CPU Comparison

The Intel Core i7-930 and AMD PRO A12-8870E are two desktop processors from different eras and design philosophies, yet their benchmark scores place them in remarkably close competition. The data shows the Intel chip, a 2010-era Nehalem part, and the AMD part, a modern Excavator-based APU, both achieving an average benchmark score of approximately 880-882, placing them in the 23rd percentile of all CPUs. While the AMD PRO A12-8870E boasts a significantly higher boost clock and newer platform features, the Intel Core i7-930 counters with simultaneous multithreading and a larger cache pool, resulting in a near-dead heat in the tested Cinebench workloads.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The Intel Core i7-930 has an average benchmark score of 882, while the AMD PRO A12-8870E has an average score of 880. This puts the Intel part a marginal 0.2% ahead.

Q: How do the two processors compare in single-core performance?

A: The benchmark results show a perfect tie in single-core tests. Both the Cinebench R20 single-core and Cinebench R23 single-core tests resulted in identical scores of 151 and 361, respectively, with a deltaPct of 0.

Q: What are the core and thread counts for each processor?

A: The Intel Core i7-930 has 4 cores and 8 threads, leveraging Hyper-Threading technology. The AMD PRO A12-8870E also has 4 cores but only 4 threads, meaning it does not support simultaneous multithreading.

Q: Which processor has integrated graphics?

A: Only the AMD PRO A12-8870E includes integrated graphics, featuring a Radeon R7 GPU. The Intel Core i7-930 does not have any integrated graphics listed in its specifications.

Q: What is the difference in their power consumption (TDP)?

A: The AMD PRO A12-8870E has a TDP of 35 watts, while the Intel Core i7-930 has a TDP of 130 watts. This indicates a substantial difference in power efficiency, with the AMD part drawing significantly less power.

Q: Which processor supports faster memory and PCIe standards?

A: The AMD PRO A12-8870E supports DDR4 memory over a dual-channel bus and PCIe Gen 3. The Intel Core i7-930 is limited to DDR3 memory over a triple-channel bus and PCIe Gen 2.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gulf between these two processors is vast, reflecting a decade of evolution. The Intel Core i7-930 is built on the Nehalem architecture with the Bloomfield codename, manufactured on a 45 nm process node by Intel. It packs 731 million transistors into a 263 mm² die. In contrast, the AMD PRO A12-8870E utilizes the Excavator architecture with the Carrizo codename, fabricated by GlobalFoundries on a newer 28 nm process. Despite the smaller process node, the AMD chip has a much higher transistor count at 3,100 million, though its die size is slightly smaller at 250 mm².

The cache hierarchies are fundamentally different. The Intel part employs a per-core L1 cache of 64 KB and a per-core L2 cache of 256 KB, supplemented by a large 8 MB shared L3 cache. The AMD PRO A12-8870E has a total L1 cache of 320 KB and a 2 MB L2 cache, but it has no L3 cache at all. This reliance on a larger L3 cache for the Intel chip versus a smaller, faster L2 cache for the AMD part is a key architectural split.

Memory support also diverges sharply. The Intel Core i7-930 uses DDR3 memory with a triple-channel memory bus, while the AMD PRO A12-8870E uses DDR4 memory with a dual-channel bus and a listed memory bandwidth of 38.4 GB/s. Furthermore, the AMD chip includes integrated Radeon R7 graphics, a feature completely absent from the Intel part. The sockets are incompatible as well: Intel Socket 1366 for the i7-930 versus AMD Socket AM4 for the PRO A12-8870E.

Where Each One Wins

The benchmark data reveals a clear, albeit narrow, pattern of wins for the Intel Core i7-930. Across all five head-to-head Cinebench tests, the Intel chip is the declared winner, taking a 0.4% lead in Cinebench R15 multicore, a 0.2% lead in Cinebench R20 multicore, and a 0.2% lead in Cinebench R23 multicore. In the single-core tests, the results are dead even, with both chips scoring identically.

This suggests that the Intel Core i7-930's advantage lies in multi-threaded workloads, likely due to its 8 threads versus the AMD part's 4 threads. The data indicates the AMD PRO A12-8870E does not secure a single win in any of the tested benchmarks, though its much lower TDP and integrated graphics make it a compelling choice for scenarios where power draw and a built-in GPU are the primary concerns. For raw compute performance in the Cinebench suite, the Intel processor holds a consistent, if small, edge.

Specification Differences

The specification sheets for these two CPUs highlight their distinct generations and market positions.

• Threads: 8 (Intel) vs 4 (AMD)
• Base Clock: 2.80 GHz (Intel) vs 2.90 GHz (AMD)
• Boost Clock: 3.07 GHz (Intel) vs 3.70 GHz (AMD)
• TDP: 130 W (Intel) vs 35 W (AMD)
• Socket: Intel Socket 1366 (Intel) vs AMD Socket AM4 (AMD)
• Process Node: 45 nm (Intel) vs 28 nm (AMD)
• Transistors: 731 million (Intel) vs 3,100 million (AMD)
• L3 Cache: 8 MB shared (Intel) vs None (AMD)
• Memory Support: DDR3 (Intel) vs DDR4 (AMD)
• Memory Bus: Triple-channel (Intel) vs Dual-channel (AMD)
• PCIe: Gen 2 (Intel) vs Gen 3 (AMD)
• Integrated Graphics: None (Intel) vs Radeon R7 (AMD)
• Production Status: End-of-life (Intel) vs Active (AMD)

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The Cinebench results show a photo finish in every test. In the Cinebench R15 multicore test, the Intel Core i7-930 scored 258 points against the AMD PRO A12-8870E's 257 points, a 0.4% difference. This pattern continues in Cinebench R20 multicore, where the Intel chip scored 1076 against the AMD's 1074, a 0.2% lead.

The multicore results in Cinebench R23 follow the same trend: the Intel Core i7-930 scored 2563, while the AMD PRO A12-8870E scored 2558, again a 0.2% advantage for the Intel part. In the single-core tests, the results are absolutely identical. Both processors achieved a score of 151 in Cinebench R20 single-core and 361 in Cinebench R23 single-core, resulting in a 0% delta.

These outcomes are consistent with the average benchmark scores of 882 for the Intel chip and 880 for the AMD chip. The Intel Core i7-930 wins all five head-to-head comparisons, but the margins are razor-thin, often less than one percent. The data suggests that the Intel part's extra threads provide a slight edge in multi-threaded rendering tasks, while the AMD part's higher boost clock is enough to match it in single-threaded tasks.

The Verdict

From the data, the Intel Core i7-930 is the marginally faster processor in the Cinebench benchmark suite, winning all five head-to-head tests. Its advantage is most pronounced in multi-core workloads, where it leads by 0.2% to 0.4%, likely attributable to its 8 threads. In single-core tests, it is perfectly matched with the AMD PRO A12-8870E, with both scoring exactly the same. Therefore, for users whose primary workload is CPU-bound rendering or multi-threaded applications, the data slightly favors the Intel part.

However, the AMD PRO A12-8870E offers features that the Intel chip simply cannot match, despite its benchmark loss. The AMD processor has a TDP of 35 watts compared to the Intel's 130 watts, making it a far more power-efficient option. It also includes integrated Radeon R7 graphics, eliminating the need for a separate graphics card in basic systems. With support for DDR4 memory and PCIe Gen 3, the AMD part is built on a modern platform that is still in active production, while the Intel part is end-of-life. The choice comes down to whether raw, albeit slight, multi-threaded performance is more important than power efficiency, modern platform features, and an integrated GPU. The data shows the Intel Core i7-930 edges out a win in raw compute, but the AMD PRO A12-8870E wins on platform modernity and efficiency.