A8-6600K vs Athlon Silver 7120U
A8-6600K
Athlon Silver 7120U
Performance Spectrum - CPU
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.
Value Upgrade Path
This is the official ChipVERSUS Value Rating, comparing raw performance (PassMark) per dollar. Components placed above yours deliver better value for money. The A8-6600K is positioned at rank 426 and the Athlon Silver 7120U is on rank 976, so the A8-6600K offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar A8-6600K
Performance Per Dollar Athlon Silver 7120U
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | A8-6600K | Athlon Silver 7120U |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ✅ Superior gaming performance | ❌ Lower gaming performance |
| Workstation | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks | ✅ Better multi-core power |
| Price | Equivalent pricing | Equivalent pricing |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Richland (2013−2014) / 32 nm) | ✨ Modern (Mendocino (Zen 2) (2022−2023) / 6 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | A8-6600K | Athlon Silver 7120U |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | Equivalent pricing | Equivalent pricing |
Performance Check
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.
Technical Specifications
Side-by-side comparison of A8-6600K and Athlon Silver 7120U
A8-6600K
The A8-6600K is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 1 June 2013 (12 years ago). It is based on the Richland (2013−2014) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 3.9 GHz, with boost up to 4.2 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 4096 kB. Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: FM2. Thermal design power (TDP): 100 Watt. Memory support: DDR3-1866. Passmark benchmark score: 3,002 points. Launch price was $142.
Athlon Silver 7120U
The Athlon Silver 7120U is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2009-01-01. It is based on the Mendocino (Zen 2) (2022−2023) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 2.4 GHz, with boost up to 3.5 GHz. L3 cache: 2 MB (total). L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 6 nm process technology. Socket: FT6. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR5 Dual-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 3,012 points. Launch price was $149.
Processing Power
The A8-6600K packs 4 cores / 4 threads, while the Athlon Silver 7120U offers 2 cores / 2 threads — the A8-6600K has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.2 GHz on the A8-6600K versus 3.5 GHz on the Athlon Silver 7120U — a 18.2% clock advantage for the A8-6600K (base: 3.9 GHz vs 2.4 GHz). The A8-6600K uses the Richland (2013−2014) architecture (32 nm), while the Athlon Silver 7120U uses Mendocino (Zen 2) (2022−2023) (6 nm). In PassMark, the A8-6600K scores 3,002 against the Athlon Silver 7120U's 3,012 — a 0.3% lead for the Athlon Silver 7120U. L3 cache: 0 kB on the A8-6600K vs 2 MB (total) on the Athlon Silver 7120U.
| Feature | A8-6600K | Athlon Silver 7120U |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 4 / 4+100% | 2 / 2 |
| Boost Clock | 4.2 GHz+20% | 3.5 GHz |
| Base Clock | 3.9 GHz+63% | 2.4 GHz |
| L3 Cache | 0 kB | 2 MB (total) |
| L2 Cache | 4096 kB+700% | 512 kB (per core) |
| Process | 32 nm | 6 nm-81% |
| Architecture | Richland (2013−2014) | Mendocino (Zen 2) (2022−2023) |
| PassMark | 3,002 | 3,012 |
Memory & Platform
The A8-6600K uses the FM2 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Athlon Silver 7120U uses FT6 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches 1866 on the A8-6600K versus LPDDR5-5500 on the Athlon Silver 7120U — the A8-6600K supports 198.9% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The A8-6600K supports up to 64 of RAM compared to 16 GB — 120% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 16 (A8-6600K) vs 4 (Athlon Silver 7120U) — the A8-6600K offers 12 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: FM2 (A8-6600K) and AMD FT6 (Athlon Silver 7120U).
| Feature | A8-6600K | Athlon Silver 7120U |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | FM2 | FT6 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 3.0 | PCIe 4.0+33% |
| Max RAM Speed | 1866+37220% | LPDDR5-5500 |
| Max RAM Capacity | 64 | 16 GB+26214300% |
| RAM Channels | 2 | 2 |
| ECC Support | ❌ | ❌ |
| PCIe Lanes | 16+300% | 4 |
Advanced Features
Virtualization: true (A8-6600K) / not specified (Athlon Silver 7120U). Both include integrated graphics — Radeon HD 8570D (A8-6600K) and AMD Radeon 610M (Athlon Silver 7120U) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Direct competitor: A8-6600K rivals Core i3-4130.
| Feature | A8-6600K | Athlon Silver 7120U |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | Yes | Yes |
| IGPU Model | Radeon HD 8570D | AMD Radeon 610M |
| Unlocked | Yes | — |
| AVX-512 | No | — |
| Virtualization | true | — |
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