Athlon 64 3400+ vs Atom S1260

Athlon 64 3400+ vs Atom S1260 Performance Spectrum

Athlon 64 3400+

1 / 1

545

0.0%

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3955WX

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7955WX

Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

Atom S1260

2 / 4

555

+1.8%

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 3400+ vs Atom S1260 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 64 3400+ vs Atom S1260: 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 3400+

2001

Why buy it

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (545 vs 555).
❌Launch MSRP is still $440 MSRP, while Atom S1260 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌888.9% higher power demand at 89W vs 9W.

Atom S1260

2012

Why buy it

✅+1.8% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 9W instead of 89W, a 80W reduction.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (8 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Fewer obvious downsides in this matchup outside of normal market pricing swings.

Quick Answers

So, is Atom S1260 better than Athlon 64 3400+?

It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, Athlon 64 3400+ is ahead with a 0.2% average FPS lead across 43 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Atom S1260 pulls ahead with 1.8% better PassMark.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Atom S1260 is the stronger fit. You are getting 1.8% better PassMark, backed by 2 cores and 4 threads.

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

Atom S1260 is still the much better call for a fresh build. Atom S1260 comes in at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $440 MSRP, and it still gives you 1.8% better PassMark. Athlon 64 3400+ only looks stronger on raw value math because it is extremely cheap, but that usually means used-market pricing on an obsolete 2001 platform. Even with 100.0% better value on paper (1.2 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), it really only makes sense as a cheap stopgap or a niche existing-platform option for someone already on 754.

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

Atom S1260 makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2012 vs 2001) and more multi-core headroom with 2 cores / 4 threads instead of 1/1. That extra compute headroom is more likely to matter as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

Athlon 64 3400+ vs Atom S1260 Technical Specifications

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

Athlon 64 3400+

The Athlon 64 3400+ is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2009-01-01. It is based on the Clawhammer (2001−2005) architecture. It features 1 cores and 1 threads. Max frequency: 2.4 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 512K. Built on 130 nm process technology. Socket: 754. Thermal design power (TDP): 89 Watt. Passmark benchmark score: 545 points. Launch price was $149.

Atom S1260

The Atom S1260 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 11 December 2012 (12 years ago). It is based on the Centerton (2012) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2 GHz, with boost up to 2 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1283. Thermal design power (TDP): 8.5 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 555 points. Launch price was $64.

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Processing Power

The Athlon 64 3400+ packs 1 cores / 1 threads, while the Atom S1260 offers 2 cores / 4 threads — the Atom S1260 has 1 more core. Boost clocks reach 2.4 GHz on the Athlon 64 3400+ versus 2 GHz on the Atom S1260 — a 18.2% clock advantage for the Athlon 64 3400+. The Athlon 64 3400+ uses the Clawhammer (2001−2005) architecture (130 nm), while the Atom S1260 uses Centerton (2012) (32 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon 64 3400+ scores 545 against the Atom S1260's 555 — a 1.8% lead for the Atom S1260. Both processors carry 0 kB of L3 cache.

Feature	Athlon 64 3400+	Atom S1260
Cores / Threads	1 / 1	2 / 4+100%
Boost Clock	2.4 GHz+20%	2 GHz
Base Clock	—	2 GHz
L3 Cache	0 kB	0 kB
L2 Cache	512K	512 kB (per core)
Process	130 nm	32 nm-75%
Architecture	Clawhammer (2001−2005)	Centerton (2012)
PassMark	545	555+2%

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Memory & Platform

The Athlon 64 3400+ uses the 754 socket (PCIe 1.1), while the Atom S1260 uses FCBGA1283 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR-400 on the Athlon 64 3400+ versus DDR3-1333 on the Atom S1260 — the Atom S1260 supports -433.2% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Atom S1260 supports up to 8 GB of RAM compared to 4 GB — 100% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 1-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 0 (Athlon 64 3400+) vs 8 (Atom S1260) — the Atom S1260 offers 8 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: AMD 754 (Athlon 64 3400+) and Intel BGA1283 (Atom S1260).

Feature	Athlon 64 3400+	Atom S1260
Socket	754	FCBGA1283
PCIe Generation	PCIe 1.1	PCIe 2.0+82%
Max RAM Speed	DDR-400	DDR3-1333
Max RAM Capacity	4 GB	8 GB+100%
RAM Channels	1	1
ECC Support	No	Yes
PCIe Lanes	0	8