efficient option, with a 65-watt TDP versus 95 watts for the A10-8850B. This makes the A12-9800 preferable for small-form-factor desktops, office machines, or any build where heat and power draw are concerns. Its DDR4 memory support and AM4 socket also point to a more modern platform, even though the measured performance delta is small.

The AMD PRO A10-8850B, despite losing all head-to-head tests, is not without merits. Its 16 PCIe Gen 3 lanes double the A12-9800's 8 lanes, which could be a deciding factor for users who need to install multiple expansion cards such as capture cards, RAID controllers, or additional GPUs. Its larger 4 MB L2 cache might also provide a slight edge in certain cache-sensitive workloads, though the benchmark data does not capture any such advantage. The A10-8850B's higher base clock of 3.90 GHz could be beneficial for workloads that do not trigger boost states, but this is not reflected in the recorded scores.

For users on an existing FM2+ platform, the A10-8850B is a drop-in upgrade path that avoids a motherboard change. However, for new builds, the A12-9800 is the more future-ready option due to its AM4 socket, DDR4 support, lower TDP, and consistent (if narrow) benchmark wins. In terms of raw performance, the data shows the A12-9800 ahead by 0.5% to 0.7% depending on the test, which is a small but real margin. The A10-8850B's only clear advantage is PCIe lane count, which matters for specific expansion-heavy configurations.

In summary, the AMD PRO A12-9800 is the better overall processor in the recorded benchmarks, with wins in all five tests and superior efficiency. The AMD PRO A10-8850B retains niche value for platform compatibility and PCIe expansion, but the performance crown belongs to the A12-9800.