AMD A9-9425 vs AMD A6-9220C

AMD A9-9425

The AMD A9-9425 is an entry-level chip from the Stoney-Ridge APU series for notebooks (7th APU generation), which was announced mid 2018. Compared to the 2 year older A9-9420, the 9425 offers a 100 MHz higher CPU clock speed (base and boost). It integrates two CPU cores (one Excavator module with 2 integer and on FP unit) clocked between 3.1 - 3.7 GHz. It also includes a Radeon R5 GPU with 192 shaders at 800 MHz as well as a single-channel DDR4-2133 memory controller, H.265 video engine and chipset with all I/O ports.

Architecture

Stoney Ridge is the successor of the Carrizo architecture and the design is almost identical. Thanks to optimized manufacturing processes and more aggressive Boost behavior, however, the clocks are a bit higher at the same power consumption. The memory controller now also supports DDR4-RAM, in this case up to 2133 MHz. Stoney Ridge is the designation for the smaller dual-core and single-core chip, while Bristol Ridge is the bigger quad-core chip with dual-channel memory controller. More technical details are available in the following articles:

• AMD's Bristol Ridge and Stoney Ridge Architecture
• AMD: Bristol Ridge APUs announced

Performance

Thanks to the high maximum clock of up to 3.7 GHz, the single-core performance is adequate. The multi-core performance on the other hand is limited by the single module and therefore only positioned of the entry level of 2018 CPUs. That means the A9 is most suited for low demanding applications.

The TDP can be configured between 10-25 Watts, so there can be big performance differences under sustained workloads.

Graphics Card

The integrated Radeon R5 (Stoney Ridge) GPU has 192 active shader units (3 compute cores) clocked at up to 800 MHz. More details about the GPU are available in the linked articles above. 

Power Consumption

AMD specifies the TDP of the A9-9425 with 15 Watts, but it can be configured between 10-25 Watts. This means the CPU is a good choice for thin and light notebooks, but also 15-inch devices with better cooling capabilities.

AMD A6-9220C

The AMD A6-9220C is an entry-level chip from the Stoney-Ridge APU series for Chromebooks (7th APU generation from 2016), which was announced early 2019. Compared to the A6-9220, the 9220C is rated at a reduced TDP of 6 versus 15 Watt and also reduced clock speeds. It integrates two CPU cores (one Excavator module with 2 integer and on FP unit) clocked between 1.8 - 2.7 GHz (versus 2.5 - 2.9 GHz on the A6-9220).

Architecture

Stoney Ridge is the successor of the Carrizo architecture and the design is almost identical. Thanks to optimized manufacturing processes and more aggressive Boost behavior, however, the clocks are a bit higher at the same power consumption. The memory controller now also supports DDR4-RAM, in this case up to 2133 MHz. Stoney Ridge is the designation for the smaller dual-core and single-core chip, while Bristol Ridge is the bigger quad-core chip with dual-channel memory controller. More technical details are available in the following articles:

• AMD's Bristol Ridge and Stoney Ridge Architecture
• AMD: Bristol Ridge APUs announced

Performance

Because of the significantly lower clock speed, the A6-9220C should be noticeably slower than the old A6-9220. AMD compares the performance against the Pentium N4200 in ChromeOS and sees the A6-9220C clearly ahead. The efficiency should be worse however, due to the old manufacturing process.

Graphics Card

The integrated Radeon R4 (Stoney Ridge) GPU is a bit controversal, as AMD states 3 compute cores which should translate to 192 shaders.

Power Consumption

AMD specifies the TDP of the A6-9220C with 6 Watts which should enable thin and light (even fanless) Chromebooks.