Athlon II X4 605e vs Turion II M520

Athlon II X4 605e vs Turion II M520 Performance Spectrum

Athlon II X4 605e

4 / 4

1,964

+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 X4 605e 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 X4 605e 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 X4 605e

2009

Why buy it

✅+0.5% higher PassMark.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (AMD Stock), unlike Turion II M520.

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $143 MSRP, while Turion II M520 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌4400% higher power demand at 45W vs 1W.

Turion II M520

2009

Why buy it

✅Draws 1W instead of 45W, a 44W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (1,955 vs 1,964).
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Athlon II X4 605e.

Quick Answers

So, is Athlon II X4 605e better than Turion II M520?

Yes. Athlon II X4 605e is the better all-around CPU here. It gives you a 0.7% 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?

For gaming, this matchup is basically a tie in the data we have.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Athlon II X4 605e is the stronger fit. You are getting 0.5% better PassMark, backed by 4 cores and 4 threads.

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

Athlon II X4 605e is the better buy right now. Athlon II X4 605e comes in at an unclear MSRP at $143 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it still gives you a 0.7% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (13.7 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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 X4 605e makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting more multi-core headroom with 4 cores / 4 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 X4 605e vs Turion II M520 Technical Specifications

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

Athlon II X4 605e

The Athlon II X4 605e is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 20 October 2009 (16 years ago). It is based on the Propus (2009−2011) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.3 GHz, with boost up to 2.3 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: AM3. Thermal design power (TDP): 45 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,964 points. Launch price was $102.

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 X4 605e packs 4 cores / 4 threads, while the Turion II M520 offers 2 cores / 2 threads — the Athlon II X4 605e has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 2.3 GHz on the Athlon II X4 605e versus 2.3 GHz on the Turion II M520 — identical boost frequencies. The Athlon II X4 605e uses the Propus (2009−2011) architecture (45 nm), while the Turion II M520 uses Caspian (2009) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon II X4 605e scores 1,964 against the Turion II M520's 1,955 — a 0.5% lead for the Athlon II X4 605e.

Feature	Athlon II X4 605e	Turion II M520
Cores / Threads	4 / 4+100%	2 / 2
Boost Clock	2.3 GHz	2.3 GHz
Base Clock	2.3 GHz	—
L3 Cache	0 kB	—
L2 Cache	512 kB (per core)	1 MB+100%
Process	45 nm	45 nm
Architecture	Propus (2009−2011)	Caspian (2009)
PassMark	1,964	1,955
Cinebench R23 Multi	1,140	—
Geekbench 6 Single	300	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	1,069	—

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Memory & Platform

The Athlon II X4 605e uses the AM3 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Turion II M520 uses S1g3 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.