Athlon II X4 740 vs Pentium G4520
Athlon II X4 740
Pentium G4520
Performance Spectrum - CPU
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.
Value Upgrade Path
This is the official ChipVERSUS Value Rating, comparing raw performance (PassMark) per dollar. Components placed above yours deliver better value for money. The Athlon II X4 740 is positioned at rank 522 and the Pentium G4520 is on rank 584, so the Athlon II X4 740 offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Athlon II X4 740
Performance Per Dollar Pentium G4520
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Athlon II X4 740 | Pentium G4520 |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ✅ Superior gaming performance | ❌ Lower gaming performance |
| Workstation | ✅ Better multi-core power | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks |
| Price | ✅ More affordable ($20) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($45) |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Piledriver / 32 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Skylake (2015−2016) / 14 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Athlon II X4 740 | Pentium G4520 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ✅ Better overall value (+126%) | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ✅ More affordable ($20) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($45) |
Performance Check
To accurately isolate CPU performance, all benchmarks below use an NVIDIA RTX 4090 as the reference GPU. This eliminates GPU-side bottlenecks and highlights pure processing throughput differences between the CPUs.
Note: Real-world results may vary based on your actual GPU. CPU performance impact is more visible in processing-intensive titles and high-refresh-rate gaming scenarios.
Technical Specifications
Side-by-side comparison of Athlon II X4 740 and Pentium G4520
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.
Pentium G4520
The Pentium G4520 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 September 2015 (10 years ago). It is based on the Skylake (2015−2016) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 3.6 GHz, with boost up to 3.6 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1151. Thermal design power (TDP): 51 Watt. Memory support: DDR3, DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 2,670 points. Launch price was $93.
Processing Power
The Athlon II X4 740 packs 4 cores / 4 threads, while the Pentium G4520 offers 2 cores / 2 threads — the Athlon II X4 740 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.7 GHz on the Athlon II X4 740 versus 3.6 GHz on the Pentium G4520 — a 2.7% clock advantage for the Athlon II X4 740 (base: 3.2 GHz vs 3.6 GHz). The Athlon II X4 740 uses the Piledriver architecture (32 nm), while the Pentium G4520 uses Skylake (2015−2016) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon II X4 740 scores 2,677 against the Pentium G4520's 2,670 — a 0.3% lead for the Athlon II X4 740.
| Feature | Athlon II X4 740 | Pentium G4520 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 4 / 4+100% | 2 / 2 |
| Boost Clock | 3.7 GHz+3% | 3.6 GHz |
| Base Clock | 3.2 GHz | 3.6 GHz+12% |
| L3 Cache | — | 4 MB (total) |
| L2 Cache | 4 MB+1500% | 256K (per core) |
| Process | 32 nm | 14 nm-56% |
| Architecture | Piledriver | Skylake (2015−2016) |
| PassMark | 2,677 | 2,670 |
Memory & Platform
The Athlon II X4 740 uses the FM2 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Pentium G4520 uses LGA1151 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Athlon II X4 740 | Pentium G4520 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | FM2 | LGA1151 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 2.0 | PCIe 3.0+50% |
| Max RAM Speed | DDR3-1866 | — |
| Max RAM Capacity | 64 GB | — |
| RAM Channels | 2 | — |
| ECC Support | ❌ | — |
| PCIe Lanes | 16 | — |
Value Analysis
The Athlon II X4 740 launched at $71 MSRP, while the Pentium G4520 debuted at $86. At current prices ($20 vs $45), the Athlon II X4 740 is $25 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Athlon II X4 740 delivers 133.8 pts/$ vs 59.3 pts/$ for the Pentium G4520 — making the Athlon II X4 740 the 77.1% better value option.
| Feature | Athlon II X4 740 | Pentium G4520 |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $71-17% | $86 |
| Avg Price (30d) | $20-56% | $45 |
| Performance per Dollar | 133.8+126% | 59.3 |
| Release Date | 2012 | 2015 |
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