Athlon PRO 300U vs Core i7-2720QM

Athlon PRO 300U vs Core i7-2720QM Performance Spectrum

Athlon PRO 300U

2 / 4

4,080

+1.6%

Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

Core i7-2720QM

4 / 8

4,015

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 i7-2720QM 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 i7-2720QM: 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

✅+1.6% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 15W instead of 45W, a 30W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-2720QM across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Smaller total L3 cache (4 MB vs 6 MB).

Core i7-2720QM

2011

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +5.8% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+50% larger total L3 cache (6 MB vs 4 MB).
✅100% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 8) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (4,015 vs 4,080).
❌Launch MSRP is still $378 MSRP, while Athlon PRO 300U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌200% higher power demand at 45W vs 15W.

Quick Answers

So, is Athlon PRO 300U better than Core i7-2720QM?

It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, Core i7-2720QM is ahead with a 5.8% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Athlon PRO 300U pulls ahead with 1.6% better PassMark. Core i7-2720QM also has the bigger cache pool with 50% larger total L3 cache (6 MB vs 4 MB).

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 1.6% 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 $378 MSRP, and it still gives you 1.6% better PassMark. Core i7-2720QM only looks stronger on raw value math because it is extremely cheap, but that usually means used-market pricing on an obsolete 2011 platform. Even with 100.0% better value on paper (10.6 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), it really only makes sense as a cheap stopgap or a niche existing-platform option for someone already on PGA988.

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 2011) and more multi-core headroom with 2 cores / 4 threads instead of 4/8. That extra compute headroom is more likely to matter as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

Athlon PRO 300U vs Core i7-2720QM 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 i7-2720QM

The Core i7-2720QM is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 3 January 2011 (14 years ago). It is based on the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 2.2 GHz, with boost up to 3.3 GHz. L3 cache: 6 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: PGA988. Thermal design power (TDP): 45 Watt. Memory support: DDR3-1066, DDR3-1333, DDR3-1600. Passmark benchmark score: 4,015 points. Launch price was $378.

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Processing Power

The Athlon PRO 300U packs 2 cores / 4 threads, while the Core i7-2720QM offers 4 cores / 8 threads — the Core i7-2720QM has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.3 GHz on the Athlon PRO 300U versus 3.3 GHz on the Core i7-2720QM — identical boost frequencies (base: 2.4 GHz vs 2.2 GHz). The Athlon PRO 300U uses the Raven Ridge 2 (2019) architecture (14 nm), while the Core i7-2720QM uses Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) (32 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon PRO 300U scores 4,080 against the Core i7-2720QM's 4,015 — a 1.6% lead for the Athlon PRO 300U. L3 cache: 4 MB (total) on the Athlon PRO 300U vs 6 MB (total) on the Core i7-2720QM.

Feature	Athlon PRO 300U	Core i7-2720QM
Cores / Threads	2 / 4	4 / 8+100%
Boost Clock	3.3 GHz	3.3 GHz
Base Clock	2.4 GHz+9%	2.2 GHz
L3 Cache	4 MB (total)	6 MB (total)+50%
L2 Cache	512K (per core)+100%	256K (per core)
Process	14 nm-56%	32 nm
Architecture	Raven Ridge 2 (2019)	Sandy Bridge (2011−2013)
PassMark	4,080+2%	4,015
Geekbench 6 Single	—	700
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	2,600

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Memory & Platform

The Athlon PRO 300U uses the FP5 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core i7-2720QM uses PGA988 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR4-2400 on the Athlon PRO 300U versus DDR3-1600 on the Core i7-2720QM — 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 i7-2720QM) — the Core i7-2720QM offers 8 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: AMD FP5 (Athlon PRO 300U) and HM65,HM67,QM67 (Core i7-2720QM).

Feature	Athlon PRO 300U	Core i7-2720QM
Socket	FP5	PGA988
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0+50%	PCIe 2.0
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%

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Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Athlon PRO 300U) / VT-x, VT-d (Core i7-2720QM). Both include integrated graphics — AMD Radeon Vega 3 (Athlon PRO 300U) and Intel HD Graphics 3000 (Core i7-2720QM) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i7-2720QM targets Performance Laptop. Direct competitor: Core i7-2720QM rivals AMD A8-3510MX.

Feature	Athlon PRO 300U	Core i7-2720QM
Integrated GPU	Yes	Yes
IGPU Model	AMD Radeon Vega 3	Intel HD Graphics 3000
Unlocked	—	No
AVX-512	—	No
Virtualization	—	VT-x, VT-d
Target Use	—	Performance Laptop