AMD A Series A12-9800E 4-core AM4

The AMD A12-9800E is a 35W quad-core APU with Radeon R7 graphics that's perfect for budget builds without a dedicated GPU. It's not fast by modern standards, landing in the bottom third for both single and multi-thread performance, but it's reliable, quiet, and power efficient. At $138 in the US, it's a solid value for office and home theater PCs. Just don't expect it to handle gaming or heavy workloads.

Let's talk numbers. The PassMark scores put this at 3362 multi-thread and 1530 single-thread. For context, that puts it in the bottom third of CPUs in our database for both single and multi-thread performance. The single-thread score lands around the 36th percentile, and multi-thread is even lower at the 32nd. So yeah, this is not a speed demon. But here's the thing: for the tasks this chip is actually meant for, those numbers are perfectly adequate.

The 35W TDP is the real story here. That's laptop-tier power draw in a desktop socket, which means you can run this thing with a tiny cooler, in a cramped case, and it'll stay quiet and cool. The 3.8GHz boost clock gives it enough pep for snappy web browsing and office apps. The Radeon R7 iGPU handles 4K video decode and light esports titles. Just don't expect to render video or compile code at anything approaching modern speeds. The AI and LLM score of 26.7 out of 100 is a clear signal that this chip predates the whole AI acceleration wave.

When you stack this against the competition, the picture gets clearer. The Intel Core Ultra 7 265KF is in a completely different universe, with modern architecture, way more cores, and performance that would embarrass the A12-9800E. But it also costs several times more and requires a discrete GPU. The Dell Xeon E5-2637 V2 is an interesting comparison because it's also an older chip, but it's a server part with different priorities entirely.

The real competitors for the A12-9800E are other budget APUs and older Intel chips with integrated graphics. The G.Skill Trident Z Neo isn't even a CPU, so that's a weird comparison in our database. The D&H Core i9 BX80673I99960X is a high-end part that costs way more. What this tells you is that the A12-9800E occupies a pretty lonely spot: a cheap, low-power APU with decent integrated graphics. There aren't many direct alternatives at this price point, which is probably why it's still selling years after release.

Pricing on this chip is all over the map depending on where you shop. In the US, you can grab it for $138, which is honestly pretty reasonable for a CPU with integrated graphics and a cooler. But in Europe, listings range from €231 to €247, and in Canada it's a whopping CAD 395. At the US price, this is a solid budget pick. At the European and Canadian prices, you're paying a premium for what is fundamentally a seven-year-old architecture.

The value proposition really hinges on whether you need the integrated graphics. If you're building a system without a dedicated GPU, the A12-9800E saves you $100-150 compared to buying a cheap CPU plus a budget graphics card. That's the whole ballgame. If you already have a GPU or plan to buy one, there are much better CPU-only options at similar price points. The budget score of 52.7 out of 100 reflects this split personality: great value in one specific scenario, mediocre everywhere else.

The AMD A12-9800E is one of those chips that makes you do a double take. It's a 7th generation Bristol Ridge APU from 2017, still floating around on Amazon in 2025, and honestly, it's got a weird little niche carved out for itself. This is a 35W quad-core part with Radeon R7 graphics baked in, which means it's aimed squarely at people who want a functional PC without shelling out for a separate GPU. Think office boxes, home theater setups, or a kid's first desktop.

What makes it interesting is the price-to-utility ratio. You're getting four cores at 3.1GHz base and 3.8GHz boost, 4MB of L2 cache, and a boxed cooler in the package. The integrated R7 graphics aren't going to set any records, but they'll handle desktop work, video streaming, and light gaming without breaking a sweat. For a budget build where every dollar counts, skipping the GPU entirely is a real money saver.

And the user sentiment backs this up. Owners consistently describe it as reliable, quiet, and power efficient. It's not a chip anyone brags about at LAN parties, but it's the kind of part that just works, day in and day out. The 4 out of 5 star rating across 34 reviews tells you people knew what they were buying and got what they expected.

If you're building a gaming PC, a workstation for content creation, or anything that involves heavy multi-threaded workloads, this chip is not for you. The single-thread performance in the 36th percentile and multi-thread in the 32nd percentile mean you'll feel the lag in demanding applications. Video editing, 3D rendering, and modern gaming are all going to be frustrating experiences.

You should also skip this if you're planning to use M.2 NVMe storage as your primary drive. The limited M.2 functionality via direct socket is a real constraint that owners have flagged. And if you're shopping in Europe or Canada where prices hit €231-247 or CAD 395, the value proposition falls apart entirely. At those prices, you can get a modern Ryzen 5 or Core i5 that will run circles around the A12-9800E. Look at a Ryzen 5 5600G or Intel Core i3-12100 with integrated graphics instead.

If you're building a basic home PC, an office machine, or a media center and you want to skip the graphics card, the A12-9800E is a genuinely good choice. The integrated R7 graphics are capable enough for everyday use, the 35W TDP keeps things cool and quiet, and the included cooler means one less thing to buy. At the US price of $138, it's a no-brainer for this specific use case.

But if you're planning to do any serious gaming, content creation, or productivity work, look elsewhere. The single-thread performance is going to feel sluggish in demanding applications, and the lack of AI acceleration means it's already obsolete for a growing number of tasks. For those users, a modern Ryzen 5 or Core i5 with a budget GPU will cost more upfront but deliver dramatically better performance and a real upgrade path.