CPU Comparison
AMD Athlon Gold 7220C vs Intel Core i5-7400
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.
Solid performance for standard office tasks, but limited by 4 threads in heavy multitasking.
Gaming
Radeon 610M is only suitable for older or very lightweight esports titles at 1080p Low; modern AAA games are largely out of reach.
Can run older games well but will bottleneck modern GPUs significantly.
Virtualization
Limited CPU and memory resources make it unsuitable for running VMs; Chrome OS’s container-based approach is more realistic than traditional hypervisors.
Basic VM support is possible, but performance is restricted by core count.
Efficiency
Excellent efficiency for basic workloads; 6 nm process and 15 W TDP enable long battery life in thin Chromebooks.
65W TDP is well-managed and easy to cool.
Specialized Performance
AI / ML
- No dedicated NPU; AI workloads rely on CPU/iGPU.
- Suitable only for very light on-device inference tasks.
- No AI acceleration hardware
- Will struggle with any local AI inference
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.
- Heavily bottlenecked by 4 threads in modern titles
- Acceptable for retro or e-sports titles with a low-end GPU
- HD 630 not suitable for modern gaming without a dedicated GPU
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
- Good single-core performance for basic tasks
- Low 65W TDP is easy to cool
- Hardware video decoding for modern codecs
- Widely compatible with LGA 1151 motherboards
- Affordable on the used market
Cons
- Only 4 threads limits modern multitasking
- Locked multiplier prevents overclocking
- No PCIe Gen 4 support
- Bottlenecks modern mid-range GPUs
- Not supported on Windows 11 officially
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 i5-7400
- AMD Ryzen 3 1200Rival
Desktop
- AMD Ryzen 5 1400Rival
Desktop
- Intel Core i3-7100Rival
Desktop
- Intel Core i5-6400Rival
Desktop
- AMD FX-8350Rival
Desktop
Successor with 6 cores, offering vastly superior modern performance.
Compare head-to-head- AMD Ryzen 5 1600Alt
Contemporary AMD alternative with 6 cores and 12 threads.
A slight step up in clock speeds if sticking to 7th Gen.
Compare head-to-head- AMD Ryzen 5 3600Alt
A much better modern alternative for a budget build.
A modern budget CPU that destroys this chip in every metric.
Compare head-to-head
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 reviewA standard quad-core CPU of its era that handles basic tasks well, but lacks Hyper-Threading and is heavily bottlenecked in modern multi-threaded workloads.
Best for: Keeping an existing LGA 1151 system alive for basic office work.
Read the full reviewFrequently Asked Questions
Which is better, AMD Athlon Gold 7220C or Intel Core i5-7400?
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 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 i5-7400 (65 W).
Do AMD Athlon Gold 7220C and Intel Core i5-7400 use the same socket?
No. They use different sockets (AMD Athlon Gold 7220C: FT6, Intel Core i5-7400: Intel Socket 1151), so each needs a compatible motherboard.
Which has more cores?
The Intel Core i5-7400 has the most cores. Core counts: AMD Athlon Gold 7220C (2 cores), Intel Core i5-7400 (4 cores).
Which is faster in multi-core benchmarks?
The Intel Core i5-7400 posts the highest multi-core benchmark score. Multi-core results: Intel Core i5-7400 (5,200). Benchmark figures are approximate and workload-dependent.