Athlon Silver 7120U vs A8-6600K
Athlon Silver 7120U
A8-6600K
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 Athlon Silver 7120U is positioned at rank 976 and the A8-6600K is on rank 426, 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 Athlon Silver 7120U
Performance Per Dollar A8-6600K
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Athlon Silver 7120U | A8-6600K |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ❌ Lower gaming performance | ✅ Superior gaming performance |
| Workstation | ✅ Better multi-core power | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks |
| Price | Equivalent pricing | Equivalent pricing |
| Longevity | ✨ Modern (Mendocino (Zen 2) (2022−2023) / 6 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Richland (2013−2014) / 32 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Athlon Silver 7120U | A8-6600K |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Athlon Silver 7120U and A8-6600K
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.
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.
Processing Power
The Athlon Silver 7120U packs 2 cores / 2 threads, while the A8-6600K offers 4 cores / 4 threads — the A8-6600K has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.5 GHz on the Athlon Silver 7120U versus 4.2 GHz on the A8-6600K — a 18.2% clock advantage for the A8-6600K (base: 2.4 GHz vs 3.9 GHz). The Athlon Silver 7120U uses the Mendocino (Zen 2) (2022−2023) architecture (6 nm), while the A8-6600K uses Richland (2013−2014) (32 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon Silver 7120U scores 3,012 against the A8-6600K's 3,002 — a 0.3% lead for the Athlon Silver 7120U. L3 cache: 2 MB (total) on the Athlon Silver 7120U vs 0 kB on the A8-6600K.
| Feature | Athlon Silver 7120U | A8-6600K |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 2 / 2 | 4 / 4+100% |
| Boost Clock | 3.5 GHz | 4.2 GHz+20% |
| Base Clock | 2.4 GHz | 3.9 GHz+63% |
| L3 Cache | 2 MB (total) | 0 kB |
| L2 Cache | 512 kB (per core) | 4096 kB+700% |
| Process | 6 nm-81% | 32 nm |
| Architecture | Mendocino (Zen 2) (2022−2023) | Richland (2013−2014) |
| PassMark | 3,012 | 3,002 |
Memory & Platform
The Athlon Silver 7120U uses the FT6 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the A8-6600K uses FM2 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches LPDDR5-5500 on the Athlon Silver 7120U versus 1866 on the A8-6600K — 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: 4 (Athlon Silver 7120U) vs 16 (A8-6600K) — the A8-6600K offers 12 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: AMD FT6 (Athlon Silver 7120U) and FM2 (A8-6600K).
| Feature | Athlon Silver 7120U | A8-6600K |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | FT6 | FM2 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 4.0+33% | PCIe 3.0 |
| Max RAM Speed | LPDDR5-5500 | 1866+37220% |
| Max RAM Capacity | 16 GB+26214300% | 64 |
| RAM Channels | 2 | 2 |
| ECC Support | ❌ | ❌ |
| PCIe Lanes | 4 | 16+300% |
Advanced Features
Virtualization: not specified (Athlon Silver 7120U) / true (A8-6600K). Both include integrated graphics — AMD Radeon 610M (Athlon Silver 7120U) and Radeon HD 8570D (A8-6600K) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Direct competitor: A8-6600K rivals Core i3-4130.
| Feature | Athlon Silver 7120U | A8-6600K |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | Yes | Yes |
| IGPU Model | AMD Radeon 610M | Radeon HD 8570D |
| Unlocked | — | Yes |
| AVX-512 | — | No |
| Virtualization | — | true |
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