
Athlon II Neo K325

Xeon L3406
Athlon II Neo K325 vs Xeon L3406 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 Neo K325 vs Xeon L3406 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.

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Valorant

Among Us

Apex Legends

ARC Raiders

Baldur's Gate 3

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
Athlon II Neo K325 vs Xeon L3406: 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 Neo K325
2010Why buy it
- ✅+0.6% higher PassMark.
- ✅Costs $129 less on MSRP ($60 MSRP vs $189 MSRP).
- ✅Delivers 217.0% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 18.5 vs 5.8 PassMark/$ ($60 MSRP vs $189 MSRP).
- ✅Draws 1W instead of 30W, a 29W reduction.
Trade-offs
- ❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon L3406, which brings 2 cores / 4 threads.
Xeon L3406
2010Why buy it
- ✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 2 cores / 4 threads.
Trade-offs
- ❌Lower PassMark (1,104 vs 1,111).
- ❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 5.8 vs 18.5 PassMark/$ ($189 MSRP vs $60 MSRP).
- ❌2900% higher power demand at 30W vs 1W.
Quick Answers
So, is Athlon II Neo K325 better than Xeon L3406?
Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?
Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?
Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?
Athlon II Neo K325 vs Xeon L3406 Technical Specifications
Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

Athlon II Neo K325
The Athlon II Neo K325 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2009-01-01. It is based on the Geneva (2010) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Max frequency: 1.3 GHz. L2 cache: 1 MB. Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: S1. Thermal design power (TDP): 1 MB. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,111 points. Launch price was $149.

Xeon L3406
The Xeon L3406 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.26 GHz, with boost up to 2.53 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB Intel® Smart Cache. Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1156. Thermal design power (TDP): 30 Watt. Memory support: DDR3-1066. Passmark benchmark score: 1,104 points. Launch price was $800.
Processing Power
The Athlon II Neo K325 packs 2 cores / 2 threads, matching the Xeon L3406's 2 cores. Boost clocks reach 1.3 GHz on the Athlon II Neo K325 versus 2.53 GHz on the Xeon L3406 — a 64.2% clock advantage for the Xeon L3406. The Athlon II Neo K325 is built on the Geneva (2010) architecture. In PassMark, the Athlon II Neo K325 scores 1,111 against the Xeon L3406's 1,104 — a 0.6% lead for the Athlon II Neo K325.
| Feature | Athlon II Neo K325 | Xeon L3406 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 2 / 2 | 2 / 4 |
| Boost Clock | 1.3 GHz | 2.53 GHz+95% |
| Base Clock | — | 2.26 GHz |
| L3 Cache | — | 4 MB Intel® Smart Cache |
| L2 Cache | 1 MB | — |
| Process | 45 nm | 32 nm-29% |
| Architecture | Geneva (2010) | — |
| PassMark | 1,111 | 1,104 |
| Geekbench 6 Single | 736 | — |
| Geekbench 6 Multi | 1,235 | — |
Memory & Platform
The Athlon II Neo K325 uses the S1 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Xeon L3406 uses LGA1156 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Athlon II Neo K325 | Xeon L3406 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | S1 | LGA1156 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 2.0 | PCIe 2.0 |
| Max RAM Speed | DDR3-800 | — |
| Max RAM Capacity | 8 GB | — |
| RAM Channels | 2 | — |
| ECC Support | No | — |
| PCIe Lanes | 0 | — |
Advanced Features
Virtualization: AMD-V (Athlon II Neo K325) / not specified (Xeon L3406). Primary use case: Athlon II Neo K325 targets Low Power.
| Feature | Athlon II Neo K325 | Xeon L3406 |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | No | — |
| Unlocked | No | — |
| AVX-512 | No | — |
| Virtualization | AMD-V | — |
| Target Use | Low Power | — |
Value Analysis
At launch, the Athlon II Neo K325 was priced at $60, while the Xeon L3406 came in at $189. On launch pricing ($60 vs $189), Athlon II Neo K325 was $129 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Athlon II Neo K325 delivers 18.5 pts/$ vs 5.8 pts/$ for the Xeon L3406 — making the Athlon II Neo K325 the 104.1% better value option.
| Feature | Athlon II Neo K325 | Xeon L3406 |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $60-68% | $189 |
| Performance per Dollar | 18.5+219% | 5.8 |
| Release Date | 2010 | 2010 |
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