Athlon II X3 460 vs Celeron N3450

Athlon II X3 460 vs Celeron N3450 Performance Spectrum

Athlon II X3 460

3 / 3

1,965

0.0%

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7955WX

Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

Celeron N3450

4 / 4

1,981

+0.8%

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 460 vs Celeron N3450 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 460 vs Celeron N3450: 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 460

2011

Why buy it

✅Includes a boxed cooler (Stock), unlike Celeron N3450.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (1,965 vs 1,981).
❌Launch MSRP is still $87 MSRP, while Celeron N3450 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌1483.3% higher power demand at 95W vs 6W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Celeron N3450 can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Celeron N3450

2016

Why buy it

✅+0.8% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 6W instead of 95W, a 89W reduction.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (6 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Intel HD Graphics 500, while Athlon II X3 460 needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Athlon II X3 460.

Quick Answers

So, is Celeron N3450 better than Athlon II X3 460?

It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, Athlon II X3 460 is ahead with a 1.8% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Celeron N3450 pulls ahead with 0.8% better PassMark.

Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Celeron N3450 is the stronger fit. You are getting 0.8% better PassMark, backed by 4 cores and 4 threads.

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?

Celeron N3450 is still the much better call for a fresh build. Celeron N3450 comes in at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $87 MSRP, and it still gives you 0.8% better PassMark. Athlon II X3 460 only looks stronger on raw value math because it is extremely cheap, but that usually means used-market pricing on an obsolete 2011 platform. Even with 100.0% better value on paper (22.6 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), it really only makes sense as a cheap stopgap or a niche existing-platform option for someone already on AM3.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

Celeron N3450 makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2016 vs 2011) and more multi-core headroom with 4 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 460 vs Celeron N3450 Technical Specifications

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

Athlon II X3 460

The Athlon II X3 460 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 3 May 2011 (14 years ago). It is based on the Rana (2009−2011) architecture. It features 3 cores and 3 threads. Base frequency is 3.4 GHz, with boost up to 3.4 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: 1,965 points. Launch price was $50.

Celeron N3450

The Celeron N3450 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 30 August 2016 (9 years ago). It is based on the Apollo Lake (2014−2016) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 1.1 GHz, with boost up to 2.2 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 2 MB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1296. Thermal design power (TDP): 6 Watt. Memory support: DDR3, DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 1,981 points. Launch price was $107.

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Processing Power

The Athlon II X3 460 packs 3 cores / 3 threads, while the Celeron N3450 offers 4 cores / 4 threads — the Celeron N3450 has 1 more core. Boost clocks reach 3.4 GHz on the Athlon II X3 460 versus 2.2 GHz on the Celeron N3450 — a 42.9% clock advantage for the Athlon II X3 460 (base: 3.4 GHz vs 1.1 GHz). The Athlon II X3 460 uses the Rana (2009−2011) architecture (45 nm), while the Celeron N3450 uses Apollo Lake (2014−2016) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon II X3 460 scores 1,965 against the Celeron N3450's 1,981 — a 0.8% lead for the Celeron N3450. Both processors carry 0 kB of L3 cache.

Feature	Athlon II X3 460	Celeron N3450
Cores / Threads	3 / 3	4 / 4+33%
Boost Clock	3.4 GHz+55%	2.2 GHz
Base Clock	3.4 GHz+209%	1.1 GHz
L3 Cache	0 kB	0 kB
L2 Cache	512 kB (per core)	2 MB+300%
Process	45 nm	14 nm-69%
Architecture	Rana (2009−2011)	Apollo Lake (2014−2016)
PassMark	1,965	1,981
Geekbench 6 Single	384	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	944	—

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Memory & Platform

The Athlon II X3 460 uses the AM3 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Celeron N3450 uses FCBGA1296 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR3-1333 on the Athlon II X3 460 versus 2400 on the Celeron N3450 — the Celeron N3450 supports 80% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Athlon II X3 460 supports up to 16 GB of RAM compared to 8 GB — 100% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 0 (Athlon II X3 460) vs 6 (Celeron N3450) — the Celeron N3450 offers 6 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: 760G,770,785G,790FX,870,880G,890FX,970,990FX (Athlon II X3 460) and FCBGA1296 (Celeron N3450).

Feature	Athlon II X3 460	Celeron N3450
Socket	AM3	FCBGA1296
PCIe Generation	PCIe 2.0	PCIe 3.0+50%
Max RAM Speed	DDR3-1333	2400+80%
Max RAM Capacity	16 GB+100%	8 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	No	No
PCIe Lanes	0	6

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Advanced Features

Neither processor supports overclocking. Virtualization support: AMD-V (Athlon II X3 460) vs true (Celeron N3450). The Celeron N3450 includes integrated graphics (Intel HD Graphics 500), while the Athlon II X3 460 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Athlon II X3 460 targets Budget. Direct competitor: Celeron N3450 rivals AMD A4-9120.