AMD Athlon Silver 7120U vs AMD PRO A10-8770E Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head data reveals a sharp split between these two AMD processors. The AMD PRO A10-8770E takes the multi-core crown in Cinebench, while the AMD Athlon Silver 7120U dominates every single-core test. The most striking gap appears in Cinebench R23 multi-core, where the PRO A10-8770E scores 2560 against the Athlon Silver 7120U's 1673, a 53% advantage. That is a decisive margin, and it stems directly from the PRO A10-8770E having four physical cores versus two on the Athlon Silver 7120U.

The older Cinebench R15 multi-core test tells a closer story. Here the PRO A10-8770E wins with 258 points versus 250 for the Athlon Silver 7120U, a slim 3.2% edge. This smaller delta suggests that in lighter multi-threaded workloads, the gap narrows considerably. The Athlon Silver 7120U's newer architecture compensates partially for its core deficit, but the PRO A10-8770E still manages to edge ahead.

Single-core performance flips the narrative entirely. In Cinebench R23 single-core, the Athlon Silver 7120U scores 886 against the PRO A10-8770E's 361, a 59.3% advantage for the Athlon. That is an enormous difference, and it reflects the generational leap from Excavator to Zen 2. The Geekbench single-core test confirms the trend: the Athlon Silver 7120U scores 892, while the PRO A10-8770E manages only 572, a 35.9% delta.

Geekbench multi-core also favors the Athlon Silver 7120U, albeit by a smaller margin. The Athlon scores 1457, the PRO A10-8770E scores 1291, a difference of 11.4% in favor of the Athlon. This is notable because the PRO A10-8770E has twice the cores, yet still loses the multi-core Geekbench test. The Zen 2 architecture's efficiency and higher instructions per clock clearly compensate for the core count disadvantage.

The overall win tally stands at 2 wins for the PRO A10-8770E and 3 wins for the Athlon Silver 7120U. The PRO A10-8770E wins both Cinebench multi-core tests, while the Athlon Silver 7120U sweeps both single-core tests plus Geekbench multi-core. The recorded data shows a processor that excels in sustained multi-threaded rendering workloads, and another that dominates in responsiveness, single-threaded tasks, and a broader range of general-purpose benchmarks.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap between these two chips is generational. The AMD PRO A10-8770E uses the Excavator architecture, built on a 28 nm process at GlobalFoundries. It carries the codename Carrizo and belongs to the A10 generation. The die size measures 250 mm² with 3,100 million transistors. This is a large, power-hungry design from an older era of AMD desktop processors.

The AMD Athlon Silver 7120U uses Zen 2, built on a 6 nm process at TSMC. Its codename is Mendocino, and it belongs to the 7000 series. The die size is just 100 mm², less than half the PRO A10-8770E's footprint. The process node difference is stark: 28 nm versus 6 nm. This explains why the Athlon Silver 7120U achieves higher single-core scores despite having fewer cores and a lower base clock.

Cache configurations differ fundamentally. The PRO A10-8770E has 320 KB of L1 cache and 2 MB of L2 cache, with no L3 cache at all. The Athlon Silver 7120U splits its cache per core: 64 KB of L1 per core, 512 KB of L2 per core, plus 2 MB of shared L3 cache. The presence of L3 cache on the Athlon Silver 7120U is a major architectural advantage, particularly for workloads that benefit from shared data across cores.

Memory support also diverges. The PRO A10-8770E supports DDR4 memory with dual-channel configuration and 38.4 GB/s bandwidth. The Athlon Silver 7120U supports LPDDR5, also dual-channel, but with 88.0 GB/s bandwidth. That is more than double the memory bandwidth, which is a significant factor for integrated graphics performance and memory-intensive tasks.

Integrated graphics differ as well. The PRO A10-8770E features Radeon R7 graphics, while the Athlon Silver 7120U uses Radeon 610M. The Athlon's graphics are newer and pair with faster LPDDR5 memory, though the database does not provide direct graphics benchmarks for comparison.

The socket and market positioning reflect their intended uses. The PRO A10-8770E uses AMD Socket AM4 and targets the desktop segment. The Athlon Silver 7120U uses AMD Socket FT6 and is a mobile processor. The PRO A10-8770E has a TDP of 35 watts, while the Athlon Silver 7120U draws only 15 watts. That power difference is substantial, making the Athlon far better suited for thin-and-light laptops.

Where Each One Wins

The PRO A10-8770E wins in sustained multi-core rendering. Its 53% lead in Cinebench R23 multi-core is the single largest advantage in the head-to-head data. For workloads that scale well across four cores, such as video encoding, 3D rendering, or batch processing, the PRO A10-8770E is the clear choice. The 3.2% win in Cinebench R15 multi-core reinforces this pattern, though the margin is much smaller. The data suggests that in older or lighter multi-threaded workloads, the two processors are nearly equivalent, with the PRO A10-8770E holding a slight edge.

The Athlon Silver 7120U wins in every single-core test and in Geekbench multi-core. The 59.3% lead in Cinebench R23 single-core is decisive. This translates directly to faster application launches, snappier web browsing, and better performance in software that relies on a single primary thread. The 35.9% advantage in Geekbench single-core and the 11.4% lead in Geekbench multi-core indicate that the Athlon Silver 7120U is the better all-rounder for everyday tasks, even when multiple threads are involved.

The Geekbench multi-core result is particularly telling. Despite having half the cores of the PRO A10-8770E, the Athlon Silver 7120U wins this test. This suggests that the Zen 2 architecture delivers superior per-core performance that overcomes the core count disadvantage. For users who run a mix of single-threaded and lightly threaded applications, the Athlon Silver 7120U offers a better balance.

The power envelope also favors the Athlon Silver 7120U for mobile use cases. At 15 watts versus 35 watts, the Athlon is designed for battery-powered devices where efficiency matters more than raw multi-core throughput. The PRO A10-8770E, with its higher TDP, belongs in desktop systems where power consumption is less of a constraint.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ across nearly every specification category. The PRO A10-8770E has 4 cores and 4 threads, while the Athlon Silver 7120U has 2 cores and 2 threads. The base clock of the PRO A10-8770E is 2.80 GHz, higher than the Athlon Silver 7120U's 2.40 GHz. Both processors boost to 3.50 GHz, so the single-core boost ceiling is identical.

TDP is a major differentiator: 35 watts for the PRO A10-8770E versus 15 watts for the Athlon Silver 7120U. The sockets are entirely different: AMD Socket AM4 for the PRO A10-8770E, AMD Socket FT6 for the Athlon Silver 7120U. The architecture generation is Excavator (Carrizo) versus Zen 2 (Mendocino). Process nodes are 28 nm versus 6 nm, and foundries are GlobalFoundries versus TSMC.

Die size and transistor count differ sharply. The PRO A10-8770E uses a 250 mm² die with 3,100 million transistors. The Athlon Silver 7120U uses a 100 mm² die, with no transistor count recorded in the database. Cache layouts are entirely different: the PRO A10-8770E has 320 KB L1 and 2 MB L2 with no L3, while the Athlon Silver 7120U has 64 KB L1 per core, 512 KB L2 per core, and 2 MB shared L3.

Memory support diverges completely. The PRO A10-8770E uses DDR4 with 38.4 GB/s bandwidth. The Athlon Silver 7120U uses LPDDR5 with 88.0 GB/s bandwidth. Both are dual-channel. PCIe support is Gen 3 for both, but the Athlon Silver 7120U specifies only 4 lanes (CPU only), while the PRO A10-8770E does not list a lane count.

Integrated graphics differ by model: Radeon R7 on the PRO A10-8770E, Radeon 610M on the Athlon Silver 7120U. Market segments are Desktop versus Mobile. The Athlon Silver 7120U has a recorded release date of 2022-09-19, while the PRO A10-8770E has no release date in the database. Neither processor has a recorded launch MSRP. Both have locked multipliers. The part numbers are AD877BAHM44AB for the PRO A10-8770E and 100-000000772 for the Athlon Silver 7120U.

FAQ

Q: Which processor is faster in multi-core Cinebench R23?

A: The AMD PRO A10-8770E scores 2560 in Cinebench R23 multi-core, which is 53% ahead of the AMD Athlon Silver 7120U's 1673.

Q: Which processor has better single-core performance?

A: The AMD Athlon Silver 7120U wins all single-core tests. It scores 886 in Cinebench R23 single-core versus 361 for the PRO A10-8770E, a 59.3% advantage. In Geekbench single-core, the Athlon scores 892 versus 572, a 35.9% lead.

Q: How do the two processors compare in Geekbench multi-core?

A: The AMD Athlon Silver 7120U wins Geekbench multi-core with 1457 points, while the PRO A10-8770E scores 1291. That is an 11.4% advantage for the Athlon despite having only 2 cores versus 4.

Q: What are the core and thread counts for each processor?

A: The AMD PRO A10-8770E has 4 cores and 4 threads. The AMD Athlon Silver 7120U has 2 cores and 2 threads.

Q: Which processor uses less power?

A: The AMD Athlon Silver 7120U has a TDP of 15 watts, compared to 35 watts for the AMD PRO A10-8770E.

Q: What memory types do these processors support?

A: The AMD PRO A10-8770E supports DDR4 with 38.4 GB/s bandwidth. The AMD Athlon Silver 7120U supports LPDDR5 with 88.0 GB/s bandwidth. Both use dual-channel memory configurations.

The Verdict

The data paints a clear picture for different use cases. The AMD PRO A10-8770E is the choice for multi-threaded rendering workloads. Its 53% lead in Cinebench R23 multi-core is the largest margin in the entire comparison. Anyone running CPU-intensive batch rendering, video encoding, or other workloads that scale across four cores will see a substantial benefit from the PRO A10-8770E. Its higher TDP and desktop socket make it suited for systems where power draw is not a primary concern.

The AMD Athlon Silver 7120U is the better processor for general-purpose computing, mobile use, and single-threaded responsiveness. Its 59.3% lead in Cinebench R23 single-core and 35.9% lead in Geekbench single-core indicate that everyday tasks like web browsing, office applications, and light productivity will feel noticeably faster on the Athlon. The 11.4% win in Geekbench multi-core, despite having half the cores, shows that the Zen 2 architecture delivers superior per-core efficiency. The 15 watt TDP and LPDDR5 memory support further cement its position as a mobile-first processor.

The overall benchmark tally favors the Athlon Silver 7120U with 3 wins to 2. However, the PRO A10-8770E wins the two tests that most directly measure heavy multi-threaded performance. The database's percentile rankings place the PRO A10-8770E at the 24th percentile and the Athlon Silver 7120U at the 23rd percentile, making them nearly equivalent in overall standing despite their very different strengths.

Users who prioritize rendering and multi-core throughput should choose the PRO A10-8770E. Users who prioritize single-core speed, efficiency, and mobile compatibility should choose the Athlon Silver 7120U. The recorded data offers no middle ground: these processors are optimized for opposite ends of the performance spectrum.