Athlon 240GE vs Core i3-7300

CPU

GPU

Athlon 240GE

2 Cores4 Thrd35 WWMax: 3.5 GHz2018

Similar parts

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Core i3-7300

2 Cores4 Thrd51 WWMax: 4 GHz2017

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Athlon 240GE vs Core i3-7300 Performance Spectrum

Athlon 240GE

2 / 4

4,561

+0.9%

FX-9800P

Athlon X4 830

Ryzen Embedded V1202B

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7965WX

Core i3-7300

2 / 4

4,519

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 240GE vs Core i3-7300 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 240GE vs Core i3-7300: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

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

Athlon 240GE

2018

Why buy it

✅+0.9% higher PassMark.
✅Costs $109 less on MSRP ($75 MSRP vs $184 MSRP).
✅Delivers 147.6% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 60.8 vs 24.6 PassMark/$ ($75 MSRP vs $184 MSRP).
✅Draws 35W instead of 51W, a 16W reduction.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Included), unlike Core i3-7300.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i3-7300 across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Core i3-7300

2017

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +3.9% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅100% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 8) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (4,519 vs 4,561).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 24.6 vs 60.8 PassMark/$ ($184 MSRP vs $75 MSRP).
❌45.7% higher power demand at 51W vs 35W.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Athlon 240GE.

Quick Answers

So, is Athlon 240GE better than Core i3-7300?

It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, Core i3-7300 is ahead with a 3.9% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Athlon 240GE pulls ahead with 0.9% better PassMark.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Athlon 240GE is the stronger fit. You are getting 0.9% better PassMark, backed by 2 cores and 4 threads.

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

Athlon 240GE is the better buy right now. Athlon 240GE comes in $109 cheaper on MSRP at $75 MSRP versus $184 MSRP, and it still gives you 0.9% better PassMark. The compromise is that Core i3-7300 is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 3.9% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 147.6% better value on MSRP (60.8 vs 24.6 PassMark/$), 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 240GE makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2018 vs 2017) and more multi-core headroom with 2 cores / 4 threads instead of 2/4. That extra compute headroom is more likely to matter as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

Athlon 240GE vs Core i3-7300 Technical Specifications

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

Athlon 240GE

The Athlon 240GE is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 21 December 2018 (6 years ago). It is based on the Zen (2017−2020) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 3.5 GHz, with boost up to 3.5 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: 4,561 points. Launch price was $75.

Core i3-7300

The Core i3-7300 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 3 January 2017 (8 years ago). It is based on the Kaby Lake (2016−2019) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 4 GHz, with boost up to 4 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1151. Thermal design power (TDP): 51 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 4,519 points. Launch price was $147.

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Processing Power

Both the Athlon 240GE and Core i3-7300 share an identical 2-core/4-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 3.5 GHz on the Athlon 240GE versus 4 GHz on the Core i3-7300 — a 13.3% clock advantage for the Core i3-7300 (base: 3.5 GHz vs 4 GHz). The Athlon 240GE uses the Zen (2017−2020) architecture (14 nm), while the Core i3-7300 uses Kaby Lake (2016−2019) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon 240GE scores 4,561 against the Core i3-7300's 4,519 — a 0.9% lead for the Athlon 240GE. Both processors carry 4 MB (total) of L3 cache.

Feature	Athlon 240GE	Core i3-7300
Cores / Threads	2 / 4	2 / 4
Boost Clock	3.5 GHz	4 GHz+14%
Base Clock	3.5 GHz	4 GHz+14%
L3 Cache	4 MB (total)	4 MB (total)
L2 Cache	512K (per core)+100%	256K (per core)
Process	14 nm	14 nm
Architecture	Zen (2017−2020)	Kaby Lake (2016−2019)
PassMark	4,561	4,519
Geekbench 6 Single	930	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	2,200	—

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Athlon 240GE uses the AM4 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core i3-7300 uses LGA1151 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR4-2666 on the Athlon 240GE versus DDR4-2400 on the Core i3-7300 — the Athlon 240GE supports 11.1% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. Both support up to 64 GB of RAM. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 8 (Athlon 240GE) vs 16 (Core i3-7300) — the Core i3-7300 offers 8 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives.

Feature	Athlon 240GE	Core i3-7300
Socket	AM4	LGA1151
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2666+11%	DDR4-2400
Max RAM Capacity	64 GB	64 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	No	Yes
PCIe Lanes	8	16+100%

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Advanced Features

Only the Athlon 240GE has an unlocked multiplier for overclocking — a significant advantage for enthusiasts seeking extra performance. Virtualization support: AMD-V (Athlon 240GE) vs VT-x, VT-d (Core i3-7300). Both include integrated graphics — Radeon Vega 3 (Athlon 240GE) and HD Graphics 630 (Core i3-7300) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Athlon 240GE targets Budget Desktop, Core i3-7300 targets Desktop. Direct competitor: Athlon 240GE rivals Pentium Gold G5400.

Feature	Athlon 240GE	Core i3-7300
Integrated GPU	Yes	Yes
IGPU Model	Radeon Vega 3	HD Graphics 630
Unlocked	Yes	No
AVX-512	No	No
Virtualization	AMD-V	VT-x, VT-d
Target Use	Budget Desktop	Desktop

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the Athlon 240GE was priced at $75, while the Core i3-7300 came in at $184. On launch pricing ($75 vs $184), Athlon 240GE was $109 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Athlon 240GE delivers 60.8 pts/$ vs 24.6 pts/$ for the Core i3-7300 — making the Athlon 240GE the 84.9% better value option.

Feature	Athlon 240GE	Core i3-7300
MSRP	$75-59%	$184
Performance per Dollar	60.8+147%	24.6
Release Date	2018	2017

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