Athlon Gold 3150U vs Core i5-7260U

Athlon Gold 3150U vs Core i5-7260U Performance Spectrum

Athlon Gold 3150U

2 / 4

3,923

0.0%

Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

Core i5-7260U

2 / 4

3,953

+0.8%

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 Gold 3150U vs Core i5-7260U 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 Gold 3150U vs Core i5-7260U: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each CPU makes more sense in practice: gaming, heavier work, platform cost, power draw, and upgrade path.

Athlon Gold 3150U

2020

Why buy it

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (3,923 vs 3,953).

Core i5-7260U

2017

Why buy it

✅50% more PCIe lanes (12 vs 8) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

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

Quick Answers

So, is Core i5-7260U better than Athlon Gold 3150U?

Yes. Core i5-7260U is the better all-around CPU here. It gives you a 1.9% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data and 0.8% better PassMark, which is enough to make it the stronger overall pick.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Core i5-7260U is the better pick. According to our tests, it delivers 1.9% more average FPS across 50 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i5-7260U is the stronger fit. You are getting 0.8% better PassMark, backed by 2 cores and 4 threads.

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

Core i5-7260U still makes the most sense overall. Core i5-7260U comes in at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it still gives you a 1.9% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data.

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

Athlon Gold 3150U makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2020 vs 2017). That makes it the safer long-term bet.

Athlon Gold 3150U vs Core i5-7260U Technical Specifications

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

Athlon Gold 3150U

The Athlon Gold 3150U is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2009-01-01. It is based on the Dali (Zen) (2020) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.4 GHz, with boost up to 3.3 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB (total). L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: FP5. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 3,923 points. Launch price was $149.

Core i5-7260U

The Core i5-7260U is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 3 January 2017 (8 years ago). It is based on the Kaby Lake (2016−2019) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.2 GHz, with boost up to 3.4 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB. L2 cache: 512 kB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: BGA1356. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 3,953 points. Launch price was $304.

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Processing Power

Both the Athlon Gold 3150U and Core i5-7260U share an identical 2-core/4-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 3.3 GHz on the Athlon Gold 3150U versus 3.4 GHz on the Core i5-7260U — a 3% clock advantage for the Core i5-7260U (base: 2.4 GHz vs 2.2 GHz). The Athlon Gold 3150U uses the Dali (Zen) (2020) architecture (14 nm), while the Core i5-7260U uses Kaby Lake (2016−2019) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon Gold 3150U scores 3,923 against the Core i5-7260U's 3,953 — a 0.8% lead for the Core i5-7260U. L3 cache: 4 MB (total) on the Athlon Gold 3150U vs 4 MB on the Core i5-7260U.

Feature	Athlon Gold 3150U	Core i5-7260U
Cores / Threads	2 / 4	2 / 4
Boost Clock	3.3 GHz	3.4 GHz+3%
Base Clock	2.4 GHz+9%	2.2 GHz
L3 Cache	4 MB (total)	4 MB
L2 Cache	512 kB (per core)	512 kB
Process	14 nm	14 nm
Architecture	Dali (Zen) (2020)	Kaby Lake (2016−2019)
PassMark	3,923	3,953
Geekbench 6 Single	—	1,192

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Memory & Platform

The Athlon Gold 3150U uses the FP5 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core i5-7260U uses BGA1356 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR4-2400 on the Athlon Gold 3150U versus DDR4-2133 on the Core i5-7260U — the Athlon Gold 3150U supports 12.5% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. Both support up to 32 GB of RAM. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 8 (Athlon Gold 3150U) vs 12 (Core i5-7260U) — the Core i5-7260U offers 4 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: AMD FP5 (Athlon Gold 3150U) and Kaby Lake-U (Core i5-7260U).

Feature	Athlon Gold 3150U	Core i5-7260U
Socket	FP5	BGA1356
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2400+13%	DDR4-2133
Max RAM Capacity	32 GB	32 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	No	No
PCIe Lanes	8	12+50%

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Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Athlon Gold 3150U) / VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Core i5-7260U). Both include integrated graphics — AMD Radeon Vega 3 (Athlon Gold 3150U) and Iris Plus Graphics 640 (Core i5-7260U) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i5-7260U targets Mainstream Laptop. Direct competitor: Core i5-7260U rivals A12-9720P.

Feature	Athlon Gold 3150U	Core i5-7260U
Integrated GPU	Yes	Yes
IGPU Model	AMD Radeon Vega 3	Iris Plus Graphics 640
Unlocked	—	No
AVX-512	—	No
Virtualization	—	VT-x, VT-d, EPT
Target Use	—	Mainstream Laptop