AMD PRO A10-9700E vs Intel Core i3-4350T Comparison

The Intel Core i3-4350T and AMD PRO A10-9700E are both 35-watt desktop processors aimed at similar low-power niches, but benchmark data shows a consistent, if narrow, advantage for the Intel part. Across every shared Cinebench test, the i3-4350T finishes ahead, with margins that are remarkably uniform. The data indicates a clear hierarchy, though the performance gap is modest in absolute terms.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The most striking pattern in the head-to-head results is the consistency of Intel's victory. In the Cinebench R15 multicore test, the i3-4350T scores 271 against the PRO A10-9700E's 259, a 4.6% advantage. That same 4.6% delta appears again in the Cinebench R20 multicore test, where Intel posts 1130 to AMD's 1081. The single-core results tell the same story: a 4.6% lead in Cinebench R20 single-core (159 vs. 152) and a 4.7% edge in Cinebench R23 single-core (380 vs. 363). The Intel chip wins all five head-to-head benchmarks, with zero wins for AMD.

The fact that the margins are nearly identical across both single-core and multi-core workloads is significant. It suggests the advantage is not derived from the i3-4350T's extra threads (it has 4 threads vs. AMD's 4 threads) but rather from superior per-core efficiency. The Cinebench R23 multicore result, 2692 vs. 2574, shows a 4.6% gap that mirrors the single-core delta, indicating Intel's architectural efficiency scales evenly across all workloads.

When placed in the broader context of the benchmark database, both processors occupy the same percentile rank. The i3-4350T sits at the 25th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 926. The PRO A10-9700E also lands at the 25th percentile, with an average score of 919. The nearest rival for the Intel part is the Intel Core i5-4288U, which scores 927 and is 0.1% faster, while the AMD chip's closest competitor is the AMD Ryzen Embedded R1305G, matching its 919 score exactly. Interestingly, both processors share a common rival in the AMD FX-4320, which scores 921 and sits between them in performance.

The average benchmark scores underline the narrowness of the gap: 926 vs. 919 is a difference of less than 1%. This means that in day-to-day usage, the two processors would feel nearly identical. However, the head-to-head data shows that when tested under identical conditions, the i3-4350T is consistently the faster part, even if the margin is small enough to be within the noise of many real-world applications.

Architecture Differences

The architectural divide between these two chips is generational and foundational. The Intel Core i3-4350T is built on Intel's 22 nm Haswell architecture, manufactured at Intel's own foundry, with 1,400 million transistors on a 177 mm² die. In contrast, the AMD PRO A10-9700E uses the older Excavator architecture on a 28 nm process from GlobalFoundries, packing 3,100 million transistors into a larger 250 mm² die. The transistor counts tell a telling story: AMD packs more than twice the transistors (3,100 vs. 1,400 million) but still loses on performance, highlighting the efficiency advantage of Intel's newer process node.

Core configuration differs as well. The i3-4350T offers 2 physical cores with Hyper-Threading, providing 4 threads. The PRO A10-9700E has 4 physical cores but no simultaneous multithreading, also providing 4 threads. This means the AMD part has twice the physical core count, yet the Intel part still wins in multi-core workloads, an indictment of Excavator's per-core performance.

Cache hierarchies are structured differently. The Intel chip has a traditional split design: 64 KB of L1 per core, 256 KB of L2 per core, and 4 MB of shared L3 cache. The AMD part uses a unified L1 of 320 KB and 2 MB of L2, with no L3 cache at all. The absence of L3 cache on the AMD part is a notable disadvantage, as the i3-4350T can store four times as much data in its shared L3.

Memory support diverges sharply. The i3-4350T uses DDR3 memory over a dual-channel bus, providing 25.6 GB/s of bandwidth. The PRO A10-9700E uses DDR4, also dual-channel, but delivers 38.4 GB/s — a 50% improvement in theoretical memory bandwidth. This is one area where the AMD part has a clear specification advantage, though benchmark results suggest it doesn't translate into performance supremacy.

PCIe connectivity differs as well. The Intel part provides 16 PCIe Gen 3 lanes from the CPU, while the AMD part offers only 8 PCIe Gen 3 lanes. This could matter for discrete GPU configurations, where the Intel chip has more headroom for expansion.

Integrated graphics also set them apart. The i3-4350T includes Intel HD 4600, while the PRO A10-9700E carries a Radeon R7. Both are capable of basic display output, but the AMD part's Radeon R7 is generally considered the stronger integrated solution for light gaming.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has higher single-core performance?

A: The Intel Core i3-4350T wins every single-core test. In Cinebench R23 single-core, it scores 380 vs. the AMD PRO A10-9700E's 363, a 4.7% advantage. The Cinebench R20 single-core result is 159 vs. 152, also a 4.6% lead.

Q: Does the AMD processor's higher core count help it in multi-core tests?

A: No. Despite having 4 physical cores to Intel's 2 cores (with 4 threads), the PRO A10-9700E loses all multi-core benchmarks. In Cinebench R23 multicore, the i3-4350T scores 2692 vs. AMD's 2574, a 4.6% margin favoring Intel.

Q: How do these processors compare to their nearest rivals?

A: The i3-4350T's average score of 926 is nearly identical to the Intel Core i5-4288U (927, 0.1% faster) and Intel Core i7-870 (928, 0.2% faster). The PRO A10-9700E's 919 average matches the AMD Ryzen Embedded R1305G exactly and trails the AMD FX-4320 by 0.2%.

Q: What are the memory bandwidth differences?

A: The AMD PRO A10-9700E supports DDR4 with 38.4 GB/s of bandwidth, while the Intel i3-4350T uses DDR3 with 25.6 GB/s. This gives AMD a 50% theoretical bandwidth advantage, though it does not result in a benchmark win.

Q: Which processor has a larger cache?

A: The Intel i3-4350T has 4 MB of shared L3 cache in addition to per-core L1 and L2 caches. The AMD PRO A10-9700E has no L3 cache, offering only 320 KB of L1 and 2 MB of L2 in total.

Q: Are both processors still in production?

A: No. The Intel Core i3-4350T is listed as end-of-life, while the AMD PRO A10-9700E is marked as active production status.

The Verdict

The data points to the Intel Core i3-4350T as the superior processor for raw computational performance. It wins all five head-to-head benchmarks with deltas between 4.5% and 4.7%, a consistent margin that holds across both single-core and multi-core workloads. For users who prioritize CPU throughput in Cinebench-style rendering tasks, the i3-4350T is the clear choice.

However, the magnitude of the difference is small. With an average benchmark score of 926 vs. 919, the two chips are separated by less than 1% in the aggregate. Both sit at the 25th percentile of all CPUs, and both would deliver similar real-world feel for general productivity tasks. The AMD part offers advantages in memory bandwidth (38.4 GB/s vs. 25.6 GB/s) and supports newer DDR4 memory, which may be relevant for platform longevity and system building considerations.

The AMD PRO A10-9700E's case rests on its platform, not its performance. It uses the AM4 socket, which provides a modern upgrade path, and its active production status means it remains available for new systems. The Intel i3-4350T, by contrast, is end-of-life and uses the older LGA 1150 socket with DDR3 memory support.

For a user building a new low-power system today, the AMD part's active status and DDR4 support are practical advantages. For a user who already owns an LGA 1150 motherboard or who wants maximum single-threaded performance from a 35-watt chip, the i3-4350T is the better choice. The benchmark data is unambiguous: Intel wins every test, but the victory is narrow enough that platform considerations should weigh heavily in the final decision.

Specification Differences

| Specification | Intel Core i3-4350T | AMD PRO A10-9700E |

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

| Cores | 2 | 4 |

| Threads | 4 | 4 |

| Base Clock | 3.10 GHz | 3.00 GHz |

| Boost Clock | None | 3.50 GHz |

| Process Node | 22 nm | 28 nm |

| Transistors | 1,400 million | 3,100 million |

| Die Size | 177 mm² | 250 mm² |

| L1 Cache | 64 KB (per core) | 320 KB |

| L2 Cache | 256 KB (per core) | 2 MB |

| L3 Cache | 4 MB (shared) | None |

| Memory Support | DDR3 | DDR4 |

| Memory Bandwidth | 25.6 GB/s | 38.4 GB/s |

| PCIe Lanes (CPU) | 16 | 8 |

| Integrated Graphics | Intel HD 4600 | Radeon R7 |

| Socket | Intel Socket 1150 | AMD Socket AM4 |

| Release Date | 2014-05-10 | 2016-10-02 |

| Production Status | End-of-life | Active |

| Launch MSRP | $138 | None |