Athlon PRO 300GE vs Core i5-3450S

Athlon PRO 300GE vs Core i5-3450S Performance Spectrum

Athlon PRO 300GE

2 / 4

4,342

0.0%

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7965WX

Core i5-3450S

4 / 4

4,399

+1.3%

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 PRO 300GE vs Core i5-3450S 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 PRO 300GE vs Core i5-3450S: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

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

Athlon PRO 300GE

2019

Why buy it

✅Costs $124 less on MSRP ($50 MSRP vs $174 MSRP).
✅Delivers 243.5% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 86.8 vs 25.3 PassMark/$ ($50 MSRP vs $174 MSRP).
✅Draws 35W instead of 65W, a 30W reduction.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (8 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Radeon Vega 3, while Core i5-3450S needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-3450S across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (4,342 vs 4,399).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (4 MB vs 6 MB).

Core i5-3450S

2012

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +4.2% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+50% larger total L3 cache (6 MB vs 4 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 25.3 vs 86.8 PassMark/$ ($174 MSRP vs $50 MSRP).
❌85.7% higher power demand at 65W vs 35W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Athlon PRO 300GE can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i5-3450S better than Athlon PRO 300GE?

Yes. Core i5-3450S is the better all-around CPU here. It gives you a 4.2% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data and 1.3% better PassMark, which is enough to make it the stronger overall pick.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Core i5-3450S is the better pick. According to our tests, it delivers 4.2% more average FPS across 50 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i5-3450S is the stronger fit. You are getting 1.3% better PassMark, backed by 4 cores and 4 threads. It also has the larger cache pool with 50% larger total L3 cache (6 MB vs 4 MB).

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

Core i5-3450S is still the better call for a fresh build. Core i5-3450S comes in 248.0% more expensive on MSRP at $174 MSRP versus $50 MSRP, and it still gives you a 4.2% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. Athlon PRO 300GE only looks stronger on raw value math because it is so cheap, but its absolute performance tier is too low to be the better recommendation now. At roughly 4,342 PassMark with 2 cores and 4 threads, it only really makes sense as a bare-minimum stopgap or a very constrained existing-platform upgrade.

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

Athlon PRO 300GE makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2019 vs 2012). That makes it the safer long-term bet.

Athlon PRO 300GE vs Core i5-3450S Technical Specifications

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

Athlon PRO 300GE

The Athlon PRO 300GE is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2009-01-01. It is based on the Zen+ (2018−2019) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Max frequency: 3.4 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB. L2 cache: 1 MB. Built on 12 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2666. Passmark benchmark score: 4,342 points. Launch price was $149.

Core i5-3450S

The Core i5-3450S is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 29 April 2012 (13 years ago). It is based on the Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.8 GHz, with boost up to 3.5 GHz. L3 cache: 6144 kB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1155. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 4,399 points. Launch price was $150.

⚡

Processing Power

The Athlon PRO 300GE packs 2 cores / 4 threads, while the Core i5-3450S offers 4 cores / 4 threads — the Core i5-3450S has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.4 GHz on the Athlon PRO 300GE versus 3.5 GHz on the Core i5-3450S — a 2.9% clock advantage for the Core i5-3450S. The Athlon PRO 300GE uses the Zen+ (2018−2019) architecture (12 nm), while the Core i5-3450S uses Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon PRO 300GE scores 4,342 against the Core i5-3450S's 4,399 — a 1.3% lead for the Core i5-3450S. L3 cache: 4 MB on the Athlon PRO 300GE vs 6144 kB (total) on the Core i5-3450S.

Feature	Athlon PRO 300GE	Core i5-3450S
Cores / Threads	2 / 4	4 / 4+100%
Boost Clock	3.4 GHz	3.5 GHz+3%
Base Clock	—	2.8 GHz
L3 Cache	4 MB	6144 kB (total)+50%
L2 Cache	1 MB+300%	256 kB (per core)
Process	12 nm-45%	22 nm
Architecture	Zen+ (2018−2019)	Ivy Bridge (2012−2013)
PassMark	4,342	4,399+1%

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Memory & Platform

The Athlon PRO 300GE uses the AM4 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core i5-3450S uses LGA1155 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Athlon PRO 300GE	Core i5-3450S
Socket	AM4	LGA1155
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2666	—
Max RAM Capacity	64 GB	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	No	—
PCIe Lanes	8	—

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: AMD-V (Athlon PRO 300GE) / not specified (Core i5-3450S). The Athlon PRO 300GE includes integrated graphics (Radeon Vega 3), while the Core i5-3450S requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Athlon PRO 300GE targets Desktop.

Feature	Athlon PRO 300GE	Core i5-3450S
Integrated GPU	Yes	—
IGPU Model	Radeon Vega 3	—
Unlocked	No	—
AVX-512	No	—
Virtualization	AMD-V	—
Target Use	Desktop	—

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the Athlon PRO 300GE was priced at $50, while the Core i5-3450S came in at $174. On launch pricing ($50 vs $174), Athlon PRO 300GE was $124 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Athlon PRO 300GE delivers 86.8 pts/$ vs 25.3 pts/$ for the Core i5-3450S — making the Athlon PRO 300GE the 109.8% better value option.

Feature	Athlon PRO 300GE	Core i5-3450S
MSRP	$50-71%	$174
Performance per Dollar	86.8+243%	25.3
Release Date	2019	2012

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