Athlon 300U vs Core i5-2400

Athlon 300U vs Core i5-2400 Performance Spectrum

Athlon 300U

2 / 4

3,861

0.0%

Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

Core i5-2400

4 / 4

3,870

+0.2%

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 300U vs Core i5-2400 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 300U vs Core i5-2400: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

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

Athlon 300U

2019

Why buy it

✅+51.3% higher Geekbench single-core performance for gaming and desktop responsiveness.
✅Draws 15W instead of 95W, a 80W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (3,861 vs 3,870).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (4 MB vs 6 MB).
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-2400.

Core i5-2400

2011

Why buy it

✅+0.2% higher PassMark.
✅+50% larger total L3 cache (6 MB vs 4 MB).
✅33.3% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 12) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Athlon 300U.

Trade-offs

❌Lower Geekbench single-core performance for gaming (595 vs 900).
❌Launch MSRP is still $184 MSRP, while Athlon 300U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌533.3% higher power demand at 95W vs 15W.

Quick Answers

So, is Athlon 300U better than Core i5-2400?

It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, Athlon 300U is ahead with a 2.8% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Core i5-2400 pulls ahead with 0.2% better PassMark. Core i5-2400 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, Core i5-2400 is the stronger fit. You are getting 0.2% better PassMark, backed by 4 cores and 4 threads. It also has the larger cache pool with 50% larger total L3 cache (6 MB vs 4 MB).

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

Athlon 300U is still the much better call for a fresh build. Athlon 300U comes in at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $184 MSRP, and it still gives you a 2.8% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. Core i5-2400 only looks stronger on raw value math because it is extremely cheap, but that usually means used-market pricing on an obsolete 2011 platform. Even with 100.0% better value on paper (21.0 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), it really only makes sense as a cheap stopgap or a niche existing-platform option for someone already on LGA1155.

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

Athlon 300U makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2019 vs 2011). That makes it the safer long-term bet.

Athlon 300U vs Core i5-2400 Technical Specifications

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

Athlon 300U

The Athlon 300U is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2009-01-01. It is based on the Raven Ridge 2 (2019) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.4 GHz, with boost up to 3.3 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB (total). L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: FP5. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR4 Dual-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 3,861 points. Launch price was $149.

Core i5-2400

The Core i5-2400 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 9 January 2011 (14 years ago). It is based on the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 3.1 GHz, with boost up to 3.4 GHz. L3 cache: 6144 kB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1155. Thermal design power (TDP): 95 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 3,870 points. Launch price was $60.

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Processing Power

The Athlon 300U packs 2 cores / 4 threads, while the Core i5-2400 offers 4 cores / 4 threads — the Core i5-2400 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.3 GHz on the Athlon 300U versus 3.4 GHz on the Core i5-2400 — a 3% clock advantage for the Core i5-2400 (base: 2.4 GHz vs 3.1 GHz). The Athlon 300U uses the Raven Ridge 2 (2019) architecture (14 nm), while the Core i5-2400 uses Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) (32 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon 300U scores 3,861 against the Core i5-2400's 3,870 — a 0.2% lead for the Core i5-2400. Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 900 vs 595, a 40.8% lead for the Athlon 300U that directly translates to higher frame rates. L3 cache: 4 MB (total) on the Athlon 300U vs 6144 kB (total) on the Core i5-2400.

Feature	Athlon 300U	Core i5-2400
Cores / Threads	2 / 4	4 / 4+100%
Boost Clock	3.3 GHz	3.4 GHz+3%
Base Clock	2.4 GHz	3.1 GHz+29%
L3 Cache	4 MB (total)	6144 kB (total)+50%
L2 Cache	512K (per core)+100%	256 kB (per core)
Process	14 nm-56%	32 nm
Architecture	Raven Ridge 2 (2019)	Sandy Bridge (2011−2013)
PassMark	3,861	3,870
Geekbench 6 Single	900+51%	595
Geekbench 6 Multi	1,800	—

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Memory & Platform

The Athlon 300U uses the FP5 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core i5-2400 uses LGA1155 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR4-2400 on the Athlon 300U versus DDR3-1333 on the Core i5-2400 — the Athlon 300U supports 80% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. Both support up to 32 GB of RAM. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 12 (Athlon 300U) vs 16 (Core i5-2400) — the Core i5-2400 offers 4 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: FP5 (Athlon 300U) and H61,H67,P67,Z68,B75,Z77 (Core i5-2400).

Feature	Athlon 300U	Core i5-2400
Socket	FP5	LGA1155
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0+50%	PCIe 2.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2400+80%	DDR3-1333
Max RAM Capacity	32 GB	32 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	No	No
PCIe Lanes	12	16+33%

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Advanced Features

Neither processor supports overclocking. Virtualization support: AMD-V (Athlon 300U) vs VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Core i5-2400). Both include integrated graphics — Radeon RX Vega 3 (Athlon 300U) and HD Graphics 2000 (Core i5-2400) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Athlon 300U targets Budget Laptop, Core i5-2400 targets Legacy Desktop. Direct competitor: Core i5-2400 rivals Phenom II X4 975.

Feature	Athlon 300U	Core i5-2400
Integrated GPU	Yes	Yes
IGPU Model	Radeon RX Vega 3	HD Graphics 2000
Unlocked	No	No
AVX-512	No	No
Virtualization	AMD-V	VT-x, VT-d, EPT
Target Use	Budget Laptop	Legacy Desktop