CPU
GPU
Core i7-5600U
Athlon Silver 7120U
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. The Core i7-5600U is positioned at rank 341 and the Athlon Silver 7120U is on rank 976, so the Core i7-5600U offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Core i7-5600U
Performance Per Dollar Athlon Silver 7120U
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Core i7-5600U | Athlon Silver 7120U |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ❌ Lower gaming performance | ✅ Superior gaming performance |
| Workstation | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks | ✅ Better multi-core power |
| Price | Equivalent pricing | Equivalent pricing |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Broadwell-U (2015) / 14 nm) | ✨ Modern (Mendocino (Zen 2) (2022−2023) / 6 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Core i7-5600U | Athlon Silver 7120U |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | Equivalent pricing | Equivalent pricing |
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 Core i7-5600U and Athlon Silver 7120U
Core i7-5600U
The Core i7-5600U is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 March 2015 (10 years ago). It is based on the Broadwell-U (2015) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.6 GHz, with boost up to 3.2 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1168. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 3,011 points. Launch price was $393.
Athlon Silver 7120U
The Athlon Silver 7120U is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2009-01-01. It is based on the Mendocino (Zen 2) (2022−2023) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 2.4 GHz, with boost up to 3.5 GHz. L3 cache: 2 MB (total). L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 6 nm process technology. Socket: FT6. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR5 Dual-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 3,012 points. Launch price was $149.
Processing Power
The Core i7-5600U packs 2 cores / 4 threads, matching the Athlon Silver 7120U's 2 cores. Boost clocks reach 3.2 GHz on the Core i7-5600U versus 3.5 GHz on the Athlon Silver 7120U — a 9% clock advantage for the Athlon Silver 7120U (base: 2.6 GHz vs 2.4 GHz). The Core i7-5600U uses the Broadwell-U (2015) architecture (14 nm), while the Athlon Silver 7120U uses Mendocino (Zen 2) (2022−2023) (6 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-5600U scores 3,011 against the Athlon Silver 7120U's 3,012 — a 0% lead for the Athlon Silver 7120U. L3 cache: 4 MB (total) on the Core i7-5600U vs 2 MB (total) on the Athlon Silver 7120U.
| Feature | Core i7-5600U | Athlon Silver 7120U |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 2 / 4 | 2 / 2 |
| Boost Clock | 3.2 GHz | 3.5 GHz+9% |
| Base Clock | 2.6 GHz+8% | 2.4 GHz |
| L3 Cache | 4 MB (total)+100% | 2 MB (total) |
| L2 Cache | 256K (per core) | 512 kB (per core)+100% |
| Process | 14 nm | 6 nm-57% |
| Architecture | Broadwell-U (2015) | Mendocino (Zen 2) (2022−2023) |
| PassMark | 3,011 | 3,012 |
Memory & Platform
The Core i7-5600U uses the FCBGA1168 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Athlon Silver 7120U uses FT6 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Core i7-5600U | Athlon Silver 7120U |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | FCBGA1168 | FT6 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 3.0 | PCIe 4.0+33% |
| Max RAM Speed | — | LPDDR5-5500 |
| Max RAM Capacity | — | 16 GB |
| RAM Channels | — | 2 |
| ECC Support | — | ❌ |
| PCIe Lanes | — | 4 |
Advanced Features
The Athlon Silver 7120U includes integrated graphics (AMD Radeon 610M), while the Core i7-5600U requires a dedicated GPU.
| Feature | Core i7-5600U | Athlon Silver 7120U |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | — | Yes |
| IGPU Model | — | AMD Radeon 610M |
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The most powerful cpus ranked by PassMark CPU Mark benchmark scores.
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