Athlon Silver PRO 3125GE vs Core i5-3470

Athlon Silver PRO 3125GE vs Core i5-3470 Performance Spectrum

Athlon Silver PRO 3125GE

2 / 4

4,633

0.0%

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7965WX

Core i5-3470

4 / 4

4,663

+0.6%

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 PRO 3125GE vs Core i5-3470 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 PRO 3125GE vs Core i5-3470: 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 PRO 3125GE

2020

Why buy it

✅Costs $76 less on MSRP ($108 MSRP vs $184 MSRP).
✅Delivers 69.3% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 42.9 vs 25.3 PassMark/$ ($108 MSRP vs $184 MSRP).
✅Draws 35W instead of 77W, a 42W reduction.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (8 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with AMD Radeon Vega 3, while Core i5-3470 needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-3470 across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (4,633 vs 4,663).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (4 MB vs 6 MB).

Core i5-3470

2012

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +4.6% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+50% larger total L3 cache (6 MB vs 4 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 25.3 vs 42.9 PassMark/$ ($184 MSRP vs $108 MSRP).
❌120% higher power demand at 77W vs 35W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Athlon Silver PRO 3125GE can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i5-3470 better than Athlon Silver PRO 3125GE?

Yes. Core i5-3470 is the better all-around CPU here. It gives you a 4.6% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data and 0.6% better PassMark, which is enough to make it the stronger overall pick.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Core i5-3470 is the better pick. According to our tests, it delivers 4.6% 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, Core i5-3470 is the stronger fit. You are getting 0.6% better PassMark, backed by 4 cores and 4 threads. It also has the larger cache pool with 50% larger total L3 cache (6 MB vs 4 MB).

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

Core i5-3470 is still the better call for a fresh build. Core i5-3470 comes in 70.4% more expensive on MSRP at $184 MSRP versus $108 MSRP, and it still gives you a 4.6% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. Athlon Silver PRO 3125GE only looks stronger on raw value math because it is so cheap, but its absolute performance tier is too low to be the better recommendation now. At roughly 4,633 PassMark with 2 cores and 4 threads, it only really makes sense as a bare-minimum stopgap or a very constrained existing-platform upgrade.

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

Athlon Silver PRO 3125GE makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2020 vs 2012). That makes it the safer long-term bet.

Athlon Silver PRO 3125GE vs Core i5-3470 Technical Specifications

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

Athlon Silver PRO 3125GE

The Athlon Silver PRO 3125GE is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2009-01-01. It is based on the Picasso (2019−2022) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 3.4 GHz, with boost up to 3.4 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB (total). L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 12 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2933. Passmark benchmark score: 4,633 points. Launch price was $149.

Core i5-3470

The Core i5-3470 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 June 2012 (13 years ago). It is based on the Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 3.2 GHz, with boost up to 3.6 GHz. L3 cache: 6 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1155. Thermal design power (TDP): 77 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 4,663 points. Launch price was $184.

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Processing Power

The Athlon Silver PRO 3125GE packs 2 cores / 4 threads, while the Core i5-3470 offers 4 cores / 4 threads — the Core i5-3470 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.4 GHz on the Athlon Silver PRO 3125GE versus 3.6 GHz on the Core i5-3470 — a 5.7% clock advantage for the Core i5-3470 (base: 3.4 GHz vs 3.2 GHz). The Athlon Silver PRO 3125GE uses the Picasso (2019−2022) architecture (12 nm), while the Core i5-3470 uses Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon Silver PRO 3125GE scores 4,633 against the Core i5-3470's 4,663 — a 0.6% lead for the Core i5-3470. L3 cache: 4 MB (total) on the Athlon Silver PRO 3125GE vs 6 MB (total) on the Core i5-3470.

Feature	Athlon Silver PRO 3125GE	Core i5-3470
Cores / Threads	2 / 4	4 / 4+100%
Boost Clock	3.4 GHz	3.6 GHz+6%
Base Clock	3.4 GHz+6%	3.2 GHz
L3 Cache	4 MB (total)	6 MB (total)+50%
L2 Cache	512 kB (per core)+100%	256K (per core)
Process	12 nm-45%	22 nm
Architecture	Picasso (2019−2022)	Ivy Bridge (2012−2013)
PassMark	4,633	4,663

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Memory & Platform

The Athlon Silver PRO 3125GE uses the AM4 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core i5-3470 uses LGA1155 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Athlon Silver PRO 3125GE	Core i5-3470
Socket	AM4	LGA1155
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2667	—
Max RAM Capacity	64 GB	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	Yes	—
PCIe Lanes	8	—

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Advanced Features

The Athlon Silver PRO 3125GE includes integrated graphics (AMD Radeon Vega 3), while the Core i5-3470 requires a dedicated GPU.

Feature	Athlon Silver PRO 3125GE	Core i5-3470
Integrated GPU	Yes	—
IGPU Model	AMD Radeon Vega 3	—

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the Athlon Silver PRO 3125GE was priced at $108, while the Core i5-3470 came in at $184. On launch pricing ($108 vs $184), Athlon Silver PRO 3125GE was $76 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Athlon Silver PRO 3125GE delivers 42.9 pts/$ vs 25.3 pts/$ for the Core i5-3470 — making the Athlon Silver PRO 3125GE the 51.5% better value option.

Feature	Athlon Silver PRO 3125GE	Core i5-3470
MSRP	$108-41%	$184
Performance per Dollar	42.9+70%	25.3
Release Date	2020	2012

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