A12-9800 vs Pentium Gold G5420

CPU

GPU

A12-9800

4 Cores4 Thrd65 WWMax: 4.2 GHz2017

Popular choices:

•••••••••

Pentium Gold G5420

2 Cores4 Thrd54 WWMax: 3.8 GHz2019

Popular choices:

•••••••••

Performance Spectrum - CPU

A12-9800

4 / 4

3,695

0.0%

Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

Pentium Gold G5420

2 / 4

3,700

+0.1%

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: +4.5% higher average FPS across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (3,695 vs 3,700).
❌20.4% higher power demand at 65W vs 54W.

Pentium Gold G5420

2019

Why buy it

✅+0.1% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 54W instead of 65W, a 11W reduction.
✅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.

A12-9800

2017

Pentium Gold G5420

2019

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +4.5% higher average FPS across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Why buy it

✅+0.1% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 54W instead of 65W, a 11W reduction.
✅100% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 8) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (3,695 vs 3,700).
❌20.4% higher power demand at 65W vs 54W.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than A12-9800 across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Quick Answers

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

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, A12-9800 is ahead with a 4.5% average FPS lead across 2 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Pentium Gold G5420 pulls ahead with 0.1% better PassMark.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Pentium Gold G5420 is the better fit. You are getting 0.1% better PassMark, backed by 2 cores and 4 threads.

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

Pentium Gold G5420 still looks like the safer overall buy. Pentium Gold G5420 is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you 0.1% better PassMark. That said, if you already own a compatible AM4 + DDR4 setup, A12-9800 can still make sense as a platform-matched option because it avoids a motherboard and RAM swap.

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

Pentium Gold G5420 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2019 vs 2017) and more multi-core headroom with 2 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

Pentium Gold G5420 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	A12-9800	Pentium Gold G5420
1080p
low	92 FPS	92 FPS
medium	92 FPS	92 FPS
high	92 FPS	92 FPS
ultra	92 FPS	84 FPS
1440p
low	92 FPS	92 FPS
medium	92 FPS	92 FPS
high	92 FPS	89 FPS
ultra	76 FPS	70 FPS
4K
low	65 FPS	71 FPS
medium	58 FPS	59 FPS
high	45 FPS	45 FPS
ultra	36 FPS	35 FPS

Open A12-9800 Open Pentium Gold G5420

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	A12-9800	Pentium Gold G5420
1080p
low	92 FPS	92 FPS
medium	92 FPS	92 FPS
high	92 FPS	92 FPS
ultra	92 FPS	83 FPS
1440p
low	92 FPS	92 FPS
medium	92 FPS	92 FPS
high	92 FPS	91 FPS
ultra	92 FPS	71 FPS
4K
low	92 FPS	85 FPS
medium	92 FPS	75 FPS
high	92 FPS	55 FPS
ultra	92 FPS	38 FPS

Open A12-9800 Open Pentium Gold G5420

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	A12-9800	Pentium Gold G5420
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 Pentium Gold G5420

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	A12-9800	Pentium Gold G5420
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 Pentium Gold G5420

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of A12-9800 and Pentium Gold G5420

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.

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.

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Processing Power

The A12-9800 packs 4 cores / 4 threads, while the Pentium Gold G5420 offers 2 cores / 4 threads — the A12-9800 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.2 GHz on the A12-9800 versus 3.8 GHz on the Pentium Gold G5420 — a 10% clock advantage for the A12-9800 (base: 3.8 GHz vs 3.8 GHz). The A12-9800 uses the Bristol Ridge (2016−2019) architecture (28 nm), while the Pentium Gold G5420 uses Coffee Lake (2017−2019) (14 nm). In PassMark, the A12-9800 scores 3,695 against the Pentium Gold G5420's 3,700 — a 0.1% lead for the Pentium Gold G5420. Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 635 vs 764, a 18.4% lead for the Pentium Gold G5420 that directly translates to higher frame rates. L3 cache: 0 kB on the A12-9800 vs 4 MB on the Pentium Gold G5420.

Feature	A12-9800	Pentium Gold G5420
Cores / Threads	4 / 4+100%	2 / 4
Boost Clock	4.2 GHz+11%	3.8 GHz
Base Clock	3.8 GHz	3.8 GHz
L3 Cache	0 kB	4 MB
L2 Cache	2048 kB+300%	512 kB
Process	28 nm	14 nm-50%
Architecture	Bristol Ridge (2016−2019)	Coffee Lake (2017−2019)
PassMark	3,695	3,700
Geekbench 6 Single	635	764+20%
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	1,515

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Memory & Platform

The A12-9800 uses the AM4 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Pentium Gold G5420 uses LGA1151 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR4-2400 memory speed. Both support up to 64 GB of RAM. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 8 (A12-9800) vs 16 (Pentium Gold G5420) — the Pentium Gold G5420 offers 8 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: A320,B350,X370 (A12-9800) and H310,B360,B365,H370,Z370,Z390 (Pentium Gold G5420).

Feature	A12-9800	Pentium Gold G5420
Socket	AM4	LGA1151
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2400	DDR4-2400
Max RAM Capacity	64 GB	64 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	No	Yes
PCIe Lanes	8	16+100%

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Advanced Features

Neither processor supports overclocking. Virtualization support: AMD-V (A12-9800) vs VT-x / VT-d / EPT (Pentium Gold G5420). Both include integrated graphics — Radeon R7 (A12-9800) and Intel UHD Graphics 610 (Pentium Gold G5420) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: A12-9800 targets Budget, Pentium Gold G5420 targets Office. Direct competitor: A12-9800 rivals Pentium G4600.