AMD PRO A12-8870E vs Intel Core i7-4500U Comparison

Intel Core i7-4500U and AMD PRO A12-8870E sit at the same overall percentile ranking among all CPUs, both at the 23rd percentile. That parity in aggregate position, however, masks a clear and consistent performance gap in the recorded benchmark suite. The data shows the AMD part winning every head-to-head test, with margins that remain remarkably stable across different Cinebench versions and workload types. This is not a close contest; it is a systematic advantage for the AMD PRO A12-8870E in every measured scenario.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head results are unambiguous. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the AMD PRO A12-8870E scores 257 against the Intel Core i7-4500U’s 212. That is a 17.5% advantage for the AMD processor. The same pattern holds in Cinebench R20 multi-core, where the AMD part reaches 1074 points while the Intel chip manages 887, a 17.4% gap. Single-core performance in Cinebench R20 shows the AMD PRO A12-8870E at 151 versus the Intel Core i7-4500U at 125, which is a 17.2% lead. Moving to Cinebench R23, the multi-core scores are 2558 for the AMD chip and 2113 for the Intel chip, again a 17.4% difference. The single-core R23 result follows suit: 361 for AMD, 298 for Intel, a 17.5% margin.

What stands out is the consistency of the delta across all five tests. The smallest gap is 17.2% in R20 single-core, and the largest is 17.5% in R15 multi-core and R23 single-core. This uniformity suggests the performance difference is structural rather than workload-dependent. The AMD PRO A12-8870E does not merely win in one specific benchmark; it wins by nearly the same proportion in every Cinebench test recorded. For a user comparing these two processors, the conclusion is straightforward: the AMD part delivers roughly 17% more performance across the board in this benchmark suite.

The Intel Core i7-4500U also has Geekbench scores in the database, with a multi-core result of 1562 and a single-core result of 818. The AMD PRO A12-8870E has no Geekbench entries, so a direct comparison on that platform is not possible from the recorded data. Nevertheless, the Cinebench results alone establish a clear hierarchy. The Intel chip’s average benchmark score across all recorded tests is 859, while the AMD part’s average is 880. That 21-point difference in average score aligns with the head-to-head margins, though it is smaller because the Geekbench results for the Intel chip pull its average up relative to its Cinebench-only rival.

The nearest rivals for each processor further contextualize these scores. The Intel Core i7-4500U’s average score of 859 places it within 0.4% of the Intel Core i5-5250U (856), 0.3% of the Intel Core i5-2500T (856), and within 0.3% of the Intel Xeon W3520 (862). It is essentially tied with the AMD A8-7650K, which scores 860, a delta of 0.1%. The AMD PRO A12-8870E, with an average of 880, sits exactly level with the AMD Ryzen 3 2300U (880), and within 0.2% of the Intel Core i3-1000NG4 (881), the AMD Phenom II X6 1035T (881), and the AMD Athlon Silver 7120U (881). These rival comparisons show that the AMD part operates in a slightly higher performance tier than the Intel chip, even though both land at the same overall percentile.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD PRO A12-8870E wins every recorded benchmark in the head-to-head comparison. That includes all five Cinebench tests: R15 multi-core, R20 multi-core, R20 single-core, R23 multi-core, and R23 single-core. The database records zero wins for the Intel Core i7-4500U in direct comparisons. This means there is no workload category in the measured data where the Intel chip comes out ahead. Whether the task is heavily threaded, lightly threaded, or single-threaded, the AMD PRO A12-8870E produces a higher score.

The Intel Core i7-4500U does have Geekbench scores that are not matched by the AMD part, so a hypothetical comparison on that platform could favor the Intel chip, but the database does not contain a Geekbench result for the AMD PRO A12-8870E. Without that data, no claim can be made about Geekbench superiority for either side. Within the recorded head-to-head suite, the AMD part is dominant across the board.

For practical use-case splits, the data indicates that the AMD PRO A12-8870E is better suited for multi-threaded rendering workloads, as shown by its Cinebench R15, R20, and R23 multi-core wins. It is also better for single-threaded responsiveness, as shown by its single-core wins. The Intel Core i7-4500U, being a mobile part with a 15 watt TDP, may be preferable in scenarios where power draw is the primary concern, but the benchmark data does not capture that dimension. The performance story, as measured, belongs entirely to the AMD processor.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has a higher multi-core score in Cinebench R23?

A: The AMD PRO A12-8870E scores 2558 in Cinebench R23 multi-core, while the Intel Core i7-4500U scores 2113. The AMD part leads by 17.4%.

Q: How much faster is the AMD PRO A12-8870E in single-core performance?

A: In Cinebench R23 single-core, the AMD PRO A12-8870E scores 361 versus the Intel Core i7-4500U’s 298, a 17.5% advantage. In Cinebench R20 single-core, the AMD part scores 151 against 125, a 17.2% lead.

Q: Do both processors have the same overall performance percentile?

A: Yes, both the Intel Core i7-4500U and the AMD PRO A12-8870E are at the 23rd percentile among all CPUs in the database.

Q: What is the average benchmark score for each processor?

A: The Intel Core i7-4500U has an average benchmark score of 859. The AMD PRO A12-8870E has an average benchmark score of 880.

Q: Which processor has more cores?

A: The AMD PRO A12-8870E has 4 cores, while the Intel Core i7-4500U has 2 cores. Both have 4 threads.

Q: Does the Intel Core i7-4500U have any benchmark wins over the AMD PRO A12-8870E?

A: In the recorded head-to-head benchmarks, the Intel Core i7-4500U has zero wins. The AMD PRO A12-8870E wins all five Cinebench tests.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ across several core specifications. The Intel Core i7-4500U has 2 cores and 4 threads, while the AMD PRO A12-8870E has 4 cores and 4 threads. Base clock speeds differ substantially: the Intel chip runs at 1800 MHz, the AMD chip at 2900 MHz. Boost clocks also differ, with the Intel part boosting to 3000 MHz and the AMD part to 3700 MHz. Thermal design power is another major split: the Intel Core i7-4500U is rated at 15 watts, the AMD PRO A12-8870E at 35 watts.

The sockets are incompatible. The Intel processor uses Intel BGA 1168, while the AMD processor uses AMD Socket AM4. Memory support differs as well: the Intel chip supports DDR3, while the AMD chip supports DDR4 and has a dual-channel memory bus with a recorded bandwidth of 38.4 GB/s. The Intel chip has no memory bandwidth figure in the database.

Integrated graphics also differ. The Intel Core i7-4500U includes Intel HD 4400, while the AMD PRO A12-8870E includes Radeon R7. The market segment separates them further: the Intel part is classified as Mobile, the AMD part as Desktop. The AMD PRO A12-8870E has an active production status, while the Intel Core i7-4500U has no production status recorded. Neither processor has a launch MSRP in the database, and neither has an unlocked multiplier.

The part numbers are distinct: SR16Z for the Intel chip and AD887BAHM44AB for the AMD chip. The Intel Core i7-4500U was released on 2013-06-03, while the AMD PRO A12-8870E has no release date recorded. PCIe support is only listed for the AMD part, which has Gen 3. The Intel chip has no PCIe field in the database.

Architecture Differences

The architectural divide is significant. The Intel Core i7-4500U is built on the Haswell architecture, specifically the Haswell-ULT codename, and belongs to the Core i7 (Haswell) generation. It uses a 22 nm process node fabricated by Intel. The AMD PRO A12-8870E uses the Excavator architecture with the Carrizo codename, belonging to the A12 (Carrizo) generation. It is built on a 28 nm process node by GlobalFoundries.

Transistor counts differ by a wide margin. The Intel chip has 1,300 million transistors on a die size of 118 mm². The AMD chip has 3,100 million transistors on a die size of 250 mm². That is more than double the transistor count and more than double the die area for the AMD part. The larger process node for AMD (28 nm versus 22 nm) partially explains the larger die, but the transistor count difference also reflects the AMD part’s four physical cores and larger integrated graphics block.

Cache hierarchies are structured differently. The Intel Core i7-4500U has 64 KB of L1 cache per core, 256 KB of L2 cache per core, and 4 MB of shared L3 cache. The AMD PRO A12-8870E has 320 KB of total L1 cache and 2 MB of L2 cache, with no L3 cache listed. The Intel chip therefore relies on a shared L3 pool, while the AMD chip uses a larger L1 allocation and a smaller L2, with no L3 at all.

ECC memory support is absent on both processors. The integrated graphics solutions are different as noted, with Intel HD 4400 on the Intel side and Radeon R7 on the AMD side. The AMD part has a dedicated memory bandwidth specification of 38.4 GB/s, while the Intel chip has none recorded. The AMD PRO A12-8870E also lists PCIe Gen 3 support, which the Intel chip does not have in the database.

The combination of a larger transistor count, bigger die, four physical cores, and higher clock speeds explains why the AMD PRO A12-8870E consistently outperforms the Intel Core i7-4500U in the Cinebench suite. The Intel chip’s advantage lies in its lower 15 watt TDP and mobile classification, which suggests a design target of power efficiency rather than raw throughput. The recorded benchmarks, however, do not measure power efficiency, so the performance comparison is one-sided. The data supports only one conclusion: the AMD PRO A12-8870E is the faster processor in every measured benchmark, and the Intel Core i7-4500U, while more power-efficient by specification, cedes performance ground across the board.