Athlon Gold 7220U vs Core i5-7442EQ

Athlon Gold 7220U vs Core i5-7442EQ Performance Spectrum

Athlon Gold 7220U

2 / 4

4,904

+1.4%

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7965WX

Core i5-7442EQ

4 / 4

4,834

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 i5-7442EQ 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 i5-7442EQ: 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

✅Draws 15W instead of 25W, a 10W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (4 MB vs 6 MB).

Core i5-7442EQ

2017

Why buy it

✅+50% larger total L3 cache (6 MB vs 4 MB).
✅300% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 4) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (4,834 vs 4,904).
❌Launch MSRP is still $250 MSRP, while Athlon Gold 7220U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌66.7% higher power demand at 25W vs 15W.

Quick Answers

So, is Athlon Gold 7220U better than Core i5-7442EQ?

Yes. Athlon Gold 7220U is the better all-around CPU here. It gives you a 1.4% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data, 1.4% better PassMark, and the stronger long-term platform, which is enough to make it the stronger overall pick.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Athlon Gold 7220U is the better pick. According to our tests, it delivers 1.4% 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, Athlon Gold 7220U is the stronger fit. You are getting 1.4% 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 $250 MSRP, and it still gives you a 1.4% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. Core i5-7442EQ only looks stronger on raw value math because it is extremely cheap, but that usually means used-market pricing on an obsolete 2017 platform. Even with 100.0% better value on paper (19.3 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), it really only makes sense as a cheap stopgap or a niche existing-platform option for someone already on that older DDR4-era platform.

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 the older platform, and more multi-core headroom with 2 cores / 4 threads instead of 4/4. That gives you a healthier platform runway for motherboard, RAM, and later CPU upgrades.

Athlon Gold 7220U vs Core i5-7442EQ 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 i5-7442EQ

The Core i5-7442EQ 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 4 cores and 4 threads. Max frequency: 2.1 GHz. L3 cache: 6 MB. L2 cache: 1 MB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Thermal design power (TDP): 25 Watt. Memory support: DDR3L-1600. Passmark benchmark score: 4,834 points. Launch price was $250.

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Processing Power

The Athlon Gold 7220U packs 2 cores / 4 threads, while the Core i5-7442EQ offers 4 cores / 4 threads — the Core i5-7442EQ has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.7 GHz on the Athlon Gold 7220U versus 2.1 GHz on the Core i5-7442EQ — a 55.2% clock advantage for the Athlon Gold 7220U. The Athlon Gold 7220U uses the Mendocino (Zen 2) (2022−2023) architecture (6 nm), while the Core i5-7442EQ uses Kaby Lake (2016−2019) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon Gold 7220U scores 4,904 against the Core i5-7442EQ's 4,834 — a 1.4% lead for the Athlon Gold 7220U. L3 cache: 4 MB (total) on the Athlon Gold 7220U vs 6 MB on the Core i5-7442EQ.

Feature	Athlon Gold 7220U	Core i5-7442EQ
Cores / Threads	2 / 4	4 / 4+100%
Boost Clock	3.7 GHz+76%	2.1 GHz
Base Clock	2.4 GHz	—
L3 Cache	4 MB (total)	6 MB+50%
L2 Cache	512 kB (per core)	1 MB+100%
Process	6 nm-57%	14 nm
Architecture	Mendocino (Zen 2) (2022−2023)	Kaby Lake (2016−2019)
PassMark	4,904+1%	4,834
Geekbench 6 Single	—	728
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	2,387

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Memory & Platform

Maximum memory speed reaches 5500 on the Athlon Gold 7220U versus DDR4-2400 on the Core i5-7442EQ — the Athlon Gold 7220U supports 129.2% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Core i5-7442EQ 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 i5-7442EQ) — the Core i5-7442EQ offers 12 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: FT6 (Athlon Gold 7220U) and QM175,HM175,CM238 (Core i5-7442EQ).

Feature	Athlon Gold 7220U	Core i5-7442EQ
Socket	FT6	—
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	No
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 i5-7442EQ). Both include integrated graphics — Radeon 610M (Athlon Gold 7220U) and HD Graphics 630 (Core i5-7442EQ) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i5-7442EQ targets Embedded. Direct competitor: Athlon Gold 7220U rivals Core i3-1115G4.