Athlon Silver 7120U
VS
PRO A12-8870E

Athlon Silver 7120U vs PRO A12-8870E

AMD

Athlon Silver 7120U

2 Cores2 Thrd15 WWMax: 3.5 GHz2022
VS
AMD

PRO A12-8870E

4 Cores4 Thrd35 WWMax: 3.8 GHz2016

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 PRO A12-8870E is on rank 352, so the PRO A12-8870E offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.

MSRP is the manufacturer's suggested retail price.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.

Performance Per Dollar Athlon Silver 7120U

#964
Atom x5-Z8300
MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A
1948%
#965
Atom Z3735G
MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A
1920%
#966
Core i5-480M
MSRP: $81|Avg: $77
1762%
#967
Core i5-460M
MSRP: $80|Avg: $129
1754%
#968
Core i5-2540M
MSRP: $266|Avg: $10
1738%
#970
Core i5-450M
MSRP: $32|Avg: $31
1679%
#971
Core i3-380M
MSRP: $49|Avg: $25
1610%
#972
Core i5-430M
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33
1607%
#973
Core 2 Duo T6600
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4
1564%
#976
Athlon Silver 7120U
MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A
100%
#977
Phenom II X2 N640
MSRP: $100|Avg: $55
100%
#978
A10-8700P
MSRP: $150|Avg: $40
100%
#982
Athlon II Neo K125
MSRP: $100|Avg: $100
99%
#986
Pro A8-8600B
MSRP: $150|Avg: $25
98%
#991
Pentium 8500
MSRP: $200|Avg: $200
96%
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar PRO A12-8870E

#1
Ryzen 9 7950X
MSRP: $194|Avg: $20
5178%
#2
Core i9-10900T
MSRP: $120|Avg: $5
4893%
#3
Ryzen 3 PRO 4355GE
MSRP: $423|Avg: $5
3552%
#4
Ryzen Threadripper 3960X
MSRP: $1399|Avg: $85
1070%
#5
Ryzen 9 9950X
MSRP: $649|Avg: $129
848%
#6
Ryzen 5 8400F
MSRP: $303|Avg: $55
742%
#7
Ryzen 7 PRO 2700
MSRP: $299|Avg: $60
425%
#8
Ryzen 5 2600X
MSRP: $229|Avg: $55
419%
#9
Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G
MSRP: $150|Avg: $60
382%
#10
Core Ultra 5 245KF
MSRP: $294|Avg: $189
382%
#11
Ryzen 5 5500
MSRP: $159|Avg: $85
377%
#12
Ryzen 5 3600
MSRP: $199|Avg: $80
367%
#13
Core i3-9100E
MSRP: $202|Avg: $30
362%
#14
Core Ultra 5 245K
MSRP: $319|Avg: $200
361%
#15
Core i3-8300T
MSRP: $138|Avg: $25
357%
#312
Core i9-10940X
MSRP: $784|Avg: $460
100%
#313
Core i9-10920X
MSRP: $689|Avg: $430
100%
#314
Core i7-10700
MSRP: $365|Avg: $268
100%
#315
Core i5-9600K
MSRP: $263|Avg: $178
99%
#316
Ryzen Threadripper 7960X
MSRP: $1499|Avg: $1400
99%
#317
Ryzen 7 PRO 4750GE
MSRP: $309|Avg: $309
99%
#318
Core i3-10305T
MSRP: $143|Avg: $143
99%
#319
Ryzen Embedded V1202B
MSRP: $100|Avg: $60
97%
#352
PRO A12-8870E
MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A
100%
#364
Celeron G3920
MSRP: $40|Avg: $30
98%
#366
Ryzen 3 1200
MSRP: $109|Avg: $50
98%
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Generational Difference: This comparison involves processors from different technological eras. The Athlon Silver 7120U (2022) utilizes 6 nm technology and **DDR5 Dual-channel**, providing a fundamental performance advantage.
InsightAthlon Silver 7120UPRO A12-8870E
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 (Carrizo (2015−2018) / 28 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The PRO A12-8870E (2016) relies on 28 nm technology and DDR4-2400, placing it in a different performance category relative to modern standards.
InsightAthlon Silver 7120UPRO A12-8870E
Cost Efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost
Equivalent pricing
Equivalent pricing

Performance Check

Paired with RTX 4090

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 PRO A12-8870E

AMD

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.

AMD

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.

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.

FeatureAthlon Silver 7120UPRO 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
🧠

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.

FeatureAthlon Silver 7120UPRO A12-8870E
Socket
FT6
AM4
PCIe Generation
PCIe 4.0+33%
PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed
LPDDR5-5500
Max RAM Capacity
16 GB
RAM Channels
2
ECC Support
PCIe Lanes
4
🔧

Advanced Features

The Athlon Silver 7120U includes integrated graphics (AMD Radeon 610M), while the PRO A12-8870E requires a dedicated GPU.

FeatureAthlon Silver 7120UPRO A12-8870E
Integrated GPU
Yes
IGPU Model
AMD Radeon 610M