Intel Pentium Gold 4417U vs AMD A4-9120
Intel Pentium Gold 4417U
► remove from comparisonThe Intel Pentium Gold Processor 4417U is a power efficient dual-core SoC for entry level laptops based on the Kaby Lake Refresh generation (not Coffee Lake). It was announced in February 2019 and integrates two "big" cores (similar to the Core i3, i5 and i7 CPUs) clocked at 2.3 GHz (fixed, no Turbo Boost). The integrated graphics card is named Intel HD Graphics 610 and offers 12 EUs clocked at 300 - 950 MHz. The integrated memory controller supports slower memory speeds than the faster i3 and i5 models (DDR4-2133 / LPDDR3-1866 / DDR3L-1600) and dual channel memory.
Architecture
Intel basically uses the same micro architecture compared to Skylake, so the per-MHz performance does not differ. The manufacturer only reworked the Speed Shift technology for faster dynamic adjustments of voltages and clocks, and the improved 14nm process allows much higher frequencies combined with better efficiency than before.
Performance
With a fixed clock speed of 2.3 GHz, the dual core CPU is clearly slower than models with Turbo Boost and high clock speeds for single thread performance. The multi thread performance however is also limited due to the two cores. The faster Core i5-8250U offers four processor cores and fast Turbo Boost speeds therefore offers a much better performance. Still, the Pentium 4417U offers enough performance for daily tasks and non demanding applications.
Power Consumption
The chip is most likely manufactured in an improved 14nm process with FinFET transistors (14nm+), the same as the 7th Gen Kaby Lake processors. Intel still specifies the TDP with 15 Watts, which is typical for ULV chips. According to Intel it can be configured to 12.5 Watt at 800 MHz (cTDP-down) with a clearly reduced performance.
AMD A4-9120
► remove from comparisonThe AMD A4-9120 is an entry-level chip from the Stoney-Ridge APU series for notebooks (7th APU generation), which was announced mid 2017. At its launch, the A4-9210 is a mid-range Stoney Ridge processor (dual-core version of Bristol Ridge) and integrates two CPU cores (one Excavator module with 2 integer and on FP unit) clocked between 2.2 - 2.5 GHz. It also includes a Radeon R3 GPU with 128 shaders at 655 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:
Performance
Because of the significantly lower clock range, the A4-9120 should be noticeably slower than the A6-9210 or A9-9410.
Graphics Card
The integrated Radeon R2 (Stoney Ridge) GPU offers only 2 CUs (=128 shaders) and a core clock of 655 MHz. More details about the GPU are available in the linked articles above.
Power Consumption
AMD specifies the TDP of the A4-9120 with 15 Watts, but it can be configured between 10-15 Watts. This means the APU is a good choice for thin and light notebooks.
Model | Intel Pentium Gold 4417U | AMD A4-9120 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Series | Intel Kaby Lake Refresh | AMD Bristol Ridge | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Codename | Kaby Lake Refresh | Stoney Ridge | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Series: Bristol Ridge Stoney Ridge |
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Clock | 2300 MHz | 2200 - 2500 MHz | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
L1 Cache | 256 KB | 160 KB | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
L2 Cache | 1 MB | 1 MB | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
L3 Cache | 2 MB | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Cores / Threads | 2 / 4 | 2 / 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
TDP | 15 Watt | 10-15 Watt | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Technology | 14 nm | 28 nm | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Socket | BGA1356 | BGA | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Features | Dual-Channel DDR4/LPDDR3 Memory Controller, HyperThreading | Single-Channel DDR4-2133, Virtualization, | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
iGPU | Intel HD Graphics 610 (300 - 950 MHz) | AMD Radeon R2 (Stoney Ridge) ( - 655 MHz) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Architecture | x86 | x86 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
$161 U.S. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Announced | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Manufacturer | ark.intel.com | products.amd.com | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Transistors | 1200 Million | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Die Size | 124.5 mm2 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
max. Temp. | 90 °C |