CPU
GPU
FX-6120
Athlon 300U
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 FX-6120 is positioned at rank 787 and the Athlon 300U is on rank 624, so the Athlon 300U offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar FX-6120
Performance Per Dollar Athlon 300U
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | FX-6120 | Athlon 300U |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ✅ Superior gaming performance | ❌ Lower gaming performance |
| Workstation | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks | ✅ Better multi-core power |
| Price | ⚠️ Higher cost ($54) | ✅ More affordable ($0) |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Zambezi (2011−2012) / 32 nm) | ✨ Modern (Raven Ridge 2 (2019) / 14 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | FX-6120 | Athlon 300U |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ⚠️ Higher cost ($54) | ✅ 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 FX-6120 and Athlon 300U
FX-6120
The FX-6120 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 23 October 2012 (13 years ago). It is based on the Zambezi (2011−2012) architecture. It features 6 cores and 6 threads. Base frequency is 3.6 GHz, with boost up to 4.2 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB (total). L2 cache: 6 MB. Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: AM3+. Thermal design power (TDP): 95 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 3,853 points. Launch price was $69.
Athlon 300U
The Athlon 300U is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2009-01-01. It is based on the Raven Ridge 2 (2019) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.4 GHz, with boost up to 3.3 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB (total). L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: FP5. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR4 Dual-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 3,861 points. Launch price was $149.
Processing Power
The FX-6120 packs 6 cores / 6 threads, while the Athlon 300U offers 2 cores / 4 threads — the FX-6120 has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.2 GHz on the FX-6120 versus 3.3 GHz on the Athlon 300U — a 24% clock advantage for the FX-6120 (base: 3.6 GHz vs 2.4 GHz). The FX-6120 uses the Zambezi (2011−2012) architecture (32 nm), while the Athlon 300U uses Raven Ridge 2 (2019) (14 nm). In PassMark, the FX-6120 scores 3,853 against the Athlon 300U's 3,861 — a 0.2% lead for the Athlon 300U. L3 cache: 8 MB (total) on the FX-6120 vs 4 MB (total) on the Athlon 300U.
| Feature | FX-6120 | Athlon 300U |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 6 / 6+200% | 2 / 4 |
| Boost Clock | 4.2 GHz+27% | 3.3 GHz |
| Base Clock | 3.6 GHz+50% | 2.4 GHz |
| L3 Cache | 8 MB (total)+100% | 4 MB (total) |
| L2 Cache | 6 MB+1100% | 512K (per core) |
| Process | 32 nm | 14 nm-56% |
| Architecture | Zambezi (2011−2012) | Raven Ridge 2 (2019) |
| PassMark | 3,853 | 3,861 |
| Geekbench 6 Single | — | 900 |
| Geekbench 6 Multi | — | 1,800 |
Memory & Platform
The FX-6120 uses the AM3+ socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Athlon 300U uses FP5 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | FX-6120 | Athlon 300U |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | AM3+ | FP5 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 2.0 | PCIe 3.0+50% |
| Max RAM Speed | — | DDR4-2400 |
| Max RAM Capacity | — | 32 GB |
| RAM Channels | — | 2 |
| ECC Support | — | ❌ |
| PCIe Lanes | — | 12 |
Advanced Features
Virtualization: not specified (FX-6120) / AMD-V (Athlon 300U). The Athlon 300U includes integrated graphics (Radeon RX Vega 3), while the FX-6120 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Athlon 300U targets Budget Laptop.
| Feature | FX-6120 | Athlon 300U |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | — | Yes |
| IGPU Model | — | Radeon RX Vega 3 |
| Unlocked | — | No |
| AVX-512 | — | No |
| Virtualization | — | AMD-V |
| Target Use | — | Budget Laptop |
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