
Athlon 64 3600+ vs Opteron 248

Athlon 64 3600+

Opteron 248
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 Opteron 248 is on rank 726, so the Opteron 248 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 Opteron 248
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Athlon 64 3600+ | Opteron 248 |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ✅ Superior gaming performance | ❌ Lower gaming performance |
| Workstation | ✅ Better multi-core power | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks |
| Price | ⚠️ Higher cost ($15) | ✅ More affordable ($0) |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Clawhammer (2001−2005) / 130 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (SledgeHammer (2003−2005) / 130 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Athlon 64 3600+ | Opteron 248 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ⚠️ Higher cost ($15) | ✅ 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 3600+ and Opteron 248

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.

Opteron 248
The Opteron 248 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in Novembro 2003 (22 years ago). It is based on the SledgeHammer (2003−2005) architecture. It features 1 cores and 1 threads. Max frequency: 2.2 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: 585 points. Launch price was $12.
Processing Power
Both the Athlon 64 3600+ and Opteron 248 share an identical 1-core/1-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 2.4 GHz on the Athlon 64 3600+ versus 2.2 GHz on the Opteron 248 — a 8.7% clock advantage for the Athlon 64 3600+. The Athlon 64 3600+ uses the Clawhammer (2001−2005) architecture (130 nm), while the Opteron 248 uses SledgeHammer (2003−2005) (130 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon 64 3600+ scores 595 against the Opteron 248's 585 — a 1.7% lead for the Athlon 64 3600+.
| Feature | Athlon 64 3600+ | Opteron 248 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 1 / 1 | 1 / 1 |
| Boost Clock | 2.4 GHz+9% | 2.2 GHz |
| L3 Cache | — | 0 kB |
| L2 Cache | 1 MB | 1 MB |
| Process | 130 nm | 130 nm |
| Architecture | Clawhammer (2001−2005) | SledgeHammer (2003−2005) |
| PassMark | 595+2% | 585 |
Memory & Platform
The Athlon 64 3600+ uses the 754 socket (PCIe 1.1), while the Opteron 248 uses 940 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Athlon 64 3600+ | Opteron 248 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | 754 | 940 |
| 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 | — |
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