Athlon II X3 460 vs Turion II M520

Athlon II X3 460 vs Turion II M520 Performance Spectrum

Athlon II X3 460

3 / 3

1,965

+0.5%

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7955WX

Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

Turion II M520

2 / 2

1,955

0.0%

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7955WX

Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

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 Turion II M520 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 Turion II M520: 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 Turion II M520.

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $87 MSRP, while Turion II M520 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌9400% higher power demand at 95W vs 1W.

Turion II M520

2009

Why buy it

✅Draws 1W instead of 95W, a 94W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (1,955 vs 1,965).
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Athlon II X3 460.

Quick Answers

So, is Athlon II X3 460 better than Turion II M520?

Yes. Athlon II X3 460 is the better all-around CPU here. It gives you a 0.8% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data, 0.5% better PassMark, and the stronger long-term platform, which is enough to make it the stronger overall pick.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Athlon II X3 460 is the better pick. According to our tests, it delivers 0.8% more average FPS across 50 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Athlon II X3 460 is the stronger fit. You are getting 0.5% better PassMark, backed by 3 cores and 3 threads.

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

Athlon II X3 460 is the better buy right now. Athlon II X3 460 comes in at an unclear MSRP at $87 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it still gives you a 0.8% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (22.6 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), so you are getting the faster CPU without taking a value hit on paper.

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

Athlon II X3 460 makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2011 vs 2009) and more multi-core headroom with 3 cores / 3 threads instead of 2/2. That extra compute headroom is more likely to matter as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

Athlon II X3 460 vs Turion II M520 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.

Turion II M520

The Turion II M520 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2007-01-01. It is based on the Caspian (2009) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Max frequency: 2.3 GHz. L2 cache: 1 MB. Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: S1g3. Thermal design power (TDP): 1 MB. Passmark benchmark score: 1,955 points. Launch price was $69.

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Processing Power

The Athlon II X3 460 packs 3 cores / 3 threads, while the Turion II M520 offers 2 cores / 2 threads — the Athlon II X3 460 has 1 more core. Boost clocks reach 3.4 GHz on the Athlon II X3 460 versus 2.3 GHz on the Turion II M520 — a 38.6% clock advantage for the Athlon II X3 460. The Athlon II X3 460 uses the Rana (2009−2011) architecture (45 nm), while the Turion II M520 uses Caspian (2009) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon II X3 460 scores 1,965 against the Turion II M520's 1,955 — a 0.5% lead for the Athlon II X3 460.

Feature	Athlon II X3 460	Turion II M520
Cores / Threads	3 / 3+50%	2 / 2
Boost Clock	3.4 GHz+48%	2.3 GHz
Base Clock	3.4 GHz	—
L3 Cache	0 kB	—
L2 Cache	512 kB (per core)	1 MB+100%
Process	45 nm	45 nm
Architecture	Rana (2009−2011)	Caspian (2009)
PassMark	1,965	1,955
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 Turion II M520 uses S1g3 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.