A12-9800 vs Core i5-2320

CPU

GPU

A12-9800

4 Cores4 Thrd65 WWMax: 4.2 GHz2017

Popular choices:

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Core i5-2320

4 Cores4 Thrd95 WWMax: 3.3 GHz2011

Popular choices:

•••••••••

Performance Spectrum - CPU

A12-9800

4 / 4

3,695

+0.2%

Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

Core i5-2320

4 / 4

3,688

0.0%

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.

Head-to-Head Verdict, Benchmarks, Value & Long-Term Outlook

This comparison brings together gaming FPS, productivity performance, platform differences, power efficiency, pricing context, and upgrade path so you can see which CPU actually makes more sense.

A12-9800

2017

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +4.0% higher average FPS across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 65W instead of 95W, a 30W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Fewer obvious downsides in this matchup outside of normal market pricing swings.

Core i5-2320

2011

Why buy it

✅100% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 8) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than A12-9800 across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (3,688 vs 3,695).
❌Launch MSRP is still $177 MSRP, while A12-9800 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌46.2% higher power demand at 95W vs 65W.

A12-9800

2017

Core i5-2320

2011

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +4.0% higher average FPS across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 65W instead of 95W, a 30W reduction.

Why buy it

✅100% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 8) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Fewer obvious downsides in this matchup outside of normal market pricing swings.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than A12-9800 across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (3,688 vs 3,695).
❌Launch MSRP is still $177 MSRP, while A12-9800 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌46.2% higher power demand at 95W vs 65W.

Quick Answers

So, is A12-9800 better than Core i5-2320?

Yes. A12-9800 is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 4.0% average FPS lead across 2 shared CPU game tests in our data, 0.2% better PassMark, and the stronger long-term platform, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, A12-9800 is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 4.0% more average FPS across 2 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, A12-9800 is the better fit. You are getting 0.2% better PassMark, backed by 4 cores and 4 threads.

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

A12-9800 is the smarter buy by a wide margin for a fresh build. A12-9800 is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $177 MSRP, and it gives you a 4.0% average FPS lead across 2 shared CPU game tests in our data. Core i5-2320 only looks stronger on raw value math because it is extremely cheap, but that is mostly used-market pricing on an obsolete 2011 platform. Even with 100.0% better value on paper (20.8 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), it really only makes sense as a very cheap stopgap or a niche existing-platform option for someone already on LGA1155.

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

A12-9800 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2017 vs 2011) and more multi-core headroom with 4 cores / 4 threads instead of 4/4. That extra compute headroom should age better as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

Games Benchmarks

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.

A12-9800 Benchmark Check

Core i5-2320 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	A12-9800	Core i5-2320
1080p
low	92 FPS	92 FPS
medium	92 FPS	92 FPS
high	92 FPS	92 FPS
ultra	92 FPS	85 FPS
1440p
low	92 FPS	92 FPS
medium	92 FPS	92 FPS
high	92 FPS	87 FPS
ultra	76 FPS	70 FPS
4K
low	65 FPS	62 FPS
medium	58 FPS	56 FPS
high	45 FPS	43 FPS
ultra	36 FPS	34 FPS

Open A12-9800 Open Core i5-2320

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	A12-9800	Core i5-2320
1080p
low	92 FPS	92 FPS
medium	92 FPS	92 FPS
high	92 FPS	92 FPS
ultra	92 FPS	92 FPS
1440p
low	92 FPS	92 FPS
medium	92 FPS	92 FPS
high	92 FPS	92 FPS
ultra	92 FPS	87 FPS
4K
low	92 FPS	92 FPS
medium	92 FPS	92 FPS
high	92 FPS	71 FPS
ultra	92 FPS	50 FPS

Open A12-9800 Open Core i5-2320

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	A12-9800	Core i5-2320
1080p
low	92 FPS	92 FPS
medium	92 FPS	92 FPS
high	92 FPS	92 FPS
ultra	92 FPS	92 FPS
1440p
low	92 FPS	92 FPS
medium	92 FPS	92 FPS
high	92 FPS	92 FPS
ultra	92 FPS	92 FPS
4K
low	92 FPS	92 FPS
medium	92 FPS	92 FPS
high	92 FPS	92 FPS
ultra	92 FPS	92 FPS

Open A12-9800 Open Core i5-2320

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	A12-9800	Core i5-2320
1080p
low	92 FPS	92 FPS
medium	92 FPS	92 FPS
high	92 FPS	92 FPS
ultra	92 FPS	92 FPS
1440p
low	92 FPS	92 FPS
medium	92 FPS	92 FPS
high	92 FPS	92 FPS
ultra	92 FPS	92 FPS
4K
low	92 FPS	92 FPS
medium	92 FPS	92 FPS
high	92 FPS	92 FPS
ultra	92 FPS	92 FPS

Open A12-9800 Open Core i5-2320

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of A12-9800 and Core i5-2320

A12-9800

The A12-9800 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 27 July 2017 (8 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. L3 cache: 0 kB. 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: 3,695 points. Launch price was $139.

Core i5-2320

The Core i5-2320 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 4 September 2011 (14 years ago). It is based on the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 3 GHz, with boost up to 3.3 GHz. L3 cache: 6 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1155. Thermal design power (TDP): 95 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 3,688 points. Launch price was $160.

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Processing Power

Both the A12-9800 and Core i5-2320 share an identical 4-core/4-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 4.2 GHz on the A12-9800 versus 3.3 GHz on the Core i5-2320 — a 24% clock advantage for the A12-9800 (base: 3.8 GHz vs 3 GHz). The A12-9800 uses the Bristol Ridge (2016−2019) architecture (28 nm), while the Core i5-2320 uses Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) (32 nm). In PassMark, the A12-9800 scores 3,695 against the Core i5-2320's 3,688 — a 0.2% lead for the A12-9800. Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 635 vs 560, a 12.6% lead for the A12-9800 that directly translates to higher frame rates. L3 cache: 0 kB on the A12-9800 vs 6 MB (total) on the Core i5-2320.

Feature	A12-9800	Core i5-2320
Cores / Threads	4 / 4	4 / 4
Boost Clock	4.2 GHz+27%	3.3 GHz
Base Clock	3.8 GHz+27%	3 GHz
L3 Cache	0 kB	6 MB (total)
L2 Cache	2048 kB+700%	256 kB (per core)
Process	28 nm-13%	32 nm
Architecture	Bristol Ridge (2016−2019)	Sandy Bridge (2011−2013)
PassMark	3,695	3,688
Geekbench 6 Single	635+13%	560

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Memory & Platform

The A12-9800 uses the AM4 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core i5-2320 uses LGA1155 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR4-2400 on the A12-9800 versus DDR3-1333 on the Core i5-2320 — the A12-9800 supports 28.6% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The A12-9800 supports up to 64 GB of RAM compared to 32 GB — 66.7% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 8 (A12-9800) vs 16 (Core i5-2320) — the Core i5-2320 offers 8 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: A320,B350,X370 (A12-9800) and H61,H67,P67,Z68,B75,Z77 (Core i5-2320).

Feature	A12-9800	Core i5-2320
Socket	AM4	LGA1155
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0+50%	PCIe 2.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2400+33%	DDR3-1333
Max RAM Capacity	64 GB+100%	32 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	No	No
PCIe Lanes	8	16+100%

🔧

Advanced Features

Neither processor supports overclocking. Virtualization support: AMD-V (A12-9800) vs VT-x, EPT (Core i5-2320). Both include integrated graphics — Radeon R7 (A12-9800) and HD Graphics 2000 (Core i5-2320) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: A12-9800 targets Budget, Core i5-2320 targets Legacy Desktop. Direct competitor: A12-9800 rivals Pentium G4600; Core i5-2320 rivals Phenom II X4 965.