Athlon Silver 7120U vs PRO A10-9700E

Athlon Silver 7120U vs PRO A10-9700E Performance Spectrum

Athlon Silver 7120U

2 / 2

3,012

0.0%

Ryzen Threadripper 1950

Ryzen AI Max 390

Ryzen 9 9955HX3D

Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

PRO A10-9700E

4 / 4

3,057

+1.5%

Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

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.

Athlon Silver 7120U vs PRO A10-9700E FPS Benchmarks

Predicted gaming performance across popular games. Tested paired with GeForce RTX 5090 to isolate CPU performance.

Search any supported game below to compare 1080p FPS for both components.

Athlon Silver 7120U vs PRO A10-9700E: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each CPU makes more sense in practice: gaming, heavier work, platform cost, power draw, and upgrade path.

Athlon Silver 7120U

2022

Why buy it

✅Draws 15W instead of 35W, a 20W reduction.
✅Newer platform on FT6 with DDR5 support instead of AM4 and DDR4.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (4 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with AMD Radeon 610M, while PRO A10-9700E needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than PRO A10-9700E across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (3,012 vs 3,057).

PRO A10-9700E

2016

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +4.4% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Trade-offs

❌133.3% higher power demand at 35W vs 15W.
❌Older platform position on AM4 with DDR4, while Athlon Silver 7120U moves to FT6 and DDR5.
❌No integrated graphics, while Athlon Silver 7120U can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Quick Answers

So, is PRO A10-9700E better than Athlon Silver 7120U?

Yes. PRO A10-9700E is the better all-around CPU here. It gives you a 4.4% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data and 1.5% better PassMark, which is enough to make it the stronger overall pick.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, PRO A10-9700E is the better pick. According to our tests, it delivers 4.4% more average FPS across 50 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, PRO A10-9700E is the stronger fit. You are getting 1.5% better PassMark, backed by 4 cores and 4 threads.

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

PRO A10-9700E still makes the most sense overall. PRO A10-9700E comes in at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it still gives you a 4.4% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data.

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

Athlon Silver 7120U makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2022 vs 2016) and a healthier platform with FT6 and DDR5 instead of AM4. That gives you a healthier platform runway for motherboard, RAM, and later CPU upgrades.

Athlon Silver 7120U vs PRO A10-9700E Technical Specifications

Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

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.

PRO A10-9700E

The PRO A10-9700E is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 3 October 2016 (9 years ago). It is based on the Bristol Ridge (2016−2019) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 3 GHz, with boost up to 3.5 GHz. L2 cache: 2048 kB. Built on 28 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2400. Passmark benchmark score: 3,057 points. Launch price was $69.

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Processing Power

The Athlon Silver 7120U packs 2 cores / 2 threads, while the PRO A10-9700E offers 4 cores / 4 threads — the PRO A10-9700E has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.5 GHz on the Athlon Silver 7120U versus 3.5 GHz on the PRO A10-9700E — identical boost frequencies (base: 2.4 GHz vs 3 GHz). The Athlon Silver 7120U uses the Mendocino (Zen 2) (2022−2023) architecture (6 nm), while the PRO A10-9700E uses Bristol Ridge (2016−2019) (28 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon Silver 7120U scores 3,012 against the PRO A10-9700E's 3,057 — a 1.5% lead for the PRO A10-9700E.

Feature	Athlon Silver 7120U	PRO A10-9700E
Cores / Threads	2 / 2	4 / 4+100%
Boost Clock	3.5 GHz	3.5 GHz
Base Clock	2.4 GHz	3 GHz+25%
L3 Cache	2 MB (total)	—
L2 Cache	512 kB (per core)	2048 kB+300%
Process	6 nm-79%	28 nm
Architecture	Mendocino (Zen 2) (2022−2023)	Bristol Ridge (2016−2019)
PassMark	3,012	3,057+1%

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Memory & Platform

The Athlon Silver 7120U uses the FT6 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the PRO A10-9700E uses AM4 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.