Core i3-8130U
VS
A10-7890K

Core i3-8130U vs A10-7890K

Intel

Core i3-8130U

2 Cores4 Thrd15 WWMax: 3.4 GHz2018
VS
AMD

A10-7890K

4 Cores4 Thrd95 WWMax: 4.3 GHz2016

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 Core i3-8130U is positioned at rank 1024 and the A10-7890K is on rank 364, so the A10-7890K offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.

MSRP is the manufacturer's suggested retail price.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.

Performance Per Dollar Core i3-8130U

#1012
Atom x5-Z8300
MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A
2342%
#1013
Atom Z3735G
MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A
2307%
#1014
Core i5-480M
MSRP: $81|Avg: $77
2118%
#1015
Core i5-460M
MSRP: $80|Avg: $129
2109%
#1016
Core i5-2540M
MSRP: $266|Avg: $10
2089%
#1018
Core i5-450M
MSRP: $32|Avg: $31
2018%
#1019
Core i3-380M
MSRP: $49|Avg: $25
1935%
#1020
Core i5-430M
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33
1931%
#1021
Core 2 Duo T6600
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4
1879%
#1024
Core i3-8130U
MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A
100%
#1025
Core i5-4200M
MSRP: $225|Avg: N/A
100%
#1026
Celeron 1000M
MSRP: $86|Avg: N/A
99%
#1028
Celeron B840
MSRP: $86|Avg: $15
99%
#1029
Celeron M 743
MSRP: $107|Avg: $15
99%
#1030
Core i7-3612QM
MSRP: $378|Avg: N/A
98%
#1031
Pentium 967
MSRP: $134|Avg: $10
98%
#1032
Core i5-4400E
MSRP: $266|Avg: $50
98%
#1034
Pentium Dual Core T4400
MSRP: $107|Avg: $5
96%
#1037
Core i7-8665UE
MSRP: $409|Avg: $409
95%
#1038
Celeron T3300
MSRP: $86|Avg: $15
93%
#1039
Celeron Dual-Core T3300
MSRP: $86|Avg: $30
93%
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar A10-7890K

#1
Ryzen 9 7950X
MSRP: $194|Avg: $20
5288%
#2
Core i9-10900T
MSRP: $120|Avg: $5
4996%
#3
Ryzen 3 PRO 4355GE
MSRP: $423|Avg: $5
3628%
#4
Ryzen Threadripper 3960X
MSRP: $1399|Avg: $85
1093%
#5
Ryzen 9 9950X
MSRP: $649|Avg: $129
866%
#6
Ryzen 5 8400F
MSRP: $303|Avg: $55
757%
#7
Ryzen 7 PRO 2700
MSRP: $299|Avg: $60
434%
#8
Ryzen 5 2600X
MSRP: $229|Avg: $55
428%
#9
Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G
MSRP: $150|Avg: $60
390%
#10
Core Ultra 5 245KF
MSRP: $294|Avg: $189
390%
#11
Ryzen 5 5500
MSRP: $159|Avg: $85
385%
#12
Ryzen 5 3600
MSRP: $199|Avg: $80
375%
#13
Core i3-9100E
MSRP: $202|Avg: $30
370%
#14
Core Ultra 5 245K
MSRP: $319|Avg: $200
368%
#15
Core i3-8300T
MSRP: $138|Avg: $25
365%
#319
Ryzen Embedded V1202B
MSRP: $100|Avg: $60
99%
#320
Core i3-10100
MSRP: $122|Avg: $146
99%
#321
Ryzen 5 PRO 5650GE
MSRP: $311|Avg: $311
99%
#322
Celeron G6900
MSRP: $52|Avg: $77
98%
#323
Core i9-11900K
MSRP: $539|Avg: $435
97%
#324
Core i7-12700TE
MSRP: $378|Avg: $350
96%
#325
Core i9-12900E
MSRP: $500|Avg: $500
96%
#326
Celeron G4900T
MSRP: $42|Avg: $40
95%
#363
Celeron G3920
MSRP: $40|Avg: $30
100%
#364
A10-7890K
MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A
100%
#365
Ryzen 3 1200
MSRP: $109|Avg: $50
100%
#377
Ryzen 5 1600
MSRP: $219|Avg: $144
95%
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Generational Difference: This comparison involves processors from different technological eras. The Core i3-8130U (2018) utilizes 14 nm technology and DDR3, DDR4, providing a fundamental performance advantage.
InsightCore i3-8130UA10-7890K
Gaming
Superior gaming performance
Lower gaming performance
Workstation
Weaker in multi-core tasks
Better multi-core power
Price
Equivalent pricing
Equivalent pricing
Longevity
✨ Modern (Kaby Lake Refresh (2017−2019) / 14 nm)
🛑 Legacy (Godaveri (2014−2016) / 28 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The A10-7890K (2016) relies on 28 nm technology and DDR3-2133, placing it in a different performance category relative to modern standards.
InsightCore i3-8130UA10-7890K
Cost Efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost
Equivalent pricing
Equivalent pricing

Performance Check

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.

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i3-8130U and A10-7890K

Intel

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.

AMD

A10-7890K

The A10-7890K is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 11 January 2016 (9 years ago). It is based on the Godaveri (2014−2016) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 4 GHz, with boost up to 4.3 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 4096 kB. Built on 28 nm process technology. Socket: FM2+. Thermal design power (TDP): 95 Watt. Memory support: DDR3-2133. Passmark benchmark score: 3,537 points. Launch price was $150.

Processing Power

The Core i3-8130U packs 2 cores / 4 threads, while the A10-7890K offers 4 cores / 4 threads — the A10-7890K has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.4 GHz on the Core i3-8130U versus 4.3 GHz on the A10-7890K — a 23.4% clock advantage for the A10-7890K (base: 2.2 GHz vs 4 GHz). The Core i3-8130U uses the Kaby Lake Refresh (2017−2019) architecture (14 nm), while the A10-7890K uses Godaveri (2014−2016) (28 nm). In PassMark, the Core i3-8130U scores 3,521 against the A10-7890K's 3,537 — a 0.5% lead for the A10-7890K. Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 1,050 vs 600, a 54.5% lead for the Core i3-8130U that directly translates to higher frame rates. L3 cache: 4 MB (total) on the Core i3-8130U vs 0 kB on the A10-7890K.

FeatureCore i3-8130UA10-7890K
Cores / Threads
2 / 4
4 / 4+100%
Boost Clock
3.4 GHz
4.3 GHz+26%
Base Clock
2.2 GHz
4 GHz+82%
L3 Cache
4 MB (total)
0 kB
L2 Cache
256K (per core)
4096 kB+1500%
Process
14 nm-50%
28 nm
Architecture
Kaby Lake Refresh (2017−2019)
Godaveri (2014−2016)
PassMark
3,521
3,537
Geekbench 6 Single
1,050+75%
600
🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i3-8130U uses the BGA1356 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the A10-7890K uses FM2+ (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR4-2400 on the Core i3-8130U versus DDR3-2133 on the A10-7890K — the Core i3-8130U supports 28.6% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. Both support up to 32 GB of RAM. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 12 (Core i3-8130U) vs 16 (A10-7890K) — the A10-7890K offers 4 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives.

FeatureCore i3-8130UA10-7890K
Socket
BGA1356
FM2+
PCIe Generation
PCIe 3.0
PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed
DDR4-2400+33%
DDR3-2133
Max RAM Capacity
32 GB
32 GB
RAM Channels
2
2
ECC Support
PCIe Lanes
12
16+33%
🔧

Advanced Features

Only the A10-7890K has an unlocked multiplier for overclocking — a significant advantage for enthusiasts seeking extra performance. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Core i3-8130U) vs AMD-V (A10-7890K). Both include integrated graphics UHD Graphics 620 (Core i3-8130U) and Radeon R7 (A10-7890K) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i3-8130U targets Mainstream Laptop, A10-7890K targets Budget. Direct competitor: Core i3-8130U rivals Ryzen 3 2200U; A10-7890K rivals Core i3-6100.

FeatureCore i3-8130UA10-7890K
Integrated GPU
Yes
Yes
IGPU Model
UHD Graphics 620
Radeon R7
Unlocked
No
Yes
AVX-512
No
No
Virtualization
VT-x, VT-d, EPT
AMD-V
Target Use
Mainstream Laptop
Budget