Athlon II X4 740 vs Core i5-4402E

Athlon II X4 740 vs Core i5-4402E Performance Spectrum

Athlon II X4 740

4 / 4

2,677

0.0%

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7955WX

Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

Core i5-4402E

2 / 4

2,681

+0.1%

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 740 vs Core i5-4402E 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 740 vs Core i5-4402E: 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 740

2012

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +6.5% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $195 less on MSRP ($71 MSRP vs $266 MSRP).
✅Delivers 274.1% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 37.7 vs 10.1 PassMark/$ ($71 MSRP vs $266 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 512W, a 447W reduction.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (2,677 vs 2,681).

Core i5-4402E

2013

Why buy it

✅+0.1% higher PassMark.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Athlon II X4 740 across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 10.1 vs 37.7 PassMark/$ ($266 MSRP vs $71 MSRP).
❌687.7% higher power demand at 512W vs 65W.

Quick Answers

So, is Athlon II X4 740 better than Core i5-4402E?

It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, Athlon II X4 740 is ahead with a 6.5% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Core i5-4402E pulls ahead with 0.1% better PassMark.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i5-4402E is the stronger fit. You are getting 0.1% better PassMark, backed by 2 cores and 4 threads.

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

Athlon II X4 740 is the better buy right now. Athlon II X4 740 comes in $195 cheaper on MSRP at $71 MSRP versus $266 MSRP, and it still gives you a 6.5% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. The compromise is that Core i5-4402E is still stronger for heavier multi-core work with 0.1% better PassMark. It is also 274.1% better value on MSRP (37.7 vs 10.1 PassMark/$), 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 i5-4402E makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2013 vs 2012) and more multi-core headroom with 2 cores / 4 threads instead of 4/4. That extra compute headroom is more likely to matter as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

Athlon II X4 740 vs Core i5-4402E Technical Specifications

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

Athlon II X4 740

The Athlon II X4 740 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 1 October 2012 (13 years ago). It is based on the Piledriver architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 3.2 GHz, with boost up to 3.7 GHz. L2 cache: 4 MB. Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: FM2. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 watt. Passmark benchmark score: 2,677 points. Launch price was $71.

Core i5-4402E

The Core i5-4402E is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 October 2013 (12 years ago). It is based on the Haswell (2013−2015) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 1.6 GHz, with boost up to 2.7 GHz. L3 cache: 3 MB. L2 cache: 512 kB. Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: BGA1364. Thermal design power (TDP): 512 kB + 3 MB. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 2,681 points. Launch price was $266.

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Processing Power

The Athlon II X4 740 packs 4 cores / 4 threads, while the Core i5-4402E offers 2 cores / 4 threads — the Athlon II X4 740 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.7 GHz on the Athlon II X4 740 versus 2.7 GHz on the Core i5-4402E — a 31.3% clock advantage for the Athlon II X4 740 (base: 3.2 GHz vs 1.6 GHz). The Athlon II X4 740 uses the Piledriver architecture (32 nm), while the Core i5-4402E uses Haswell (2013−2015) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon II X4 740 scores 2,677 against the Core i5-4402E's 2,681 — a 0.1% lead for the Core i5-4402E.

Feature	Athlon II X4 740	Core i5-4402E
Cores / Threads	4 / 4+100%	2 / 4
Boost Clock	3.7 GHz+37%	2.7 GHz
Base Clock	3.2 GHz+100%	1.6 GHz
L3 Cache	—	3 MB
L2 Cache	4 MB+700%	512 kB
Process	32 nm	22 nm-31%
Architecture	Piledriver	Haswell (2013−2015)
PassMark	2,677	2,681

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Athlon II X4 740 uses the FM2 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Core i5-4402E uses BGA1364 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Athlon II X4 740	Core i5-4402E
Socket	FM2	BGA1364
PCIe Generation	PCIe 2.0	PCIe 3.0+50%
Max RAM Speed	DDR3-1866	—
Max RAM Capacity	64 GB	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	No	—
PCIe Lanes	16	—

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the Athlon II X4 740 was priced at $71, while the Core i5-4402E came in at $266. On launch pricing ($71 vs $266), Athlon II X4 740 was $195 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Athlon II X4 740 delivers 37.7 pts/$ vs 10.1 pts/$ for the Core i5-4402E — making the Athlon II X4 740 the 115.6% better value option.

Feature	Athlon II X4 740	Core i5-4402E
MSRP	$71-73%	$266
Performance per Dollar	37.7+273%	10.1
Release Date	2012	2013

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