Pentium Gold G5420 vs PRO A12-9800

Pentium Gold G5420 vs PRO A12-9800 Performance Spectrum

Pentium Gold G5420

2 / 4

3,700

0.0%

3,751

+1.4%

Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

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.

Pentium Gold G5420 vs PRO A12-9800 FPS Benchmarks

Predicted gaming performance across popular games. Tested paired with GeForce RTX 5090 to isolate CPU performance.

Search any supported game below to compare 1080p FPS for both components.

Pentium Gold G5420 vs PRO A12-9800: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each CPU makes more sense in practice: gaming, heavier work, platform cost, power draw, and upgrade path.

Pentium Gold G5420

2019

Why buy it

✅Draws 54W instead of 65W, a 11W reduction.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Intel UHD Graphics 610, while PRO A12-9800 needs a discrete GPU.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike PRO A12-9800.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than PRO A12-9800 across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (3,700 vs 3,751).

PRO A12-9800

2016

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +8.5% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $110 MSRP, while Pentium Gold G5420 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌20.4% higher power demand at 65W vs 54W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Pentium Gold G5420 can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Pentium Gold G5420.

Quick Answers

So, is PRO A12-9800 better than Pentium Gold G5420?

Yes. PRO A12-9800 is the better all-around CPU here. It gives you a 8.5% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data, 1.4% better PassMark, and the stronger long-term platform, which is enough to make it the stronger overall pick.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, PRO A12-9800 is the better pick. According to our tests, it delivers 8.5% more average FPS across 50 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, PRO A12-9800 is the stronger fit. You are getting 1.4% better PassMark, backed by 4 cores and 4 threads.

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

PRO A12-9800 is the better buy right now. PRO A12-9800 comes in at an unclear MSRP at $110 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it still gives you a 8.5% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (34.1 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), so you are getting the faster CPU without taking a value hit on paper.

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

PRO A12-9800 makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting more multi-core headroom with 4 cores / 4 threads instead of 2/4. That extra compute headroom is more likely to matter as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

Pentium Gold G5420 vs PRO A12-9800 Technical Specifications

Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

Pentium Gold G5420

The Pentium Gold G5420 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 23 April 2019 (6 years ago). It is based on the Coffee Lake (2017−2019) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 3.8 GHz, with boost up to 3.8 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB. L2 cache: 512 kB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1151. Thermal design power (TDP): 54 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2400. Passmark benchmark score: 3,700 points. Launch price was $64.

PRO A12-9800

The PRO A12-9800 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 3 October 2016 (9 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. 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: 3,751 points. Launch price was $69.

⚡

Processing Power

The Pentium Gold G5420 packs 2 cores / 4 threads, while the PRO A12-9800 offers 4 cores / 4 threads — the PRO A12-9800 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.8 GHz on the Pentium Gold G5420 versus 4.2 GHz on the PRO A12-9800 — a 10% clock advantage for the PRO A12-9800 (base: 3.8 GHz vs 3.8 GHz). The Pentium Gold G5420 uses the Coffee Lake (2017−2019) architecture (14 nm), while the PRO A12-9800 uses Bristol Ridge (2016−2019) (28 nm). In PassMark, the Pentium Gold G5420 scores 3,700 against the PRO A12-9800's 3,751 — a 1.4% lead for the PRO A12-9800.

Feature	Pentium Gold G5420	PRO A12-9800
Cores / Threads	2 / 4	4 / 4+100%
Boost Clock	3.8 GHz	4.2 GHz+11%
Base Clock	3.8 GHz	3.8 GHz
L3 Cache	4 MB	—
L2 Cache	512 kB	2048 kB+300%
Process	14 nm-50%	28 nm
Architecture	Coffee Lake (2017−2019)	Bristol Ridge (2016−2019)
PassMark	3,700	3,751+1%
Geekbench 6 Single	764	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	1,515	—

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Pentium Gold G5420 uses the LGA1151 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the PRO A12-9800 uses AM4 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Pentium Gold G5420	PRO A12-9800
Socket	LGA1151	AM4
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2400	—
Max RAM Capacity	64 GB	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	Yes	—
PCIe Lanes	16	—

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: VT-x / VT-d / EPT (Pentium Gold G5420) / not specified (PRO A12-9800). The Pentium Gold G5420 includes integrated graphics (Intel UHD Graphics 610), while the PRO A12-9800 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Pentium Gold G5420 targets Office.