Athlon Gold 7220U vs Core i3-7320

Athlon Gold 7220U vs Core i3-7320 Performance Spectrum

Athlon Gold 7220U

2 / 4

4,904

+1.5%

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7965WX

Core i3-7320

2 / 4

4,831

0.0%

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 7220U vs Core i3-7320 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 7220U vs Core i3-7320: 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 7220U

2022

Why buy it

✅+1.5% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 15W instead of 51W, a 36W reduction.
✅Newer platform on FT6 with DDR5 support instead of LGA1151 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i3-7320 across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i3-7320.

Core i3-7320

2017

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +12.0% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅300% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 4) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Athlon Gold 7220U.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (4,831 vs 4,904).
❌Launch MSRP is still $99 MSRP, while Athlon Gold 7220U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌240% higher power demand at 51W vs 15W.
❌Older platform position on LGA1151 with DDR4, while Athlon Gold 7220U moves to FT6 and DDR5.

Quick Answers

So, is Athlon Gold 7220U better than Core i3-7320?

It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, Core i3-7320 is ahead with a 12.0% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Athlon Gold 7220U pulls ahead with 1.5% better PassMark.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Athlon Gold 7220U is the stronger fit. You are getting 1.5% better PassMark, backed by 2 cores and 4 threads.

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

Athlon Gold 7220U is still the much better call for a fresh build. Athlon Gold 7220U comes in at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $99 MSRP, and it still gives you 1.5% better PassMark. Core i3-7320 only looks stronger on raw value math because it is extremely cheap, but that usually means used-market pricing on an obsolete 2017 platform. Even with 100.0% better value on paper (48.8 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), it really only makes sense as a cheap stopgap or a niche existing-platform option for someone already on LGA1151.

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

Athlon Gold 7220U makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2022 vs 2017), a healthier platform with FT6 and DDR5 instead of LGA1151, and more multi-core headroom with 2 cores / 4 threads instead of 2/4. That gives you a healthier platform runway for motherboard, RAM, and later CPU upgrades.

Athlon Gold 7220U vs Core i3-7320 Technical Specifications

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

Athlon Gold 7220U

The Athlon Gold 7220U is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2009-01-01. It is based on the Mendocino (Zen 2) (2022−2023) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.4 GHz, with boost up to 3.7 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB (total). L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 6 nm process technology. Socket: FT6. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR5 Dual-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 4,904 points. Launch price was $149.

Core i3-7320

The Core i3-7320 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 4.1 GHz, with boost up to 4.1 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1151. Thermal design power (TDP): 51 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 4,831 points. Launch price was $157.

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Processing Power

Both the Athlon Gold 7220U and Core i3-7320 share an identical 2-core/4-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 3.7 GHz on the Athlon Gold 7220U versus 4.1 GHz on the Core i3-7320 — a 10.3% clock advantage for the Core i3-7320 (base: 2.4 GHz vs 4.1 GHz). The Athlon Gold 7220U uses the Mendocino (Zen 2) (2022−2023) architecture (6 nm), while the Core i3-7320 uses Kaby Lake (2016−2019) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon Gold 7220U scores 4,904 against the Core i3-7320's 4,831 — a 1.5% lead for the Athlon Gold 7220U. Both processors carry 4 MB (total) of L3 cache.

Feature	Athlon Gold 7220U	Core i3-7320
Cores / Threads	2 / 4	2 / 4
Boost Clock	3.7 GHz	4.1 GHz+11%
Base Clock	2.4 GHz	4.1 GHz+71%
L3 Cache	4 MB (total)	4 MB (total)
L2 Cache	512 kB (per core)+100%	256K (per core)
Process	6 nm-57%	14 nm
Architecture	Mendocino (Zen 2) (2022−2023)	Kaby Lake (2016−2019)
PassMark	4,904+2%	4,831
Geekbench 6 Single	—	1,388

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Memory & Platform

The Athlon Gold 7220U uses the FT6 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Core i3-7320 uses LGA1151 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches 5500 on the Athlon Gold 7220U versus DDR4-2400 on the Core i3-7320 — the Athlon Gold 7220U supports 129.2% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Core i3-7320 supports up to 64 GB of RAM compared to 16 GB — 300% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 4 (Athlon Gold 7220U) vs 16 (Core i3-7320) — the Core i3-7320 offers 12 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: FT6 (Athlon Gold 7220U) and B250,H270,Z270,Q250,Q270 (Core i3-7320).

Feature	Athlon Gold 7220U	Core i3-7320
Socket	FT6	LGA1151
PCIe Generation	PCIe 4.0+33%	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	5500+129%	DDR4-2400
Max RAM Capacity	16 GB	64 GB+300%
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	No	Yes
PCIe Lanes	4	16+300%

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Advanced Features

Neither processor supports overclocking. Virtualization support: true (Athlon Gold 7220U) vs VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Core i3-7320). Both include integrated graphics — Radeon 610M (Athlon Gold 7220U) and HD Graphics 630 (Core i3-7320) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i3-7320 targets Mainstream Desktop. Direct competitor: Athlon Gold 7220U rivals Core i3-1115G4; Core i3-7320 rivals Ryzen 3 1300X.