AMD PRO A8-8650B vs Intel Pentium G4560T Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark data divides these two processors into two distinct performance profiles. The AMD PRO A8-8650B wins five of the seven head-to-head tests, but the Intel Pentium G4560T claims the two most decisive victories. The overall average benchmark score is identical at 887 for both parts, which places them in the same 24th percentile of all CPUs — a statistical tie that masks very different behavior under different workloads.

In the Cinebench suite, the AMD part leads consistently. The PRO A8-8650B scores 275 in Cinebench R15 multicore against the Pentium's 256, a delta of -6.9% from the Intel side. That pattern repeats across every Cinebench iteration: R20 multicore shows 1148 versus 1068 (-7%), R23 multicore shows 2734 versus 2544 (-6.9%), and in single-core tests the AMD chip leads R20 single-core 162 to 150 (-7.4%) and R23 single-core 386 to 359 (-7%). The AMD lead is remarkably uniform, hovering around 7% in all five Cinebench tests, suggesting a consistent architectural advantage in this rendering workload rather than a test-specific quirk.

The Geekbench results tell a completely different story. Here the Intel Pentium G4560T dominates. In Geekbench multicore, the Pentium scores 1237 against the AMD's 1060, a 16.7% advantage. The single-core gap is even larger: 594 versus 441, a 34.7% lead for the Intel part. These are substantial margins — the kind of difference that would be visible in everyday responsiveness and lightly-threaded applications.

The win count is lopsided at 5-2 in favor of AMD, but the magnitude of Intel's two wins nearly offsets the narrow AMD victories. The AMD's five wins average around 7% each, while Intel's two wins average over 25%. This is a classic split between multi-threaded rendering performance (where AMD's four physical cores help) and bursty, low-thread-count workloads (where Intel's newer architecture and higher per-core efficiency shine).

FAQ

Q: Which processor has the higher average benchmark score?

A: Both are exactly tied at an average benchmark score of 887, and both sit in the 24th percentile of all CPUs. The nearest rivals to both are the Intel Xeon X5550 (avg score 888) and Intel Core i7-860 (avg score 886), with the Intel Core i3-6100 also at 888.

Q: How large is the AMD's lead in Cinebench R23 multicore?

A: The AMD PRO A8-8650B scores 2734 in Cinebench R23 multicore against the Pentium's 2544, a 6.9% advantage. This is consistent with the R15 multicore result, where AMD leads 275 to 256 (also 6.9%).

Q: Is the Intel part competitive in any benchmark?

A: Yes, the Pentium G4560T wins both Geekbench tests decisively. It leads Geekbench multicore 1237 to 1060 (16.7%) and Geekbench single-core 594 to 441 (34.7%). No other benchmark in the data favors the Intel chip.

Q: Do the two processors share the same socket?

A: No. The Intel Pentium G4560T uses Intel Socket 1151, while the AMD PRO A8-8650B uses AMD Socket FM2+. They are not interchangeable.

Q: What is the production status of each chip?

A: The Intel Pentium G4560T is listed as Active production, while the AMD PRO A8-8650B is marked End-of-life. The Intel part also has a later release date (2017-01-02) compared to the AMD (2015-09-28).

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from fundamentally different design eras and philosophies. The Intel Pentium G4560T is built on Kaby Lake architecture using a 14 nm process node, fabricated by Intel. The AMD PRO A8-8650B uses Steamroller architecture (codename Godaveri) on a 28 nm process from GlobalFoundries. The process node difference alone — 14 nm versus 28 nm — explains much of the efficiency gap between them.

The core configurations differ in a way that directly impacts benchmark results. Intel provides 2 physical cores with 4 threads (Hyper-Threading), while AMD provides 4 physical cores with 4 threads (no SMT). This means the AMD part has twice the physical core count, but the Intel part can process the same number of threads simultaneously. In the Cinebench results, AMD's extra physical cores give it a consistent edge; in Geekbench, Intel's architecture appears to extract more from each thread.

Cache hierarchies are structured differently. The Intel chip has 64 KB of L1 per core, 256 KB of L2 per core, and 3 MB of shared L3 cache. The AMD part lists 256 KB of L1 total and 4 MB of L2 total, with no L3 cache reported. The AMD die is significantly larger at 245 mm² with 2,411 million transistors, reflecting the older process node.

Integrated graphics also differ: Intel pairs the CPU with Intel HD 610, while AMD includes Radeon R7 graphics. Both use dual-channel memory and PCIe Gen 3 with 16 CPU lanes, but the memory types differ (DDR4 for Intel, DDR3 for AMD), which affects the memory bandwidth figures — 38.4 GB/s for Intel versus 34.1 GB/s for AMD.

Specification Differences

The clock speeds are a clear point of divergence. The AMD PRO A8-8650B has a base clock of 3.20 GHz and a boost clock of 3.90 GHz, while the Intel Pentium G4560T runs at a fixed 2.90 GHz with no boost capability. Despite the lower clock, the Intel part consumes less power: 35 W TDP versus 65 W for the AMD.

The memory ecosystems are incompatible. Intel supports DDR4 with 38.4 GB/s bandwidth; AMD supports DDR3 with 34.1 GB/s. Both are dual-channel, but the newer DDR4 standard gives Intel a bandwidth advantage on paper. Neither processor supports ECC memory.

Physical specifications differ substantially. The AMD chip has a larger transistor count (2,411 million) and die size (245 mm²), while the Intel part does not report these figures. The Intel chip uses a 14 nm node versus AMD's 28 nm. Sockets are different (Intel Socket 1151 versus AMD Socket FM2+), and neither processor has an unlocked multiplier.

Release timing favors Intel by roughly 15 months: the Pentium launched in January 2017, while the AMD arrived in September 2015. The AMD part is now End-of-life, while Intel's remains Active in production.

The Verdict

The data presents a nuanced picture that defies a simple overall winner. In raw average benchmark score, they are identical at 887, and both occupy the same 24th percentile. The nearest rivals to both are essentially the same group — the Intel Xeon X5550 at 888, the Intel Core i3-6100 at 888, and the Intel Core i7-860 at 886 — which places these two chips in the same performance class despite their architectural differences.

For users prioritizing Cinebench-style rendering workloads, the AMD PRO A8-8650B is the clear choice. It wins all five Cinebench tests by a consistent 6.9% to 7.4% margin. The four physical cores provide a measurable advantage in these multi-threaded rendering tasks, and the gap is stable across every version of the benchmark tested.

For users prioritizing single-threaded performance or Geekbench-style system benchmarks, the Intel Pentium G4560T is decisively better. Its 34.7% lead in Geekbench single-core and 16.7% lead in Geekbench multicore are far larger than AMD's Cinebench margins. The newer Kaby Lake architecture, despite running at a lower clock speed (2.90 GHz versus 3.20 GHz base), extracts significantly more performance per thread.

The production status is a practical consideration. The Intel part remains Active, while the AMD part is End-of-life. For new system builds, the Intel chip offers a longer support horizon. However, the AMD's lower release date and existing installed base may matter for legacy system upgrades.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD PRO A8-8650B wins in every Cinebench scenario. This includes R15 multicore (275 versus 256), R20 multicore (1148 versus 1068), R20 single-core (162 versus 150), R23 multicore (2734 versus 2544), and R23 single-core (386 versus 359). The margins are tight but consistent, making the AMD the safer pick for rendering, video encoding, and other Cinebench-like workloads where every percent of multicore throughput counts.

The Intel Pentium G4560T wins in Geekbench scenarios, and wins big. The multicore score of 1237 versus 1060 represents a 16.7% advantage, while the single-core score of 594 versus 441 is a 34.7% blowout. These results point to strengths in application startup, web browsing, office productivity, and any software that relies on single-threaded performance or bursty CPU activity.

The overall win count favors AMD at 5-2, but the magnitude analysis favors Intel. AMD's five wins average roughly 7%; Intel's two wins average over 25%. In practical terms, a user who spends most time in Cinebench-style rendering would notice the AMD's modest but real advantage. A user who runs general-purpose applications would likely notice the Intel's substantial lead in Geekbench.

The tie in average benchmark score (887 each) and identical percentile ranking (24th) means neither part can claim overall superiority. The choice comes down to workload composition. For rendering and multi-threaded compute, take the AMD. For responsiveness and single-threaded tasks, take the Intel. The data does not support a universal recommendation beyond that.