A12-9800 vs Ryzen 3 3250U

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: +7.6% higher average FPS across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (8 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Radeon R7, while Ryzen 3 3250U needs a discrete GPU.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Ryzen 3 3250U.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (3,695 vs 3,718).
❌333.3% higher power demand at 65W vs 15W.

Ryzen 3 3250U

2020

Why buy it

✅+0.6% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 15W instead of 65W, a 50W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than A12-9800 across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌No integrated graphics, while A12-9800 can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike A12-9800.

A12-9800

2017

Ryzen 3 3250U

2020

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +7.6% higher average FPS across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (8 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Radeon R7, while Ryzen 3 3250U needs a discrete GPU.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Ryzen 3 3250U.

Why buy it

✅+0.6% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 15W instead of 65W, a 50W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (3,695 vs 3,718).
❌333.3% higher power demand at 65W vs 15W.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than A12-9800 across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌No integrated graphics, while A12-9800 can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike A12-9800.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 3 3250U better than A12-9800?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, A12-9800 is ahead with a 7.6% average FPS lead across 2 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 3 3250U pulls ahead with 0.6% better PassMark.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 3 3250U is the better fit. You are getting 0.6% better PassMark, backed by 2 cores and 4 threads.

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

Ryzen 3 3250U still looks like the safer overall buy. Ryzen 3 3250U is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you 0.6% better PassMark.

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

Ryzen 3 3250U is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2020 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

Ryzen 3 3250U Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	A12-9800	Ryzen 3 3250U
1080p
low	92 FPS	93 FPS
medium	92 FPS	93 FPS
high	92 FPS	93 FPS
ultra	92 FPS	78 FPS
1440p
low	92 FPS	93 FPS
medium	92 FPS	93 FPS
high	92 FPS	85 FPS
ultra	76 FPS	66 FPS
4K
low	65 FPS	67 FPS
medium	58 FPS	56 FPS
high	45 FPS	43 FPS
ultra	36 FPS	34 FPS

Open A12-9800 Open Ryzen 3 3250U

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	A12-9800	Ryzen 3 3250U
1080p
low	92 FPS	93 FPS
medium	92 FPS	93 FPS
high	92 FPS	92 FPS
ultra	92 FPS	66 FPS
1440p
low	92 FPS	93 FPS
medium	92 FPS	82 FPS
high	92 FPS	74 FPS
ultra	92 FPS	57 FPS
4K
low	92 FPS	66 FPS
medium	92 FPS	59 FPS
high	92 FPS	41 FPS
ultra	92 FPS	28 FPS

Open A12-9800 Open Ryzen 3 3250U

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	A12-9800	Ryzen 3 3250U
1080p
low	92 FPS	93 FPS
medium	92 FPS	93 FPS
high	92 FPS	93 FPS
ultra	92 FPS	93 FPS
1440p
low	92 FPS	93 FPS
medium	92 FPS	93 FPS
high	92 FPS	93 FPS
ultra	92 FPS	93 FPS
4K
low	92 FPS	93 FPS
medium	92 FPS	93 FPS
high	92 FPS	93 FPS
ultra	92 FPS	93 FPS

Open A12-9800 Open Ryzen 3 3250U

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	A12-9800	Ryzen 3 3250U
1080p
low	92 FPS	93 FPS
medium	92 FPS	93 FPS
high	92 FPS	93 FPS
ultra	92 FPS	93 FPS
1440p
low	92 FPS	93 FPS
medium	92 FPS	93 FPS
high	92 FPS	93 FPS
ultra	92 FPS	93 FPS
4K
low	92 FPS	93 FPS
medium	92 FPS	93 FPS
high	92 FPS	93 FPS
ultra	92 FPS	93 FPS

Open A12-9800 Open Ryzen 3 3250U

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of A12-9800 and Ryzen 3 3250U

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.

Ryzen 3 3250U

The Ryzen 3 3250U is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 6 January 2020 (5 years ago). It is based on the Picasso (2019−2022) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.6 GHz, with boost up to 3.5 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB (total). L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: FP5. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 3,718 points. Launch price was $69.

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Processing Power

The A12-9800 packs 4 cores / 4 threads, while the Ryzen 3 3250U offers 2 cores / 4 threads — the A12-9800 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.2 GHz on the A12-9800 versus 3.5 GHz on the Ryzen 3 3250U — a 18.2% clock advantage for the A12-9800 (base: 3.8 GHz vs 2.6 GHz). The A12-9800 uses the Bristol Ridge (2016−2019) architecture (28 nm), while the Ryzen 3 3250U uses Picasso (2019−2022) (14 nm). In PassMark, the A12-9800 scores 3,695 against the Ryzen 3 3250U's 3,718 — a 0.6% lead for the Ryzen 3 3250U. L3 cache: 0 kB on the A12-9800 vs 4 MB (total) on the Ryzen 3 3250U.

Feature	A12-9800	Ryzen 3 3250U
Cores / Threads	4 / 4+100%	2 / 4
Boost Clock	4.2 GHz+20%	3.5 GHz
Base Clock	3.8 GHz+46%	2.6 GHz
L3 Cache	0 kB	4 MB (total)
L2 Cache	2048 kB+300%	512 kB (per core)
Process	28 nm	14 nm-50%
Architecture	Bristol Ridge (2016−2019)	Picasso (2019−2022)
PassMark	3,695	3,718
Geekbench 6 Single	635	—

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Memory & Platform

The A12-9800 uses the AM4 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Ryzen 3 3250U uses FP5 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	A12-9800	Ryzen 3 3250U
Socket	AM4	FP5
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2400	—
Max RAM Capacity	64 GB	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	No	—
PCIe Lanes	8	—

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Advanced Features

Virtualization: AMD-V (A12-9800) / not specified (Ryzen 3 3250U). The A12-9800 includes integrated graphics (Radeon R7), while the Ryzen 3 3250U requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: A12-9800 targets Budget. Direct competitor: A12-9800 rivals Pentium G4600.