CPU
GPU
Athlon 64 3300+
Opteron 246
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. The Athlon 64 3300+ is positioned at rank 1097 and the Opteron 246 is on rank 762, so the Opteron 246 offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Athlon 64 3300+
Performance Per Dollar Opteron 246
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Athlon 64 3300+ | Opteron 246 |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ✅ Superior gaming performance | ❌ Lower gaming performance |
| Workstation | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks | ✅ Better multi-core power |
| Price | ⚠️ Higher cost ($200) | ✅ More affordable ($0) |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (NewCastle (2004) / 130 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (SledgeHammer (2003−2005) / 130 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Athlon 64 3300+ | Opteron 246 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ⚠️ Higher cost ($200) | ✅ More affordable ($0) |
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 64 3300+ and Opteron 246
Athlon 64 3300+
The Athlon 64 3300+ is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2009-01-01. It is based on the NewCastle (2004) architecture. It features 1 cores and 1 threads. Max frequency: 2.4 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 256 kB. Built on 130 nm process technology. Socket: 754. Thermal design power (TDP): 89 Watt. Passmark benchmark score: 522 points. Launch price was $149.
Opteron 246
The Opteron 246 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in Agosto 2003 (22 years ago). It is based on the SledgeHammer (2003−2005) architecture. It features 1 cores and 1 threads. Max frequency: 2 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 1 MB. Built on 130 nm process technology. Socket: 940. Thermal design power (TDP): 89 Watt. Passmark benchmark score: 538 points. Launch price was $109.
Processing Power
Both the Athlon 64 3300+ and Opteron 246 share an identical 1-core/1-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 2.4 GHz on the Athlon 64 3300+ versus 2 GHz on the Opteron 246 — a 18.2% clock advantage for the Athlon 64 3300+. The Athlon 64 3300+ uses the NewCastle (2004) architecture (130 nm), while the Opteron 246 uses SledgeHammer (2003−2005) (130 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon 64 3300+ scores 522 against the Opteron 246's 538 — a 3% lead for the Opteron 246. Both processors carry 0 kB of L3 cache.
| Feature | Athlon 64 3300+ | Opteron 246 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 1 / 1 | 1 / 1 |
| Boost Clock | 2.4 GHz+20% | 2 GHz |
| L3 Cache | 0 kB | 0 kB |
| L2 Cache | 256 kB | 1 MB+300% |
| Process | 130 nm | 130 nm |
| Architecture | NewCastle (2004) | SledgeHammer (2003−2005) |
| PassMark | 522 | 538+3% |
| Geekbench 6 Single | 150 | — |
| Geekbench 6 Multi | 150 | — |
Memory & Platform
The Athlon 64 3300+ uses the 754 socket (PCIe 1.1), while the Opteron 246 uses 940 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Athlon 64 3300+ | Opteron 246 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | 754 | 940 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 1.1 | PCIe 2.0+82% |
| Max RAM Speed | DDR1-400 | — |
| Max RAM Capacity | 3 GB | — |
| RAM Channels | 1 | — |
| ECC Support | ❌ | — |
| PCIe Lanes | 0 | — |
Advanced Features
Virtualization: None (Athlon 64 3300+) / not specified (Opteron 246). Primary use case: Athlon 64 3300+ targets Retro Desktop.
| Feature | Athlon 64 3300+ | Opteron 246 |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | No | — |
| IGPU Model | None | — |
| Unlocked | No | — |
| AVX-512 | No | — |
| Virtualization | None | — |
| Target Use | Retro Desktop | — |
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The most powerful cpus ranked by PassMark CPU Mark benchmark scores.
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