Athlon II X4 620 vs Pentium G3420

Athlon II X4 620 vs Pentium G3420 Performance Spectrum

Athlon II X4 620

4 / 4

2,026

+0.2%

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7955WX

Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

Pentium G3420

2 / 2

2,022

0.0%

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 620 vs Pentium G3420 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 620 vs Pentium G3420: 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 620

2009

Why buy it

✅+0.2% higher PassMark.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 20.5 vs 23.5 PassMark/$ ($99 MSRP vs $86 MSRP).
❌75.9% higher power demand at 95W vs 54W.

Pentium G3420

2013

Why buy it

✅Costs $13 less on MSRP ($86 MSRP vs $99 MSRP).
✅Delivers 14.9% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 23.5 vs 20.5 PassMark/$ ($86 MSRP vs $99 MSRP).
✅Draws 54W instead of 95W, a 41W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (2,022 vs 2,026).

Quick Answers

So, is Pentium G3420 better than Athlon II X4 620?

It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, Pentium G3420 is ahead with a 1.3% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Athlon II X4 620 pulls ahead with 0.2% better PassMark.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Athlon II X4 620 is the stronger fit. You are getting 0.2% better PassMark, backed by 4 cores and 4 threads.

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

Pentium G3420 is the better buy right now. Pentium G3420 comes in $13 cheaper on MSRP at $86 MSRP versus $99 MSRP, and it still gives you a 1.3% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. The compromise is that Athlon II X4 620 is still stronger for heavier multi-core work with 0.2% better PassMark. It is also 14.9% better value on MSRP (23.5 vs 20.5 PassMark/$), so you are getting the faster CPU without taking a value hit on paper.

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

Pentium G3420 makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2013 vs 2009). That makes it the safer long-term bet.

Athlon II X4 620 vs Pentium G3420 Technical Specifications

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

Athlon II X4 620

The Athlon II X4 620 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 16 September 2009 (16 years ago). It is based on the Propus (2009−2011) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.6 GHz, with boost up to 2.6 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: 2,026 points. Launch price was $65.

Pentium G3420

The Pentium G3420 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 September 2013 (12 years ago). It is based on the Haswell (2013−2015) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 3.2 GHz, with boost up to 3.2 GHz. L3 cache: 3 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1150. Thermal design power (TDP): 53 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 2,022 points. Launch price was $252.

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Processing Power

The Athlon II X4 620 packs 4 cores / 4 threads, while the Pentium G3420 offers 2 cores / 2 threads — the Athlon II X4 620 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 2.6 GHz on the Athlon II X4 620 versus 3.2 GHz on the Pentium G3420 — a 20.7% clock advantage for the Pentium G3420 (base: 2.6 GHz vs 3.2 GHz). The Athlon II X4 620 uses the Propus (2009−2011) architecture (45 nm), while the Pentium G3420 uses Haswell (2013−2015) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon II X4 620 scores 2,026 against the Pentium G3420's 2,022 — a 0.2% lead for the Athlon II X4 620. L3 cache: 0 kB on the Athlon II X4 620 vs 3 MB (total) on the Pentium G3420.

Feature	Athlon II X4 620	Pentium G3420
Cores / Threads	4 / 4+100%	2 / 2
Boost Clock	2.6 GHz	3.2 GHz+23%
Base Clock	2.6 GHz	3.2 GHz+23%
L3 Cache	0 kB	3 MB (total)
L2 Cache	512 kB (per core)+100%	256 kB (per core)
Process	45 nm	22 nm-51%
Architecture	Propus (2009−2011)	Haswell (2013−2015)
PassMark	2,026	2,022

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Memory & Platform

The Athlon II X4 620 uses the AM3 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Pentium G3420 uses LGA1150 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Athlon II X4 620	Pentium G3420
Socket	AM3	LGA1150
PCIe Generation	PCIe 2.0	PCIe 3.0+50%
Max RAM Speed	DDR3-1333	—
Max RAM Capacity	32 GB	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	No	—
PCIe Lanes	0	—

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Value Analysis

At launch, the Athlon II X4 620 was priced at $99, while the Pentium G3420 came in at $86. On launch pricing ($99 vs $86), Pentium G3420 was $13 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Athlon II X4 620 delivers 20.5 pts/$ vs 23.5 pts/$ for the Pentium G3420 — making the Pentium G3420 the 13.9% better value option.

Feature	Athlon II X4 620	Pentium G3420
MSRP	$99	$86-13%
Performance per Dollar	20.5	23.5+15%
Release Date	2009	2013

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