AMD PRO A12-9800 vs Intel Core i7-4600M Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data presents a remarkably consistent picture across the Cinebench suite. The AMD PRO A12-9800 wins all five head-to-head comparisons, with no victories recorded for the Intel Core i7-4600M. This is a decisive margin, but the magnitude of each win is what deserves attention.

In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the AMD PRO A12-9800 scores 323 against 275 for the Intel Core i7-4600M, a 17.5% advantage. The pattern repeats in Cinebench R20 multi-core: 1347 versus 1147, a 17.4% gap. Moving to Cinebench R23 multi-core, the AMD part reaches 3208 while the Intel chip manages 2732, again a 17.4% difference. The single-core results tell the same story. In Cinebench R20 single-core, the AMD PRO A12-9800 posts 190 versus 161, an 18% lead. In Cinebench R23 single-core, the margin is 17.7%, with scores of 453 and 385 respectively.

What is striking is the uniformity of these deltas. Whether the workload is single-threaded or multi-threaded, the AMD PRO A12-9800 holds roughly a 17% to 18% edge. This suggests the performance gap is not workload-specific but reflects a fundamental throughput difference between the two designs. The Intel Core i7-4600M, despite being a mobile part with a lower thermal envelope, simply cannot close the distance in any measured Cinebench test.

The average benchmark score reinforces this. The AMD PRO A12-9800 carries an average score of 1104, while the Intel Core i7-4600M sits at 1093. That is only a 1% difference in aggregate, but the Cinebench-specific results show a much larger separation. This discrepancy implies that the Intel chip may hold up better in other benchmark categories not covered here, but within the Cinebench family, the AMD part is clearly superior.

Both processors land near the same percentile ranking: 31st for the AMD PRO A12-9800 versus 30th for the Intel Core i7-4600M. The nearest rivals for each chip cluster tightly around their own average scores. The AMD PRO A12-9800 sits within 0.2% of the Intel Xeon E5-2603 v3, the Intel Pentium Gold G6605, the AMD Opteron 3280, and the AMD Athlon X4 845. The Intel Core i7-4600M is similarly close to the Intel Core i7-4610M, the Intel Core i7-10510Y, the Intel Core i5-3475S, and the Intel Pentium Gold G5400. The database shows these two chips occupy nearly identical performance tiers overall, but the head-to-head data breaks the tie firmly in favor of the AMD part.

Architecture Differences

The architectural divide between these two processors is substantial. The AMD PRO A12-9800 is built on the Excavator architecture, codenamed Bristol Ridge, using a 28 nm process from GlobalFoundries. The Intel Core i7-4600M uses the Haswell architecture, also codenamed Haswell, but on Intel's 22 nm process. The node difference is meaningful: 28 nm versus 22 nm, which typically favors Intel in terms of transistor density and power efficiency per unit area.

Transistor counts tell a different story. The AMD PRO A12-9800 packs 3,100 million transistors on a die size of 250 mm². The Intel Core i7-4600M has only 960 million transistors on a much smaller 131 mm² die. The AMD chip is physically larger and more complex, which likely contributes to its higher core count. The AMD part offers 4 cores and 4 threads, while the Intel part provides 2 cores and 4 threads. In multi-threaded workloads, the AMD PRO A12-9800's two additional physical cores give it a structural advantage that the Intel chip cannot offset through hyper-threading alone.

Cache configurations differ significantly. The AMD PRO A12-9800 has 320 KB of L1 cache and 2 MB of L2 cache, with no L3 cache present. The Intel Core i7-4600M has 64 KB of L1 cache per core, 256 KB of L2 cache per core, and 4 MB of shared L3 cache. With two cores, the Intel chip's L1 totals 128 KB and L2 totals 512 KB. The AMD part has more L1 and L2 cache in absolute terms, but the Intel chip benefits from a dedicated L3 cache, which the AMD design lacks entirely.

Memory support further separates the two. The AMD PRO A12-9800 uses DDR4 memory with dual-channel support and a bandwidth of 38.4 GB/s. The Intel Core i7-4600M relies on DDR3 memory, also dual-channel, but with a lower bandwidth of 25.6 GB/s. The AMD part's memory subsystem offers roughly 50% more bandwidth, which can matter in memory-sensitive workloads.

PCI Express capabilities differ as well. The AMD PRO A12-9800 provides PCIe Gen 3 with 8 lanes (CPU only), while the Intel Core i7-4600M offers PCIe Gen 3 with 16 lanes (CPU only). The Intel chip has double the available PCIe lanes, which could benefit discrete GPU connectivity in a laptop chassis, though the mobile form factor limits expansion options anyway.

Integrated graphics also set these chips apart. The AMD PRO A12-9800 includes a Radeon R7 iGPU, while the Intel Core i7-4600M is equipped with Intel HD 4600. The database does not provide direct graphics benchmarks, but the architectural differences suggest the AMD Radeon R7 is designed for more demanding visual workloads than the Intel HD 4600.

The production status and release dates frame these chips differently. The AMD PRO A12-9800 is marked as Active, released in October 2016. The Intel Core i7-4600M is End-of-life, released in August 2013. The AMD part is three years newer and remains in production, while the Intel chip has been discontinued. The Intel Core i7-4600M carries a launch MSRP of $346, which stands as a historical data point.

Where Each One Wins

Based on the benchmark data, the AMD PRO A12-9800 wins across every Cinebench test, both single-core and multi-core. That means it takes the lead in rendering workloads, CPU-bound productivity tasks, and any application that scales with raw core throughput. The Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 3208 versus 2732 indicates a 17.4% advantage in heavily threaded scenarios. Similarly, the Cinebench R23 single-core score of 453 versus 385 shows a 17.7% lead in lightly threaded tasks. There is no measured domain where the Intel Core i7-4600M comes out ahead.

The Intel Core i7-4600M does have a structural advantage in power efficiency. Its TDP is 37 watts against 65 watts for the AMD PRO A12-9800. That is a 43% lower thermal design point, which makes the Intel chip more suitable for thin-and-light laptops where cooling is constrained. The AMD part, with its higher TDP, is a desktop processor by market segment, while the Intel chip is explicitly a mobile processor. In a battery-powered scenario, the Intel Core i7-4600M would likely sustain performance for longer periods before thermal throttling, though the database does not include battery or sustained-load tests.

The Intel part also has more PCIe lanes, 16 versus 8, which could matter in a system with multiple expansion cards. However, on a mobile platform, that advantage is largely theoretical. The AMD PRO A12-9800 counters with newer DDR4 memory support and higher memory bandwidth, which can improve performance in memory-bound applications like compression or data processing.

For users who prioritize raw compute, the AMD PRO A12-9800 is the clear choice. For users who need a low-power mobile processor, the Intel Core i7-4600M offers a more thermally efficient package, albeit with lower measured performance. The Intel chip's end-of-life status also matters: it is no longer in production, while the AMD part remains active.

The Verdict

The data points decisively toward the AMD PRO A12-9800. In every Cinebench test, it outperforms the Intel Core i7-4600M by roughly 17% to 18%. The AMD part has more cores, more cache, newer memory support, and higher clock speeds. Its base clock of 3.80 GHz and boost clock of 4.20 GHz exceed the Intel chip's 2.90 GHz base and 3.60 GHz boost. The AMD PRO A12-9800 also remains in production, whereas the Intel Core i7-4600M is end-of-life.

The Intel Core i7-4600M's only measurable advantages are its lower TDP and higher PCIe lane count. For a mobile platform, the 37 watt TDP is attractive, but the performance deficit is substantial. The nearest rival data shows both chips sit in the same overall performance percentile, but the head-to-head results reveal the AMD part is consistently faster where it matters most.

Buyers should choose the AMD PRO A12-9800 if they need maximum compute performance from a desktop processor. The Intel Core i7-4600M remains a viable option only for legacy mobile systems where its lower power draw is essential and performance expectations are modest. The launch MSRP of $346 for the Intel chip provides historical context, but the AMD part's active status and superior benchmarks make it the stronger recommendation from the recorded data.

FAQ

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

A: The AMD PRO A12-9800 scores 3208, while the Intel Core i7-4600M scores 2732, giving the AMD part a 17.4% advantage.

Q: Does the Intel Core i7-4600M win any benchmark in the head-to-head comparison?

A: No. The AMD PRO A12-9800 wins all five recorded head-to-head tests, including both single-core and multi-core Cinebench workloads.

Q: What is the difference in memory bandwidth between the two processors?

A: The AMD PRO A12-9800 supports DDR4 with 38.4 GB/s bandwidth, while the Intel Core i7-4600M supports DDR3 with 25.6 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: How do the core counts compare?

A: The AMD PRO A12-9800 has 4 cores and 4 threads. The Intel Core i7-4600M has 2 cores and 4 threads.

Q: Which processor has a lower TDP?

A: The Intel Core i7-4600M has a TDP of 37 watts, compared to 65 watts for the AMD PRO A12-9800.

Q: Is the AMD PRO A12-9800 still in production?

A: Yes, the database lists the AMD PRO A12-9800 as Active. The Intel Core i7-4600M is listed as End-of-life.

Specification Differences

| Specification | AMD PRO A12-9800 | Intel Core i7-4600M |

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

| Cores | 4 | 2 |

| Threads | 4 | 4 |

| Base Clock | 3.80 GHz | 2.90 GHz |

| Boost Clock | 4.20 GHz | 3.60 GHz |

| TDP | 65 W | 37 W |

| Socket | AMD Socket AM4 | Intel Socket G3 |

| Architecture | Excavator | Haswell |

| Process Node | 28 nm | 22 nm |

| Foundry | GlobalFoundries | Intel |

| Transistors | 3,100 million | 960 million |

| Die Size | 250 mm² | 131 mm² |

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

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

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

| Memory Support | DDR4 | DDR3 |

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

| PCIe | Gen 3, 8 Lanes (CPU only) | Gen 3, 16 Lanes (CPU only) |

| Integrated Graphics | Radeon R7 | Intel HD 4600 |

| Market Segment | Desktop | Mobile |

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

| Release Date | 2016-10-02 | 2013-08-31 |

| Launch MSRP | Not available | $346 |