Athlon Gold PRO 3150G vs Core i5-8257U

AMD

Athlon Gold PRO 3150G

4 Cores4 Thrd65 WWMax: 3.9 GHz2020
Similar parts
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VS
Intel

Core i5-8257U

4 Cores8 Thrd1 WWMax: 3.9 GHz2019
Similar parts
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Athlon Gold PRO 3150G vs Core i5-8257U 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 Gold PRO 3150G vs Core i5-8257U 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 PRO 3150G vs Core i5-8257U: 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 PRO 3150G

2020

Why buy it

  • +0.6% higher PassMark.

Trade-offs

  • Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-8257U across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
  • Smaller total L3 cache (4 MB vs 6 MB).
  • Launch MSRP is still $150 MSRP, while Core i5-8257U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
  • 6400% higher power demand at 65W vs 1W.

Core i5-8257U

2019

Why buy it

  • Better for gaming: +11.3% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
  • +50% larger total L3 cache (6 MB vs 4 MB).
  • Draws 1W instead of 65W, a 64W reduction.
  • 100% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 8) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

  • Lower PassMark (7,427 vs 7,468).

Quick Answers

So, is Athlon Gold PRO 3150G better than Core i5-8257U?
It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, Core i5-8257U is ahead with a 11.3% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Athlon Gold PRO 3150G pulls ahead with 0.6% better PassMark. Core i5-8257U also has the bigger cache pool with 50% larger total L3 cache (6 MB vs 4 MB).
Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?
For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Athlon Gold PRO 3150G is the stronger fit. You are getting 0.6% better PassMark, backed by 4 cores and 4 threads.
Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?
Athlon Gold PRO 3150G is the better buy right now. Athlon Gold PRO 3150G comes in at an unclear MSRP at $150 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it still gives you 0.6% better PassMark. The compromise is that Core i5-8257U is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 11.3% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (49.8 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), so you are getting the faster CPU without taking a value hit on paper.
Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?
Athlon Gold PRO 3150G makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2020 vs 2019) and more multi-core headroom with 4 cores / 4 threads instead of 4/8. That extra compute headroom is more likely to matter as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

Athlon Gold PRO 3150G vs Core i5-8257U Technical Specifications

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

AMD

Athlon Gold PRO 3150G

The Athlon Gold PRO 3150G is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2009-01-01. It is based on the Picasso (2019−2022) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 3.5 GHz, with boost up to 3.9 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB (total). L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 12 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2933. Passmark benchmark score: 7,468 points. Launch price was $149.

Intel

Core i5-8257U

The Core i5-8257U is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 10 July 2019 (6 years ago). It is based on the Coffee Lake-U (2018−2019) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 1.4 GHz, with boost up to 3.9 GHz. L3 cache: 6 MB. L2 cache: 1 MB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1528. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 7,427 points. Launch price was $149.

Processing Power

The Athlon Gold PRO 3150G packs 4 cores / 4 threads, matching the Core i5-8257U's 4 cores. Boost clocks reach 3.9 GHz on the Athlon Gold PRO 3150G versus 3.9 GHz on the Core i5-8257U — identical boost frequencies (base: 3.5 GHz vs 1.4 GHz). The Athlon Gold PRO 3150G uses the Picasso (2019−2022) architecture (12 nm), while the Core i5-8257U uses Coffee Lake-U (2018−2019) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon Gold PRO 3150G scores 7,468 against the Core i5-8257U's 7,427 — a 0.6% lead for the Athlon Gold PRO 3150G. L3 cache: 4 MB (total) on the Athlon Gold PRO 3150G vs 6 MB on the Core i5-8257U.

FeatureAthlon Gold PRO 3150GCore i5-8257U
Cores / Threads
4 / 4
4 / 8
Boost Clock
3.9 GHz
3.9 GHz
Base Clock
3.5 GHz+150%
1.4 GHz
L3 Cache
4 MB (total)
6 MB+50%
L2 Cache
512 kB (per core)
1 MB+100%
Process
12 nm-14%
14 nm
Architecture
Picasso (2019−2022)
Coffee Lake-U (2018−2019)
PassMark
7,468
7,427
Cinebench R23 Multi
4,017
Geekbench 6 Single
1,100
Geekbench 6 Multi
4,000
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Memory & Platform

The Athlon Gold PRO 3150G uses the AM4 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core i5-8257U uses FCBGA1528 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR4-2933 on the Athlon Gold PRO 3150G versus DDR4-2400 on the Core i5-8257U — the Athlon Gold PRO 3150G supports 22.2% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Athlon Gold PRO 3150G supports up to 64 GB of RAM compared to 32 GB 100% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 8 (Athlon Gold PRO 3150G) vs 16 (Core i5-8257U) — the Core i5-8257U offers 8 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: AMD AM4 (Athlon Gold PRO 3150G) and 300 Series (Core i5-8257U).

FeatureAthlon Gold PRO 3150GCore i5-8257U
Socket
AM4
FCBGA1528
PCIe Generation
PCIe 3.0
PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed
DDR4-2933+22%
DDR4-2400
Max RAM Capacity
64 GB+100%
32 GB
RAM Channels
2
2
ECC Support
Yes
No
PCIe Lanes
8
16+100%
🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Athlon Gold PRO 3150G) / VT-x, VT-d (Core i5-8257U). Both include integrated graphics AMD Radeon Vega 3 (Athlon Gold PRO 3150G) and Intel Iris Plus Graphics 645 (Core i5-8257U) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i5-8257U targets Ultrabook.

FeatureAthlon Gold PRO 3150GCore i5-8257U
Integrated GPU
Yes
Yes
IGPU Model
AMD Radeon Vega 3
Intel Iris Plus Graphics 645
Unlocked
No
AVX-512
No
Virtualization
VT-x, VT-d
Target Use
Ultrabook