Athlon Neo MV-40 vs Core i3-4012Y

Athlon Neo MV-40 vs Core i3-4012Y Performance Spectrum

Athlon Neo MV-40

1 / 1

1,274

0.0%

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3955WX

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7955WX

Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

Core i3-4012Y

2 / 4

1,278

+0.3%

Atom D2550

Pentium T3400

Pentium Dual-Core E2200

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 Neo MV-40 vs Core i3-4012Y 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 Neo MV-40 vs Core i3-4012Y: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each CPU makes more sense in practice: gaming, heavier work, platform cost, power draw, and upgrade path.

Athlon Neo MV-40

2009

Why buy it

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (1,274 vs 1,278).
❌Launch MSRP is still $100 MSRP, while Core i3-4012Y mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i3-4012Y can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Core i3-4012Y

2013

Why buy it

✅+0.3% higher PassMark.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (12 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Intel HD Graphics 4200, while Athlon Neo MV-40 needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Fewer obvious downsides in this matchup outside of normal market pricing swings.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i3-4012Y better than Athlon Neo MV-40?

It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, Athlon Neo MV-40 is ahead with a 1.4% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Core i3-4012Y pulls ahead with 0.3% better PassMark.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i3-4012Y is the stronger fit. You are getting 0.3% better PassMark, backed by 2 cores and 4 threads.

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

Core i3-4012Y is still the much better call for a fresh build. Core i3-4012Y comes in at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $100 MSRP, and it still gives you 0.3% better PassMark. Athlon Neo MV-40 only looks stronger on raw value math because it is extremely cheap, but that usually means used-market pricing on an obsolete 2009 platform. Even with 100.0% better value on paper (12.7 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), it really only makes sense as a cheap stopgap or a niche existing-platform option for someone already on ASB1.

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

Core i3-4012Y makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2013 vs 2009) and more multi-core headroom with 2 cores / 4 threads instead of 1/1. That extra compute headroom is more likely to matter as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

Athlon Neo MV-40 vs Core i3-4012Y Technical Specifications

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

Athlon Neo MV-40

The Athlon Neo MV-40 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2009-01-01. It is based on the Huron (2009) architecture. It features 1 cores and 1 threads. Max frequency: 1.6 GHz. L2 cache: 512 kB. Built on 65 nm process technology. Socket: ASB1. Thermal design power (TDP): 512 kB. Passmark benchmark score: 1,274 points. Launch price was $149.

Core i3-4012Y

The Core i3-4012Y 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 4 threads. Base frequency is 1.5 GHz, with boost up to 1.5 GHz. L3 cache: 3 MB. L2 cache: 512 kB. Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1168. Thermal design power (TDP): 11.5 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,278 points. Launch price was $69.

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Processing Power

The Athlon Neo MV-40 packs 1 cores / 1 threads, while the Core i3-4012Y offers 2 cores / 4 threads — the Core i3-4012Y has 1 more core. Boost clocks reach 1.6 GHz on the Athlon Neo MV-40 versus 1.5 GHz on the Core i3-4012Y — a 6.5% clock advantage for the Athlon Neo MV-40. The Athlon Neo MV-40 uses the Huron (2009) architecture (65 nm), while the Core i3-4012Y uses Haswell (2013−2015) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon Neo MV-40 scores 1,274 against the Core i3-4012Y's 1,278 — a 0.3% lead for the Core i3-4012Y.

Feature	Athlon Neo MV-40	Core i3-4012Y
Cores / Threads	1 / 1	2 / 4+100%
Boost Clock	1.6 GHz+7%	1.5 GHz
Base Clock	—	1.5 GHz
L3 Cache	—	3 MB
L2 Cache	512 kB	512 kB
Process	65 nm	22 nm-66%
Architecture	Huron (2009)	Haswell (2013−2015)
PassMark	1,274	1,278
Geekbench 6 Single	—	485
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	988

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Memory & Platform

The Athlon Neo MV-40 uses the ASB1 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Core i3-4012Y uses FCBGA1168 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR2-667 on the Athlon Neo MV-40 versus DDR3L-1600 / LPDDR3-1600 on the Core i3-4012Y — the Core i3-4012Y supports 139.9% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Core i3-4012Y supports up to 16 GB of RAM compared to 4 GB — 300% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 0 (Athlon Neo MV-40) vs 12 (Core i3-4012Y) — the Core i3-4012Y offers 12 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: AMD ASB1 (Athlon Neo MV-40) and HM86,HM87,QM87 (Core i3-4012Y).

Feature	Athlon Neo MV-40	Core i3-4012Y
Socket	ASB1	FCBGA1168
PCIe Generation	PCIe 2.0	PCIe 3.0+50%
Max RAM Speed	DDR2-667	DDR3L-1600 / LPDDR3-1600+140%
Max RAM Capacity	4 GB	16 GB+300%
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	No	No
PCIe Lanes	0	12

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Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Athlon Neo MV-40) / VT-x / EPT (Core i3-4012Y). The Core i3-4012Y includes integrated graphics (Intel HD Graphics 4200), while the Athlon Neo MV-40 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i3-4012Y targets Low Power.