Athlon 5370 vs Atom C3538

Athlon 5370 vs Atom C3538 Performance Spectrum

Athlon 5370

4 / 4

1,906

0.0%

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7955WX

Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

Atom C3538

4 / 4

1,910

+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 5370 vs Atom C3538 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 5370 vs Atom C3538: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

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

Athlon 5370

2014

Why buy it

✅Integrated graphics onboard with Radeon R3, while Atom C3538 needs a discrete GPU.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Stock), unlike Atom C3538.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (1,906 vs 1,910).
❌Launch MSRP is still $55 MSRP, while Atom C3538 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌66.7% higher power demand at 25W vs 15W.

Atom C3538

2017

Why buy it

✅+0.2% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 15W instead of 25W, a 10W reduction.
✅200% more PCIe lanes (12 vs 4) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌No integrated graphics, while Athlon 5370 can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Athlon 5370.

Quick Answers

So, is Atom C3538 better than Athlon 5370?

It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, Athlon 5370 is ahead with a 0.1% average FPS lead across 32 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Atom C3538 pulls ahead with 0.2% better PassMark.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Atom C3538 is the stronger fit. You are getting 0.2% better PassMark, backed by 4 cores and 4 threads.

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

Atom C3538 is still the much better call for a fresh build. Atom C3538 comes in at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $55 MSRP, and it still gives you 0.2% better PassMark. Athlon 5370 only looks stronger on raw value math because it is extremely cheap, but that usually means used-market pricing on an obsolete 2014 platform. Even with 100.0% better value on paper (34.7 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), it really only makes sense as a cheap stopgap or a niche existing-platform option for someone already on AM1.

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

Atom C3538 makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2017 vs 2014) and more multi-core headroom with 4 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 5370 vs Atom C3538 Technical Specifications

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

Athlon 5370

The Athlon 5370 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2009-01-01. It is based on the Kabini (2013−2014) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.2 GHz, with boost up to 2.2 GHz. L2 cache: 2048 kB. Built on 28 nm process technology. Socket: AM1. Thermal design power (TDP): 25 Watt. Memory support: DDR3-1600. Passmark benchmark score: 1,906 points. Launch price was $149.

Atom C3538

The Atom C3538 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 15 August 2017 (8 years ago). It is based on the Goldmont (2016−2017) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.1 GHz, with boost up to 2.1 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB. L2 cache: 8 MB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1310. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR4: 2133. Passmark benchmark score: 1,910 points. Launch price was $75.

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Processing Power

Both the Athlon 5370 and Atom C3538 share an identical 4-core/4-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 2.2 GHz on the Athlon 5370 versus 2.1 GHz on the Atom C3538 — a 4.7% clock advantage for the Athlon 5370 (base: 2.2 GHz vs 2.1 GHz). The Athlon 5370 uses the Kabini (2013−2014) architecture (28 nm), while the Atom C3538 uses Goldmont (2016−2017) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon 5370 scores 1,906 against the Atom C3538's 1,910 — a 0.2% lead for the Atom C3538.

Feature	Athlon 5370	Atom C3538
Cores / Threads	4 / 4	4 / 4
Boost Clock	2.2 GHz+5%	2.1 GHz
Base Clock	2.2 GHz+5%	2.1 GHz
L3 Cache	—	8 MB
L2 Cache	2048 kB	8 MB+300%
Process	28 nm	14 nm-50%
Architecture	Kabini (2013−2014)	Goldmont (2016−2017)
PassMark	1,906	1,910
Geekbench 6 Single	247	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	636	—

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Memory & Platform

The Athlon 5370 uses the AM1 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Atom C3538 uses FCBGA1310 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR3-1600 on the Athlon 5370 versus DDR4-2133 on the Atom C3538 — the Atom C3538 supports 33.3% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Atom C3538 supports up to 256 GB of RAM compared to 16 GB — 1500% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 1 (Athlon 5370) vs 2 (Atom C3538). PCIe lanes: 4 (Athlon 5370) vs 12 (Atom C3538) — the Atom C3538 offers 8 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: AM1,A50M (Athlon 5370) and Intel FCBGA1310 (Atom C3538).

Feature	Athlon 5370	Atom C3538
Socket	AM1	FCBGA1310
PCIe Generation	PCIe 2.0	PCIe 3.0+50%
Max RAM Speed	DDR3-1600	DDR4-2133+33%
Max RAM Capacity	16 GB	256 GB+1500%
RAM Channels	1	2+100%
ECC Support	No	Yes
PCIe Lanes	4	12+200%

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Advanced Features

Virtualization: AMD-V (Athlon 5370) / not specified (Atom C3538). The Athlon 5370 includes integrated graphics (Radeon R3), while the Atom C3538 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Athlon 5370 targets Budget.