Athlon II P320 vs Athlon II M320
Athlon II P320
Athlon II M320
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 P320 is positioned at rank 622 and the Athlon II M320 is on rank 809, so the Athlon II P320 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 P320
Performance Per Dollar Athlon II M320
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Athlon II P320 | Athlon II M320 |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ✅ Superior gaming performance | ❌ Lower gaming performance |
| Workstation | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks | ✅ Better multi-core power |
| Price | Equivalent pricing | Equivalent pricing |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Champlain (2010−2011) / 45 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Caspian (2009) / 45 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Athlon II P320 | Athlon II M320 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ✅ Better overall value (+1%) |
| Upfront Cost | Equivalent pricing | Equivalent pricing |
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 P320 and Athlon II M320
Athlon II P320
The Athlon II P320 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2009-01-01. It is based on the Champlain (2010−2011) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Max frequency: 2.1 GHz. L2 cache: 1 MB. Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: S1g4. Thermal design power (TDP): 1 MB. Passmark benchmark score: 1,776 points. Launch price was $149.
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.
Processing Power
Both the Athlon II P320 and Athlon II M320 share an identical 2-core/2-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 2.1 GHz on the Athlon II P320 versus 2.1 GHz on the Athlon II M320 — identical boost frequencies. The Athlon II P320 uses the Champlain (2010−2011) architecture (45 nm), while the Athlon II M320 uses Caspian (2009) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon II P320 scores 1,776 against the Athlon II M320's 1,795 — a 1.1% lead for the Athlon II M320. Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 189 vs 188, a 0.5% lead for the Athlon II P320 that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 308 vs 1,955 (145.6% advantage for the Athlon II M320).
| Feature | Athlon II P320 | Athlon II M320 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 2 / 2 | 2 / 2 |
| Boost Clock | 2.1 GHz | 2.1 GHz |
| L2 Cache | 1 MB | 1 MB |
| Process | 45 nm | 45 nm |
| Architecture | Champlain (2010−2011) | Caspian (2009) |
| PassMark | 1,776 | 1,795+1% |
| Geekbench 6 Single | 189 | 188 |
| Geekbench 6 Multi | 308 | 1,955+535% |
Memory & Platform
The Athlon II P320 uses the S1g4 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Athlon II M320 uses S1g3 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR3-1066 on the Athlon II P320 versus DDR2-800 on the Athlon II M320 — the Athlon II P320 supports 40% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. Both support up to 8 GB of RAM. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. Both provide 0 PCIe lanes. Chipset compatibility: M880G (Athlon II P320) and Socket S1g3 (Athlon II M320).
| Feature | Athlon II P320 | Athlon II M320 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | S1g4 | S1g3 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 2.0 | PCIe 2.0 |
| Max RAM Speed | DDR3-1066+50% | DDR2-800 |
| Max RAM Capacity | 8 GB | 8 GB |
| RAM Channels | 2 | 2 |
| ECC Support | ❌ | ❌ |
| PCIe Lanes | 0 | 0 |
Advanced Features
Neither processor supports overclocking. Both support AMD-V virtualization. Primary use case: Athlon II P320 targets Laptop, Athlon II M320 targets Legacy Laptop. Direct competitor: Athlon II P320 rivals Pentium P6000; Athlon II M320 rivals Core 2 Duo T6400.
| Feature | Athlon II P320 | Athlon II M320 |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | No | No |
| IGPU Model | None | None |
| Unlocked | No | No |
| AVX-512 | No | No |
| Virtualization | AMD-V | AMD-V |
| Target Use | Laptop | Legacy Laptop |
Value Analysis
The Athlon II P320 launched at $50 MSRP, while the Athlon II M320 debuted at $75. At current prices ($15 vs $15), the Athlon II M320 is $0 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Athlon II P320 delivers 118.4 pts/$ vs 119.7 pts/$ for the Athlon II M320 — making the Athlon II M320 the 1.1% better value option.
| Feature | Athlon II P320 | Athlon II M320 |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $50-33% | $75 |
| Avg Price (30d) | $15 | $15 |
| Performance per Dollar | 118.4 | 119.7+1% |
| Release Date | 2010 | 2009 |
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