Athlon II M320 vs Core i3-4000M
Athlon II M320
Core i3-4000M
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 M320 is positioned at rank 809 and the Core i3-4000M is on rank 501, so the Core i3-4000M 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 M320
Performance Per Dollar Core i3-4000M
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Athlon II M320 | Core i3-4000M |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ❌ Lower gaming performance | ✅ Superior gaming performance |
| Workstation | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks | ✅ Better multi-core power |
| Price | ⚠️ Higher cost ($15) | ✅ More affordable ($0) |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Caspian (2009) / 45 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Haswell (2013−2015) / 22 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Athlon II M320 | Core i3-4000M |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ⚠️ Higher cost ($15) | ✅ 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 M320 and Core i3-4000M
Athlon II M320
The Athlon II M320 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: 2.1 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: 1,795 points. Launch price was $149.
Core i3-4000M
The Core i3-4000M is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 4 September 2013 (12 years ago). It is based on the Haswell (2013−2015) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.4 GHz, with boost up to 2.4 GHz. L3 cache: 3 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: PGA946. Thermal design power (TDP): 37 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,797 points. Launch price was $225.
Processing Power
The Athlon II M320 packs 2 cores / 2 threads, matching the Core i3-4000M's 2 cores. Boost clocks reach 2.1 GHz on the Athlon II M320 versus 2.4 GHz on the Core i3-4000M — a 13.3% clock advantage for the Core i3-4000M. The Athlon II M320 uses the Caspian (2009) architecture (45 nm), while the Core i3-4000M uses Haswell (2013−2015) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon II M320 scores 1,795 against the Core i3-4000M's 1,797 — a 0.1% lead for the Core i3-4000M.
| Feature | Athlon II M320 | Core i3-4000M |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 2 / 2 | 2 / 4 |
| Boost Clock | 2.1 GHz | 2.4 GHz+14% |
| Base Clock | — | 2.4 GHz |
| L3 Cache | — | 3 MB (total) |
| L2 Cache | 1 MB+300% | 256K (per core) |
| Process | 45 nm | 22 nm-51% |
| Architecture | Caspian (2009) | Haswell (2013−2015) |
| PassMark | 1,795 | 1,797 |
| Geekbench 6 Single | 188 | — |
| Geekbench 6 Multi | 1,955 | — |
Memory & Platform
The Athlon II M320 uses the S1g3 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Core i3-4000M uses PGA946 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Athlon II M320 | Core i3-4000M |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | S1g3 | PGA946 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 2.0 | PCIe 3.0+50% |
| Max RAM Speed | DDR2-800 | — |
| Max RAM Capacity | 8 GB | — |
| RAM Channels | 2 | — |
| ECC Support | ❌ | — |
| PCIe Lanes | 0 | — |
Advanced Features
Virtualization: AMD-V (Athlon II M320) / not specified (Core i3-4000M). Primary use case: Athlon II M320 targets Legacy Laptop. Direct competitor: Athlon II M320 rivals Core 2 Duo T6400.
| Feature | Athlon II M320 | Core i3-4000M |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | No | — |
| IGPU Model | None | — |
| Unlocked | No | — |
| AVX-512 | No | — |
| Virtualization | AMD-V | — |
| Target Use | Legacy Laptop | — |
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