Athlon PRO 300U vs Core i5-4590T

Athlon PRO 300U vs Core i5-4590T Performance Spectrum

Athlon PRO 300U

2 / 4

4,080

+0.4%

Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

Core i5-4590T

4 / 4

4,064

0.0%

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 300U vs Core i5-4590T 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 300U vs Core i5-4590T: 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 300U

2019

Why buy it

✅Draws 15W instead of 35W, a 20W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (4 MB vs 6 MB).
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-4590T.

Core i5-4590T

2014

Why buy it

✅+50% larger total L3 cache (6 MB vs 4 MB).
✅100% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 8) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Athlon PRO 300U.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (4,064 vs 4,080).
❌Launch MSRP is still $192 MSRP, while Athlon PRO 300U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌133.3% higher power demand at 35W vs 15W.

Quick Answers

So, is Athlon PRO 300U better than Core i5-4590T?

Yes. Athlon PRO 300U is the better all-around CPU here. It gives you a 0.6% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data, 0.4% better PassMark, and the stronger long-term platform, which is enough to make it the stronger overall pick.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Athlon PRO 300U is the better pick. According to our tests, it delivers 0.6% 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, Athlon PRO 300U is the stronger fit. You are getting 0.4% better PassMark, backed by 2 cores and 4 threads.

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

Athlon PRO 300U is still the much better call for a fresh build. Athlon PRO 300U comes in at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $192 MSRP, and it still gives you a 0.6% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. Core i5-4590T only looks stronger on raw value math because it is extremely cheap, but that usually means used-market pricing on an obsolete 2014 platform. Even with 100.0% better value on paper (21.2 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), it really only makes sense as a cheap stopgap or a niche existing-platform option for someone already on LGA1150.

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

Athlon PRO 300U makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2019 vs 2014) 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 PRO 300U vs Core i5-4590T Technical Specifications

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

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 i5-4590T

The Core i5-4590T is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 11 May 2014 (11 years ago). It is based on the Haswell (2013−2015) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2 GHz, with boost up to 3 GHz. L3 cache: 6 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1150. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR3-1333/1600, DDR3L-1333/1600. Passmark benchmark score: 4,064 points. Launch price was $192.

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Processing Power

The Athlon PRO 300U packs 2 cores / 4 threads, while the Core i5-4590T offers 4 cores / 4 threads — the Core i5-4590T has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.3 GHz on the Athlon PRO 300U versus 3 GHz on the Core i5-4590T — a 9.5% clock advantage for the Athlon PRO 300U (base: 2.4 GHz vs 2 GHz). The Athlon PRO 300U uses the Raven Ridge 2 (2019) architecture (14 nm), while the Core i5-4590T uses Haswell (2013−2015) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon PRO 300U scores 4,080 against the Core i5-4590T's 4,064 — a 0.4% lead for the Athlon PRO 300U. L3 cache: 4 MB (total) on the Athlon PRO 300U vs 6 MB (total) on the Core i5-4590T.

Feature	Athlon PRO 300U	Core i5-4590T
Cores / Threads	2 / 4	4 / 4+100%
Boost Clock	3.3 GHz+10%	3 GHz
Base Clock	2.4 GHz+20%	2 GHz
L3 Cache	4 MB (total)	6 MB (total)+50%
L2 Cache	512K (per core)+100%	256 kB (per core)
Process	14 nm-36%	22 nm
Architecture	Raven Ridge 2 (2019)	Haswell (2013−2015)
PassMark	4,080	4,064
Geekbench 6 Single	—	917

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Memory & Platform

The Athlon PRO 300U uses the FP5 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core i5-4590T uses LGA1150 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR4-2400 on the Athlon PRO 300U versus DDR3-1600 on the Core i5-4590T — the Athlon PRO 300U supports 50% 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 i5-4590T) — the Core i5-4590T offers 8 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: AMD FP5 (Athlon PRO 300U) and B85,Q85,H81,Q87,H87,Z87,H97,Z97 (Core i5-4590T).

Feature	Athlon PRO 300U	Core i5-4590T
Socket	FP5	LGA1150
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2400+50%	DDR3-1600
Max RAM Capacity	32 GB	32 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	Yes	No
PCIe Lanes	8	16+100%

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Athlon PRO 300U) / VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Core i5-4590T). Both include integrated graphics — AMD Radeon Vega 3 (Athlon PRO 300U) and HD Graphics 4600 (Core i5-4590T) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i5-4590T targets Low Power Desktop. Direct competitor: Core i5-4590T rivals A8-7600.

Feature	Athlon PRO 300U	Core i5-4590T
Integrated GPU	Yes	Yes
IGPU Model	AMD Radeon Vega 3	HD Graphics 4600
Unlocked	—	No
AVX-512	—	No
Virtualization	—	VT-x, VT-d, EPT
Target Use	—	Low Power Desktop