Athlon Silver PRO 3125GE vs Core i7-9700K
Athlon Silver PRO 3125GE
Core i7-9700K
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 i7-9700K
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Athlon Silver PRO 3125GE | Core i7-9700K |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ❌ Lower gaming performance | ✅ Superior gaming performance |
| Workstation | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks | ✅ Better multi-core power |
| Price | ✅ More affordable ($70) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($200) |
| Longevity | ✨ Modern (Picasso (2019−2022) / 12 nm) | ✨ Modern (Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019) / 14 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Athlon Silver PRO 3125GE | Core i7-9700K |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ✅ Better overall value (+9%) |
| Upfront Cost | ✅ More affordable ($70) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($200) |
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 i7-9700K
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 i7-9700K
The Core i7-9700K is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 19 October 2018 (7 years ago). It is based on the Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019) architecture. It features 8 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 3.6 GHz, with boost up to 4.9 GHz. L3 cache: 12 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1151. Thermal design power (TDP): 95 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 14,397 points. Launch price was $374.
Processing Power
The Athlon Silver PRO 3125GE packs 2 cores / 4 threads, while the Core i7-9700K offers 8 cores / 8 threads — the Core i7-9700K has 6 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.4 GHz on the Athlon Silver PRO 3125GE versus 4.9 GHz on the Core i7-9700K — a 36.1% clock advantage for the Core i7-9700K (base: 3.4 GHz vs 3.6 GHz). The Athlon Silver PRO 3125GE uses the Picasso (2019−2022) architecture (12 nm), while the Core i7-9700K uses Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon Silver PRO 3125GE scores 4,633 against the Core i7-9700K's 14,397 — a 102.6% lead for the Core i7-9700K. L3 cache: 4 MB (total) on the Athlon Silver PRO 3125GE vs 12 MB (total) on the Core i7-9700K.
| Feature | Athlon Silver PRO 3125GE | Core i7-9700K |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 2 / 4 | 8 / 8+300% |
| Boost Clock | 3.4 GHz | 4.9 GHz+44% |
| Base Clock | 3.4 GHz | 3.6 GHz+6% |
| L3 Cache | 4 MB (total) | 12 MB (total)+200% |
| L2 Cache | 512 kB (per core)+100% | 256K (per core) |
| Process | 12 nm-14% | 14 nm |
| Architecture | Picasso (2019−2022) | Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019) |
| PassMark | 4,633 | 14,397+211% |
Memory & Platform
The Athlon Silver PRO 3125GE uses the AM4 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core i7-9700K uses LGA1151 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR4-2667 memory speed. The Core i7-9700K supports up to 128 GB of RAM compared to 64 GB — 66.7% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 8 (Athlon Silver PRO 3125GE) vs 16 (Core i7-9700K) — the Core i7-9700K offers 8 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: AMD AM4 (Athlon Silver PRO 3125GE) and Intel 300 series (Core i7-9700K).
| Feature | Athlon Silver PRO 3125GE | Core i7-9700K |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | AM4 | LGA1151 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 3.0 | PCIe 3.0 |
| Max RAM Speed | DDR4-2667 | DDR4-2666 |
| Max RAM Capacity | 64 GB | 128 GB+100% |
| RAM Channels | 2 | 2 |
| ECC Support | ✅ | ❌ |
| PCIe Lanes | 8 | 16+100% |
Advanced Features
Virtualization: not specified (Athlon Silver PRO 3125GE) / VT-x, VT-d (Core i7-9700K). Both include integrated graphics — AMD Radeon Vega 3 (Athlon Silver PRO 3125GE) and UHD Graphics 630 (Core i7-9700K) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i7-9700K targets Desktop.
| Feature | Athlon Silver PRO 3125GE | Core i7-9700K |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | Yes | Yes |
| IGPU Model | AMD Radeon Vega 3 | UHD Graphics 630 |
| Unlocked | — | Yes |
| AVX-512 | — | No |
| Virtualization | — | VT-x, VT-d |
| Target Use | — | Desktop |
Value Analysis
The Athlon Silver PRO 3125GE launched at $108 MSRP, while the Core i7-9700K debuted at $385. At current prices ($70 vs $200), the Athlon Silver PRO 3125GE is $130 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Athlon Silver PRO 3125GE delivers 66.2 pts/$ vs 72.0 pts/$ for the Core i7-9700K — making the Core i7-9700K the 8.4% better value option.
| Feature | Athlon Silver PRO 3125GE | Core i7-9700K |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $108-72% | $385 |
| Avg Price (30d) | $70-65% | $200 |
| Performance per Dollar | 66.2 | 72.0+9% |
| Release Date | 2020 | 2018 |
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