AMD PRO A10-9700E vs Intel Core i3-8145U Comparison

The AMD PRO A10-9700E and the Intel Core i3-8145U occupy the same overall performance tier in the database, with average benchmark scores of 919 and 941 respectively, yet the recorded head-to-head results tell a remarkably consistent story: the Intel chip wins every shared test by almost exactly the same margin. Both processors sit at the 25th percentile versus all CPUs in the collection, which places them firmly in the entry-level segment. Below, the numbers are examined in detail, along with the architectural and platform differences that explain them.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The Intel Core i3-8145U sweeps all five shared benchmark results, and the margins are strikingly uniform. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the i3-8145U scores 322 against 259 for the A10-9700E, a 19.6 percent advantage. Cinebench R20 multi-core follows the same pattern: 1342 versus 1081, a 19.4 percent gap. The single-threaded results are nearly identical in proportion. Cinebench R20 single-core reads 189 for Intel against 152 for AMD, a 19.6 percent difference, and Cinebench R23 single-core records 451 versus 363, a 19.5 percent difference. Cinebench R23 multi-core completes the set at 3196 versus 2574, 19.5 percent in Intel's favor.

That uniformity is the most analytically interesting feature of this matchup. When a processor wins multi-core and single-core by the same margin, the advantage comes from per-thread throughput rather than thread count or scheduling. The i3-8145U achieves this despite having only 2 physical cores to the A10's 4, relying on 4 threads through simultaneous multithreading. The Excavator cores in the Bristol Ridge part simply cannot match the per-clock efficiency of the Whiskey Lake design, and the higher boost clock of 3.90 GHz on the Intel side compounds the architectural gap against the AMD part's 3.50 GHz ceiling.

Geekbench data exists only for the A10-9700E in the database (1430 multi-core, 577 single-core), so no direct comparison is possible there. Similarly, Cinebench R15 single-core is recorded only for the Intel chip at 148.5. The comparison therefore rests on the five complete tests, all of which favor the i3-8145U.

Against their respective peer groups, both processors land in nearly identical neighborhoods. The A10-9700E's average score of 919 matches the AMD Ryzen Embedded R1305G exactly, sits 0.2 percent above the AMD Athlon Silver 3050U at 917, trails the AMD FX-4320 at 921 by 0.2 percent, and leads the Intel Pentium Gold G6405T at 915 by 0.5 percent. The i3-8145U's average of 941 places it 0.1 percent behind the Intel Core i7-2715QE at 942, 0.2 percent behind the AMD Athlon X4 860K at 943, 0.3 percent ahead of the Intel Core i5-4330M at 938, and 0.4 percent behind the AMD A8-7670K at 944. In short, both are mid-table entries in the entry tier, with the Intel part holding a modest edge in absolute throughput.

FAQ

Q: Which processor is faster overall?

A: The Intel Core i3-8145U. It wins all five shared benchmark tests, with margins ranging from 19.4 to 19.6 percent, and its average benchmark score of 941 exceeds the A10-9700E's 919.

Q: Does the AMD chip win any recorded benchmark?

A: No. The database records zero benchmark victories for the A10-9700E across the five head-to-head tests.

Q: How do they compare in single-threaded work?

A: The i3-8145U leads by 19.6 percent in Cinebench R20 single-core (189 versus 152) and by 19.5 percent in Cinebench R23 single-core (451 versus 363).

Q: Which has more physical cores?

A: The A10-9700E has 4 cores and 4 threads. The i3-8145U has 2 cores and 4 threads via multithreading.

Q: Do both support the same memory?

A: Yes. Both support DDR4 on a dual-channel bus with 38.4 GB/s of memory bandwidth, and neither supports ECC memory.

Q: Are these current products?

A: No, only the AMD part is listed as Active. The i3-8145U is marked End-of-life. The A10-9700E shipped on October 2, 2016, while the i3-8145U shipped September 30, 2018. The i3-8145U carries a launch MSRP of $281; no launch MSRP is recorded for the AMD part.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from opposite design philosophies. The A10-9700E is a Bristol Ridge desktop part built on the Excavator architecture, fabricated at GlobalFoundries on a 28 nm process. The database records 3,100 million transistors on a 250 mm² die, a large die by the standards of this segment, reflecting the older node and the integrated Radeon R7 graphics housed on the same silicon. The i3-8145U is a Whiskey Lake-U mobile part produced by Intel on a 10 nm process, with no transistor count or die size recorded in the database.

The node gap, 28 nm versus 10 nm, is the single largest architectural differentiator in the data. It explains how the Intel chip delivers roughly 19 to 20 percent higher performance in every test while operating at a 15 W TDP, less than half the AMD part's 35 W rating. Excavator's per-clock output is the limiting factor: even with four genuine cores and a 3.00 GHz base clock, the Bristol Ridge design trails a two-core Whiskey Lake processor across the board.

Cache organization also differs sharply. The A10-9700E carries 320 KB of L1 and 2 MB of L2, with no L3 cache recorded. The i3-8145U has 64 KB of L1 per core, 256 KB of L2 per core, and a shared 4 MB L3 cache. That substantial last-level cache gives the Intel design a buffer the AMD part simply lacks, which contributes to its single-threaded superiority. Both processors have locked multipliers, so neither offers overclocking headroom.

Platform connectivity favors Intel as well. The i3-8145U exposes 16 lanes of PCIe Gen 3, double the 8 lanes available on the A10-9700E. Integrated graphics differ in kind: Radeon R7 on the AMD side, UHD Graphics 620 on the Intel side, and the database records no benchmark results for either that would permit a graphics comparison.

Specification Differences

The differing fields, side by side:

• Cores and threads: 4 cores / 4 threads (AMD) versus 2 cores / 4 threads (Intel).
• Base clock: 3.00 GHz (AMD) versus 2.10 GHz (Intel).
• Boost clock: 3.50 GHz (AMD) versus 3.90 GHz (Intel).
• TDP: 35 W (AMD) versus 15 W (Intel).
• Socket: AMD Socket AM4 (AMD) versus Intel BGA 1528 (Intel), the latter being soldered.
• Architecture and codename: Excavator / Bristol Ridge (AMD) versus Whiskey Lake / Whiskey Lake-U (Intel).
• Process node and foundry: 28 nm at GlobalFoundries (AMD) versus 10 nm at Intel (Intel).
• Cache: 320 KB L1 and 2 MB L2, no L3 (AMD) versus 64 KB L1 and 256 KB L2 per core plus 4 MB shared L3 (Intel).
• PCIe: Gen 3, 8 lanes (AMD) versus Gen 3, 16 lanes (Intel).
• Integrated graphics: Radeon R7 (AMD) versus UHD Graphics 620 (Intel).
• Market segment: Desktop (AMD) versus Mobile (Intel).
• Production status: Active (AMD) versus End-of-life (Intel).
• Release date: October 2016 (AMD) versus September 2018 (Intel).
• Launch MSRP: not recorded (AMD) versus $281 (Intel).

The fields where they match are worth noting: identical DDR4 memory support, dual-channel bus, 38.4 GB/s bandwidth, no ECC, and locked multipliers on both.

The Verdict

On pure performance, the data is unambiguous. The Intel Core i3-8145U wins every recorded test by 19.4 to 19.6 percent, in both single-threaded and multi-threaded workloads, and posts the higher average score, 941 versus 919. It does so at half the TDP, 15 W against 35 W, making it the clear choice where throughput or efficiency per watt is the priority. Its 4 MB of shared L3 cache and 16 PCIe Gen 3 lanes reinforce the platform advantage.

The A10-9700E's case rests on factors outside the benchmark column. It offers four physical cores rather than two, an AM4 socket that permits platform flexibility against Intel's soldered BGA 1528, and it is the only one of the two still listed as Active. For a desktop build where socket compatibility matters, it remains the serviceable option.

Both processors sit at the 25th percentile of all CPUs in the database, and both sit within a fraction of a percent of their nearest peers: the AMD part trades blows with the Ryzen Embedded R1305G, Athlon Silver 3050U, FX-4320, and Pentium Gold G6405T, while the Intel part clusters with the Core i7-2715QE, Athlon X4 860K, Core i5-4330M, and A8-7670K. Neither is a performance leader; the i3-8145U is simply the faster of two entry-tier processors, and the recorded data supports no other conclusion.