Athlon Silver 7120U vs PRO A12-8870E

Athlon Silver 7120U vs PRO A12-8870E Performance Spectrum

Athlon Silver 7120U

2 / 2

3,012

+0.1%

Ryzen Threadripper 1950

Ryzen AI Max 390

Ryzen 9 9955HX3D

Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

PRO A12-8870E

4 / 4

3,010

0.0%

Ryzen Threadripper 1950

Ryzen AI Max 390

Ryzen 9 9955HX3D

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 A12-8870E 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 A12-8870E: 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

✅+0.1% higher PassMark.
✅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 A12-8870E needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than PRO A12-8870E across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.

PRO A12-8870E

2016

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +4.0% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (3,010 vs 3,012).
❌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 Athlon Silver 7120U better than PRO A12-8870E?

It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, PRO A12-8870E is ahead with a 4.0% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Athlon Silver 7120U pulls ahead with 0.1% better PassMark.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Athlon Silver 7120U is the stronger fit. You are getting 0.1% better PassMark, backed by 2 cores and 2 threads.

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

Athlon Silver 7120U still makes the most sense overall. Athlon Silver 7120U comes in at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it still gives you 0.1% better PassMark.

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), a healthier platform with FT6 and DDR5 instead of AM4, and more multi-core headroom with 2 cores / 2 threads instead of 4/4. That gives you a healthier platform runway for motherboard, RAM, and later CPU upgrades.

Athlon Silver 7120U vs PRO A12-8870E 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 A12-8870E

The PRO A12-8870E is manufactured by AMD. It was released in Outubro 2016 (9 years ago). It is based on the Carrizo (2015−2018) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.9 GHz, with boost up to 3.8 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: 3,010 points. Launch price was $69.

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Processing Power

The Athlon Silver 7120U packs 2 cores / 2 threads, while the PRO A12-8870E offers 4 cores / 4 threads — the PRO A12-8870E has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.5 GHz on the Athlon Silver 7120U versus 3.8 GHz on the PRO A12-8870E — a 8.2% clock advantage for the PRO A12-8870E (base: 2.4 GHz vs 2.9 GHz). The Athlon Silver 7120U uses the Mendocino (Zen 2) (2022−2023) architecture (6 nm), while the PRO A12-8870E uses Carrizo (2015−2018) (28 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon Silver 7120U scores 3,012 against the PRO A12-8870E's 3,010 — a 0.1% lead for the Athlon Silver 7120U.

Feature	Athlon Silver 7120U	PRO A12-8870E
Cores / Threads	2 / 2	4 / 4+100%
Boost Clock	3.5 GHz	3.8 GHz+9%
Base Clock	2.4 GHz	2.9 GHz+21%
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)	Carrizo (2015−2018)
PassMark	3,012	3,010

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Memory & Platform

The Athlon Silver 7120U uses the FT6 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the PRO A12-8870E uses AM4 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.