Athlon 220GE vs Core i5-3450S

Athlon 220GE vs Core i5-3450S Performance Spectrum

Athlon 220GE

2 / 4

4,441

+1.0%

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7965WX

Core i5-3450S

4 / 4

4,399

0.0%

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.

Athlon 220GE vs Core i5-3450S FPS Benchmarks

Predicted gaming performance across popular games. Tested paired with GeForce RTX 5090 to isolate CPU performance.

Search any supported game below to compare 1080p FPS for both components.

Athlon 220GE vs Core i5-3450S: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each CPU makes more sense in practice: gaming, heavier work, platform cost, power draw, and upgrade path.

Athlon 220GE

2018

Why buy it

✅+1% higher PassMark.
✅Costs $109 less on MSRP ($65 MSRP vs $174 MSRP).
✅Delivers 170.2% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 68.3 vs 25.3 PassMark/$ ($65 MSRP vs $174 MSRP).
✅Draws 35W instead of 65W, a 30W reduction.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (8 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (4 MB vs 6 MB).

Core i5-3450S

2012

Why buy it

✅+50% larger total L3 cache (6 MB vs 4 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (4,399 vs 4,441).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 25.3 vs 68.3 PassMark/$ ($174 MSRP vs $65 MSRP).
❌85.7% higher power demand at 65W vs 35W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Athlon 220GE can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Quick Answers

So, is Athlon 220GE better than Core i5-3450S?

It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, Core i5-3450S is ahead with a 1.6% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Athlon 220GE pulls ahead with 1% better PassMark. Core i5-3450S also has the bigger cache pool with 50% larger total L3 cache (6 MB vs 4 MB).

Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Athlon 220GE is the stronger fit. You are getting 1% better PassMark, backed by 2 cores and 4 threads.

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?

Athlon 220GE is the better buy right now. Athlon 220GE comes in $109 cheaper on MSRP at $65 MSRP versus $174 MSRP, and it still gives you 1% better PassMark. The compromise is that Core i5-3450S is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 1.6% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 170.2% better value on MSRP (68.3 vs 25.3 PassMark/$), so you are getting the faster CPU without taking a value hit on paper.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

Athlon 220GE makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2018 vs 2012) and more multi-core headroom with 2 cores / 4 threads instead of 4/4. That extra compute headroom is more likely to matter as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

Athlon 220GE vs Core i5-3450S Technical Specifications

Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

Athlon 220GE

The Athlon 220GE is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 1 June 2018 (7 years ago). It is based on the Zen (2017−2020) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 3.4 GHz, with boost up to 3.4 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB (total). L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR4 Dual-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 4,441 points. Launch price was $65.

Core i5-3450S

The Core i5-3450S is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 29 April 2012 (13 years ago). It is based on the Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.8 GHz, with boost up to 3.5 GHz. L3 cache: 6144 kB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1155. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 4,399 points. Launch price was $150.

⚡

Processing Power

The Athlon 220GE packs 2 cores / 4 threads, while the Core i5-3450S offers 4 cores / 4 threads — the Core i5-3450S has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.4 GHz on the Athlon 220GE versus 3.5 GHz on the Core i5-3450S — a 2.9% clock advantage for the Core i5-3450S (base: 3.4 GHz vs 2.8 GHz). The Athlon 220GE uses the Zen (2017−2020) architecture (14 nm), while the Core i5-3450S uses Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon 220GE scores 4,441 against the Core i5-3450S's 4,399 — a 1% lead for the Athlon 220GE. L3 cache: 4 MB (total) on the Athlon 220GE vs 6144 kB (total) on the Core i5-3450S.

Feature	Athlon 220GE	Core i5-3450S
Cores / Threads	2 / 4	4 / 4+100%
Boost Clock	3.4 GHz	3.5 GHz+3%
Base Clock	3.4 GHz+21%	2.8 GHz
L3 Cache	4 MB (total)	6144 kB (total)+50%
L2 Cache	512K (per core)+100%	256 kB (per core)
Process	14 nm-36%	22 nm
Architecture	Zen (2017−2020)	Ivy Bridge (2012−2013)
PassMark	4,441	4,399
Geekbench 6 Single	886	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	2,023	—

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Athlon 220GE uses the AM4 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core i5-3450S uses LGA1155 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Athlon 220GE	Core i5-3450S
Socket	AM4	LGA1155
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2667	—
Max RAM Capacity	64 GB	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	No	—
PCIe Lanes	8	—

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: AMD-V (Athlon 220GE) / not specified (Core i5-3450S). The Athlon 220GE includes integrated graphics (Radeon Vega 3), while the Core i5-3450S requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Athlon 220GE targets Desktop. Direct competitor: Athlon 220GE rivals Pentium Gold G5400.

Feature	Athlon 220GE	Core i5-3450S
Integrated GPU	Yes	—
IGPU Model	Radeon Vega 3	—
Unlocked	Yes	—
AVX-512	No	—
Virtualization	AMD-V	—
Target Use	Desktop	—

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the Athlon 220GE was priced at $65, while the Core i5-3450S came in at $174. On launch pricing ($65 vs $174), Athlon 220GE was $109 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Athlon 220GE delivers 68.3 pts/$ vs 25.3 pts/$ for the Core i5-3450S — making the Athlon 220GE the 92% better value option.

Feature	Athlon 220GE	Core i5-3450S
MSRP	$65-63%	$174
Performance per Dollar	68.3+170%	25.3
Release Date	2018	2012

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