Core i7-860 vs Athlon Silver 7120U
Core i7-860
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 i7-860 is positioned at rank 986 and the Athlon Silver 7120U is on rank 976, so the Athlon Silver 7120U offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Core i7-860
Performance Per Dollar Athlon Silver 7120U
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Core i7-860 | Athlon Silver 7120U |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ❌ Lower gaming performance | ✅ Superior gaming performance |
| Workstation | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks | ✅ Better multi-core power |
| Price | ⚠️ Higher cost ($30) | ✅ More affordable ($0) |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Lynnfield (2009−2010) / 45 nm) | ✨ Modern (Mendocino (Zen 2) (2022−2023) / 6 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Core i7-860 | Athlon Silver 7120U |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ⚠️ Higher cost ($30) | ✅ 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 Core i7-860 and Athlon Silver 7120U
Core i7-860
The Core i7-860 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 8 September 2009 (16 years ago). It is based on the Lynnfield (2009−2010) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 2.8 GHz, with boost up to 3.46 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1156. Thermal design power (TDP): 95 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 3,011 points. Launch price was $229.
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 i7-860 packs 4 cores / 8 threads, while the Athlon Silver 7120U offers 2 cores / 2 threads — the Core i7-860 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.46 GHz on the Core i7-860 versus 3.5 GHz on the Athlon Silver 7120U — a 1.1% clock advantage for the Athlon Silver 7120U (base: 2.8 GHz vs 2.4 GHz). The Core i7-860 uses the Lynnfield (2009−2010) architecture (45 nm), while the Athlon Silver 7120U uses Mendocino (Zen 2) (2022−2023) (6 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-860 scores 3,011 against the Athlon Silver 7120U's 3,012 — a 0% lead for the Athlon Silver 7120U. L3 cache: 8 MB (total) on the Core i7-860 vs 2 MB (total) on the Athlon Silver 7120U.
| Feature | Core i7-860 | Athlon Silver 7120U |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 4 / 8+100% | 2 / 2 |
| Boost Clock | 3.46 GHz | 3.5 GHz+1% |
| Base Clock | 2.8 GHz+17% | 2.4 GHz |
| L3 Cache | 8 MB (total)+300% | 2 MB (total) |
| L2 Cache | 256 kB (per core) | 512 kB (per core)+100% |
| Process | 45 nm | 6 nm-87% |
| Architecture | Lynnfield (2009−2010) | Mendocino (Zen 2) (2022−2023) |
| PassMark | 3,011 | 3,012 |
Memory & Platform
The Core i7-860 uses the LGA1156 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Athlon Silver 7120U uses FT6 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Core i7-860 | Athlon Silver 7120U |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | LGA1156 | FT6 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 2.0 | PCIe 4.0+100% |
| 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 i7-860 requires a dedicated GPU.
| Feature | Core i7-860 | Athlon Silver 7120U |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | — | Yes |
| IGPU Model | — | AMD Radeon 610M |
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