Athlon Silver PRO 3125GE vs Core i5-6300HQ
Athlon Silver PRO 3125GE
Core i5-6300HQ
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.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Athlon Silver PRO 3125GE
Performance Per Dollar Core i5-6300HQ
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Athlon Silver PRO 3125GE | Core i5-6300HQ |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ✅ Superior gaming performance | ❌ Lower gaming performance |
| Workstation | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks | ✅ Better multi-core power |
| Price | ⚠️ Higher cost ($70) | ✅ More affordable ($0) |
| Longevity | ✨ Modern (Picasso (2019−2022) / 12 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Skylake (2015−2016) / 14 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Athlon Silver PRO 3125GE | Core i5-6300HQ |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ⚠️ Higher cost ($70) | ✅ More affordable ($0) |
Performance Check
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 PRO 3125GE and Core i5-6300HQ
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.
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 |
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. Both support up to DDR4-2667 memory speed. 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 | DDR4-2133 |
| Max RAM Capacity | 64 GB | 64 GB |
| RAM Channels | 2 | 2 |
| ECC Support | ✅ | ❌ |
| PCIe Lanes | 8 | 16+100% |
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.
| Feature | Athlon Silver PRO 3125GE | Core i5-6300HQ |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | Yes | Yes |
| IGPU Model | AMD Radeon Vega 3 | HD Graphics 530 |
| Unlocked | — | No |
| AVX-512 | — | No |
| Virtualization | — | VT-x, VT-d, EPT |
| Target Use | — | Gaming Laptop |
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