AMD Athlon Silver 7120U vs Intel Core i3-6100 Comparison

FAQ

Q: Which processor wins in the Cinebench R23 multi-core test?

A: The Intel Core i3-6100 wins decisively, scoring 2226 against the AMD Athlon Silver 7120U's 1673. That is a 33.1% lead for Intel in this heavily threaded workload.

Q: Is the AMD Athlon Silver 7120U better in any multi-threaded test?

A: Yes. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the AMD Athlon Silver 7120U scores 250 versus Intel's 224, giving AMD a 10.4% advantage. This suggests the older R15 workload favors AMD's architecture differently than the newer R23 test.

Q: How do the two compare in single-core performance?

A: The AMD Athlon Silver 7120U dominates. It scores 886 in Cinebench R23 single-core versus Intel's 314, a massive 64.6% gap. In Geekbench single-core, AMD leads 892 to 785, a 12% advantage.

Q: What is the overall benchmark percentile for each CPU?

A: The Intel Core i3-6100 sits at the 24th percentile of all CPUs, while the AMD Athlon Silver 7120U is at the 23rd percentile. Their average benchmark scores are very close: 888 for Intel and 881 for AMD.

Q: Which CPU has a higher thermal design power (TDP)?

A: The Intel Core i3-6100 has a TDP of 51 watts, while the AMD Athlon Silver 7120U has a TDP of just 15 watts. That is a substantial difference in power envelope.

Q: What memory types do these processors support?

A: The Intel Core i3-6100 supports DDR4 memory, while the AMD Athlon Silver 7120U supports LPDDR5. The AMD chip also has a much higher theoretical memory bandwidth of 88.0 GB/s compared to Intel's 34.1 GB/s.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from different eras and design philosophies. The Intel Core i3-6100 is built on Intel's 14 nm process node with a die size of 150 mm², containing 1,400 million transistors. It uses the Skylake architecture and is a desktop part that fits the Intel Socket 1151. In contrast, the AMD Athlon Silver 7120U uses TSMC's 6 nm process node with a smaller 100 mm² die, based on the Zen 2 architecture (codenamed Mendocino) and is designed for mobile platforms with the AMD Socket FT6.

Core configuration differs significantly. Both have 2 physical cores, but the Intel chip supports 4 threads via Hyper-Threading, while the AMD chip has only 2 threads total. The base clocks also diverge: Intel runs at 3.70 GHz with no boost clock listed, whereas AMD starts at 2.40 GHz and can boost up to 3.50 GHz. Cache hierarchies are distinct as well — Intel offers 64 KB L1 per core, 256 KB L2 per core, and 4 MB shared L3, while AMD has 64 KB L1 per core, 512 KB L2 per core, and only 2 MB shared L3.

Memory architecture showcases a generational leap. The Intel part uses dual-channel DDR4 with 34.1 GB/s bandwidth, while the AMD part uses dual-channel LPDDR5 with 88.0 GB/s bandwidth. PCIe support also differs: Intel provides Gen 3 with 16 lanes (CPU only), whereas AMD offers Gen 3 with just 4 lanes. The integrated graphics differ too — Intel has HD 530, while AMD has Radeon 610M. The release dates are far apart, with Intel launching in 2015 and AMD in 2022. Both are listed as production status "Active" and neither has an unlocked multiplier.

Where Each One Wins

The Intel Core i3-6100 demonstrates clear strengths in multi-threaded content creation workloads. Its 33.1% lead in Cinebench R23 multi-core (2226 vs 1673) is the largest victory in the entire comparison. The Geekbench multi-core test also goes to Intel, with a score of 1605 versus AMD's 1457 — a 10.2% advantage. These results suggest that the Intel chip's 4 threads give it a meaningful edge in modern heavily threaded applications that scale beyond 2 threads.

The AMD Athlon Silver 7120U wins in single-threaded performance and in the older Cinebench R15 multi-core test. The single-core wins are emphatic: a 64.6% lead in Cinebench R23 single-core (886 vs 314) and a 12% lead in Geekbench single-core (892 vs 785). The R15 multi-core win of 250 vs 224 (10.4%) is interesting, as it shows AMD's higher clock speed potential — up to 3.50 GHz — can overcome the thread count disadvantage in certain legacy workloads.

For mobile use cases, the AMD chip's 15-watt TDP versus Intel's 51 watts makes a strong case for power-sensitive designs. The LPDDR5 memory support and higher 88.0 GB/s bandwidth also position AMD well for memory-intensive tasks. However, the Intel chip's 16 PCIe lanes versus AMD's 4 lanes matters for expandability in desktop scenarios. The data suggests Intel wins where thread scaling is key, while AMD wins where single-thread speed and power efficiency are priorities.

The Verdict

The benchmark data presents a nuanced picture. The Intel Core i3-6100 holds the overall average benchmark score advantage at 888 versus 881, and it wins 2 of the 5 head-to-head benchmarks. The AMD Athlon Silver 7120U wins 3 of 5. However, the magnitude of the wins matters more than the count.

For users prioritizing modern multi-threaded workloads, the Intel Core i3-6100 is the clear choice based on its 33.1% Cinebench R23 multi-core lead and 10.2% Geekbench multi-core advantage. The extra threads from Hyper-Threading appear to provide tangible benefits in these tests. The desktop form factor, 16 PCIe lanes, and DDR4 support also favor traditional desktop builds.

For users who value single-thread performance or need a low-power mobile solution, the AMD Athlon Silver 7120U is superior. The 64.6% single-core lead in Cinebench R23 is staggering and directly reflects the Zen 2 architecture's efficiency per clock. The 15-watt TDP makes it suitable for fanless or ultra-portable designs, and LPDDR5 support with 88.0 GB/s bandwidth is a modern advantage. The R15 multi-core win also shows AMD can be competitive in legacy threaded workloads.

The percentile rankings (24th for Intel, 23rd for AMD) and near-identical average scores (888 vs 881) indicate these are closely matched processors overall. The choice should hinge on workload type and platform needs. Neither CPU is a universal winner; they serve different priorities.

Specification Differences

| Specification | Intel Core i3-6100 | AMD Athlon Silver 7120U |

|---|---|---|

| Threads | 4 | 2 |

| Base Clock | 3.70 GHz | 2.40 GHz |

| Boost Clock | None listed | 3.50 GHz |

| TDP | 51 W | 15 W |

| Socket | Intel Socket 1151 | AMD Socket FT6 |

| Architecture | Skylake | Zen 2 |

| Process Node | 14 nm | 6 nm |

| Foundry | Intel | TSMC |

| Die Size | 150 mm² | 100 mm² |

| Transistors | 1,400 million | Not listed |

| L2 Cache | 256 KB (per core) | 512 KB (per core) |

| L3 Cache | 4 MB (shared) | 2 MB (shared) |

| Memory Support | DDR4 | LPDDR5 |

| Memory Bandwidth | 34.1 GB/s | 88.0 GB/s |

| PCIe | Gen 3, 16 Lanes (CPU only) | Gen 3, 4 Lanes (CPU only) |

| Integrated Graphics | Intel HD 530 | Radeon 610M |

| Market Segment | Desktop | Mobile |

| Release Date | 2015-08-31 | 2022-09-19 |

| Part Number | SR2HG | 100-000000772 |

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The largest single benchmark gap is in Cinebench R23 single-core, where the AMD Athlon Silver 7120U scores 886 against the Intel Core i3-6100's 314. This 64.6% difference is dramatic and points to a fundamental architectural advantage for AMD in lightly threaded workloads. The Zen 2 core design, combined with a boost clock of 3.50 GHz, delivers nearly three times the performance of the older Skylake core in this test.

The second-largest gap favors Intel: in Cinebench R23 multi-core, Intel scores 2226 versus AMD's 1673, a 33.1% lead. This is counterintuitive given AMD's single-core dominance, but the 4 threads versus 2 threads configuration likely explains the reversal. Intel's Hyper-Threading allows better utilization of multi-core workloads, even with lower per-core efficiency.

Geekbench results are more moderate but consistent. In Geekbench multi-core, Intel wins 1605 to 1457 (10.2% lead), maintaining the thread-based advantage. In Geekbench single-core, AMD wins 892 to 785 (12% lead), reinforcing the single-thread pattern. These smaller deltas suggest the Geekbench workload is less sensitive to the architectural differences than Cinebench.

The Cinebench R15 multi-core test is the outlier, with AMD winning 250 to 224 (10.4%). This older benchmark appears to favor AMD's higher boost clock and memory bandwidth, or possibly it does not scale as well with 4 threads. The R15 result shows that Intel's multi-core advantage is not universal across all versions of the same benchmark suite.

The overall win count (2 for Intel, 3 for AMD) masks the asymmetry in margin sizes. AMD's single-core wins are enormous, while Intel's multi-core wins are smaller but still significant. The average benchmark scores (888 vs 881) and percentile rankings (24th vs 23rd) confirm that these are closely matched overall, but with very different performance profiles depending on the workload. The data suggests that the newer AMD architecture has higher peak single-thread capability, while Intel's older chip leverages its thread count advantage for multi-threaded tasks.