AMD PRO A12-9800E vs Intel Core i3-10110Y Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark data presents an unusually tight contest between the AMD PRO A12-9800E and the Intel Core i3-10110Y. Across all five Cinebench comparisons, the AMD part edges ahead, but the margins are razor-thin. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the AMD PRO A12-9800E scores 266 against Intel’s 265, a delta of just 0.4%. That single point represents the largest percentage gap in the entire head-to-head set. The Cinebench R20 multi-core test shows a similar pattern: 1111 for AMD versus 1108 for Intel, a 0.3% advantage. In Cinebench R23 multi-core, AMD’s 2646 beats Intel’s 2640 by 0.2%. The single-core results are even closer — both chips post identical 156 scores in Cinebench R20 single-core, and the R23 single-core test shows AMD ahead by a single point (373 vs. 372, a 0.3% delta). The aggregate head-to-head record stands at 5 wins for the AMD PRO A12-9800E and 0 for the Intel Core i3-10110Y, yet no single benchmark demonstrates a decisive performance separation.

What makes these numbers notable is the architectural gulf between the two processors. The AMD part is a desktop Excavator design with four physical cores, while the Intel chip is a mobile Comet Lake-Y part with two cores and four threads via Hyper-Threading. Despite these fundamental differences, the benchmark scores converge within a fraction of a percent. The average benchmark score for the AMD PRO A12-9800E is 910, while the Intel Core i3-10110Y sits at 908. Both CPUs occupy the 24th percentile among all CPUs tracked in the database, meaning they land in the same performance tier relative to the broader market.

The nearest-rival data reinforces this equivalence. For the AMD PRO A12-9800E, the Intel Core i3-10110Y appears as a nearest rival with an average score of 908 and a delta of 0.2%. Conversely, for the Intel part, the AMD PRO A12-9800E shows an average score of 910 and a delta of -0.3% — meaning Intel trails by that margin. The two chips also bracket other comparable parts like the AMD Ryzen 3 3250U (908 average score, 0.2% delta from AMD) and the Intel Core i3-4330T (908 average score, 0% delta from Intel). The Xeon W3540 sits slightly above both at 913, giving AMD a -0.3% delta against that part. These figures paint a picture of near-total performance parity, with the AMD chip holding a microscopic but consistent edge across every measured workload.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD PRO A12-9800E wins every benchmark in the head-to-head comparison, but the scale of those wins matters for interpretation. In multi-threaded workloads, the AMD part’s four physical cores provide a nominal advantage: a 0.4% lead in R15 multi-core, a 0.3% lead in R20 multi-core, and a 0.2% lead in R23 multi-core. These are the kinds of margins that would not be perceptible in real-world use — they fall within typical run-to-run variance for most applications. However, the consistency of the AMD advantage across all three multi-core tests suggests a genuine, if small, throughput benefit from having two additional physical cores, even if those Excavator cores are individually less efficient than Intel’s Comet Lake architecture.

In single-threaded tests, the results are effectively tied. Cinebench R20 single-core shows identical scores of 156 for both processors. Cinebench R23 single-core shows AMD ahead by 0.3% (373 vs. 372). This is notable because the Intel Core i3-10110Y has a significantly higher boost clock of 4.00 GHz compared to the AMD part’s 3.80 GHz, yet that clock advantage does not translate into a measurable single-thread win. The Intel chip’s higher boost frequency compensates for its lower base clock of 1000 MHz, but the AMD architecture appears to extract comparable per-thread performance from its lower peak frequency.

For use-case segmentation, the data suggests that neither chip offers a meaningful advantage in any specific workload category. The AMD PRO A12-9800E nominally wins all five benchmarks, so it takes the multi-core and single-core categories alike. However, the deltas are so small that any practical distinction would be negligible. The Intel part’s 9 W TDP versus AMD’s 35 W TDP is the more significant differentiator for mobile or thermally constrained environments, but that is a power consideration rather than a benchmark performance one. In purely performance terms, the two processors are effectively interchangeable within the margin of error.

Architecture Differences

The AMD PRO A12-9800E is built on the Excavator architecture, part of the Bristol Ridge family, using a 28 nm process at GlobalFoundries. It integrates 3,100 million transistors on a 250 mm² die. The Intel Core i3-10110Y uses the Comet Lake architecture, specifically Comet Lake-Y, fabricated on Intel’s 14 nm process. The Intel part’s transistor count and die size are not listed in the data, but the process node difference alone — 28 nm versus 14 nm — indicates a substantial generational gap in manufacturing technology.

Core configuration differs sharply. The AMD chip provides 4 physical cores with 4 threads, while the Intel chip provides 2 physical cores with 4 threads. This means the AMD part relies on raw core count, whereas the Intel part uses simultaneous multithreading to reach the same thread count. The cache hierarchies reflect this: AMD offers 320 KB of L1 cache and 2 MB of L2 cache with no L3 cache. Intel offers 64 KB of L1 per core, 256 KB of L2 per core, and 4 MB of shared L3 cache. The Intel part’s larger total cache footprint — 4 MB L3 plus per-core L1 and L2 — likely contributes to its ability to match the AMD chip despite having half the physical cores.

Memory support also diverges. The AMD PRO A12-9800E supports DDR4 memory over a dual-channel bus, while the Intel Core i3-10110Y supports DDR3. The AMD part supports PCIe Gen 3 with 8 lanes from the CPU, while PCIe information for the Intel part is not listed. Both processors integrate graphics — the AMD part with Radeon R7 graphics and the Intel part with UHD Graphics — but no graphics benchmark scores are provided in the data. The AMD chip uses the AMD Socket AM4, while the Intel chip uses Intel BGA 1440, reflecting their desktop versus mobile market positioning.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ across nearly every core specification field. The AMD PRO A12-9800E has 4 cores and 4 threads, while the Intel Core i3-10110Y has 2 cores and 4 threads. Base clock speeds are dramatically different: the AMD part runs at 3.10 GHz, while the Intel part runs at 1000 MHz (1.00 GHz). Boost clocks favor Intel, with 4.00 GHz versus AMD’s 3.80 GHz. TDP ratings show a major gap: 35 W for AMD versus 9 W for Intel. The socket types are incompatible (AMD Socket AM4 versus Intel BGA 1440), and the market segments differ (Desktop versus Mobile).

Memory support differs as noted: DDR4 for AMD, DDR3 for Intel. The AMD part uses dual-channel memory, while the Intel part’s memory bus configuration is not listed. Cache configurations are entirely different in structure: AMD’s 320 KB L1 and 2 MB L2 with no L3, versus Intel’s per-core L1 of 64 KB, per-core L2 of 256 KB, and 4 MB shared L3. The process nodes differ (28 nm for AMD, 14 nm for Intel), and the foundries differ (GlobalFoundries versus Intel). The Intel part is from the Core 10th Gen series with the Comet Lake codename, while the AMD part belongs to the A12 (Bristol Ridge) generation. Release dates are 2017-07-26 for AMD and 2019-08-20 for Intel. The AMD part has a part number of AD980BAHM44AB, while no part number is listed for Intel. Neither processor has an unlocked multiplier, and neither supports ECC memory. The production status for both is Active.

FAQ

Q: Which processor wins in multi-core performance?

A: The AMD PRO A12-9800E wins all three multi-core benchmarks: Cinebench R15 multi-core (266 vs. 265), Cinebench R20 multi-core (1111 vs. 1108), and Cinebench R23 multi-core (2646 vs. 2640). The largest margin is 0.4% in R15.

Q: How do the single-core scores compare?

A: The AMD PRO A12-9800E wins Cinebench R23 single-core by 0.3% (373 vs. 372), while Cinebench R20 single-core is a tie at 156 for both processors. Despite the Intel part’s higher 4.00 GHz boost clock versus AMD’s 3.80 GHz, the single-thread results are effectively identical.

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

A: The AMD PRO A12-9800E has an average benchmark score of 910, while the Intel Core i3-10110Y has an average score of 908. Both sit at the 24th percentile among all CPUs in the database.

Q: How many cores and threads does each processor have?

A: The AMD PRO A12-9800E has 4 cores and 4 threads. The Intel Core i3-10110Y has 2 cores and 4 threads, using Hyper-Threading to match the thread count with half the physical cores.

Q: What are the TDP ratings for these processors?

A: The AMD PRO A12-9800E has a TDP of 35 W, while the Intel Core i3-10110Y has a TDP of 9 W. This represents a substantial power difference, with Intel drawing roughly one-quarter the power of the AMD part.

Q: Which processor has more cache?

A: The Intel Core i3-10110Y has 4 MB of shared L3 cache plus per-core L1 (64 KB) and L2 (256 KB). The AMD PRO A12-9800E has 320 KB of L1 and 2 MB of L2 with no L3 cache. Intel’s total cache allocation is larger, particularly the L3 portion.