Athlon II M340 vs Xeon W3503

AMD

Athlon II M340

2 Cores2 Thrd1 WWMax: 2.2 GHz2009
Similar parts
·······
VS
Intel

Xeon W3503

2 Cores2 Thrd130 WWMax: 2.4 GHz2009
Similar parts
·······

Athlon II M340 vs Xeon W3503 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 II M340 vs Xeon W3503 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 II M340 vs Xeon W3503: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each CPU makes more sense in practice: gaming, heavier work, platform cost, power draw, and upgrade path.

Athlon II M340

2009

Why buy it

  • Draws 1W instead of 130W, a 129W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Lower PassMark (1,115 vs 1,125).
  • Launch MSRP is still $80 MSRP, while Xeon W3503 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

Xeon W3503

2009

Why buy it

    Trade-offs

    • 12900% higher power demand at 130W vs 1W.

    Quick Answers

    So, is Xeon W3503 better than Athlon II M340?
    Not really, because they are built for different jobs. Xeon W3503 makes more sense for workstation-style multi-core throughput, while Athlon II M340 is the more practical desktop choice for gaming, platform cost, and everyday use.
    Which one is better for gaming?
    If gaming is the priority, Xeon W3503 is the better pick. According to our tests, it delivers 1.9% 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, Xeon W3503 is the stronger fit. You are getting 0.9% better PassMark, backed by 2 cores and 2 threads.
    Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?
    Xeon W3503 is still the much better call for a fresh build. Xeon W3503 comes in at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $80 MSRP, and it still gives you a 1.9% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. Athlon II M340 only looks stronger on raw value math because it is extremely cheap, but that usually means used-market pricing on an obsolete 2009 platform. Even with 100.0% better value on paper (13.9 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), it really only makes sense as a cheap stopgap or a niche existing-platform option for someone already on S1g3.
    Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?
    Xeon W3503 makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting more multi-core headroom with 2 cores / 2 threads instead of 2/2. That extra compute headroom is more likely to matter as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

    Athlon II M340 vs Xeon W3503 Technical Specifications

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

    AMD

    Athlon II M340

    The Athlon II M340 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: 2.2 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: 1,115 points. Launch price was $149.

    Intel

    Xeon W3503

    The Xeon W3503 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 30 March 2009 (16 years ago). It is based on the Bloomfield (2008−2010) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 2.4 GHz, with boost up to 2.4 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1366. Thermal design power (TDP): 130 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,125 points. Launch price was $65.

    Processing Power

    Both the Athlon II M340 and Xeon W3503 share an identical 2-core/2-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 2.2 GHz on the Athlon II M340 versus 2.4 GHz on the Xeon W3503 — a 8.7% clock advantage for the Xeon W3503. The Athlon II M340 uses the Caspian (2009) architecture (45 nm), while the Xeon W3503 uses Bloomfield (2008−2010) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon II M340 scores 1,115 against the Xeon W3503's 1,125 — a 0.9% lead for the Xeon W3503.

    FeatureAthlon II M340Xeon W3503
    Cores / Threads
    2 / 2
    2 / 2
    Boost Clock
    2.2 GHz
    2.4 GHz+9%
    Base Clock
    2.4 GHz
    L3 Cache
    4 MB (total)
    L2 Cache
    1 MB+300%
    256 kB (per core)
    Process
    45 nm
    45 nm
    Architecture
    Caspian (2009)
    Bloomfield (2008−2010)
    PassMark
    1,115
    1,125
    Geekbench 6 Single
    858
    Geekbench 6 Multi
    1,500
    🧠

    Memory & Platform

    The Athlon II M340 uses the S1g3 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Xeon W3503 uses LGA1366 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

    FeatureAthlon II M340Xeon W3503
    Socket
    S1g3
    LGA1366
    PCIe Generation
    PCIe 2.0
    PCIe 2.0
    Max RAM Speed
    DDR2-800
    Max RAM Capacity
    8 GB
    RAM Channels
    2
    ECC Support
    No
    PCIe Lanes
    0
    🔧

    Advanced Features

    Virtualization: AMD-V (Athlon II M340) / not specified (Xeon W3503). Primary use case: Athlon II M340 targets Laptop.

    FeatureAthlon II M340Xeon W3503
    Integrated GPU
    No
    Unlocked
    No
    AVX-512
    No
    Virtualization
    AMD-V
    Target Use
    Laptop