AMD PRO A8-9600 vs Intel Core i5-2400S Comparison

The Verdict

The data is unambiguous: the AMD PRO A8-9600 beats the Intel Core i5-2400S in every single benchmark recorded. Across five Cinebench tests, the AMD part wins all five, with a consistent 8.4% margin in each. The average benchmark scores confirm this: the AMD PRO A8-9600 sits at 971, while the Intel Core i5-2400S scores 968, a 0.3% difference in the AMD’s favor. Both CPUs occupy the 26th percentile of all processors, meaning they are entry-level parts by modern standards, but the AMD chip is the faster one in this pairing.

Who should pick the AMD PRO A8-9600? Anyone building on the AMD Socket AM4 platform who wants a working desktop CPU with a Radeon R7 integrated GPU, DDR4 memory support, and a 28nm Excavator architecture. It is still marked as Active production status, so it remains available for new systems. Who should pick the Intel Core i5-2400S? Only someone who already owns an LGA 1155 motherboard and needs a drop-in replacement, since this chip is End-of-life and offers no performance advantage over the AMD part. The data shows no scenario where the Intel chip wins a benchmark, so a fresh build should favor the AMD PRO A8-9600.

FAQ

Q: Which CPU has a higher multicore score in Cinebench R23?

A: The AMD PRO A8-9600 scores 2820, while the Intel Core i5-2400S scores 2601. That is an 8.4% advantage for the AMD chip.

Q: How do the single-core scores compare?

A: In Cinebench R23 single-core, the AMD PRO A8-9600 scores 398 versus the Intel Core i5-2400S’s 367. The AMD part leads by 8.4% here as well.

Q: Are both CPUs quad-core with four threads?

A: Yes, both have 4 cores and 4 threads. No hyper-threading or SMT is present on either part.

Q: Which CPU supports DDR4 memory?

A: The AMD PRO A8-9600 supports DDR4, while the Intel Core i5-2400S only supports DDR3. The AMD part also has a rated memory bandwidth of 38.4 GB/s; the Intel chip has no bandwidth figure listed.

Q: What is the process node difference?

A: The AMD PRO A8-9600 uses a 28nm process from GlobalFoundries, while the Intel Core i5-2400S uses a 32nm process from Intel. The AMD part also has more transistors: 3,100 million versus 1,160 million.

Q: Which CPU has a larger total cache?

A: The Intel Core i5-2400S has 6 MB of shared L3 cache, whereas the AMD PRO A8-9600 has no L3 cache at all. The AMD chip has 2 MB of L2 and 320 KB of L1, while the Intel chip has 256 KB L2 per core and 64 KB L1 per core.

Architecture Differences

The two CPUs come from fundamentally different design philosophies. The AMD PRO A8-9600 uses the Excavator architecture, codenamed Bristol Ridge, built on a 28nm process at GlobalFoundries. It packs 3,100 million transistors onto a 250 mm² die. The Intel Core i5-2400S uses the Sandy Bridge architecture, also its codename, built on a 32nm process at Intel. That chip has 1,160 million transistors on a 216 mm² die. The AMD part is roughly 2.7 times denser in transistor count, but the Intel chip has a smaller physical die.

Cache hierarchy differs significantly. The AMD PRO A8-9600 has 320 KB of L1 and 2 MB of L2, with no L3 cache at all. The Intel Core i5-2400S has 64 KB of L1 per core and 256 KB of L2 per core, plus 6 MB of shared L3 cache. That L3 cache is a major architectural advantage for Intel in theory, but benchmark results show it does not translate into a performance win in Cinebench. The AMD part compensates with a higher base clock and a different execution core design.

Integrated graphics also differ. The AMD PRO A8-9600 includes a Radeon R7 iGPU, while the Intel Core i5-2400S includes Intel HD 2000. Neither is a gaming powerhouse, but the Radeon R7 is the more capable of the two based on generation and naming. Memory support is another split: the AMD chip uses DDR4 with dual-channel configuration and a measured 38.4 GB/s bandwidth, while the Intel chip uses DDR3, also dual-channel, but no bandwidth figure is provided. PCIe lane counts differ as well: the AMD part offers Gen 3 with 8 CPU lanes, while the Intel part offers Gen 3 with 16 CPU lanes.

Specification Differences

The core counts are identical: 4 cores and 4 threads on both. The base clocks differ: the AMD PRO A8-9600 runs at 3.10 GHz, while the Intel Core i5-2400S runs at 2.50 GHz. Boost clocks are closer, with the AMD chip at 3.40 GHz and the Intel chip at 3.30 GHz. TDP is the same at 65 watts for both. Neither CPU has an unlocked multiplier.

Sockets are incompatible: AMD uses Socket AM4, Intel uses Socket 1155. Process nodes differ (28nm vs 32nm), as do foundries (GlobalFoundries vs Intel). Transistor counts and die sizes are different, as detailed above. Cache configurations are entirely different, with the Intel chip having L3 and the AMD chip having none. Memory support is DDR4 versus DDR3. PCIe lanes are 8 on the AMD part versus 16 on the Intel part. The integrated GPU is Radeon R7 versus Intel HD 2000. Production status is Active for AMD and End-of-life for Intel. Release dates differ: the AMD chip launched in October 2016, the Intel chip in January 2011. Neither has a launch MSRP listed.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

Every recorded benchmark goes to the AMD PRO A8-9600 with the exact same 8.4% delta. In Cinebench R15 multicore, the AMD chip scores 284 versus 262 for the Intel chip. In Cinebench R20 multicore, the scores are 1184 and 1092, respectively. Cinebench R20 single-core shows 167 versus 154. Cinebench R23 multicore is 2820 versus 2601. Cinebench R23 single-core is 398 versus 367. The Intel Core i5-2400S has no wins in any head-to-head test.

The consistent 8.4% margin across both single-core and multicore tests suggests the AMD part has a uniform clock-and-IPC advantage in Cinebench workloads. The Intel chip’s higher clocks at boost (3.30 GHz vs 3.40 GHz) are actually slightly lower than the AMD chip’s boost, and its base clock is 0.60 GHz lower. The Intel part’s 6 MB of L3 cache does not help it close the gap. The AMD chip’s higher average benchmark score of 971 versus 968 reflects this same narrow but consistent edge.

It is also worth remembering the Intel Core i5-2400S has two additional benchmark results in the Geekbench suite — a multicore score of 1709 and a single-core score of 593 — but the AMD PRO A8-9600 has no Geekbench results in the data. Those Intel-only scores do not factor into the head-to-head comparisons, which are exclusively Cinebench. The average benchmark scores, however, include all available data for each chip, and the AMD part still leads by 0.3%.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD PRO A8-9600 wins everywhere in the recorded benchmarks. It takes all five Cinebench tests, covering both multicore and single-core workloads, with identical 8.4% margins. If you are rendering in Cinebench R15, R20, or R23, the AMD chip is faster. If you are running single-threaded tasks that resemble Cinebench’s single-core test, the AMD chip is faster. The data provides no scenario where the Intel Core i5-2400S outperforms the AMD part.

The Intel Core i5-2400S has theoretical advantages that do not show up in benchmark scores: it has 6 MB of shared L3 cache, 16 PCIe Gen 3 lanes, and a smaller die. It also has a lower transistor count and a smaller process node, which might imply lower power draw per transistor, but the TDP is identical at 65 watts. The Intel chip’s only unique benchmark data is in Geekbench, where it scores 1709 multicore and 593 single-core, but there is no AMD Geekbench score to compare against.

For a practical builder, the AMD PRO A8-9600 is the clear pick. It is newer (2016 vs 2011), still in production, supports DDR4, and wins every benchmark where both are measured. The Intel chip is only relevant if you are stuck with an LGA 1155 board. In any head-to-head comparison, the AMD part is the one to buy.