AMD PRO A10-8850B vs Intel Xeon E5-2603 v3 Comparison

The Verdict

The Intel Xeon E5-2603 v3 and AMD PRO A10-8850B are both end-of-life processors that land in the same performance percentile (31st), but they serve completely different purposes. The data shows the Xeon wins all five head-to-head Cinebench comparisons, though by margins of less than 1% in every case. That makes the Xeon the technically faster chip, but the differences are so small that real-world performance will be indistinguishable in most workloads.

The Xeon E5-2603 v3 is the pick for a used server or workstation build where you need six physical cores, quad-channel DDR4 memory support, ECC memory validation, and 40 PCIe Gen 3 lanes for expansion. It launched at $213 MSRP. The AMD PRO A10-8850B is the pick for a compact desktop build where you want an integrated Radeon R7 GPU, a higher base clock of 3.90 GHz, and a simpler dual-channel DDR3 platform. Neither chip is worth buying new in 2025, but if you are assembling from spare parts, match the chip to the platform you already own.

The AMD chip has a higher clock speed (3.90 GHz base, 4.10 GHz boost) versus the Xeon's fixed 1.60 GHz, yet the Xeon still edges ahead in multi-threaded tests thanks to its two extra cores. The single-core results are nearly identical: 189 vs 189 in Cinebench R20 single-core, and 452 vs 450 in R23 single-core. This tells you that raw clock speed alone does not translate into a win; the older Haswell architecture holds its own against Steamroller at a fraction of the frequency.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has more cores and threads?

A: The Intel Xeon E5-2603 v3 has 6 cores and 6 threads. The AMD PRO A10-8850B has 4 cores and 4 threads.

Q: Do these processors support ECC memory?

A: Yes for the Xeon, which supports ECC memory. No for the AMD PRO A10-8850B, which does not support ECC.

Q: What memory types do they use?

A: The Xeon uses DDR4 with a quad-channel memory bus and 51.2 GB/s bandwidth. The AMD chip uses DDR3 with a dual-channel bus and 34.1 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: Which chip has integrated graphics?

A: Only the AMD PRO A10-8850B includes an integrated Radeon R7 GPU. The Xeon has no integrated graphics.

Q: How close are their average benchmark scores?

A: The Xeon averages 1103, and the AMD averages 1098, a difference of 0.5%. Both sit at the 31st percentile among all CPUs in the database.

Q: Is the AMD chip faster in single-core tests?

A: No. Despite its much higher boost clock (4.10 GHz vs 1.60 GHz), the AMD chip ties the Xeon at 189 in Cinebench R20 single-core and loses 452 to 450 in R23 single-core.

Architecture Differences

The Intel Xeon E5-2603 v3 uses the Haswell architecture on the Haswell-EP codename, built on Intel's 22 nm process node at Intel's own foundry. It packs 2,600 million transistors into a 356 mm² die. The AMD PRO A10-8850B uses the Steamroller architecture, codename Godaveri, on a 28 nm process from GlobalFoundries, with 2,411 million transistors on a 245 mm² die.

Cache layouts differ significantly. The Xeon provides 64 KB of L1 and 256 KB of L2 per core, then pools 15 MB of shared L3 cache. The AMD chip has 256 KB of L1 and 4 MB of L2 total, with no L3 cache at all. That large L3 pool on the Xeon helps compensate for its low 1.60 GHz clock when handling repeated data accesses across six cores.

The Xeon targets the server and workstation segment with a 40-lane PCIe Gen 3 controller (CPU-only lanes), quad-channel DDR4 memory, and ECC support. The AMD chip is a desktop part with 16 PCIe Gen 3 lanes, dual-channel DDR3, and no ECC. The AMD integrates a Radeon R7 GPU directly on the package, which the Xeon lacks entirely.

Both processors are end-of-life, with the Xeon released in September 2014 and the AMD in September 2015. Neither has an unlocked multiplier. The Xeon's part number is SR20A; the AMD's is AD885BXBI44JC.

Specification Differences

| Specification | Intel Xeon E5-2603 v3 | AMD PRO A10-8850B |

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

| Cores | 6 | 4 |

| Threads | 6 | 4 |

| Base clock | 1.60 GHz | 3.90 GHz |

| Boost clock | None | 4.10 GHz |

| TDP | 85 W | 95 W |

| Socket | Intel Socket 2011-3 | AMD Socket FM2+ |

| Process node | 22 nm | 28 nm |

| L1 cache | 64 KB per core | 256 KB total |

| L2 cache | 256 KB per core | 4 MB total |

| L3 cache | 15 MB shared | None |

| Memory support | DDR4 | DDR3 |

| Memory bus | Quad-channel | Dual-channel |

| Memory bandwidth | 51.2 GB/s | 34.1 GB/s |

| ECC memory | Yes | No |

| PCIe lanes | 40 (Gen 3) | 16 (Gen 3) |

| Integrated graphics | None | Radeon R7 |

| Market segment | Server/Workstation | Desktop |

The Xeon has a lower TDP (85 W vs 95 W) despite having more cores, because it runs at a much lower clock speed. The AMD chip's higher clocks and integrated GPU push its power draw higher. The socket difference means you cannot swap these between boards: the Xeon requires an LGA 2011-3 platform, the AMD requires FM2+.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the Xeon scores 323 against the AMD's 321, a 0.6% win. That is effectively a tie, but the Xeon's extra cores and shared L3 cache give it the edge even at 1.60 GHz.

Cinebench R20 multi-core shows the same pattern: 1346 for the Xeon vs 1339 for the AMD, a 0.5% margin. The AMD's 4.10 GHz boost clock cannot overcome the 4 vs 6 core deficit in a fully threaded render workload.

Single-core results are where the AMD's clock advantage should shine, but it does not. In Cinebench R20 single-core, both chips score exactly 189. In R23 single-core, the Xeon wins 452 to 450, a 0.4% margin. The Steamroller architecture at 3.90 GHz and the Haswell architecture at 1.60 GHz deliver nearly identical per-thread performance, which confirms how far Intel's older architecture scales at low frequencies.

The largest multi-core gap is 0.6% (both R15 and R23), and the smallest is 0.5% (R20). The only non-multi-core test, R20 single-core, is a dead tie at 189. Across all five recorded benchmarks, the Xeon wins five and the AMD wins zero. The average benchmark scores reflect this: 1103 for the Xeon vs 1098 for the AMD.

Where Each One Wins

The Intel Xeon E5-2603 v3 wins in every recorded Cinebench benchmark, but the margins are so small (0.4% to 0.6%) that the practical takeaway is not about speed. The Xeon's real advantages are architectural: six physical cores for heavily threaded tasks, 15 MB of shared L3 cache, quad-channel DDR4 memory at 51.2 GB/s bandwidth, ECC memory support for data integrity, and 40 PCIe Gen 3 lanes for multi-GPU or NVMe setups. These matter for a server or workstation where you need memory capacity, expansion, and reliability over raw single-thread speed.

The AMD PRO A10-8850B wins in the areas the benchmark numbers do not show. It has an integrated Radeon R7 GPU, so you can build a fully functional desktop without a discrete graphics card. It runs at 3.90 GHz base and 4.10 GHz boost, which makes it feel snappier in everyday desktop tasks even if Cinebench scores do not reflect that. It uses dual-channel DDR3, which is cheaper and more widely available on the used market than DDR4 RDIMMs. Its 16 PCIe Gen 3 lanes are plenty for a single GPU and a couple of drives.

If you are choosing between these two for a new build today, neither is competitive with modern processors. But if you have a specific platform in mind, the decision writes itself: the Xeon belongs in a 2011-3 server board where its memory bandwidth, ECC, and lane count matter, while the AMD belongs in an FM2+ desktop board where its integrated graphics and high clocks keep a basic system running without extra hardware. The benchmark data says the Xeon is marginally faster in rendering, but the platform features are the real differentiator.