CPU Comparison

# AMD PRO A8-8650B vs Intel Core i7-930

The AMD PRO A8-8650B and Intel Core i7-930 represent two very different approaches to desktop computing separated by roughly five years of silicon evolution. The AMD part, a 28 nm Steamroller design from the Godaveri family, faces off against Intel's 45 nm Nehalem-based Bloomfield chip. Benchmark data shows the AMD processor winning all five head-to-head comparisons, with margins ranging from 6.6% to 7.3%. However, the Intel chip counters with Hyper-Threading technology, delivering 8 threads versus the AMD's 4, and a larger shared L3 cache. The average benchmark scores sit extremely close, 887 for the AMD and 882 for the Intel, placing both in the 23rd and 24th percentiles of all CPUs respectively.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has the higher boost clock speed?

A: The AMD PRO A8-8650B boosts to 3.90 GHz, while the Intel Core i7-930 reaches only 3.07 GHz. The AMD's base clock of 3.20 GHz also exceeds the Intel's 2.80 GHz base frequency.

Q: How do the two chips compare in Cinebench R23 multicore performance?

A: The AMD PRO A8-8650B scores 2734 in Cinebench R23 multicore, which is 6.7% higher than the Intel Core i7-930's 2563. This is one of the five benchmark wins for the AMD processor.

Q: What are the manufacturing process differences between the two?

A: The AMD PRO A8-8650B is built on a 28 nm process at GlobalFoundries and contains 2,411 million transistors on a 245 mm² die. The Intel Core i7-930 uses Intel's 45 nm process with 731 million transistors on a 263 mm² die.

Q: Does the Intel Core i7-930 have integrated graphics?

A: No, the Intel Core i7-930 does not include integrated graphics. The AMD PRO A8-8650B, by contrast, features a Radeon R7 integrated graphics solution.

Q: How do their memory configurations differ?

A: The AMD PRO A8-8650B supports dual-channel DDR3 memory with a bandwidth of 34.1 GB/s. The Intel Core i7-930 supports triple-channel DDR3 memory, though its bandwidth figure is not listed in the data.

Q: What is the thread count difference and does it affect benchmarks?

A: The Intel Core i7-930 offers 8 threads through Hyper-Threading, while the AMD PRO A8-8650B provides 4 threads. Despite the Intel's 2× thread advantage, the AMD still wins all five head-to-head benchmark comparisons.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD PRO A8-8650B wins every single benchmark comparison included in the head-to-head data. That is five out of five wins. The largest margin comes in Cinebench R20 single-core, where the AMD leads by 7.3% (162 vs 151). The remaining four wins are consistent, with deltas ranging from 6.6% to 6.9%. In Cinebench R15 multicore, the AMD scores 275 against the Intel's 258, a 6.6% advantage. Cinebench R20 multicore shows 1148 vs 1076, a 6.7% edge. Cinebench R23 multicore repeats the 6.7% margin with 2734 vs 2563, and Cinebench R23 single-core shows 386 vs 361 for a 6.9% lead.

The Intel Core i7-930 does not win a single head-to-head benchmark. However, its average benchmark score of 882 places it within 0.6% of the AMD's 887 average. The Intel chip's nearest rival comparison shows it matching the AMD Athlon Silver 7120U and AMD Phenom II X6 1035T at 881, while the AMD PRO A8-8650B sits level with the Intel Pentium G4560T and Intel Core i3-6100 at 887-888. In percentile terms, the AMD ranks at the 24th percentile of all CPUs, one point above the Intel's 23rd percentile.

Architecture Differences

The AMD PRO A8-8650B uses the Steamroller architecture from the Godaveri codename family. This is a 28 nm design fabricated by GlobalFoundries, packing 2,411 million transistors into a 245 mm² die. The chip has 4 cores and 4 threads, with a 256 KB L1 cache and a 4 MB L2 cache. There is no L3 cache present on the AMD part. The memory controller supports dual-channel DDR3 with a bandwidth rating of 34.1 GB/s. PCI-Express connectivity is Gen 3 with 16 lanes available from the CPU.

The Intel Core i7-930 is built on the Nehalem architecture from the Bloomfield codename family. Intel fabricated this chip on a 45 nm process, with 731 million transistors across a 263 mm² die. It has 4 physical cores but supports 8 threads through simultaneous multithreading. The cache hierarchy differs significantly: 64 KB L1 per core, 256 KB L2 per core, and a shared 8 MB L3 cache. Memory support is triple-channel DDR3 without a listed bandwidth figure. PCI-Express is Gen 2, which is one generation older than the AMD solution.

The transistor count difference is notable: the AMD chip carries more than three times the transistors of the Intel part (2,411 million vs 731 million), yet occupies a smaller die area (245 mm² vs 263 mm²). This reflects the denser 28 nm process versus the older 45 nm node. The AMD also integrates a Radeon R7 graphics solution, whereas the Intel chip has no integrated graphics at all.

Specification Differences

| Specification | AMD PRO A8-8650B | Intel Core i7-930 |

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

| Cores | 4 | 4 |

| Threads | 4 | 8 |

| Base clock | 3.20 GHz | 2.80 GHz |

| Boost clock | 3.90 GHz | 3.07 GHz |

| TDP | 65 W | 130 W |

| Socket | AMD Socket FM2+ | Intel Socket 1366 |

| Process node | 28 nm | 45 nm |

| Foundry | GlobalFoundries | Intel |

| Transistors | 2,411 million | 731 million |

| Die size | 245 mm² | 263 mm² |

| L1 cache | 256 KB | 64 KB (per core) |

| L2 cache | 4 MB | 256 KB (per core) |

| L3 cache | None | 8 MB (shared) |

| Memory bus | Dual-channel | Triple-channel |

| Memory bandwidth | 34.1 GB/s | Not listed |

| PCIe | Gen 3, 16 Lanes (CPU only) | Gen 2 |

| Integrated graphics | Radeon R7 | None |

| Release date | 2015-09-28 | 2010-02-27 |

| Part number | AD865BYBI44JC | SLBKP |

The TDP difference is among the most striking specification gaps: the AMD part consumes 65 W while the Intel chip draws 130 W. That is exactly double the thermal envelope. The AMD also supports PCIe Gen 3 versus the Intel's Gen 2, and its socket is FM2+ compared to Socket 1366. Neither processor has an unlocked multiplier, and both are marked as end-of-life production status.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The Cinebench R15 multicore test opens the comparison with the AMD PRO A8-8650B scoring 275 against the Intel Core i7-930's 258. That is a 6.6% advantage for the AMD chip. This result is notable because the Intel processor has twice the thread count, yet still falls behind in a heavily multithreaded render workload. The AMD's higher clock speeds, 3.20 GHz base and 3.90 GHz boost, appear to overcome the Intel's Hyper-Threading advantage.

Cinebench R20 multicore widens the gap slightly to 6.7%, with the AMD at 1148 and the Intel at 1076. The single-core variant of the same test shows the largest margin of any benchmark: 162 vs 151, a 7.3% lead for the AMD. This suggests the AMD's per-core performance advantage is slightly more pronounced in single-threaded workloads, where the Intel's extra threads provide no benefit.

Cinebench R23 multicore repeats the 6.7% delta with scores of 2734 and 2563. The R23 single-core test shows 386 vs 361, a 6.9% margin. Across all five benchmarks, the AMD's smallest win is 6.6% and its largest is 7.3%. The consistency of these margins, all within a 0.7 percentage point band, indicates a stable performance advantage that is not workload-dependent. The Intel chip's 8 threads and 8 MB L3 cache do not translate into any benchmark victory.

The Verdict

The data presents a clear outcome: the AMD PRO A8-8650B outperforms the Intel Core i7-930 in every benchmark measured. The AMD wins all five head-to-head comparisons with margins between 6.6% and 7.3%. Its average benchmark score of 887 exceeds the Intel's 882, and its 24th percentile ranking versus all CPUs edges out the Intel's 23rd percentile. For users prioritizing raw benchmark performance, the AMD PRO A8-8650B is the superior choice.

The Intel Core i7-930, however, offers certain structural advantages that the benchmark scores do not capture. Its 8 threads provide better parallelism for workloads that scale beyond 4 threads, even if current benchmark results do not reflect a win. The triple-channel memory bus and 8 MB shared L3 cache represent a more sophisticated memory subsystem on paper. The 130 W TDP versus the AMD's 65 W also suggests the Intel chip was designed for higher sustained power delivery, though this comes at double the thermal cost.

The AMD PRO A8-8650B brings integrated Radeon R7 graphics, eliminating the need for a discrete GPU in basic systems. It also supports PCIe Gen 3, which is one generation ahead of the Intel's Gen 2. The 28 nm process yields a smaller die with more than three times the transistor count of the Intel's 45 nm design. For a system builder choosing between these two end-of-life processors today, the AMD PRO A8-8650B offers better benchmark performance, lower power consumption, and integrated graphics. The Intel Core i7-930 retains its thread-count advantage and larger L3 cache, but the data shows those features do not translate into benchmark victories.