A10-9700 vs Core i3-8130U

CPU

GPU

A10-9700

4 Cores4 Thrd65 WWMax: 3.8 GHz2017

Popular choices:

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Core i3-8130U

2 Cores4 Thrd15 WWMax: 3.4 GHz2018

Popular choices:

•••••••••

Performance Spectrum - CPU

A10-9700

4 / 4

3,555

+1.0%

Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

Core i3-8130U

2 / 4

3,521

0.0%

Core i7-3689Y

Celeron G3920

Celeron Dual-Core T1400

About PassMark

PassMark CPU Mark evaluates processor speed through complex mathematical computations. It provides a reliable metric to compare multi-core performance, where higher scores indicate faster processing for multitasking, gaming, and heavy workloads.

Head-to-Head Verdict, Benchmarks, Value & Long-Term Outlook

This comparison brings together gaming FPS, productivity performance, platform differences, power efficiency, pricing context, and upgrade path so you can see which CPU actually makes more sense.

A10-9700

2017

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +18.3% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Core i3-8130U.

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $169 MSRP, while Core i3-8130U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌333.3% higher power demand at 65W vs 15W.

Core i3-8130U

2018

Why buy it

✅Draws 15W instead of 65W, a 50W reduction.
✅50% more PCIe lanes (12 vs 8) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than A10-9700 across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (3,521 vs 3,555).
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike A10-9700.

A10-9700

2017

Core i3-8130U

2018

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +18.3% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Core i3-8130U.

Why buy it

✅Draws 15W instead of 65W, a 50W reduction.
✅50% more PCIe lanes (12 vs 8) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $169 MSRP, while Core i3-8130U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌333.3% higher power demand at 65W vs 15W.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than A10-9700 across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (3,521 vs 3,555).
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike A10-9700.

Quick Answers

So, is A10-9700 better than Core i3-8130U?

Yes. A10-9700 is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 18.3% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data, 1% better PassMark, and the stronger long-term platform, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, A10-9700 is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 18.3% more average FPS across 4 shared CPU game tests.

Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, A10-9700 is the better fit. You are getting 1% better PassMark, backed by 4 cores and 4 threads.

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?

A10-9700 is the smarter buy today. A10-9700 is at an unclear MSRP at $169 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you a 18.3% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (21.0 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), so the better CPU is not just faster, it is also the cleaner value play on paper.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

A10-9700 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting more multi-core headroom with 4 cores / 4 threads instead of 2/4. That extra compute headroom should age better as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

Games Benchmarks

Paired with RTX 4090

To accurately isolate CPU performance, all benchmarks below use an NVIDIA RTX 4090 as the reference GPU. This eliminates GPU-side bottlenecks and highlights pure processing throughput differences between the CPUs.

Note: Real-world results may vary based on your actual GPU. CPU performance impact is more visible in processing-intensive titles and high-refresh-rate gaming scenarios.

A10-9700 Benchmark Check

Core i3-8130U Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	A10-9700	Core i3-8130U
1080p
low	89 FPS	88 FPS
medium	89 FPS	88 FPS
high	89 FPS	88 FPS
ultra	89 FPS	80 FPS
1440p
low	89 FPS	88 FPS
medium	89 FPS	88 FPS
high	89 FPS	86 FPS
ultra	75 FPS	67 FPS
4K
low	64 FPS	69 FPS
medium	57 FPS	58 FPS
high	45 FPS	44 FPS
ultra	35 FPS	35 FPS

Open A10-9700 Open Core i3-8130U

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	A10-9700	Core i3-8130U
1080p
low	89 FPS	73 FPS
medium	89 FPS	65 FPS
high	89 FPS	61 FPS
ultra	89 FPS	45 FPS
1440p
low	89 FPS	61 FPS
medium	89 FPS	53 FPS
high	89 FPS	50 FPS
ultra	89 FPS	39 FPS
4K
low	89 FPS	43 FPS
medium	89 FPS	39 FPS
high	89 FPS	28 FPS
ultra	68 FPS	20 FPS

Open A10-9700 Open Core i3-8130U

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	A10-9700	Core i3-8130U
1080p
low	89 FPS	88 FPS
medium	89 FPS	88 FPS
high	89 FPS	88 FPS
ultra	89 FPS	88 FPS
1440p
low	89 FPS	88 FPS
medium	89 FPS	88 FPS
high	89 FPS	88 FPS
ultra	89 FPS	88 FPS
4K
low	89 FPS	88 FPS
medium	89 FPS	88 FPS
high	89 FPS	88 FPS
ultra	89 FPS	88 FPS

Open A10-9700 Open Core i3-8130U

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	A10-9700	Core i3-8130U
1080p
low	89 FPS	88 FPS
medium	89 FPS	88 FPS
high	89 FPS	88 FPS
ultra	89 FPS	88 FPS
1440p
low	89 FPS	88 FPS
medium	89 FPS	88 FPS
high	89 FPS	88 FPS
ultra	89 FPS	88 FPS
4K
low	89 FPS	88 FPS
medium	89 FPS	88 FPS
high	89 FPS	88 FPS
ultra	89 FPS	88 FPS

Open A10-9700 Open Core i3-8130U

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of A10-9700 and Core i3-8130U

A10-9700

The A10-9700 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 27 July 2017 (8 years ago). It is based on the Bristol Ridge (2016−2019) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 3.5 GHz, with boost up to 3.8 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 2048 kB. Built on 28 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2400. Passmark benchmark score: 3,555 points. Launch price was $90.

Core i3-8130U

The Core i3-8130U is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 13 February 2018 (7 years ago). It is based on the Kaby Lake Refresh (2017−2019) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.2 GHz, with boost up to 3.4 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: BGA1356. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR3, DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 3,521 points. Launch price was $281.

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Processing Power

The A10-9700 packs 4 cores / 4 threads, while the Core i3-8130U offers 2 cores / 4 threads — the A10-9700 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.8 GHz on the A10-9700 versus 3.4 GHz on the Core i3-8130U — a 11.1% clock advantage for the A10-9700 (base: 3.5 GHz vs 2.2 GHz). The A10-9700 uses the Bristol Ridge (2016−2019) architecture (28 nm), while the Core i3-8130U uses Kaby Lake Refresh (2017−2019) (14 nm). In PassMark, the A10-9700 scores 3,555 against the Core i3-8130U's 3,521 — a 1% lead for the A10-9700. Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 642 vs 1,050, a 48.2% lead for the Core i3-8130U that directly translates to higher frame rates. L3 cache: 0 kB on the A10-9700 vs 4 MB (total) on the Core i3-8130U.

Feature	A10-9700	Core i3-8130U
Cores / Threads	4 / 4+100%	2 / 4
Boost Clock	3.8 GHz+12%	3.4 GHz
Base Clock	3.5 GHz+59%	2.2 GHz
L3 Cache	0 kB	4 MB (total)
L2 Cache	2048 kB+700%	256K (per core)
Process	28 nm	14 nm-50%
Architecture	Bristol Ridge (2016−2019)	Kaby Lake Refresh (2017−2019)
PassMark	3,555	3,521
Geekbench 6 Single	642	1,050+64%

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Memory & Platform

The A10-9700 uses the AM4 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core i3-8130U uses BGA1356 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR4-2400 memory speed. The A10-9700 supports up to 64 GB of RAM compared to 32 GB — 66.7% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 8 (A10-9700) vs 12 (Core i3-8130U) — the Core i3-8130U offers 4 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives.

Feature	A10-9700	Core i3-8130U
Socket	AM4	BGA1356
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2400	DDR4-2400
Max RAM Capacity	64 GB+100%	32 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	No	No
PCIe Lanes	8	12+50%

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Advanced Features

Neither processor supports overclocking. Virtualization support: AMD-V (A10-9700) vs VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Core i3-8130U). Both include integrated graphics — Radeon R7 (A10-9700) and UHD Graphics 620 (Core i3-8130U) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: A10-9700 targets Budget, Core i3-8130U targets Mainstream Laptop. Direct competitor: A10-9700 rivals Pentium G4560; Core i3-8130U rivals Ryzen 3 2200U.