Athlon 64 3600+ vs Celeron U3400
Athlon 64 3600+
Celeron U3400
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 3600+ is positioned at rank 1078 and the Celeron U3400 is on rank 1172, so the Athlon 64 3600+ 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 3600+
Performance Per Dollar Celeron U3400
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Athlon 64 3600+ | Celeron U3400 |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ✅ Superior gaming performance | ❌ Lower gaming performance |
| Workstation | ✅ Better multi-core power | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks |
| Price | ⚠️ Higher cost ($15) | ✅ More affordable ($5) |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Clawhammer (2001−2005) / 130 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Westmere (2010−2011) / 32 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Athlon 64 3600+ | Celeron U3400 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ✅ Better overall value (+190%) |
| Upfront Cost | ⚠️ Higher cost ($15) | ✅ More affordable ($5) |
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 3600+ and Celeron U3400
Athlon 64 3600+
The Athlon 64 3600+ 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. L2 cache: 1 MB. Built on 130 nm process technology. Socket: 754. Thermal design power (TDP): 89 Watt. Memory support: DDR1. Passmark benchmark score: 595 points. Launch price was $149.
Celeron U3400
The Celeron U3400 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2007-01-01. It is based on the Westmere (2010−2011) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 1.06 GHz, with boost up to 0.07 GHz. L3 cache: 2 MB. L2 cache: 512 kB. Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: BGA1288. Thermal design power (TDP): 18 Watt. Memory support: DDR3-800. Passmark benchmark score: 575 points. Launch price was $69.
Processing Power
The Athlon 64 3600+ packs 1 cores / 1 threads, while the Celeron U3400 offers 2 cores / 2 threads — the Celeron U3400 has 1 more core. Boost clocks reach 2.4 GHz on the Athlon 64 3600+ versus 0.07 GHz on the Celeron U3400 — a 188.7% clock advantage for the Athlon 64 3600+. The Athlon 64 3600+ uses the Clawhammer (2001−2005) architecture (130 nm), while the Celeron U3400 uses Westmere (2010−2011) (32 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon 64 3600+ scores 595 against the Celeron U3400's 575 — a 3.4% lead for the Athlon 64 3600+.
| Feature | Athlon 64 3600+ | Celeron U3400 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 1 / 1 | 2 / 2+100% |
| Boost Clock | 2.4 GHz+3329% | 0.07 GHz |
| Base Clock | — | 1.06 GHz |
| L3 Cache | — | 2 MB |
| L2 Cache | 1 MB+100% | 512 kB |
| Process | 130 nm | 32 nm-75% |
| Architecture | Clawhammer (2001−2005) | Westmere (2010−2011) |
| PassMark | 595+3% | 575 |
Memory & Platform
The Athlon 64 3600+ uses the 754 socket (PCIe 1.1), while the Celeron U3400 uses BGA1288 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Athlon 64 3600+ | Celeron U3400 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | 754 | BGA1288 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 1.1 | PCIe 2.0+82% |
| Max RAM Speed | DDR2-800 | — |
| Max RAM Capacity | 16 GB | — |
| RAM Channels | 2 | — |
| ECC Support | ❌ | — |
| PCIe Lanes | 0 | — |
Value Analysis
The Athlon 64 3600+ launched at $149 MSRP, while the Celeron U3400 debuted at $86. At current prices ($15 vs $5), the Celeron U3400 is $10 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Athlon 64 3600+ delivers 39.7 pts/$ vs 115.0 pts/$ for the Celeron U3400 — making the Celeron U3400 the 97.4% better value option.
| Feature | Athlon 64 3600+ | Celeron U3400 |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $149 | $86-42% |
| Avg Price (30d) | $15 | $5-67% |
| Performance per Dollar | 39.7 | 115.0+190% |
| Release Date | 2004 | 2010 |
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