Athlon 240GE vs Xeon E5-2609 v3
Athlon 240GE
Xeon E5-2609 v3
Performance Spectrum - CPU
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.
Value Upgrade Path
This is the official ChipVERSUS Value Rating, comparing raw performance (PassMark) per dollar. Components placed above yours deliver better value for money.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Athlon 240GE
Performance Per Dollar Xeon E5-2609 v3
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Athlon 240GE | Xeon E5-2609 v3 |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ✅ Superior gaming performance | ❌ Lower gaming performance |
| Workstation | ✅ Better multi-core power | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks |
| Price | ✅ More affordable ($110) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($306) |
| Longevity | ✨ Modern (Zen (2017−2020) / 14 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Haswell-EP (2014−2015) / 22 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Athlon 240GE | Xeon E5-2609 v3 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ✅ Better overall value (+184%) | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ✅ More affordable ($110) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($306) |
Performance Check
To accurately isolate CPU performance, all benchmarks below use an NVIDIA RTX 4090 as the reference GPU. This eliminates GPU-side bottlenecks and highlights pure processing throughput differences between the CPUs.
Note: Real-world results may vary based on your actual GPU. CPU performance impact is more visible in processing-intensive titles and high-refresh-rate gaming scenarios.
Technical Specifications
Side-by-side comparison of Athlon 240GE and Xeon E5-2609 v3
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.
Xeon E5-2609 v3
The Xeon E5-2609 v3 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. It is based on the Haswell-EP (2014−2015) architecture. It features 6 cores and 6 threads. Base frequency is 1.9 GHz, with boost up to 1.9 GHz. L3 cache: 15 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2011. Thermal design power (TDP): 85 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-1600. Passmark benchmark score: 4,465 points. Launch price was $800.
Processing Power
The Athlon 240GE packs 2 cores / 4 threads, while the Xeon E5-2609 v3 offers 6 cores / 6 threads — the Xeon E5-2609 v3 has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.5 GHz on the Athlon 240GE versus 1.9 GHz on the Xeon E5-2609 v3 — a 59.3% clock advantage for the Athlon 240GE (base: 3.5 GHz vs 1.9 GHz). The Athlon 240GE uses the Zen (2017−2020) architecture (14 nm), while the Xeon E5-2609 v3 uses Haswell-EP (2014−2015) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon 240GE scores 4,561 against the Xeon E5-2609 v3's 4,465 — a 2.1% lead for the Athlon 240GE. L3 cache: 4 MB (total) on the Athlon 240GE vs 15 MB (total) on the Xeon E5-2609 v3.
| Feature | Athlon 240GE | Xeon E5-2609 v3 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 2 / 4 | 6 / 6+200% |
| Boost Clock | 3.5 GHz+84% | 1.9 GHz |
| Base Clock | 3.5 GHz+84% | 1.9 GHz |
| L3 Cache | 4 MB (total) | 15 MB (total)+275% |
| L2 Cache | 512K (per core)+100% | 256K (per core) |
| Process | 14 nm-36% | 22 nm |
| Architecture | Zen (2017−2020) | Haswell-EP (2014−2015) |
| PassMark | 4,561+2% | 4,465 |
| Geekbench 6 Single | 930 | — |
| Geekbench 6 Multi | 2,200 | — |
Memory & Platform
The Athlon 240GE uses the AM4 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Xeon E5-2609 v3 uses LGA2011 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Athlon 240GE | Xeon E5-2609 v3 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | AM4 | LGA2011 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 3.0 | PCIe 3.0 |
| Max RAM Speed | DDR4-2666 | — |
| Max RAM Capacity | 64 GB | — |
| RAM Channels | 2 | — |
| ECC Support | ❌ | — |
| PCIe Lanes | 8 | — |
Advanced Features
Virtualization: AMD-V (Athlon 240GE) / not specified (Xeon E5-2609 v3). The Athlon 240GE includes integrated graphics (Radeon Vega 3), while the Xeon E5-2609 v3 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Athlon 240GE targets Budget Desktop. Direct competitor: Athlon 240GE rivals Pentium Gold G5400.
| Feature | Athlon 240GE | Xeon E5-2609 v3 |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | Yes | — |
| IGPU Model | Radeon Vega 3 | — |
| Unlocked | Yes | — |
| AVX-512 | No | — |
| Virtualization | AMD-V | — |
| Target Use | Budget Desktop | — |
Value Analysis
The Athlon 240GE launched at $75 MSRP, while the Xeon E5-2609 v3 debuted at $306. At current prices ($110 vs $306), the Athlon 240GE is $196 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Athlon 240GE delivers 41.5 pts/$ vs 14.6 pts/$ for the Xeon E5-2609 v3 — making the Athlon 240GE the 95.9% better value option.
| Feature | Athlon 240GE | Xeon E5-2609 v3 |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $75-75% | $306 |
| Avg Price (30d) | $110-64% | $306 |
| Performance per Dollar | 41.5+184% | 14.6 |
| Release Date | 2018 | 2014 |
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