Athlon 64 3700+ vs Opteron 252
Athlon 64 3700+
Opteron 252
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 3700+ is positioned at rank 1099 and the Opteron 252 is on rank 680, so the Opteron 252 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 3700+
Performance Per Dollar Opteron 252
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Athlon 64 3700+ | Opteron 252 |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ❌ Lower gaming performance | ✅ Superior gaming performance |
| Workstation | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks | ✅ Better multi-core power |
| Price | ⚠️ Higher cost ($20) | ✅ More affordable ($0) |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (San Diego (2001−2005) / 130 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Troy (2005) / 90 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Athlon 64 3700+ | Opteron 252 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ⚠️ Higher cost ($20) | ✅ 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 3700+ and Opteron 252
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.
Opteron 252
The Opteron 252 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in Fevereiro 2005 (20 years ago). It is based on the Troy (2005) architecture. It features 1 cores and 1 threads. Max frequency: 2.6 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 1 MB. Built on 90 nm process technology. Socket: 940. Thermal design power (TDP): 92 Watt. Passmark benchmark score: 655 points. Launch price was $63.
Processing Power
Both the Athlon 64 3700+ and Opteron 252 share an identical 1-core/1-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 2.4 GHz on the Athlon 64 3700+ versus 2.6 GHz on the Opteron 252 — a 8% clock advantage for the Opteron 252. The Athlon 64 3700+ uses the San Diego (2001−2005) architecture (130 nm), while the Opteron 252 uses Troy (2005) (90 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon 64 3700+ scores 622 against the Opteron 252's 655 — a 5.2% lead for the Opteron 252. Both processors carry 0 kB of L3 cache.
| Feature | Athlon 64 3700+ | Opteron 252 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 1 / 1 | 1 / 1 |
| Boost Clock | 2.4 GHz | 2.6 GHz+8% |
| L3 Cache | 0 kB | 0 kB |
| L2 Cache | 1 MB | 1 MB |
| Process | 130 nm | 90 nm-31% |
| Architecture | San Diego (2001−2005) | Troy (2005) |
| PassMark | 622 | 655+5% |
Memory & Platform
The Athlon 64 3700+ uses the 939 socket (PCIe 1.1), while the Opteron 252 uses 940 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Athlon 64 3700+ | Opteron 252 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | 939 | 940 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 1.1 | PCIe 2.0+82% |
| Max RAM Speed | DDR-400 | — |
| Max RAM Capacity | 4 GB | — |
| RAM Channels | 2 | — |
| ECC Support | ❌ | — |
| PCIe Lanes | 0 | — |
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The most powerful cpus ranked by PassMark CPU Mark benchmark scores.
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