Athlon 64 3800+
Opteron 252
Athlon 64 3800+ vs Opteron 252 Performance Spectrum
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 3800+ vs Opteron 252 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.
Path of Exile 2
Counter-Strike 2
League of Legends
Valorant
Among Us
Apex Legends
ARC Raiders
Baldur's Gate 3
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
Athlon 64 3800+ vs Opteron 252: 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 3800+
2004Why buy it
- ✅Draws 89W instead of 92W, a 3W reduction.
Trade-offs
- ❌Lower PassMark (648 vs 655).
- ❌Launch MSRP is still $354 MSRP, while Opteron 252 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
Opteron 252
2005Why buy it
Trade-offs
- ❌Fewer obvious downsides in this matchup outside of normal market pricing swings.
Quick Answers
So, is Opteron 252 better than Athlon 64 3800+?
Which one is better for gaming?
Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?
Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?
Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?
Athlon 64 3800+ vs Opteron 252 Technical Specifications
Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.
Athlon 64 3800+
The Athlon 64 3800+ is manufactured by AMD. It was released in Junho 2004 (21 years ago). It is based on the Venice (2004−2005) architecture. It features 1 cores and 1 threads. Max frequency: 2.4 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 512 kB. Built on 130 nm process technology. Socket: 939. Thermal design power (TDP): 89 Watt. Memory support: DDR1. Passmark benchmark score: 648 points. Launch price was $160.
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 3800+ and Opteron 252 share an identical 1-core/1-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 2.4 GHz on the Athlon 64 3800+ versus 2.6 GHz on the Opteron 252 — a 8% clock advantage for the Opteron 252. The Athlon 64 3800+ uses the Venice (2004−2005) architecture (130 nm), while the Opteron 252 uses Troy (2005) (90 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon 64 3800+ scores 648 against the Opteron 252's 655 — a 1.1% lead for the Opteron 252. Both processors carry 0 kB of L3 cache.
| Feature | Athlon 64 3800+ | 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 | 512 kB | 1 MB+100% |
| Process | 130 nm | 90 nm-31% |
| Architecture | Venice (2004−2005) | Troy (2005) |
| PassMark | 648 | 655+1% |
Memory & Platform
The Athlon 64 3800+ 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 3800+ | Opteron 252 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | 939 | 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 | No | — |
| PCIe Lanes | 0 | — |
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