Athlon PRO 300U vs Core i5-2500
Athlon PRO 300U
Core i5-2500
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 PRO 300U is positioned at rank 1006 and the Core i5-2500 is on rank 922, so the Core i5-2500 offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Athlon PRO 300U
Performance Per Dollar Core i5-2500
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Athlon PRO 300U | Core i5-2500 |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ❌ Lower gaming performance | ✅ Superior gaming performance |
| Workstation | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks | ✅ Better multi-core power |
| Price | ✅ More affordable ($0) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($69) |
| Longevity | ✨ Modern (Raven Ridge 2 (2019) / 14 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) / 32 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Athlon PRO 300U | Core i5-2500 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ✅ More affordable ($0) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($69) |
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 PRO 300U and Core i5-2500
Athlon PRO 300U
The Athlon PRO 300U is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2009-01-01. It is based on the Raven Ridge 2 (2019) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.4 GHz, with boost up to 3.3 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB (total). L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: FP5. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR4 Dual-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 4,080 points. Launch price was $149.
Core i5-2500
The Core i5-2500 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 9 January 2011 (14 years ago). It is based on the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 3.3 GHz, with boost up to 3.7 GHz. L3 cache: 6144 kB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1155. Thermal design power (TDP): 95 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 4,102 points. Launch price was $85.
Processing Power
The Athlon PRO 300U packs 2 cores / 4 threads, while the Core i5-2500 offers 4 cores / 4 threads — the Core i5-2500 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.3 GHz on the Athlon PRO 300U versus 3.7 GHz on the Core i5-2500 — a 11.4% clock advantage for the Core i5-2500 (base: 2.4 GHz vs 3.3 GHz). The Athlon PRO 300U uses the Raven Ridge 2 (2019) architecture (14 nm), while the Core i5-2500 uses Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) (32 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon PRO 300U scores 4,080 against the Core i5-2500's 4,102 — a 0.5% lead for the Core i5-2500. L3 cache: 4 MB (total) on the Athlon PRO 300U vs 6144 kB (total) on the Core i5-2500.
| Feature | Athlon PRO 300U | Core i5-2500 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 2 / 4 | 4 / 4+100% |
| Boost Clock | 3.3 GHz | 3.7 GHz+12% |
| Base Clock | 2.4 GHz | 3.3 GHz+38% |
| L3 Cache | 4 MB (total) | 6144 kB (total)+50% |
| L2 Cache | 512K (per core)+100% | 256 kB (per core) |
| Process | 14 nm-56% | 32 nm |
| Architecture | Raven Ridge 2 (2019) | Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) |
| PassMark | 4,080 | 4,102 |
| Cinebench R23 Multi | — | 2,642 |
| Geekbench 6 Single | — | 590 |
| Geekbench 6 Multi | — | 1,690 |
Memory & Platform
The Athlon PRO 300U uses the FP5 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core i5-2500 uses LGA1155 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR4-2400 on the Athlon PRO 300U versus DDR3-1333 on the Core i5-2500 — the Athlon PRO 300U supports 28.6% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. Both support up to 32 GB of RAM. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 8 (Athlon PRO 300U) vs 16 (Core i5-2500) — the Core i5-2500 offers 8 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: AMD FP5 (Athlon PRO 300U) and H61,H67,P67,Z68,B75,Z77 (Core i5-2500).
| Feature | Athlon PRO 300U | Core i5-2500 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | FP5 | LGA1155 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 3.0+50% | PCIe 2.0 |
| Max RAM Speed | DDR4-2400+33% | DDR3-1333 |
| Max RAM Capacity | 32 GB | 32 GB |
| RAM Channels | 2 | 2 |
| ECC Support | ✅ | ❌ |
| PCIe Lanes | 8 | 16+100% |
Advanced Features
Virtualization: not specified (Athlon PRO 300U) / VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Core i5-2500). Both include integrated graphics — AMD Radeon Vega 3 (Athlon PRO 300U) and Intel HD Graphics 2000 (Core i5-2500) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i5-2500 targets Desktop.
| Feature | Athlon PRO 300U | Core i5-2500 |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | Yes | Yes |
| IGPU Model | AMD Radeon Vega 3 | Intel HD Graphics 2000 |
| Unlocked | — | No |
| AVX-512 | — | No |
| Virtualization | — | VT-x, VT-d, EPT |
| Target Use | — | Desktop |
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