AMD PRO A10-9700 vs Intel Core i5-6350HQ Comparison

The Intel Core i5-6350HQ and AMD PRO A10-9700 are both 4-core, 4-thread processors that land in the same performance tier, with average benchmark scores of 1046 and 1045 respectively. Despite the near-identical averages, the data reveals a clear and consistent winner in every direct comparison: the Intel chip leads by roughly 19% across all tested Cinebench workloads. The AMD part counters with a higher base clock, newer socket compatibility, and an active production status, making it a viable option for specific desktop builds, while the Intel mobile chip offers superior raw compute performance despite being end-of-life.

The Verdict

The benchmark data is unambiguous. The Intel Core i5-6350HQ wins all five head-to-head Cinebench tests, with deltas ranging from 19% to 19.6% over the AMD PRO A10-9700. In Cinebench R23 multi-core, the Intel part scores 3616 versus 3037 for AMD, a 19.1% advantage. Single-core performance follows the same pattern: 510 versus 428 in R23 single-core, a 19.2% lead. If raw rendering and compute performance are the priority, the Intel chip is the clear choice from the data.

The AMD PRO A10-9700, however, is not without merit. It is an active, desktop-market part with a base clock of 3.50 GHz and boost of 3.80 GHz, compared to Intel's 2.30 GHz base and 3.20 GHz boost. Its lower average score of 1045 versus 1046 is statistically negligible, but its individual benchmark results trail by a consistent margin. The AMD part also offers a higher memory bandwidth of 38.4 GB/s versus Intel's 34.1 GB/s and supports DDR4 exclusively. For a system builder prioritizing an active socket, higher base clocks, and desktop form factor, the PRO A10-9700 remains relevant, but it cannot match Intel's per-core efficiency in the tested workloads.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from fundamentally different design eras. The Intel Core i5-6350HQ is built on a 14 nm process by Intel, packing 2,300 million transistors into a 171 mm² die. It uses the Skylake-H architecture, featuring 4 cores with 64 KB of L1 cache per core, 256 KB of L2 per core, and 6 MB of shared L3 cache. The chip supports both DDR3 and DDR4 memory over a dual-channel bus with 34.1 GB/s bandwidth. It is a mobile part, socketed into Intel BGA 1440, with a 45 W TDP and integrated Intel Iris Pro 580 graphics. Its PCIe implementation is Gen 3 with 16 lanes on the CPU.

The AMD PRO A10-9700 uses the older Excavator architecture on a 28 nm process from GlobalFoundries. It contains 3,100 million transistors across a 250 mm² die. Cache configuration is notably different: 320 KB of L1, 2 MB of L2, and no L3 cache at all. It supports only DDR4 memory, dual-channel, with a higher bandwidth of 38.4 GB/s. This is a desktop part on the AMD Socket AM4 platform, with a 65 W TDP and integrated Radeon R7 graphics. PCIe is Gen 3 with 8 lanes on the CPU. The AMD chip has a higher base clock (3.50 GHz vs 2.30 GHz) and boost clock (3.80 GHz vs 3.20 GHz), but the Intel chip's newer process node and larger L3 cache likely contribute to its benchmark dominance. Neither chip supports ECC memory, and both have locked multipliers.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The Cinebench results show a consistent pattern of Intel superiority. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the Intel Core i5-6350HQ scores 364 against 306 for the AMD PRO A10-9700, a 19% win. The R20 multi-core test shows 1518 versus 1275, a 19.1% delta. R23 multi-core follows with 3616 versus 3037, again 19.1% in Intel's favor. The single-core tests are similarly lopsided: R20 single-core yields 214 versus 179, a 19.6% advantage for Intel, and R23 single-core yields 510 versus 428, a 19.2% lead.

The biggest single margin is in R20 single-core, where Intel leads by 19.6%. The smallest margin is 19% in R15 multi-core. Across all five tests, Intel's victory is remarkably uniform, with no test where AMD closes the gap or flips the result. The data shows that despite AMD's higher clocks, the Intel architecture delivers approximately one-fifth more performance in every measured workload. This suggests that the Intel chip's efficiency per clock, likely due to the newer Skylake design and larger L3 cache, overcomes the clock-speed deficit. The AMD part's lack of L3 cache and older Excavator cores appear to be decisive disadvantages in these compute-heavy benchmarks.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The Intel Core i5-6350HQ has an average benchmark score of 1046, while the AMD PRO A10-9700 scores 1045. The difference is 0.1%, with Intel listed as having a 0.1% delta over AMD in the nearest rivals data.

Q: How much faster is the Intel chip in single-core Cinebench R23?

A: The Intel Core i5-6350HQ scores 510 in Cinebench R23 single-core, compared to 428 for the AMD PRO A10-9700. This represents a 19.2% advantage for Intel.

Q: Does the AMD processor have any clock speed advantage?

A: Yes, the AMD PRO A10-9700 has a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 3.80 GHz. The Intel Core i5-6350HQ has a base clock of 2.30 GHz and a boost clock of 3.20 GHz.

Q: Which processor supports more memory types?

A: The Intel Core i5-6350HQ supports both DDR3 and DDR4 memory, while the AMD PRO A10-9700 supports only DDR4.

Q: What is the production status of each processor?

A: The Intel Core i5-6350HQ is end-of-life, while the AMD PRO A10-9700 is listed as active production.

Q: Are there any benchmark tests where the AMD PRO A10-9700 wins?

A: No. In the head-to-head benchmark data, the Intel Core i5-6350HQ wins all 5 tests. The AMD part has 0 wins.

Where Each One Wins

The Intel Core i5-6350HQ wins every benchmark category in the data. It dominates multi-core workloads, with a 19.1% lead in both Cinebench R20 and R23 multi-core tests. The 364 score in R15 multi-core versus 306 for AMD shows the same pattern. For users running heavily threaded applications like video rendering, 3D modeling, or batch processing, the Intel chip delivers measurably higher throughput. Single-core performance is equally strong, with a 19.2% lead in R23 single-core and 19.6% in R20 single-core, indicating that even lightly threaded tasks like web browsing or office productivity will benefit from the Intel part's efficiency.

The AMD PRO A10-9700 has no benchmark wins, but its advantages lie outside raw compute scores. It offers a higher base clock of 3.50 GHz versus 2.30 GHz, which may translate to snappier everyday responsiveness in non-benchmark scenarios, though the data does not confirm this. It has a higher memory bandwidth of 38.4 GB/s, which could benefit memory-intensive workloads, but the Cinebench results do not show an advantage. The AMD part is also an active desktop processor on the AM4 socket, making it a current platform choice for builders who prefer an available, upgradeable path. Its integrated Radeon R7 graphics may be sufficient for basic display output, but the Intel Iris Pro 580 is the more capable iGPU for light graphics work. Ultimately, the Intel Core i5-6350HQ is the performance winner in every measured test, while the AMD PRO A10-9700 wins on platform longevity and clock speed.