Athlon Silver PRO 3125GE vs Core i7-2860QM

Athlon Silver PRO 3125GE vs Core i7-2860QM Performance Spectrum

Athlon Silver PRO 3125GE

2 / 4

4,633

+0.8%

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7965WX

Core i7-2860QM

4 / 8

4,597

0.0%

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 i7-2860QM 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 i7-2860QM: 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

✅+0.8% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 35W instead of 45W, a 10W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-2860QM across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Smaller total L3 cache (4 MB vs 8 MB).
❌Launch MSRP is still $108 MSRP, while Core i7-2860QM mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

Core i7-2860QM

2011

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +13.9% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+100% larger total L3 cache (8 MB vs 4 MB).
✅100% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 8) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (4,597 vs 4,633).
❌28.6% higher power demand at 45W vs 35W.

Quick Answers

So, is Athlon Silver PRO 3125GE better than Core i7-2860QM?

It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, Core i7-2860QM is ahead with a 13.9% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Athlon Silver PRO 3125GE pulls ahead with 0.8% better PassMark. Core i7-2860QM also has the bigger cache pool with 100% larger total L3 cache (8 MB vs 4 MB).

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Athlon Silver PRO 3125GE is the stronger fit. You are getting 0.8% better PassMark, backed by 2 cores and 4 threads.

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 $108 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it still gives you 0.8% better PassMark. The compromise is that Core i7-2860QM is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 13.9% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (42.9 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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 2011) and more multi-core headroom with 2 cores / 4 threads instead of 4/8. That extra compute headroom is more likely to matter as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

Athlon Silver PRO 3125GE vs Core i7-2860QM 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 i7-2860QM

The Core i7-2860QM is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 4 September 2011 (14 years ago). It is based on the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 2.5 GHz, with boost up to 3.6 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: PGA988. Thermal design power (TDP): 45 Watt. Memory support: DDR3-1066, DDR3-1333, DDR3-1600. Passmark benchmark score: 4,597 points. Launch price was $568.

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Processing Power

The Athlon Silver PRO 3125GE packs 2 cores / 4 threads, while the Core i7-2860QM offers 4 cores / 8 threads — the Core i7-2860QM has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.4 GHz on the Athlon Silver PRO 3125GE versus 3.6 GHz on the Core i7-2860QM — a 5.7% clock advantage for the Core i7-2860QM (base: 3.4 GHz vs 2.5 GHz). The Athlon Silver PRO 3125GE uses the Picasso (2019−2022) architecture (12 nm), while the Core i7-2860QM uses Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) (32 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon Silver PRO 3125GE scores 4,633 against the Core i7-2860QM's 4,597 — a 0.8% lead for the Athlon Silver PRO 3125GE. L3 cache: 4 MB (total) on the Athlon Silver PRO 3125GE vs 8 MB (total) on the Core i7-2860QM.

Feature	Athlon Silver PRO 3125GE	Core i7-2860QM
Cores / Threads	2 / 4	4 / 8+100%
Boost Clock	3.4 GHz	3.6 GHz+6%
Base Clock	3.4 GHz+36%	2.5 GHz
L3 Cache	4 MB (total)	8 MB (total)+100%
L2 Cache	512 kB (per core)+100%	256K (per core)
Process	12 nm-63%	32 nm
Architecture	Picasso (2019−2022)	Sandy Bridge (2011−2013)
PassMark	4,633	4,597

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Memory & Platform

The Athlon Silver PRO 3125GE uses the AM4 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core i7-2860QM uses PGA988 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR4-2667 on the Athlon Silver PRO 3125GE versus 1600 on the Core i7-2860QM — the Athlon Silver PRO 3125GE supports 66.7% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Athlon Silver PRO 3125GE supports up to 64 GB of RAM compared to 32 GB — 100% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 8 (Athlon Silver PRO 3125GE) vs 16 (Core i7-2860QM) — the Core i7-2860QM offers 8 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: AMD AM4 (Athlon Silver PRO 3125GE) and HM65,HM67,QM67,QS67 (Core i7-2860QM).

Feature	Athlon Silver PRO 3125GE	Core i7-2860QM
Socket	AM4	PGA988
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0+50%	PCIe 2.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2667+67%	1600
Max RAM Capacity	64 GB+100%	32 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) / true (Core i7-2860QM). Both include integrated graphics — AMD Radeon Vega 3 (Athlon Silver PRO 3125GE) and Intel HD Graphics 3000 (Core i7-2860QM) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Direct competitor: Core i7-2860QM rivals AMD A8-3510MX.