
Athlon 64 FX-55

Opteron 252
Athlon 64 FX-55 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 FX-55 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

Civilization VI

Cyberpunk 2077

Deadlock
Athlon 64 FX-55 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 FX-55
2004Why buy it
- ✅Better for gaming: +6.6% higher average FPS across 30 shared CPU benchmark tests.
Trade-offs
- ❌Launch MSRP is still $827 MSRP, while Opteron 252 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
Opteron 252
2005Why buy it
- ✅Draws 92W instead of 104W, a 12W reduction.
Trade-offs
- ❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Athlon 64 FX-55 across 30 shared CPU benchmark tests.
- ❌Lower PassMark (655 vs 690).
Quick Answers
So, is Athlon 64 FX-55 better than Opteron 252?
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 FX-55 vs Opteron 252 Technical Specifications
Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

Athlon 64 FX-55
The Athlon 64 FX-55 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 10 October 2004 (21 years ago). It is based on the Clawhammer (2001−2005) architecture. It features 1 cores and 1 threads. Base frequency is 2.6 GHz, with boost up to 2.6 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 1 MB. Built on 130 nm process technology. Socket: 939. Thermal design power (TDP): 104 Watt. Memory support: DDR1 Depends on motherboard. Passmark benchmark score: 690 points. Launch price was $180.

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 FX-55 and Opteron 252 share an identical 1-core/1-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 2.6 GHz on the Athlon 64 FX-55 versus 2.6 GHz on the Opteron 252 — identical boost frequencies. The Athlon 64 FX-55 uses the Clawhammer (2001−2005) architecture (130 nm), while the Opteron 252 uses Troy (2005) (90 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon 64 FX-55 scores 690 against the Opteron 252's 655 — a 5.2% lead for the Athlon 64 FX-55. Both processors carry 0 kB of L3 cache.
| Feature | Athlon 64 FX-55 | Opteron 252 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 1 / 1 | 1 / 1 |
| Boost Clock | 2.6 GHz | 2.6 GHz |
| Base Clock | 2.6 GHz | — |
| L3 Cache | 0 kB | 0 kB |
| L2 Cache | 1 MB | 1 MB |
| Process | 130 nm | 90 nm-31% |
| Architecture | Clawhammer (2001−2005) | Troy (2005) |
| PassMark | 690+5% | 655 |
Memory & Platform
The Athlon 64 FX-55 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 FX-55 | Opteron 252 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | 939 | 940 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 1.1 | PCIe 2.0+82% |
| Max RAM Speed | DDR1-400 | — |
| Max RAM Capacity | 4 GB | — |
| RAM Channels | 2 | — |
| ECC Support | No | — |
| PCIe Lanes | 0 | — |
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