Athlon 64 2600+ vs Celeron 540

Athlon 64 2600+

1 Cores1 Thrd15 WWMax: 1.6 GHz2008

Celeron 540

30 WW2007

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Athlon 64 2600+

1 / 1

392

0.0%

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3955WX

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7955WX

Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

Celeron 540

408

+4.1%

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. The Athlon 64 2600+ is positioned at rank 1080 and the Celeron 540 is on rank 1212, so the Athlon 64 2600+ offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.

MSRP is the manufacturer's suggested retail price.•
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.

Performance Per Dollar Athlon 64 2600+

Ryzen 9 7950X

MSRP: $194|Avg: $20

79519%

Core i9-10900T

MSRP: $120|Avg: $5

75138%

Ryzen 3 PRO 4355GE

MSRP: $423|Avg: $5

54556%

Ryzen Threadripper 3960X

MSRP: $1399|Avg: $85

16435%

Ryzen 9 9950X

MSRP: $649|Avg: $129

13019%

Ryzen 5 8400F

MSRP: $303|Avg: $55

11389%

Ryzen 7 PRO 2700

MSRP: $299|Avg: $60

6523%

Ryzen 5 2600X

MSRP: $229|Avg: $55

6438%

Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G

MSRP: $150|Avg: $60

5862%

#10

Core Ultra 5 245KF

MSRP: $294|Avg: $189

5861%

#11

Ryzen 5 5500

MSRP: $159|Avg: $85

5796%

#12

Ryzen 5 3600

MSRP: $199|Avg: $80

5639%

#13

Core i3-9100E

MSRP: $202|Avg: $30

5560%

#14

Core Ultra 5 245K

MSRP: $319|Avg: $200

5538%

#15

Core i3-8300T

MSRP: $138|Avg: $25

5488%

#1080

Athlon 64 2600+

MSRP: $100|Avg: $5

100%

#1081

Celeron 2.20

MSRP: $79|Avg: $15

98%

#1082

Athlon 64 X2 4000+

MSRP: $328|Avg: $10

91%

#1083

Athlon 64 X2 5200+

MSRP: $420|Avg: $15

91%

#1084

Core i7-975

MSRP: $999|Avg: $50

90%

#1085

Athlon XP 2600+

MSRP: $98|Avg: $10

89%

#1086

Core i7-965

MSRP: $1000|Avg: $40

87%

#1087

Athlon 64 FX-74

MSRP: $499|Avg: $50

85%

#1088

Core 2 Extreme QX9770

MSRP: $1399|Avg: $1399

84%

#1089

Athlon 64 2000+

MSRP: $100|Avg: $20

84%

#1090

Athlon 64 X2 5600+

MSRP: $505|Avg: $15

84%

#1091

Athlon 64 X2 5400+

MSRP: $485|Avg: $78

83%

#1092

Celeron 2.30

MSRP: $100|Avg: $10

83%

#1093

Phenom X4 9450e

MSRP: $450|Avg: $430

82%

#1094

Athlon 64 X2 3800+

MSRP: $354|Avg: $20

79%

#1095

Athlon 64 3000+

MSRP: $149|Avg: $10

77%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Celeron 540

#1200

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

6190%

#1201

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

6099%

#1202

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

5599%

#1203

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

5574%

#1204

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

5523%

#1206

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

5333%

#1207

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

5114%

#1208

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

5105%

#1209

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

4968%

#1212

Celeron 540

MSRP: $86|Avg: $5

100%

#1213

Celeron U3600

MSRP: $134|Avg: $134

98%

#1216

Core 2 Quad Q9000

MSRP: $348|Avg: $15

97%

#1217

Core i5-2537M

MSRP: $250|Avg: N/A

97%

#1218

Core i7-720QM

MSRP: $364|Avg: N/A

96%

#1219

Pentium U5400

MSRP: $289|Avg: $214

94%

#1220

Pentium T2330

MSRP: $150|Avg: $7

93%

#1221

Z-01

MSRP: $50|Avg: $10

91%

#1222

Pentium T2310

MSRP: $150|Avg: $14

88%

#1223

Celeron SU2300

MSRP: $134|Avg: $134

86%

#1224

Core i5-560UM

MSRP: $250|Avg: N/A

86%

#1225

Core i7-660UM

MSRP: $317|Avg: N/A

85%

#1226

C-30

MSRP: $50|Avg: $15

85%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Trade-off: The Athlon 64 2600+ leads in gaming performance. However, the Celeron 540 is the stronger candidate for professional workloads, offering 4% greater multi-core processing power.

Insight	Athlon 64 2600+	Celeron 540
Gaming	✅ Superior gaming performance	❌ Lower gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	Equivalent pricing	Equivalent pricing
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Lima (2008−2009) / 65 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Legacy / 65 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Efficiency: Even within a comparison of older hardware, the Celeron 540 stands out as the superior choice. It is effectively 0% cheaper ($5 vs $5) while identifying as the stronger performer.

Insight	Athlon 64 2600+	Celeron 540
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	✅ Better overall value (+4%)
Upfront Cost	Equivalent pricing	Equivalent pricing

Performance Check

Paired with RTX 4090

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.

Athlon 64 2600+ Benchmark Check

Celeron 540 Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Athlon 64 2600+ and Celeron 540

Athlon 64 2600+

The Athlon 64 2600+ is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2009-01-01. It is based on the Lima (2008−2009) architecture. It features 1 cores and 1 threads. Max frequency: 1.6 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 512 kB. Built on 65 nm process technology. Socket: AM2. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Passmark benchmark score: 392 points. Launch price was $149.

Celeron 540

The Celeron 540 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2007-01-01. Base frequency: 1.86 GHz. L3 cache: 1 MB L2 Cache. Built on 65 nm process technology. Socket: PGA478. Thermal design power (TDP): 30 Watt. Passmark benchmark score: 408 points. Launch price was $69.

⚡

Processing Power

The Athlon 64 2600+ is built on the Lima (2008−2009) architecture. In PassMark, the Athlon 64 2600+ scores 392 against the Celeron 540's 408 — a 4% lead for the Celeron 540. L3 cache: 0 kB on the Athlon 64 2600+ vs 1 MB L2 Cache on the Celeron 540.

Feature	Athlon 64 2600+	Celeron 540
Cores / Threads	1 / 1	—
Boost Clock	1.6 GHz	—
Base Clock	—	1.86 GHz
L3 Cache	0 kB	1 MB L2 Cache
L2 Cache	512 kB	—
Process	65 nm	65 nm
Architecture	Lima (2008−2009)	—
PassMark	392	408+4%

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Athlon 64 2600+ uses the AM2 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Celeron 540 uses PGA478 (PCIe 1.1) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR2-667 memory speed. The Athlon 64 2600+ supports up to 16 GB of RAM compared to 4 GB — 120% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. Both provide 0 PCIe lanes. Chipset compatibility: AMD AM2 (Athlon 64 2600+) and Santa Rosa (Celeron 540).

Feature	Athlon 64 2600+	Celeron 540
Socket	AM2	PGA478
PCIe Generation	PCIe 2.0+82%	PCIe 1.1
Max RAM Speed	DDR2-667	DDR2-667
Max RAM Capacity	16 GB+300%	4 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	❌	❌
PCIe Lanes	0	0

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Athlon 64 2600+) / No (Celeron 540). Primary use case: Celeron 540 targets Budget. Direct competitor: Celeron 540 rivals Pentium T2310.

Feature	Athlon 64 2600+	Celeron 540
Integrated GPU	No	No
Unlocked	—	No
AVX-512	—	No
Virtualization	—	No
Target Use	—	Budget

💰

Value Analysis

The Athlon 64 2600+ launched at $100 MSRP, while the Celeron 540 debuted at $86. At current prices ($5 vs $5), the Celeron 540 is $0 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Athlon 64 2600+ delivers 78.4 pts/$ vs 81.6 pts/$ for the Celeron 540 — making the Celeron 540 the 4% better value option.