AMD Athlon Silver PRO 3125GE vs Intel Xeon E5640 Comparison

The AMD Athlon Silver PRO 3125GE and the Intel Xeon E5640 are separated by a decade of silicon evolution, yet they land at nearly the same average benchmark score: 1138 for the AMD part versus 1137 for the Intel part, a delta of just 0.1%. That statistical tie, however, masks a complete reversal in how each CPU achieves its performance. The Athlon Silver PRO wins every single head-to-head benchmark in the data set, taking all five Cinebench tests with margins between 19.1% and 19.5%, while the Xeon E5640 counters with double the cores and threads and a much larger shared cache. The result is a matchup where the modern 2-core part is simply faster in every measured workload, but the older 4-core server chip still holds structural advantages that matter for specific use cases.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Athlon Silver PRO 3125GE is the outright winner in every benchmark recorded. Across Cinebench R15, R20, and R23, both multi-core and single-core tests, the AMD chip takes the win with a consistent delta of roughly 19%. In Cinebench R23 multi-core, the Athlon scores 3938 against the Xeon’s 3303, a 19.2% advantage. Single-core results are even more decisive relative to the core-count disparity: the Athlon posts 555 in R23 single-core versus 466 for the Xeon, a 19.1% gap. The pattern holds in R20, where the Athlon leads 1653 to 1387 in multi-core (19.2%) and 233 to 195 in single-core (19.5%). Even in the older R15 test, the Athlon’s 396 beats the Xeon’s 332 by 19.3%.

The Intel Xeon E5640 wins no benchmark in this comparison, but its specification sheet reveals where it would excel in workloads not covered by Cinebench. With 4 cores and 8 threads versus the Athlon’s 2 cores and 4 threads, the Xeon offers parallel capacity that the AMD chip cannot match. Its 12 MB of shared L3 cache is triple the Athlon’s 4 MB, which historically benefits server-style workloads with large working sets. The Xeon also supports triple-channel DDR3 memory, whereas the Athlon uses dual-channel DDR4; the Xeon’s memory bandwidth is not listed in the data, but the channel count suggests a different memory architecture. The Xeon is a server/workstation part with an 80 W TDP, while the Athlon is a desktop part at 35 W, so the AMD chip wins on power efficiency by a wide margin.

The Verdict

The data is unambiguous: the AMD Athlon Silver PRO 3125GE is the faster CPU in every benchmark recorded. If you are choosing based on raw Cinebench scores, the Athlon wins all five tests with deltas between 19.1% and 19.5%. The single-core results are particularly telling—the Athlon’s 555 in R23 single-core versus the Xeon’s 466 shows a 19.1% lead that no amount of extra cores can offset in lightly threaded tasks. The multi-core results are even more surprising given the Xeon’s 4-core/8-thread configuration: the Athlon still leads by 19.2% in R23 multi-core, meaning its Zen+ architecture at 3.40 GHz base clock simply outmuscles the Westmere chip at 2.67 GHz base and 2.93 GHz boost.

Pick the AMD Athlon Silver PRO 3125GE if you prioritize benchmark performance, modern platform features, or power efficiency. It uses DDR4 memory, has a 35 W TDP, and includes Radeon Vega 3 integrated graphics, so it can run as a complete desktop platform without a discrete GPU. It is also an active production part, released in 2020, versus the Xeon’s end-of-life status from 2010. Pick the Intel Xeon E5640 only if your workload specifically demands more physical cores and a larger shared cache, and you can tolerate an 80 W TDP, DDR3 memory, and a 1366 socket platform. But the benchmark data shows no scenario where the Xeon wins a measured test—its advantage is purely theoretical, based on core count and cache size, not on any Cinebench result.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The largest single win for the AMD Athlon Silver PRO 3125GE comes in Cinebench R20 single-core, where it scores 233 against the Xeon’s 195, a 19.5% delta. That is the highest margin of any head-to-head test, and it reflects the generational gap in instructions-per-clock between Zen+ and Westmere. The R23 single-core test tells the same story: 555 versus 466, a 19.1% gap. The multi-core tests all cluster around 19.2–19.3%, which is remarkable because the Xeon has twice the cores and threads. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the Athlon scores 396 versus 332, a 19.3% delta; in R20 multi-core, 1653 versus 1387, a 19.2% delta; and in R23 multi-core, 3938 versus 3303, a 19.2% delta.

The consistency of the delta—hovering between 19.1% and 19.5% across all five tests—suggests the Athlon’s advantage is fundamental to its architecture rather than workload-specific. The Xeon’s higher core count does not translate into a win anywhere, likely because its 2.67 GHz base clock and older design cannot compensate for the Athlon’s higher clock and newer process node. The AMD chip’s 12 nm process versus Intel’s 32 nm is a major factor; the Athlon also has a much smaller die (210 mm² versus 239 mm²) despite packing more transistors (4,940 million versus 1,170 million). Note that the Athlon’s transistor count includes its integrated Radeon Vega 3 graphics, which the Xeon lacks entirely.

FAQ

Q: Which CPU has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Athlon Silver PRO 3125GE has an average benchmark score of 1138, which is 0.1% higher than the Intel Xeon E5640’s 1137. The delta is negligible, making them effectively tied on average.

Q: How many cores and threads does each CPU have?

A: The AMD Athlon Silver PRO 3125GE has 2 cores and 4 threads. The Intel Xeon E5640 has 4 cores and 8 threads, giving it double the parallel execution capacity on paper.

Q: What is the largest benchmark margin between the two?

A: The largest margin is 19.5% in Cinebench R20 single-core, where the AMD part scores 233 versus the Intel part’s 195. The smallest margin is 19.1% in Cinebench R23 single-core, with 555 versus 466.

Q: Does the Intel Xeon E5640 win any benchmark?

A: No. The head-to-head data shows the AMD Athlon Silver PRO 3125GE wins all 5 recorded benchmarks, with the Intel part losing every test by approximately 19%.

Q: What memory types do the two CPUs support?

A: The AMD Athlon Silver PRO 3125GE supports DDR4 memory in a dual-channel configuration with 42.7 GB/s bandwidth. The Intel Xeon E5640 supports DDR3 memory in a triple-channel configuration; its bandwidth is not listed.

Q: Which CPU has integrated graphics?

A: The AMD Athlon Silver PRO 3125GE includes Radeon Vega 3 integrated graphics. The Intel Xeon E5640 has no integrated graphics, requiring a discrete GPU for display output.

Architecture Differences

The two CPUs come from vastly different eras and design philosophies. The AMD Athlon Silver PRO 3125GE uses the Zen+ architecture on a 12 nm process, manufactured by GlobalFoundries, with a codename of Picasso. It belongs to the 3000 series and the Athlon (Zen (Dali)) generation. The Intel Xeon E5640 uses the Westmere architecture on a 32 nm process, manufactured by Intel, with a codename of Westmere-EP. The process node difference is significant: 12 nm versus 32 nm, which helps explain the AMD chip’s higher clock speed at much lower power.

The cache configurations differ sharply. The Athlon has 96 KB of L1 cache per core, 512 KB of L2 per core, and 4 MB of shared L3 cache. The Xeon has 64 KB of L1 per core, 256 KB of L2 per core, and 12 MB of shared L3 cache. Despite the Xeon’s triple the L3 capacity, the Athlon still wins all benchmarks, indicating that its faster cores and memory subsystem outweigh the larger cache. The transistor counts also reflect the architectural gap: the Athlon packs 4,940 million transistors into a 210 mm² die, while the Xeon fits 1,170 million into a 239 mm² die. The Athlon’s higher transistor density is partly due to its integrated Radeon Vega 3 graphics, which the Xeon does not have.

The memory controllers are generationally distinct. The Athlon uses dual-channel DDR4 with a listed bandwidth of 42.7 GB/s, while the Xeon uses triple-channel DDR3 with no bandwidth figure given. The Athlon also supports PCIe Gen 3 with 8 lanes (CPU only), whereas the Xeon supports PCIe Gen 2. Both CPUs support ECC memory, which is unusual for a desktop part like the Athlon but expected for a server/workstation chip like the Xeon.

Specification Differences

The most obvious difference is core count: the AMD Athlon Silver PRO 3125GE has 2 cores and 4 threads, while the Intel Xeon E5640 has 4 cores and 8 threads. The base clocks also differ, with the Athlon running at 3.40 GHz and the Xeon at 2.67 GHz. The Xeon has a boost clock of 2.93 GHz, while the Athlon has no boost clock listed. The TDP gap is dramatic: 35 W for the Athlon versus 80 W for the Xeon.

The sockets are incompatible. The Athlon uses AMD Socket AM4, while the Xeon uses Intel Socket 1366. The process nodes are 12 nm for AMD (GlobalFoundries) and 32 nm for Intel. The memory support differs as noted: DDR4 dual-channel for the Athlon with 42.7 GB/s bandwidth, versus DDR3 triple-channel for the Xeon with no bandwidth listed. The integrated graphics are exclusive to the AMD part (Radeon Vega 3); the Xeon has none. The PCIe support is Gen 3 with 8 lanes for the Athlon versus Gen 2 for the Xeon.

The release dates are a decade apart: the Athlon launched on July 20, 2020, while the Xeon launched on March 15, 2010. The production status reflects this: the Athlon is active, and the Xeon is end-of-life. The market segments differ—desktop for the Athlon versus server/workstation for the Xeon. Neither CPU has a launch MSRP listed, and neither has an unlocked multiplier. The part numbers are YD3125C6M2OFH for the AMD chip and SLBVC for the Intel chip. The Athlon’s die size is 210 mm² versus 239 mm² for the Xeon, and the Athlon’s transistor count is 4,940 million versus 1,170 million. Both CPUs sit at the 32nd percentile of all CPUs in the database, and both have an average benchmark score near 1137–1138, confirming their overall performance class despite the architectural differences.