AMD PRO A10-8850B vs Intel Core i7-2670QM Comparison

The AMD PRO A10-8850B and the Intel Core i7-2670QM are two end-of-life processors that, despite originating from different eras and market segments, land in nearly identical performance territory. The AMD desktop part, built on a 28 nm Steamroller design, and the Intel mobile part, built on a 32 nm Sandy Bridge design, both achieve a 31st percentile ranking among all CPUs. Their average benchmark scores are separated by a mere two points (1098 vs. 1096), making this one of the closest head-to-head comparisons possible. The data shows a consistent, albeit narrow, advantage for the AMD PRO A10-8850B across every shared Cinebench test, yet the architectural philosophies behind these two chips could not be more different.

Where Each One Wins

Based strictly on the benchmark results, the AMD PRO A10-8850B wins every single head-to-head comparison. It claims victory in five of five shared tests, with wins in both single-core and multi-core workloads. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, it scores 321 against the Intel’s 320, a 0.3% lead. This advantage expands slightly in Cinebench R20, where the AMD part wins multi-core by 0.4% (1339 vs. 1334) and single-core by 0.5% (189 vs. 188). The pattern holds in Cinebench R23, with the AMD taking multi-core 3189 to 3177 and single-core 450 to 448, both representing a 0.4% edge.

Despite the clean sweep, the magnitude of these wins is remarkably small. The Intel Core i7-2670QM is not without its own merits, particularly when considering its 45 W TDP compared to the AMD’s 95 W. The Intel part achieves near-identical performance while consuming less than half the power budget, a critical advantage for mobile platforms. The AMD part wins on raw scores, but the Intel part wins on efficiency. For a desktop user with a dedicated power supply, the AMD’s 0.4% average lead is negligible. For a laptop user, the Intel’s power characteristics are decisive. The Intel also offers eight threads versus the AMD’s four, which does not translate into a win in the tested Cinebench workloads but suggests different behavior in heavily threaded, non-Cinebench applications.

Architecture Differences

The two processors represent fundamentally different design approaches. The AMD PRO A10-8850B 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 Core i7-2670QM uses the Sandy Bridge architecture, built on a 32 nm process at Intel, with 1,160 million transistors on a 216 mm² die. The transistor count difference is substantial, with AMD packing more than twice as many transistors, likely due to the integrated Radeon R7 graphics on the AMD part versus the Intel HD 3000 on the Intel part.

Cache hierarchies differ significantly. The AMD part has 256 KB of L1 cache and 4 MB of L2 cache, with no L3 cache. The Intel part has 64 KB of L1 cache per core, 256 KB of L2 cache per core, and a shared 6 MB L3 cache. For a quad-core Intel part, this translates to 256 KB of L1 total and 1 MB of L2 total, both smaller than the AMD’s aggregate caches, but the Intel’s 6 MB L3 cache provides a large shared pool that the AMD lacks entirely. The AMD’s reliance on a larger L2 cache without L3 is a notable architectural divergence.

The memory subsystems also differ. The AMD part supports DDR3 memory with a dual-channel bus and a specified bandwidth of 34.1 GB/s. The Intel part also supports dual-channel memory but has no bandwidth figure listed in the data. The AMD part uses AMD Socket FM2+ and provides PCIe Gen 3 with 16 lanes from the CPU. The Intel part uses Intel Socket G2 (988B) and has no PCIe information listed. The AMD part is a desktop component, while the Intel is a mobile component. The AMD has a base clock of 3.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.10 GHz, while the Intel has a base clock of 2.20 GHz and a boost clock of 3.10 GHz.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The five shared Cinebench tests provide a complete picture of the performance relationship. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the AMD PRO A10-8850B scores 321 versus the Intel’s 320, a 0.3% difference. This is the smallest margin of any test. Moving to Cinebench R20 multi-core, the AMD scores 1339 versus 1334, a 0.4% delta. The single-core results follow a similar pattern. In Cinebench R20 single-core, the AMD scores 189 against 188, a 0.5% delta, which is the largest relative win for the AMD in any test. In Cinebench R23 multi-core, the AMD scores 3189 versus 3177, a 0.4% delta. In Cinebench R23 single-core, the AMD scores 450 versus 448, another 0.4% delta.

The Intel part has two additional Geekbench results in its benchmark set that the AMD does not share. In Geekbench multi-core, the Intel scores 1646, and in single-core, it scores 556. These scores cannot be compared directly to the AMD since no corresponding AMD Geekbench results are listed. The absence of these tests for the AMD means the head-to-head comparison is limited to Cinebench only.

The average benchmark scores place the AMD at 1098 and the Intel at 1096. The AMD’s nearest rival is the Intel Xeon E5-1603 v3 with an identical average score of 1098 and a 0% delta. The Intel Core i7-2670QM’s nearest rival is the Intel Core i7-2710QE, also with an identical score of 1096 and a 0% delta. Notably, each processor lists the other as a nearest rival. The AMD’s rivals include the Intel Core i7-2710QE with a 0.1% delta, and the Intel’s rivals include the AMD PRO A10-8850B with a -0.1% delta, confirming their statistical equivalence.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ in nearly every specification category. The AMD has 4 cores and 4 threads, while the Intel has 4 cores and 8 threads, giving the Intel Hyper-Threading capability. The AMD has a base clock of 3.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.10 GHz. The Intel has a base clock of 2.20 GHz and a boost clock of 3.10 GHz. The AMD’s clocks are substantially higher, with a 1.70 GHz advantage at base and a 1.00 GHz advantage at boost.

The TDP differs by 50 W. The AMD is rated at 95 W, while the Intel is rated at 45 W. The sockets are incompatible: the AMD uses AMD Socket FM2+, and the Intel uses Intel Socket G2 (988B). The process nodes differ, with the AMD on 28 nm and the Intel on 32 nm. The foundries differ: GlobalFoundries for AMD and Intel for the Intel part. The transistor counts are 2,411 million for the AMD and 1,160 million for the Intel. The die sizes are 245 mm² for the AMD and 216 mm² for the Intel.

Cache configurations differ completely. The AMD has 256 KB of L1, 4 MB of L2, and no L3. The Intel has 64 KB of L1 per core, 256 KB of L2 per core, and 6 MB of shared L3. The memory bandwidth is specified only for the AMD at 34.1 GB/s, with no figure for the Intel. The integrated graphics differ: Radeon R7 for the AMD and Intel HD 3000 for the Intel. The market segments differ: Desktop for the AMD and Mobile for the Intel. The release dates differ, with the AMD released in 2015 and the Intel in 2011.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD PRO A10-8850B has an average benchmark score of 1098, while the Intel Core i7-2670QM has an average score of 1096, a difference of just 2 points.

Q: How many threads does each processor support?

A: The AMD PRO A10-8850B supports 4 threads across its 4 cores, while the Intel Core i7-2670QM supports 8 threads across its 4 cores through Hyper-Threading.

Q: What is the TDP difference between the two processors?

A: The AMD PRO A10-8850B has a TDP of 95 W, while the Intel Core i7-2670QM has a TDP of 45 W, making the Intel part 50 W lower in power draw.

Q: Which processor has a larger L3 cache?

A: The Intel Core i7-2670QM has a 6 MB shared L3 cache, while the AMD PRO A10-8850B has no L3 cache at all, relying instead on a 4 MB L2 cache.

Q: What is the largest performance delta in any shared benchmark?

A: The largest delta is in Cinebench R20 single-core, where the AMD PRO A10-8850B leads by 0.5% with a score of 189 versus the Intel’s 188.

Q: Are these processors from the same market segment?

A: No, the AMD PRO A10-8850B is a Desktop processor using AMD Socket FM2+, while the Intel Core i7-2670QM is a Mobile processor using Intel Socket G2 (988B).