Athlon 64 3300+
Opteron 246
Athlon 64 3300+ vs Opteron 246 Performance Spectrum
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 64 3300+ vs Opteron 246 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.
Path of Exile 2
Counter-Strike 2
League of Legends
Valorant
Among Us
Apex Legends
ARC Raiders
Baldur's Gate 3
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
Athlon 64 3300+ vs Opteron 246: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict
See where each CPU makes more sense in practice: gaming, heavier work, platform cost, power draw, and upgrade path.
Athlon 64 3300+
2004Why buy it
- ✅Includes a boxed cooler (Stock Cooler), unlike Opteron 246.
Trade-offs
- ❌Lower PassMark (522 vs 538).
- ❌Launch MSRP is still $200 MSRP, while Opteron 246 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
Opteron 246
2003Why buy it
- ✅+3.1% higher PassMark.
Trade-offs
- ❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Athlon 64 3300+.
Quick Answers
So, is Athlon 64 3300+ better than Opteron 246?
Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?
Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?
Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?
Athlon 64 3300+ vs Opteron 246 Technical Specifications
Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.
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 | No | — |
| 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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