Athlon II X3 435 vs Core i3-4030Y

AMD

Athlon II X3 435

3 Cores3 Thrd95 WWMax: 2.9 GHz2009
VS
Intel

Core i3-4030Y

2 Cores4 Thrd512 WWMax: 1.6 GHz2014

Athlon II X3 435 vs Core i3-4030Y 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 X3 435 vs Core i3-4030Y 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 X3 435 vs Core i3-4030Y: 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 X3 435

2009

Why buy it

  • βœ…Draws 95W instead of 512W, a 417W reduction.
  • βœ…100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
  • βœ…Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Core i3-4030Y.

Trade-offs

  • ❌Lower PassMark (1,645 vs 1,654).
  • ❌Launch MSRP is still $87 MSRP, while Core i3-4030Y mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

Core i3-4030Y

2014

Why buy it

  • βœ…+0.5% higher PassMark.

Trade-offs

  • ❌438.9% higher power demand at 512W vs 95W.
  • ❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Athlon II X3 435.

Quick Answers

So, is Athlon II X3 435 better than Core i3-4030Y?
It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, Athlon II X3 435 is ahead with a 2.5% average FPS lead across 48 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Core i3-4030Y pulls ahead with 0.5% better PassMark.
Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?
For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i3-4030Y is the stronger fit. You are getting 0.5% better PassMark, backed by 2 cores and 4 threads.
Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?
Athlon II X3 435 is the better buy right now. Athlon II X3 435 comes in at an unclear MSRP at $87 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it still gives you a 2.5% average FPS lead across 48 shared CPU game tests in our data. The compromise is that Core i3-4030Y is still stronger for heavier multi-core work with 0.5% better PassMark. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (18.9 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), so you are getting the faster CPU without taking a value hit on paper.
Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?
Core i3-4030Y makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2014 vs 2009) and more multi-core headroom with 2 cores / 4 threads instead of 3/3. That extra compute headroom is more likely to matter as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

Athlon II X3 435 vs Core i3-4030Y Technical Specifications

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

AMD

Athlon II X3 435

The Athlon II X3 435 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 9 October 2009 (16 years ago). It is based on the Rana (2009βˆ’2011) architecture. It features 3 cores and 3 threads. Base frequency is 2.9 GHz, with boost up to 2.9 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: AM3. Thermal design power (TDP): 95 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,645 points. Launch price was $160.

Intel

Core i3-4030Y

The Core i3-4030Y is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 14 April 2014 (11 years ago). It is based on the Haswell (2013βˆ’2015) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 1.6 GHz, with boost up to 1.6 GHz. L3 cache: 3 MB. L2 cache: 512 kB. Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1168. Thermal design power (TDP): 11.5 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,654 points. Launch price was $281.

⚑

Processing Power

The Athlon II X3 435 packs 3 cores / 3 threads, while the Core i3-4030Y offers 2 cores / 4 threads β€” the Athlon II X3 435 has 1 more core. Boost clocks reach 2.9 GHz on the Athlon II X3 435 versus 1.6 GHz on the Core i3-4030Y β€” a 57.8% clock advantage for the Athlon II X3 435 (base: 2.9 GHz vs 1.6 GHz). The Athlon II X3 435 uses the Rana (2009βˆ’2011) architecture (45 nm), while the Core i3-4030Y uses Haswell (2013βˆ’2015) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon II X3 435 scores 1,645 against the Core i3-4030Y's 1,654 β€” a 0.5% lead for the Core i3-4030Y. L3 cache: 0 kB on the Athlon II X3 435 vs 3 MB on the Core i3-4030Y.

FeatureAthlon II X3 435Core i3-4030Y
Cores / Threads
3 / 3+50%
2 / 4
Boost Clock
2.9 GHz+81%
1.6 GHz
Base Clock
2.9 GHz+81%
1.6 GHz
L3 Cache
0 kB
3 MB
L2 Cache
512 kB (per core)
512 kB
Process
45 nm
22 nm-51%
Architecture
Rana (2009βˆ’2011)
Haswell (2013βˆ’2015)
PassMark
1,645
1,654
🧠

Memory & Platform

The Athlon II X3 435 uses the AM3 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Core i3-4030Y uses FCBGA1168 (PCIe 3.0) β€” making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

FeatureAthlon II X3 435Core i3-4030Y
Socket
AM3
FCBGA1168
PCIe Generation
PCIe 2.0
PCIe 3.0+50%
Max RAM Speed
DDR3-1333
β€”
Max RAM Capacity
16 GB
β€”
RAM Channels
2
β€”
ECC Support
No
β€”
PCIe Lanes
16
β€”
πŸ”§

Advanced Features

Virtualization: AMD-V (Athlon II X3 435) / not specified (Core i3-4030Y).

FeatureAthlon II X3 435Core i3-4030Y
Integrated GPU
No
β€”
Unlocked
No
β€”
AVX-512
No
β€”
Virtualization
AMD-V
β€”