Athlon II M300
VS
A8-4500M

Athlon II M300 vs A8-4500M

AMD

Athlon II M300

2 Cores2 Thrd1 WWMax: 2 GHz2009
VS
AMD

A8-4500M

4 Cores4 Thrd35 WWMax: 2.8 GHz2012

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.

MSRP is the manufacturer's suggested retail price.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.

Performance Per Dollar Athlon II M300

#928
Atom x5-Z8300
MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A
1726%
#929
Atom Z3735G
MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A
1701%
#930
Core i5-480M
MSRP: $81|Avg: $77
1561%
#931
Core i5-460M
MSRP: $80|Avg: $129
1554%
#932
Core i5-2540M
MSRP: $266|Avg: $10
1540%
#934
Core i5-450M
MSRP: $32|Avg: $31
1487%
#935
Core i3-380M
MSRP: $49|Avg: $25
1426%
#936
Core i5-430M
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33
1424%
#937
Core 2 Duo T6600
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4
1385%
#940
Athlon II M300
MSRP: $100|Avg: $10
100%
#944
Athlon Neo X2 L335
MSRP: $80|Avg: $15
98%
#945
Core i7-3610QE
MSRP: $315|Avg: $105
98%
#948
A8-8600P
MSRP: $150|Avg: $30
97%
#950
FX-9800P
MSRP: $150|Avg: $45
96%
#951
Celeron 1020E
MSRP: $86|Avg: $20
96%
#954
Core i7-5850EQ
MSRP: $435|Avg: $370
95%
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar A8-4500M

#716
Atom x5-Z8300
MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A
1040%
#717
Atom Z3735G
MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A
1024%
#718
Core i5-480M
MSRP: $81|Avg: $77
940%
#719
Core i5-460M
MSRP: $80|Avg: $129
936%
#720
Core i5-2540M
MSRP: $266|Avg: $10
928%
#722
Core i5-450M
MSRP: $32|Avg: $31
896%
#723
Core i3-380M
MSRP: $49|Avg: $25
859%
#724
Core i5-430M
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33
858%
#725
Core 2 Duo T6600
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4
835%
#728
A8-4500M
MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A
100%
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Trade-off: The A8-4500M leads in gaming performance. However, the Athlon II M300 is the stronger candidate for professional workloads, offering 0.4% greater multi-core processing power.
InsightAthlon II M300A8-4500M
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

InsightAthlon II M300A8-4500M
Cost Efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost
⚠️ Higher cost ($10)
More affordable ($0)

Performance Check

Paired with RTX 4090

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

AMD

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.

AMD

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.

FeatureAthlon II M300A8-4500M
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.

FeatureAthlon II M300A8-4500M
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.

FeatureAthlon II M300A8-4500M
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