Athlon 64 3700+ vs Celeron U3600

Athlon 64 3700+ vs Celeron U3600 Performance Spectrum

Athlon 64 3700+

1 / 1

622

0.0%

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3955WX

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7955WX

Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

Celeron U3600

2 / 2

625

+0.5%

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 3700+ vs Celeron U3600 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 3700+ vs Celeron U3600: 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 3700+

2001

Why buy it

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (622 vs 625).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 2.3 vs 4.7 PassMark/$ ($272 MSRP vs $134 MSRP).
❌394.4% higher power demand at 89W vs 18W.

Celeron U3600

2011

Why buy it

✅+0.5% higher PassMark.
✅Costs $138 less on MSRP ($134 MSRP vs $272 MSRP).
✅Delivers 104.0% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 4.7 vs 2.3 PassMark/$ ($134 MSRP vs $272 MSRP).
✅Draws 18W instead of 89W, a 71W reduction.

Trade-offs

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

Quick Answers

So, is Celeron U3600 better than Athlon 64 3700+?

It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, Athlon 64 3700+ is ahead with a 1.7% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Celeron U3600 pulls ahead with 0.5% better PassMark.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Celeron U3600 is the stronger fit. You are getting 0.5% better PassMark, backed by 2 cores and 2 threads.

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

Celeron U3600 is the better buy right now. Celeron U3600 comes in $138 cheaper on MSRP at $134 MSRP versus $272 MSRP, and it still gives you 0.5% better PassMark. The compromise is that Athlon 64 3700+ is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 1.7% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 104.0% better value on MSRP (4.7 vs 2.3 PassMark/$), so you are getting the faster CPU without taking a value hit on paper.

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

Celeron U3600 makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2011 vs 2001) and more multi-core headroom with 2 cores / 2 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 3700+ vs Celeron U3600 Technical Specifications

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

Athlon 64 3700+

The Athlon 64 3700+ is manufactured by AMD. It was released in Janeiro 2001 (24 years ago). It is based on the San Diego (2001−2005) architecture. It features 1 cores and 1 threads. Max frequency: 2.4 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 1 MB. Built on 130 nm process technology. Socket: 939. Thermal design power (TDP): 89 Watt. Passmark benchmark score: 622 points. Launch price was $69.

Celeron U3600

The Celeron U3600 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 1.2 GHz, with boost up to 0.1 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: 625 points. Launch price was $69.

⚡

Processing Power

The Athlon 64 3700+ packs 1 cores / 1 threads, while the Celeron U3600 offers 2 cores / 2 threads — the Celeron U3600 has 1 more core. Boost clocks reach 2.4 GHz on the Athlon 64 3700+ versus 0.1 GHz on the Celeron U3600 — a 184% clock advantage for the Athlon 64 3700+. The Athlon 64 3700+ uses the San Diego (2001−2005) architecture (130 nm), while the Celeron U3600 uses Westmere (2010−2011) (32 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon 64 3700+ scores 622 against the Celeron U3600's 625 — a 0.5% lead for the Celeron U3600. L3 cache: 0 kB on the Athlon 64 3700+ vs 2 MB on the Celeron U3600.

Feature	Athlon 64 3700+	Celeron U3600
Cores / Threads	1 / 1	2 / 2+100%
Boost Clock	2.4 GHz+2300%	0.1 GHz
Base Clock	—	1.2 GHz
L3 Cache	0 kB	2 MB
L2 Cache	1 MB+100%	512 kB
Process	130 nm	32 nm-75%
Architecture	San Diego (2001−2005)	Westmere (2010−2011)
PassMark	622	625

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Athlon 64 3700+ uses the 939 socket (PCIe 1.1), while the Celeron U3600 uses BGA1288 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Athlon 64 3700+	Celeron U3600
Socket	939	BGA1288
PCIe Generation	PCIe 1.1	PCIe 2.0+82%
Max RAM Speed	DDR-400	—
Max RAM Capacity	4 GB	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	No	—
PCIe Lanes	0	—

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the Athlon 64 3700+ was priced at $272, while the Celeron U3600 came in at $134. On launch pricing ($272 vs $134), Celeron U3600 was $138 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Athlon 64 3700+ delivers 2.3 pts/$ vs 4.7 pts/$ for the Celeron U3600 — making the Celeron U3600 the 68.4% better value option.

Feature	Athlon 64 3700+	Celeron U3600
MSRP	$272	$134-51%
Performance per Dollar	2.3	4.7+104%
Release Date	2001	2011

Search Athlon 64 3700+ on Amazon

Search Celeron U3600 on Amazon

Affiliate Disclosure

ChipVERSUS is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. We may earn a commission on qualifying purchases made through our links. This comes at no additional cost to you and helps support our work in providing comprehensive PC building guides and tools.

Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.