AMD Athlon Silver PRO 3125GE

AMD Athlon Silver PRO 3125GE

AMD Athlon Silver PRO 3125GE: A Budget Processor for Basic Tasks

April 2025


1. Key Specifications: Dali at the Service of Economy

The AMD Athlon Silver PRO 3125GE is positioned as a solution for office systems and compact PCs. Its Dali architecture is based on a modified version of the Zen (1st generation) microarchitecture, adapted to reduce cost and energy consumption.

- Manufacturing Process: 12 nm (GlobalFoundries) — outdated by 2025 standards but cheap to produce.

- Cores/Threads: 2/4 — multithreading is implemented via SMT (Simultaneous Multithreading).

- Frequency: Base — 3.4 GHz, Boost — 3.8 GHz.

- Cache: L3 — 4 MB (shared among all cores), L2 — 1 MB per core.

- TDP: 35 W — supports passive cooling or a small cooler.

- Graphics: Integrated Radeon™ Graphics (Vega 3) solution with 3 cores and a frequency up to 1200 MHz.

Key Features:

- Support for AMD PRO Security technologies (memory encryption, attack protection).

- Energy efficiency: ideal for mini-PCs and systems with limited cooling capabilities.

- Price: around $65 (new, 2025) — one of the most affordable processors supporting SMT.

Real-world Example: Users assembling home NAS systems based on the Athlon Silver PRO 3125GE report quiet operation and low power consumption (less than 10 W when idle).


2. Compatible Motherboards: AM4 Socket and Budget Chipsets

The processor uses the AM4 socket, ensuring compatibility with a wide range of motherboards released since 2017.

Recommended Chipsets:

- A520: Basic option (from $50). Examples: Gigabyte A520M DS3H, ASUS Prime A520M-K.

- B450/X470: For upgrading older systems (BIOS update required).

Selection Tips:

- Avoid motherboards with A320 chipsets: limited PCIe 3.0 support and no overclocking.

- Mini-ITX boards: ASRock A520M-ITX/ac is suitable for compact builds.

- Always check the list of supported processors on the manufacturer’s website! For example, some B450s require a BIOS version P5.20.


3. Memory: DDR4 and Dual-Channel Mode

The Athlon Silver PRO 3125GE only works with DDR4:

- Max Capacity: 64 GB (2 slots).

- Frequencies: Officially up to 2933 MHz, but it works stably at 3200 MHz on many boards (with XMP profile).

- Mode: Dual-channel is mandatory — use 2 identical modules (for example, 2x8 GB DDR4-3200).

Tip: For office tasks, 8 GB is sufficient, but for Windows 11 and multimedia, 16 GB is better. Budget modules like Kingston Fury Beast (2x8 GB DDR4-3200 — $45) are an optimal choice.


4. Power Supply: Minimum Requirements

With a TDP of 35 W, the processor doesn't require a powerful PSU:

- Minimum: 300 W (for example, EVGA 300 BR — $35).

- Recommendation: 400–450 W with an 80+ Bronze certification (Be Quiet! System Power 10 — $55). This would provide headroom for future upgrades (such as adding an entry-level graphics card).

Important: For passive systems (without discrete graphics), a 150 W power supply will suffice, but such models are rare in retail.


5. Pros and Cons: Who is it For, and Who Should Consider Ryzen

Pros:

- Price: cheaper than many competitors (Intel Celeron G6900 — $75).

- Energy efficiency: suitable for mini-PCs and "green" builds.

- Integrated graphics: sufficient for YouTube 4K and older games.

Cons:

- 2 cores: multitasking is limited (for example, working simultaneously with a browser and Excel may lead to stuttering).

- Weak upgrade potential: the AM4 socket is becoming outdated; transitioning to AM5 will require a motherboard and memory replacement.


6. Use Cases: From Office to Retro Gaming

- Office Tasks: Word, Excel, browser with 10+ tabs.

- Multimedia: Streaming video (Netflix 4K), music, light editing in Shotcut.

- Gaming: CS:GO (60 FPS at low settings), Dota 2 (720p, medium settings), retro gaming through emulators (PS2, GameCube).

- Servers: NAS, home smart home server (Home Assistant).

Real-world Example: In 2024, a user built a media center on Athlon 3125GE with 16 GB of RAM and a 512 GB SSD. The system runs Kodi, a torrent client, and a VPN without lag.


7. Comparison with Competitors: Intel vs AMD

Intel Celeron G6900 ($75):

- Pros: 2 cores (without Hyper-Threading), higher IPC.

- Cons: No SMT, weaker UHD 710 graphics compared to Vega 3.

AMD Ryzen 3 5300GE ($110):

- Pros: 4 cores/8 threads, Zen 3, Vega 6.

- Cons: 1.5 times more expensive.

Conclusion: The Athlon 3125GE outperforms the Celeron due to multithreading, but for gaming and serious work, it’s better to spend extra on Ryzen 3.


8. Practical Assembly Tips

- Case: Mini-ITX (Cooler Master Elite 110 — $50) or compact micro-ATX.

- Storage: An SSD is essential (Kingston A400 480 GB — $35).

- Cooling: The stock cooler is sufficient, but for quiet operation, consider the Noctua NH-L9a ($45).

- Assembly: Check if dual-channel memory mode is enabled in the BIOS!


9. Final Thoughts: Who is the Athlon Silver PRO 3125GE For?

This processor is ideal for those who:

- Are building an office PC or a home media center.

- Are looking for an energy-efficient solution for 24/7 operation.

- Are on a budget ($200–300 for the entire build).

Why this one? For $65, you get decent performance, protection from PRO technologies, and the ability to build a system without a dedicated graphics card. However, for gaming, editing, or working with "heavy" applications, it’s better to consider Ryzen 3/5 or Intel Core i3.


Prices are valid as of April 2025.

Basic

Label Name
AMD
Platform
Desktop
Launch Date
July 2020
Code Name
Dali

CPU Specifications

Total Cores
?
Cores is a hardware term that describes the number of independent central processing units in a single computing component (die or chip).
2
Total Threads
?
Where applicable, Intel® Hyper-Threading Technology is only available on Performance-cores.
4
Basic Frequency
3.4GHz
Max Turbo Frequency
?
Max Turbo Frequency is the maximum single-core frequency at which the processor is capable of operating using Intel® Turbo Boost Technology and, if present, Intel® Turbo Boost Max Technology 3.0 and Intel® Thermal Velocity Boost. Frequency is typically measured in gigahertz (GHz), or billion cycles per second.
Up to 3.4GHz
L1 Cache
192KB
L2 Cache
1MB
L3 Cache
4MB
Unlocked for Overclocking
?
AMD`s product warranty does not cover damages caused by overclocking, even when overclocking is enabled via AMD hardware and/or software. GD-26.
No
CPU Socket
?
The socket is the component that provides the mechanical and electrical connections between the processor and motherboard.
AM4
Technology
?
Lithography refers to the semiconductor technology used to manufacture an integrated circuit, and is reported in nanometer (nm), indicative of the size of features built on the semiconductor.
12nm
TDP
35W
Max. Operating Temperature
?
Junction Temperature is the maximum temperature allowed at the processor die.
95°C
PCI Express Version
?
PCI Express Revision is the supported version of the PCI Express standard. Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (or PCIe) is a high-speed serial computer expansion bus standard for attaching hardware devices to a computer. The different PCI Express versions support different data rates.
PCIe® 3.0

Memory Specifications

Memory Type
?
Intel® processors come in four different types: Single Channel, Dual Channel, Triple Channel, and Flex Mode. Maximum supported memory speed may be lower when populating multiple DIMMs per channel on products that support multiple memory channels.
DDR4
Memory Channels
?
The number of memory channels refers to the bandwidth operation for real world application.
2
Bus Speed
Up to 2667MT/s

GPU Specifications

Integrated Graphics Model
?
An integrated GPU refers to the graphics core that is integrated into the CPU processor. Leveraging the processor's powerful computational capabilities and intelligent power efficiency management, it delivers outstanding graphics performance and a smooth application experience at a lower power consumption.
Radeon™ Graphics
Graphics Frequency
?
Graphics max dynamic frequency refers to the maximum opportunistic graphics render clock frequency (in MHz) that can be supported using Intel® HD Graphics with Dynamic Frequency feature.
1100 MHz
Graphics Core Count
3

Miscellaneous

OS Support
Windows 10 - 64-Bit Edition, RHEL x86 64-Bit, Ubuntu x86 64-Bit *Operating System (OS) support will vary by manufacturer.

Benchmarks

Geekbench 6
Single Core Score
999
Geekbench 6
Multi Core Score
1974
Geekbench 5
Single Core Score
804
Geekbench 5
Multi Core Score
1872
Passmark CPU
Single Core Score
2074
Passmark CPU
Multi Core Score
4633

Compared to Other CPU

Geekbench 6 Single Core
1091 +9.2%
1047 +4.8%
947 -5.2%
897 -10.2%
Geekbench 6 Multi Core
2402 +21.7%
2155 +9.2%
1820 -7.8%
1654 -16.2%
Geekbench 5 Single Core
839 +4.4%
820 +2%
786 -2.2%
769 -4.4%
Geekbench 5 Multi Core
2125 +13.5%
1986 +6.1%
1715 -8.4%
1615 -13.7%
Passmark CPU Single Core
2124 +2.4%
2098 +1.2%
2048 -1.3%
2019 -2.7%
Passmark CPU Multi Core
5252 +13.4%
4969 +7.3%
4398 -5.1%
4152 -10.4%