Athlon Silver PRO 3125GE vs Core i5-6300HQ

Athlon Silver PRO 3125GE vs Core i5-6300HQ Performance Spectrum

Athlon Silver PRO 3125GE

2 / 4

4,633

0.0%

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7965WX

Core i5-6300HQ

4 / 4

4,672

+0.8%

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 i5-6300HQ 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 i5-6300HQ: 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

✅Draws 35W instead of 45W, a 10W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (4,633 vs 4,672).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (4 MB vs 6 MB).
❌Launch MSRP is still $108 MSRP, while Core i5-6300HQ mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

Core i5-6300HQ

2015

Why buy it

✅+0.8% higher PassMark.
✅+50% larger total L3 cache (6 MB vs 4 MB).
✅100% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 8) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌28.6% higher power demand at 45W vs 35W.

Quick Answers

So, is Athlon Silver PRO 3125GE better than Core i5-6300HQ?

It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, Athlon Silver PRO 3125GE is ahead with a 0.1% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Core i5-6300HQ pulls ahead with 0.8% better PassMark. Core i5-6300HQ also has the bigger cache pool with 50% larger total L3 cache (6 MB vs 4 MB).

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i5-6300HQ is the stronger fit. You are getting 0.8% 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?

Athlon Silver PRO 3125GE is the better buy right now. Athlon Silver PRO 3125GE comes in at an unclear MSRP at $108 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it still gives you a 0.1% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. The compromise is that Core i5-6300HQ is still stronger for heavier multi-core work with 0.8% better PassMark. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (42.9 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), so you are getting the faster CPU without taking a value hit on paper.

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 2015). That makes it the safer long-term bet.

Athlon Silver PRO 3125GE vs Core i5-6300HQ 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 i5-6300HQ

The Core i5-6300HQ is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 September 2015 (10 years ago). It is based on the Skylake (2015−2016) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.3 GHz, with boost up to 3.2 GHz. L3 cache: 6 MB. L2 cache: 1 MB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: BGA1440. Thermal design power (TDP): 45 Watt. Memory support: DDR3, DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 4,672 points. Launch price was $250.

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Processing Power

The Athlon Silver PRO 3125GE packs 2 cores / 4 threads, while the Core i5-6300HQ offers 4 cores / 4 threads — the Core i5-6300HQ has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.4 GHz on the Athlon Silver PRO 3125GE versus 3.2 GHz on the Core i5-6300HQ — a 6.1% clock advantage for the Athlon Silver PRO 3125GE (base: 3.4 GHz vs 2.3 GHz). The Athlon Silver PRO 3125GE uses the Picasso (2019−2022) architecture (12 nm), while the Core i5-6300HQ uses Skylake (2015−2016) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon Silver PRO 3125GE scores 4,633 against the Core i5-6300HQ's 4,672 — a 0.8% lead for the Core i5-6300HQ. L3 cache: 4 MB (total) on the Athlon Silver PRO 3125GE vs 6 MB on the Core i5-6300HQ.

Feature	Athlon Silver PRO 3125GE	Core i5-6300HQ
Cores / Threads	2 / 4	4 / 4+100%
Boost Clock	3.4 GHz+6%	3.2 GHz
Base Clock	3.4 GHz+48%	2.3 GHz
L3 Cache	4 MB (total)	6 MB+50%
L2 Cache	512 kB (per core)	1 MB+100%
Process	12 nm-14%	14 nm
Architecture	Picasso (2019−2022)	Skylake (2015−2016)
PassMark	4,633	4,672
Geekbench 6 Single	—	1,000

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Memory & Platform

The Athlon Silver PRO 3125GE uses the AM4 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core i5-6300HQ uses BGA1440 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR4-2667 on the Athlon Silver PRO 3125GE versus DDR4-2133 on the Core i5-6300HQ — the Athlon Silver PRO 3125GE supports 25% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. Both support up to 64 GB of RAM. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 8 (Athlon Silver PRO 3125GE) vs 16 (Core i5-6300HQ) — the Core i5-6300HQ offers 8 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: AMD AM4 (Athlon Silver PRO 3125GE) and HM170,QM170 (Core i5-6300HQ).

Feature	Athlon Silver PRO 3125GE	Core i5-6300HQ
Socket	AM4	BGA1440
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2667+25%	DDR4-2133
Max RAM Capacity	64 GB	64 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	Yes	No
PCIe Lanes	8	16+100%

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Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Athlon Silver PRO 3125GE) / VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Core i5-6300HQ). Both include integrated graphics — AMD Radeon Vega 3 (Athlon Silver PRO 3125GE) and HD Graphics 530 (Core i5-6300HQ) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i5-6300HQ targets Gaming Laptop. Direct competitor: Core i5-6300HQ rivals A12-9730P.