Athlon II X2 240 vs Core i5-13600K

The Athlon II X2 240 packs 2 cores / 2 threads, while the Core i5-13600K offers 14 cores / 20 threads — the Core i5-13600K has 12 more cores. Boost clocks reach 2.8 GHz on the Athlon II X2 240 versus 5.1 GHz on the Core i5-13600K — a 58.2% clock advantage for the Core i5-13600K (base: 2.8 GHz vs 3.5 GHz). The Athlon II X2 240 uses the Regor (2009−2013) architecture (45 nm), while the Core i5-13600K uses Raptor Lake, Raptor Cove, Gracemont (2022) (Intel 7 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon II X2 240 scores 1,060 against the Core i5-13600K's 37,655 — a 189% lead for the Core i5-13600K. L3 cache: 0 kB on the Athlon II X2 240 vs 24 MB on the Core i5-13600K.

The Athlon II X2 240 uses the AM3 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Core i5-13600K uses LGA1700 (PCIe 5.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR3-1066 on the Athlon II X2 240 versus DDR5-5600 on the Core i5-13600K — the Core i5-13600K supports 50% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Core i5-13600K supports up to 192 GB of RAM compared to 16 GB — 169.2% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 16 (Athlon II X2 240) vs 20 (Core i5-13600K) — the Core i5-13600K offers 4 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: 760G,785G,790GX,880G,890GX (Athlon II X2 240) and Intel 600 series,Intel 700 series (Core i5-13600K).

Only the Core i5-13600K has an unlocked multiplier for overclocking — a significant advantage for enthusiasts seeking extra performance. Virtualization support: AMD-V (Athlon II X2 240) vs VT-x, VT-d (Core i5-13600K). The Core i5-13600K includes integrated graphics (UHD Graphics 770), while the Athlon II X2 240 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Athlon II X2 240 targets Desktop, Core i5-13600K targets Desktop. Direct competitor: Athlon II X2 240 rivals Pentium E5400.

The Athlon II X2 240 launched at $60 MSRP, while the Core i5-13600K debuted at $329. At current prices ($10 vs $319), the Athlon II X2 240 is $309 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Athlon II X2 240 delivers 106.0 pts/$ vs 118.0 pts/$ for the Core i5-13600K — making the Core i5-13600K the 10.7% better value option.