CPU Comparison
AMD Athlon Gold 7220C vs Intel Core i5-3470T
A side-by-side comparison of specs, performance and value. The AMD Athlon Gold 7220C is a 15 W, 2-core/4-thread mobile SoC for entry-level Chromebooks, based on AMD’s Mendocino (Zen 2) architecture on TSMC’s 6 nm process with integrated Radeon 610M RDNA 2 graphics and LPDDR5-5500 memory support.
The Bottom Line
Overview & Launch
Specifications Compared
Performance Compared
Productivity
Adequate for light Chrome OS multitasking and web apps, but dual-core CPU becomes a bottleneck under heavy multitab use or more demanding Android/Linux apps.
Handles basic office applications and web browsing but struggles with heavy multitasking or large datasets.
Gaming
Radeon 610M is only suitable for older or very lightweight esports titles at 1080p Low; modern AAA games are largely out of reach.
The HD 2500 integrated graphics and dual-core design make it completely unsuitable for modern gaming.
Virtualization
Limited CPU and memory resources make it unsuitable for running VMs; Chrome OS’s container-based approach is more realistic than traditional hypervisors.
Dual-core with limited cache severely restricts virtualization capabilities.
Efficiency
Excellent efficiency for basic workloads; 6 nm process and 15 W TDP enable long battery life in thin Chromebooks.
The 35W TDP was impressive for 2012, though modern low-power chips deliver far more performance per watt.
Specialized Performance
AI / ML
- No dedicated NPU; AI workloads rely on CPU/iGPU.
- Suitable only for very light on-device inference tasks.
- No dedicated AI hardware
- Dual-core design insufficient for AI inference
- Not applicable for this era of processor
Content Creation
Gaming
- Radeon 610M with 2 RDNA 2 CUs is entry-level and best suited for older or well-optimized titles.
- Expect playable frame rates only at 1080p Low or 720p for esports games like CS2 or Valorant.
- Not intended for AAA gaming or high-refresh-rate gaming.
- HD 2500 graphics with only 6 Execution Units
- No capability for modern titles even at 720p low
- Dual-core bottleneck limits even paired discrete GPUs
- Outdated video decoding for modern codecs
Industry Impact
Best CPU by Use Case
Target Audience
Strengths & Weaknesses
Pros
- Modern 6 nm process with good power efficiency
- Zen 2 CPU cores offer solid single-thread performance for the segment
- RDNA 2 iGPU with AV1 decode for smooth video playback
- LPDDR5-5500 provides more memory bandwidth than typical budget Chromebook SoCs
- Low 15 W TDP enables fanless designs and long battery life
Cons
- Only two CPU cores; limited multi-thread headroom
- Radeon 610M iGPU is very weak for gaming or GPU-heavy tasks
- Only 4 PCIe 3.0 lanes from the CPU
- Max memory officially capped at 16 GB
- No unlock multiplier; not an enthusiast part
Pros
- Very low 35W TDP for quiet or compact desktop builds
- Hyper-Threading provides 4 threads from 2 cores
- 3.6 GHz turbo boost offers good single-thread burst performance
- PCIe 3.0 support for full-bandwidth GPU connectivity
- LGA 1155 platform offers wide compatibility with budget motherboards
Cons
- Only 2 physical cores severely limit multi-threaded performance
- HD 2500 integrated graphics are very weak
- 3MB L3 cache is half of standard quad-core i5 models
- No Windows 11 support
- End-of-life platform with no upgrade path beyond Ivy Bridge
- DDR3 memory is obsolete
Competitors & Alternatives
AMD Athlon Gold 7220C
- Intel Processor N100Rival
Entry-Level Chromebook / Laptop
- Compare head-to-headIntel Core i3-N305Rival
Mid-Range Chromebook
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Gen 2Rival
Entry-Level Chromebook (ARM)
- MediaTek Kompanio 520Rival
Entry-Level Chromebook (ARM)
- AMD Athlon Silver 7120CRival
Entry-Level Chromebook (AMD)
- AMD Ryzen 3 7320CAlt
Same platform with four Zen 2 cores and eight threads for significantly better multi-thread performance if you need more headroom.
Intel Core i5-3470T
- AMD A8-5500Rival
Desktop Low Power
- AMD A10-5700Rival
Desktop Mainstream
- Intel Core i3-3220Rival
Desktop Mainstream
- Compare head-to-headIntel Core i5-3470SRival
Desktop Low Power
- AMD A6-5400KRival
Desktop Budget
Haswell successor with slightly better performance and improved integrated graphics.
Compare head-to-headModern 4-thread processor with dramatically better single-thread performance and platform features.
Compare head-to-head- AMD Ryzen 3 3200GEAlt
Low-power quad-core with Vega graphics for modern compact builds.
6-core low-power Coffee Lake processor for modern SFF desktops.
Compare head-to-head- AMD Ryzen 5 5600GEAlt
Efficient 6-core processor with strong integrated graphics for small form factor builds.
Our Verdict on Each
A modest but modern SoC that brings Zen 2 CPU and RDNA 2 iGPU to budget Chromebooks, offering good efficiency and decent responsiveness for light workloads, but limited by its dual-core design and weak GPU for heavier tasks.
Best for: Budget Chromebook for web-based productivity and media consumption
Read the full reviewThe i5-3470T was an efficient choice for compact desktops in 2012, but its dual-core design and outdated platform make it unsuitable for modern workloads.
Best for: Maintaining an existing legacy system for basic tasks
Read the full reviewFrequently Asked Questions
Which is better, AMD Athlon Gold 7220C or Intel Core i5-3470T?
Based on our editorial ratings, the AMD Athlon Gold 7220C comes out ahead with a score of 7/10. That said, the best choice depends on your workload — check the spec and performance breakdown above for gaming, productivity and efficiency differences.
Which is faster for gaming, AMD Athlon Gold 7220C or Intel Core i5-3470T?
For gaming, the AMD Athlon Gold 7220C leads with a gaming performance score of 45/100 among AMD Athlon Gold 7220C and Intel Core i5-3470T.
Which uses less power?
The AMD Athlon Gold 7220C has the lowest rated TDP. Power draw across these chips: AMD Athlon Gold 7220C (15 W), Intel Core i5-3470T (35 W).
Do AMD Athlon Gold 7220C and Intel Core i5-3470T use the same socket?
No. They use different sockets (AMD Athlon Gold 7220C: FT6, Intel Core i5-3470T: LGA 1155), so each needs a compatible motherboard.
Which is faster in multi-core benchmarks?
The Intel Core i5-3470T posts the highest multi-core benchmark score. Multi-core results: Intel Core i5-3470T (3,500). Benchmark figures are approximate and workload-dependent.