A12-9800 vs Xeon L5638
A12-9800
Xeon L5638
Performance Spectrum - CPU
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.
Value Upgrade Path
This is the official ChipVERSUS Value Rating, comparing raw performance (PassMark) per dollar. Components placed above yours deliver better value for money. The A12-9800 is positioned at rank 345 and the Xeon L5638 is on rank 644, so the A12-9800 offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar A12-9800
Performance Per Dollar Xeon L5638
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | A12-9800 | Xeon L5638 |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ✅ Superior gaming performance | ❌ Lower gaming performance |
| Workstation | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks | ✅ Better multi-core power |
| Price | Equivalent pricing | Equivalent pricing |
| Longevity | ✨ Modern (Bristol Ridge (2016−2019) / 28 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Westmere-EP (2010−2011) / 32 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | A12-9800 | Xeon L5638 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | Equivalent pricing | Equivalent pricing |
Performance Check
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.
Technical Specifications
Side-by-side comparison of A12-9800 and Xeon L5638
A12-9800
The A12-9800 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 3.8 GHz, with boost up to 4.2 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: 3,695 points. Launch price was $139.
Xeon L5638
The Xeon L5638 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 16 March 2010 (15 years ago). It is based on the Westmere-EP (2010−2011) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 2 GHz, with boost up to 2.4 GHz. L3 cache: 12 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1366. Thermal design power (TDP): 60 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 3,707 points. Launch price was $90.
Processing Power
The A12-9800 packs 4 cores / 4 threads, while the Xeon L5638 offers 6 cores / 12 threads — the Xeon L5638 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.2 GHz on the A12-9800 versus 2.4 GHz on the Xeon L5638 — a 54.5% clock advantage for the A12-9800 (base: 3.8 GHz vs 2 GHz). The A12-9800 uses the Bristol Ridge (2016−2019) architecture (28 nm), while the Xeon L5638 uses Westmere-EP (2010−2011) (32 nm). In PassMark, the A12-9800 scores 3,695 against the Xeon L5638's 3,707 — a 0.3% lead for the Xeon L5638. L3 cache: 0 kB on the A12-9800 vs 12 MB (total) on the Xeon L5638.
| Feature | A12-9800 | Xeon L5638 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 4 / 4 | 6 / 12+50% |
| Boost Clock | 4.2 GHz+75% | 2.4 GHz |
| Base Clock | 3.8 GHz+90% | 2 GHz |
| L3 Cache | 0 kB | 12 MB (total) |
| L2 Cache | 2048 kB+700% | 256 kB (per core) |
| Process | 28 nm-13% | 32 nm |
| Architecture | Bristol Ridge (2016−2019) | Westmere-EP (2010−2011) |
| PassMark | 3,695 | 3,707 |
| Geekbench 6 Single | 635 | — |
Memory & Platform
The A12-9800 uses the AM4 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Xeon L5638 uses LGA1366 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | A12-9800 | Xeon L5638 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | AM4 | LGA1366 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 3.0 | PCIe 4.0+33% |
| Max RAM Speed | DDR4-2400 | — |
| Max RAM Capacity | 64 GB | — |
| RAM Channels | 2 | — |
| ECC Support | ❌ | — |
| PCIe Lanes | 8 | — |
Advanced Features
Virtualization: AMD-V (A12-9800) / not specified (Xeon L5638). The A12-9800 includes integrated graphics (Radeon R7), while the Xeon L5638 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: A12-9800 targets Budget. Direct competitor: A12-9800 rivals Pentium G4600.
| Feature | A12-9800 | Xeon L5638 |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | Yes | — |
| IGPU Model | Radeon R7 | — |
| Unlocked | No | — |
| AVX-512 | No | — |
| Virtualization | AMD-V | — |
| Target Use | Budget | — |
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