
Athlon II M300 vs A8-4500M

Athlon II M300

A8-4500M
Performance Spectrum - CPU
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.
Value Upgrade Path
This is the official ChipVERSUS Value Rating, comparing raw performance (PassMark) per dollar. Components placed above yours deliver better value for money. The Athlon II M300 is positioned at rank 940 and the A8-4500M is on rank 728, so the A8-4500M offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Athlon II M300
Performance Per Dollar A8-4500M
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Athlon II M300 | A8-4500M |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ❌ Lower gaming performance | ✅ Superior gaming performance |
| Workstation | ✅ Better multi-core power | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks |
| Price | ⚠️ Higher cost ($10) | ✅ More affordable ($0) |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Caspian (2009) / 45 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Trinity (2012−2013) / 32 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Athlon II M300 | A8-4500M |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ⚠️ Higher cost ($10) | ✅ More affordable ($0) |
Performance Check
To accurately isolate CPU performance, all benchmarks below use an NVIDIA RTX 4090 as the reference GPU. This eliminates GPU-side bottlenecks and highlights pure processing throughput differences between the CPUs.
Note: Real-world results may vary based on your actual GPU. CPU performance impact is more visible in processing-intensive titles and high-refresh-rate gaming scenarios.
Technical Specifications
Side-by-side comparison of Athlon II M300 and A8-4500M

Athlon II M300
The Athlon II M300 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2009-01-01. It is based on the Caspian (2009) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Max frequency: 2 GHz. L2 cache: 1 MB. Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: S1g3. Thermal design power (TDP): 1 MB. Memory support: DDR2. Passmark benchmark score: 1,700 points. Launch price was $149.

A8-4500M
The A8-4500M is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2014-01-01. It is based on the Trinity (2012−2013) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 1.9 GHz, with boost up to 2.8 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 4 MB (total). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: FS1r2. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Memory support: unknown. Passmark benchmark score: 1,693 points. Launch price was $90.
Processing Power
The Athlon II M300 packs 2 cores / 2 threads, while the A8-4500M offers 4 cores / 4 threads — the A8-4500M has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 2 GHz on the Athlon II M300 versus 2.8 GHz on the A8-4500M — a 33.3% clock advantage for the A8-4500M. The Athlon II M300 uses the Caspian (2009) architecture (45 nm), while the A8-4500M uses Trinity (2012−2013) (32 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon II M300 scores 1,700 against the A8-4500M's 1,693 — a 0.4% lead for the Athlon II M300.
| Feature | Athlon II M300 | A8-4500M |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 2 / 2 | 4 / 4+100% |
| Boost Clock | 2 GHz | 2.8 GHz+40% |
| Base Clock | — | 1.9 GHz |
| L3 Cache | — | 0 kB |
| L2 Cache | 1 MB | 4 MB (total)+300% |
| Process | 45 nm | 32 nm-29% |
| Architecture | Caspian (2009) | Trinity (2012−2013) |
| PassMark | 1,700 | 1,693 |
| Geekbench 6 Single | — | 283 |
Memory & Platform
The Athlon II M300 uses the S1g3 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the A8-4500M uses FS1r2 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches 800 on the Athlon II M300 versus DDR3-1600 on the A8-4500M — the Athlon II M300 supports 198.5% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The A8-4500M supports up to 16 GB of RAM compared to 8 — 66.7% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 0 (Athlon II M300) vs 16 (A8-4500M) — the A8-4500M offers 16 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives.
| Feature | Athlon II M300 | A8-4500M |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | S1g3 | FS1r2 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 2.0 | PCIe 2.0 |
| Max RAM Speed | 800+26567% | DDR3-1600 |
| Max RAM Capacity | 8 | 16 GB+209715100% |
| RAM Channels | 2 | 2 |
| ECC Support | ❌ | ❌ |
| PCIe Lanes | 0 | 16 |
Advanced Features
Neither processor supports overclocking. Virtualization support: true (Athlon II M300) vs AMD-V (A8-4500M). The A8-4500M includes integrated graphics (Radeon HD 7640G), while the Athlon II M300 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: A8-4500M targets Mainstream Laptop. Direct competitor: Athlon II M300 rivals Core 2 Duo T6400; A8-4500M rivals Core i3-3110M.
| Feature | Athlon II M300 | A8-4500M |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | No | Yes |
| IGPU Model | None | Radeon HD 7640G |
| Unlocked | No | No |
| AVX-512 | No | No |
| Virtualization | true | AMD-V |
| Target Use | — | Mainstream Laptop |
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