AMD PRO A12-9800E vs Intel Core i3-4330T Comparison

The AMD PRO A12-9800E and Intel Core i3-4330T are two 35W desktop processors from different eras and design philosophies, yet benchmark results show they land in nearly the same performance tier. Both chips sit at the 24th percentile among all CPUs, and their average benchmark scores are separated by a mere 2 points — 910 for the AMD part versus 908 for the Intel part. The data reveals an exceptionally tight contest, with the AMD PRO A12-9800E taking narrow wins across every single benchmark in the head-to-head comparison, though no victory exceeds a 0.4% margin. This is a matchup defined by fractions of a percent rather than decisive advantages.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The Cinebench R15 multicore test is the closest contest in this comparison. The AMD PRO A12-9800E scores 266, while the Intel Core i3-4330T scores 265, giving AMD a 0.4% lead — the largest delta of any benchmark in this pairing. This margin is effectively within the noise of a single run, but it does set the pattern for the entire matchup: the AMD part edges ahead in every test, never by more than a fraction of a point.

Moving to Cinebench R20 multicore, the AMD PRO A12-9800E posts 1111 against 1108 for the Intel Core i3-4330T, a 0.3% difference. The R20 single-core test shows both processors at exactly 156, with the AMD part declared the winner at a 0% delta — a statistical tie in every practical sense. The pattern continues in Cinebench R23, where the AMD PRO A12-9800E scores 2646 multicore and 373 single-core, while the Intel Core i3-4330T scores 2639 and 372 respectively, each with a 0.3% delta favoring AMD.

What is most striking about these numbers is not the winner but the compression of the results. Across five different benchmark tests spanning three versions of Cinebench, the largest performance gap ever recorded is 0.4%. The AMD PRO A12-9800E wins all five head-to-head matchups, yet the Intel Core i3-4330T is never more than a rounding error behind. The average benchmark scores confirm this: 910 for AMD versus 908 for Intel, a 0.2% difference that places both chips in the same neighborhood as the AMD Ryzen 3 3250U and Intel Core i3-10110Y, both of which sit at 908 average.

The nearest rival data reinforces how tightly clustered this performance tier is. The AMD PRO A12-9800E's closest rival list shows the Intel Core i3-4330T at 908 average with a 0.2% delta, alongside the AMD Ryzen 3 3250U and Intel Core i3-10110Y at the same score. The Intel Core i3-4330T's own nearest rival list shows the AMD PRO A12-9800E at 910 average with a -0.3% delta, and the AMD A10-7860K at 904 with a 0.4% delta. In both directions, the performance spread is under half a percent, making any claim of superiority purely academic.

The Verdict

The benchmark data does not support choosing one processor over the other on raw performance grounds. The AMD PRO A12-9800E holds a perfect 5-0 record in the head-to-head matchups, but the largest margin is 0.4% in Cinebench R15 multicore, and several tests show a 0% or 0.3% delta. For a user selecting between these two based strictly on benchmark results, the decision must come down to factors other than compute performance.

The Intel Core i3-4330T is the older part, released in 2013, while the AMD PRO A12-9800E arrived in 2017. The AMD chip offers four physical cores against the Intel chip's two, but both present four threads to the operating system. The AMD part also supports DDR4 memory and PCIe Gen 3 with 8 CPU lanes, whereas the Intel part uses DDR3 and PCIe Gen 3 without a lane count specified. Neither processor has an unlocked multiplier, and both carry a 35W TDP.

If the choice must be made on data alone, the AMD PRO A12-9800E is the nominal winner of every benchmark, but the margins are so thin that they would not be perceptible in real-world use. The Intel Core i3-4330T, meanwhile, has the advantage of a larger shared L3 cache (4 MB versus no L3 at all on the AMD part) and a smaller die size (177 mm² versus 250 mm²), though these are architectural characteristics rather than benchmark outcomes. For a buyer restricted to these two options, the AMD part's consistent, if marginal, benchmark edge gives it the nod, but this is a verdict delivered with minimal conviction.

FAQ

Q: Which processor wins the most benchmarks?

A: The AMD PRO A12-9800E wins all five head-to-head benchmarks, including Cinebench R15 multicore (266 vs 265), Cinebench R20 multicore (1111 vs 1108), Cinebench R20 single-core (156 vs 156), Cinebench R23 multicore (2646 vs 2639), and Cinebench R23 single-core (373 vs 372).

Q: What is the largest performance difference between the two?

A: The largest delta is 0.4%, recorded in the Cinebench R15 multicore test where the AMD PRO A12-9800E scores 266 against the Intel Core i3-4330T's 265. Every other benchmark shows a 0.3% or 0% difference.

Q: How do their average benchmark scores compare?

A: The AMD PRO A12-9800E has an average benchmark score of 910, while the Intel Core i3-4330T has an average of 908, a difference of 2 points or 0.2%.

Q: Do both processors support the same memory type?

A: No. The AMD PRO A12-9800E supports DDR4 memory, while the Intel Core i3-4330T supports DDR3. Both use dual-channel memory buses.

Q: What are the core counts and thread counts of each chip?

A: The AMD PRO A12-9800E has 4 cores and 4 threads. The Intel Core i3-4330T has 2 cores and 4 threads, meaning the Intel chip relies on Hyper-Threading to match the AMD chip's thread count.

Q: Which processor has a larger cache?

A: The Intel Core i3-4330T has a 4 MB shared L3 cache, while the AMD PRO A12-9800E has no L3 cache at all. The AMD part does have a larger L2 cache at 2 MB total, versus 256 KB per core (512 KB total) on the Intel part, and a larger L1 cache at 320 KB total versus 64 KB per core (128 KB total).

Specification Differences

The core and thread counts represent the most fundamental split between these two processors. The AMD PRO A12-9800E offers 4 physical cores and 4 threads, while the Intel Core i3-4330T offers 2 physical cores and 4 threads. Both have a 35W TDP, but the base clocks differ: the AMD part runs at 3.10 GHz with a 3.80 GHz boost clock, while the Intel part runs at 3.00 GHz with no boost capability listed.

The sockets are entirely different, reflecting their respective platforms. The AMD PRO A12-9800E uses AMD Socket AM4, while the Intel Core i3-4330T uses Intel Socket 1150. Memory support also diverges, with the AMD part accepting DDR4 and the Intel part accepting DDR3, both over dual-channel buses. The AMD processor specifies PCIe Gen 3 with 8 CPU-only lanes, whereas the Intel processor simply lists PCIe Gen 3 without a lane count.

Integrated graphics differ as well: the AMD PRO A12-9800E carries a Radeon R7 iGPU, while the Intel Core i3-4330T carries Intel HD 4600. Neither chip has an unlocked multiplier. The AMD part has a part number of AD980BAHM44AB, and the Intel part has a part number of SR1NK. The AMD chip is listed as Active in production status, while the Intel chip has no production status listed.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from fundamentally different architectural lineages. The AMD PRO A12-9800E is built on the Excavator architecture with the Bristol Ridge codename, belonging to the A12 generation. It uses a 28 nm process node manufactured by GlobalFoundries, with 3,100 million transistors on a 250 mm² die. The Intel Core i3-4330T, by contrast, uses the Haswell architecture with the Haswell codename, part of the Core i3 generation. It is built on a 22 nm process node by Intel, with 1,400 million transistors on a 177 mm² die.

Cache hierarchies are structured differently. The AMD PRO A12-9800E has 320 KB of L1 cache and 2 MB of L2 cache, with no L3 cache present. The Intel Core i3-4330T has 64 KB of L1 cache per core (128 KB total across 2 cores) and 256 KB of L2 cache per core (512 KB total), but it adds a 4 MB shared L3 cache that the AMD chip lacks entirely. This gives the Intel part a larger total cache footprint despite its smaller L1 and L2 allocations.

Release timing also separates the two. The AMD PRO A12-9800E was released in 2017, while the Intel Core i3-4330T was released in 2013. Neither chip supports ECC memory, and both are locked processors. The AMD part's transistor count is more than double that of the Intel part, and its die is significantly larger, reflecting the different design priorities of the Excavator architecture versus Haswell.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD PRO A12-9800E wins every benchmark in the head-to-head comparison, making it the clear choice for users who prioritize raw Cinebench scores, however marginal the margins. Its 4-core, 4-thread configuration with a higher base clock (3.10 GHz) and a boost clock (3.80 GHz) gives it a structural edge that shows up consistently across all five tests. The AMD part also supports DDR4 memory, which may be relevant for platform-level considerations, and its Radeon R7 integrated graphics could be preferable for users who need a more capable iGPU, though no benchmark data is provided to confirm this.

The Intel Core i3-4330T, despite losing all five benchmarks, has its own points in the data. Its 4 MB shared L3 cache is a meaningful architectural advantage that the AMD chip cannot match, and its smaller die size and lower transistor count suggest higher efficiency in terms of silicon area. The Intel part's 22 nm process node is denser than AMD's 28 nm node, and its 3.00 GHz base clock, while lower, is delivered without needing a boost state. For users on a DDR3 platform with a Socket 1150 motherboard, the Intel chip is the only compatible choice in this pairing.

In practical terms, the benchmark deltas are so small — never exceeding 0.4% — that neither chip would feel faster than the other in real workloads. The AMD PRO A12-9800E is the nominal winner across the board, and for a new build on the AM4 platform with DDR4 memory, it is the data-backed pick. The Intel Core i3-4330T remains a viable option for existing Socket 1150 systems or for workloads that benefit from the larger L3 cache, even though no benchmark in the pack demonstrates that advantage. The data says the AMD part wins; the data also says the Intel part is never far behind.