AMD PRO A10-9700E vs Intel Core i5-4288U Comparison

The Intel Core i5-4288U and the AMD PRO A10-9700E are two processors from different eras and market segments, yet they land in a similar performance bracket. The data shows a clear split: AMD’s part dominates in Cinebench tests across the board, while Intel’s chip wins decisively in Geekbench. The AMD PRO A10-9700E takes 5 of the 7 head-to-head benchmarks, but the Intel Core i5-4288U counters with a massive 55.3% lead in Geekbench single-core. Both processors sit at the 25th percentile of all CPUs, making them comparable entry-level performers, but the nature of their wins suggests very different underlying strengths.

The Verdict

Based strictly on benchmark results, the choice depends on the workload. For multi-threaded rendering tasks in Cinebench, the AMD PRO A10-9700E is the clear winner, holding a consistent 13.1% advantage over the Intel chip in both R15 and R20 multi-core tests. The AMD part also wins in single-core Cinebench tests, leading by 13.2% in R20 and R23 single-core runs. If the primary use case is CPU rendering or video encoding that scales with Cinebench scores, the AMD PRO A10-9700E is the data-backed pick.

However, the Intel Core i5-4288U tells a different story in Geekbench, where it leads by 22% in multi-core and a striking 55.3% in single-core. Geekbench’s workload mix evidently favors the Intel architecture, and the single-core margin is so large that it suggests better responsiveness in lightly-threaded, latency-sensitive applications. Users running office productivity, web browsing, or older software that relies on single-thread performance would likely prefer the Intel part despite its lower core count. The data does not support a universal winner; it supports a workload-specific selection.

Architecture Differences

The two chips come from fundamentally different design philosophies. The Intel Core i5-4288U is a dual-core, four-thread processor built on the Haswell architecture using a 22 nm process at Intel’s foundry. It packs 1,400 million transistors into a 118 mm² die. The AMD PRO A10-9700E is a quad-core, four-thread part using the Excavator architecture (codename Bristol Ridge) on a 28 nm process at GlobalFoundries, with 3,100 million transistors on a much larger 250 mm² die. AMD’s chip has four physical cores but no hyper-threading, while Intel’s chip uses two physical cores with Hyper-Threading to reach four threads.

Cache configurations differ substantially. The Intel chip has 64 KB L1 and 256 KB L2 per core, plus 3 MB of shared L3 cache. The AMD chip has 320 KB of total L1 and 2 MB of L2, with no L3 cache at all. This lack of L3 cache is a notable architectural disadvantage for AMD, yet its Cinebench scores still come out ahead, likely due to the raw advantage of having twice the physical cores. The memory interfaces also differ: Intel supports DDR3, while AMD supports DDR4 with dual-channel memory and a rated bandwidth of 38.4 GB/s. The AMD part also exposes PCIe Gen 3 with 8 lanes from the CPU, whereas the Intel chip’s PCIe configuration is not listed in the data.

The integrated graphics differ as well. Intel includes HD 5100 graphics, while AMD includes Radeon R7 graphics. Neither is benchmarked here, so no performance conclusions can be drawn, but the presence of different iGPU families signals different target use cases. The Intel chip is marked as a mobile part with a 28 W TDP, while the AMD chip is a desktop part with a 35 W TDP. Their sockets are incompatible: Intel BGA 1168 for the Intel chip versus AMD Socket AM4 for the AMD chip.

Where Each One Wins

The benchmark data paints a consistent picture of AMD’s Cinebench dominance. Across all four Cinebench tests — R15 multi-core, R20 multi-core, R20 single-core, R23 multi-core, and R23 single-core — the AMD PRO A10-9700E wins every time. The margins are remarkably uniform, ranging from 13.1% to 13.2%. This suggests a consistent architectural advantage in Cinebench’s rendering workload, likely driven by the extra two physical cores. The AMD chip’s higher base clock of 3.00 GHz and boost clock of 3.50 GHz, compared to Intel’s 2.60 GHz base and 3.10 GHz boost, also contribute to its rendering lead.

The Intel Core i5-4288U wins in both Geekbench tests, and the single-core win is particularly dramatic. A 55.3% lead in Geekbench single-core is not a marginal difference; it indicates that the Intel Haswell core is significantly more efficient per clock in this specific workload. The multi-core Geekbench win of 22% is also substantial, showing that Intel’s two cores with Hyper-Threading can outperform AMD’s four physical cores in Geekbench’s multi-threaded test. This implies that Geekbench’s workload benefits more from per-core efficiency than from raw core count, which is the opposite of what Cinebench shows.

FAQ

Q: Which processor is faster overall?

A: The AMD PRO A10-9700E wins 5 of 7 benchmarks, but the Intel Core i5-4288U wins the remaining 2 by much larger margins. The AMD chip leads by 13.1-13.2% in Cinebench tests, while the Intel chip leads by 22% and 55.3% in Geekbench tests. Overall average benchmark scores are nearly identical: 927 for Intel versus 919 for AMD.

Q: Why does the AMD chip win Cinebench but lose Geekbench?

A: The data shows AMD’s quad-core design with a 3.00 GHz base clock outperforms Intel’s dual-core with Hyper-Threading in Cinebench’s rendering workload. However, Intel’s Haswell architecture delivers much higher per-core performance in Geekbench, leading to a 55.3% single-core advantage, which indicates Geekbench favors Intel’s core efficiency.

Q: Is the Intel Core i5-4288U a better choice for single-threaded applications?

A: Yes, based on the Geekbench single-core result where Intel leads by 55.3% (896 versus 577). The Intel chip also wins Geekbench multi-core by 22% (1745 versus 1430), suggesting superior performance in Geekbench-style workloads.

Q: Does the AMD chip have an advantage in core count?

A: Yes, the AMD PRO A10-9700E has 4 physical cores versus Intel’s 2 physical cores. Both have 4 threads total. This extra core count likely explains AMD’s consistent 13.1% lead in Cinebench multi-core tests.

Q: Do these processors support the same memory?

A: No. The Intel Core i5-4288U supports DDR3, while the AMD PRO A10-9700E supports DDR4 with dual-channel memory and a 38.4 GB/s bandwidth rating. Neither supports ECC memory.

Q: How do these chips compare to their closest rivals?

A: The Intel chip’s nearest rival is the Intel Core i7-870, which scores 928 versus Intel’s 927 average, a delta of -0.1%. The AMD chip’s nearest rival is the AMD Ryzen Embedded R1305G, with both scoring 919, a 0% delta. Both processors sit at the 25th percentile of all CPUs.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The most striking result in the head-to-head data is the Geekbench single-core test. The Intel Core i5-4288U scores 896 against the AMD PRO A10-9700E’s 577, a 55.3% lead. This is the largest margin in any test and dwarfs the Cinebench differences. It suggests that for any workload that is not heavily multi-threaded, the Intel chip is substantially more responsive. The Geekbench multi-core test also favors Intel, with a score of 1745 versus 1430, a 22% lead. This is particularly interesting because the AMD chip has twice the physical cores, yet Intel’s two-core, four-thread design still wins.

The Cinebench results are uniformly in AMD’s favor. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, AMD scores 259 versus Intel’s 225, a 13.1% lead. The same 13.1% margin appears in Cinebench R20 multi-core, with AMD scoring 1081 and Intel scoring 939. Cinebench R23 multi-core shows AMD at 2574 and Intel at 2237, again a 13.1% difference. The single-core Cinebench tests show a nearly identical 13.2% margin, with AMD leading 152 to 132 in R20 single-core and 363 to 315 in R23 single-core. The consistency of the Cinebench margins across different versions of the benchmark indicates a stable performance gap that scales with the workload.

The win count reflects this split: AMD wins 5 benchmarks, Intel wins 2. However, the magnitude of Intel’s wins — particularly the 55.3% single-core Geekbench margin — means that the average benchmark score is almost identical. Intel’s average is 927, and AMD’s is 919, a difference of less than 1%. This is why both chips sit at the 25th percentile; they are comparable overall but excel in different test suites.

Specification Differences

The specification sheets reveal a clear generational and design gap. The Intel Core i5-4288U uses the Haswell architecture on a 22 nm process, while the AMD PRO A10-9700E uses the older Excavator architecture on a 28 nm process. Intel’s process advantage is reflected in its smaller die size of 118 mm² versus AMD’s 250 mm², despite AMD having more transistors (3,100 million versus 1,400 million). AMD’s larger transistor count and die size suggest a more complex design, but the older process node negates some of that advantage.

Core and thread counts differ: Intel has 2 cores and 4 threads, while AMD has 4 cores and 4 threads. Clock speeds favor AMD, with a 3.00 GHz base and 3.50 GHz boost versus Intel’s 2.60 GHz base and 3.10 GHz boost. TDP also differs, with Intel at 28 W and AMD at 35 W, reflecting Intel’s mobile segment designation versus AMD’s desktop segment. The cache hierarchy is completely different: Intel has 3 MB of shared L3 cache, while AMD has no L3 cache at all, relying instead on 2 MB of L2 cache. Memory support diverges with Intel using DDR3 and AMD using DDR4, where AMD’s rated bandwidth is 38.4 GB/s. The sockets are incompatible — Intel BGA 1168 versus AMD Socket AM4 — and the integrated graphics differ: Intel HD 5100 versus AMD Radeon R7. The AMD chip is also listed as active in production, while Intel’s production status is not specified. The release dates are roughly three years apart: Intel in June 2013 and AMD in October 2016.