AMD PRO A6-8550B

The AMD PRO A6-8550B is a desktop processor from AMD's Godaveri generation, using the Steamroller architecture on GlobalFoundries' 28 nm process. It has 2 cores and 2 threads, with a base clock of 3.50 and a boost clock of 4.00, a 65 W TDP, and an integrated Radeon R5 GPU. Its average benchmark score is 550, which places it at the 11th percentile of all CPUs in the database.

Single-Thread vs Multi-Thread Behavior

The benchmark data shows a large gap between single-thread and multi-thread Cinebench results. In Cinebench R20, the single-core score is 94 and the multi-core score is 671. In Cinebench R23, the single-core score is 225 and the multi-core score is 1599. The ratio between multi-core and single-core is roughly 7.1x in both R20 and R23 runs. That is noteworthy because this is a 2-core, 2-thread processor; if each thread simply added the single-thread score, the multi-core result would be closer to double, not seven times, the single-thread figure.

This unusual split implies that the single-thread and multi-thread tests are not capturing the same kind of per-core behavior. For real workloads, the absolute numbers matter more than the ratio. Lightly threaded applications will be constrained by the low single-thread scores of 94 and 225. Multi-threaded workloads will draw on both threads and produce the larger aggregate scores of 671 and 1599, but those scores are still low relative to the rest of the database. The older Cinebench R15 multi-core score is 161, another result that fits the 11th percentile placement.

What the data suggests is that this processor is not designed to win on raw single-thread speed. Instead, its performance profile is one of a part that can engage both cores for parallel render jobs but will struggle with any workload that depends heavily on a single strong thread. The fact that the multi-core score is so much higher than the single-core score in these runs complicates direct scaling analysis, but it does not change the core takeaway: both score families are far down the overall CPU distribution.

Who Should Consider It

Given the 11th percentile placement, the PRO A6-8550B is not a strong candidate for modern high-thread creation workloads. Cinebench R20 multi-core at 671 and Cinebench R23 multi-core at 1599 are low aggregate results. A user running CPU-based rendering on this chip would be working from a small performance pool relative to most CPUs in the database.

For single-thread-bound desktop tasks, the picture is even more limited. The R20 single-core score of 94 and R23 single-core score of 225 indicate that everyday lightly threaded responsiveness will be modest. Office work is not covered by any benchmark in the data, so no specific office score can be cited; however, the hardware facts are clear: 2 cores, 2 threads, dual-channel DDR3 memory support, and integrated Radeon R5 graphics. Those facts point toward a basic desktop role rather than a workstation role.

Gaming receives no direct benchmark coverage in the FACT PACK, so gaming capability should not be inferred from the Cinebench results alone. The integrated Radeon R5 can provide display output, and the 65 W TDP keeps the part in a mainstream desktop class, but no game-specific scores are present to validate or refute gaming performance. The most defensible recommendation from the data is this: the chip is best understood as a low-percentile desktop processor suited to tasks where the 2-thread architecture and integrated graphics are acceptable, not to workloads that demand high single-thread or high multi-thread throughput.

Benchmark Performance

The PRO A6-8550B's average benchmark score is 550. This places it exactly at the center of a very tight nearest-rival group. The closest rival, the Intel Core i5-2515E, also scores 550, with a deltaPct of 0. The Intel Core i5-2510E scores 551, which puts the PRO A6-8550B 0.1% behind. The AMD A6-9500 scores 549, putting it 0.3% behind the PRO A6-8550B. The AMD Athlon II X3 450 scores 547, putting it 0.5% behind.

The spread across all four nearest rivals is only four points, from 547 to 551. That means the PRO A6-8550B is part of a performance cluster where small differences in average benchmark scores are more meaningful than broad generational comparisons. The deltaPct values are tiny, ranging from -0.1% to 0.5%. In practical terms, the PRO A6-8550B is neither a clear leader nor a clear laggard within this group.

The Cinebench results provide the absolute performance context. The R20 multi-core score of 671 and R23 multi-core score of 1599 are not high in absolute terms, but they are the recorded outputs for this processor. The R23 single-core score of 225 and R20 single-core score of 94 are equally low. At the 11th percentile, the PRO A6-8550B outperforms roughly one in every nine CPUs in the database, which means the vast majority of logged processors score above it.

How It Compares

Against the Intel Core i5-2515E, the PRO A6-8550B is an exact statistical tie. Both processors have an average benchmark score of 550, and the deltaPct is 0. This rival serves as the reference point for the PRO A6-8550B's aggregate performance level.

Against the Intel Core i5-2510E, the PRO A6-8550B trails by 0.1%. The i5-2510E scores 551, one point higher on the average benchmark scale. This is the only nearest rival that sits above the PRO A6-8550B in the data.

Against the AMD A6-9500, the PRO A6-8550B leads by 0.3%. The A6-9500's average benchmark score is 549, one point lower. The delta is small enough that the two parts occupy essentially the same performance tier.

Against the AMD Athlon II X3 450, the PRO A6-8550B leads by 0.5%. The Athlon scores 547, the lowest average in the nearest-rival set. Even with that margin, the gap is just three points on the aggregate scale.

FAQ

Q: What is the Cinebench R23 multi-core score of the AMD PRO A6-8550B?

A: The multi-core score is 1599. Its single-core score in R23 is 225, while its R20 multi-core and single-core scores are 671 and 94, respectively.

Q: How does the PRO A6-8550B compare to the Intel Core i5-2515E?

A: The two have identical average benchmark scores of 550, with a deltaPct of 0.

Q: Does the PRO A6-8550B support ECC memory?

A: No. ECC memory support is false. The processor supports dual-channel DDR3 with a memory bandwidth of 29.9 GB/s.

Q: What socket does the PRO A6-8550B use?

A: It uses AMD Socket FM2+. The processor is part of the Godaveri generation and uses the Steamroller architecture.

Q: Is the PRO A6-8550B's multiplier unlocked?

A: No. The multiplierUnlocked field is false, so the part is not unlocked for simple overclocking.

Q: What integrated graphics does it include?

A: It includes Radeon R5 graphics. The FACT PACK contains no gaming or graphics benchmark scores for this processor.

Platform and Compatibility

The PRO A6-8550B is built for AMD Socket FM2+, with part number AD855BYBI23JC. Memory support is limited to DDR3, running through a dual-channel interface with 29.9 GB/s of bandwidth. ECC memory is not supported. PCIe connectivity is Gen 3 with 16 lanes available from the CPU only; the FACT PACK does not include additional chipset lane data.

The processor was released on September 28, 2015, and its production status is end-of-life. That end-of-life status has direct implications for upgrade path: the data does not identify any newer socket, generation, or successor for this Godaveri/Steamroller part. The platform is therefore defined by the FM2+ socket and the DDR3 memory bus, both of which are tied to the era of this design.

The cache layout is small by modern standards: 128 KB of L1 cache and a shared 1 MB L2 cache, with no L3 cache listed. The physical package is built on a 28 nm process with 2,411 million transistors and a die size of 245 mm². These numbers are modest in the context of the database's full processor range.

Power and Thermals

The PRO A6-8550B has a TDP of 65 W. This places it in the mainstream desktop thermal class for a 2-core, 2-thread processor. No cooler specifications, measured power draw, or thermal test scores are included in the FACT PACK, so any cooling recommendation must be inferred from the TDP figure alone.

The physical characteristics give some context: 2,411 million transistors on a 245 mm² die, built on GlobalFoundries' 28 nm process. A 65 W TDP implies a modest cooling requirement, but the database does not quantify how much heat is actually dissipated under load. What can be stated from the data is that the processor is not in a high-power desktop envelope. Its power class, socket, and dual-core layout all align with a straightforward desktop platform rather than an extreme-performance or server-class part.