Athlon PRO 300U vs FX-8100
Athlon PRO 300U
FX-8100
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 FX-8100 is on rank 928, so the FX-8100 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 FX-8100
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Athlon PRO 300U | FX-8100 |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ❌ Lower gaming performance | ✅ Superior gaming performance |
| Workstation | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks | ✅ Better multi-core power |
| Price | ✅ More affordable ($0) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($50) |
| Longevity | ✨ Modern (Raven Ridge 2 (2019) / 14 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Zambezi (2011−2012) / 32 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Athlon PRO 300U | FX-8100 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ✅ More affordable ($0) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($50) |
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 FX-8100
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.
FX-8100
The FX-8100 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 12 October 2011 (14 years ago). It is based on the Zambezi (2011−2012) architecture. It features 8 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 2.8 GHz, with boost up to 3.7 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB (total). L2 cache: 8 MB. Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: AM3+. Thermal design power (TDP): 95 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 4,095 points. Launch price was $69.
Processing Power
The Athlon PRO 300U packs 2 cores / 4 threads, while the FX-8100 offers 8 cores / 8 threads — the FX-8100 has 6 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.3 GHz on the Athlon PRO 300U versus 3.7 GHz on the FX-8100 — a 11.4% clock advantage for the FX-8100 (base: 2.4 GHz vs 2.8 GHz). The Athlon PRO 300U uses the Raven Ridge 2 (2019) architecture (14 nm), while the FX-8100 uses Zambezi (2011−2012) (32 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon PRO 300U scores 4,080 against the FX-8100's 4,095 — a 0.4% lead for the FX-8100. L3 cache: 4 MB (total) on the Athlon PRO 300U vs 8 MB (total) on the FX-8100.
| Feature | Athlon PRO 300U | FX-8100 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 2 / 4 | 8 / 8+300% |
| Boost Clock | 3.3 GHz | 3.7 GHz+12% |
| Base Clock | 2.4 GHz | 2.8 GHz+17% |
| L3 Cache | 4 MB (total) | 8 MB (total)+100% |
| L2 Cache | 512K (per core) | 8 MB+1500% |
| Process | 14 nm-56% | 32 nm |
| Architecture | Raven Ridge 2 (2019) | Zambezi (2011−2012) |
| PassMark | 4,080 | 4,095 |
| Geekbench 6 Single | — | 455 |
| Geekbench 6 Multi | — | 1,621 |
Memory & Platform
The Athlon PRO 300U uses the FP5 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the FX-8100 uses AM3+ (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR4-2400 on the Athlon PRO 300U versus DDR3-1866 on the FX-8100 — the Athlon PRO 300U supports 28.6% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Athlon PRO 300U supports up to 32 GB of RAM compared to 16 GB — 66.7% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 8 (Athlon PRO 300U) vs 0 (FX-8100) — the Athlon PRO 300U offers 8 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: AMD FP5 (Athlon PRO 300U) and AMD 990FX,AMD 970 (FX-8100).
| Feature | Athlon PRO 300U | FX-8100 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | FP5 | AM3+ |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 3.0+50% | PCIe 2.0 |
| Max RAM Speed | DDR4-2400+33% | DDR3-1866 |
| Max RAM Capacity | 32 GB+100% | 16 GB |
| RAM Channels | 2 | 2 |
| ECC Support | ✅ | ❌ |
| PCIe Lanes | 8 | 0 |
Advanced Features
Virtualization: not specified (Athlon PRO 300U) / AMD-V (FX-8100). The Athlon PRO 300U includes integrated graphics (AMD Radeon Vega 3), while the FX-8100 requires a dedicated GPU.
| Feature | Athlon PRO 300U | FX-8100 |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | Yes | No |
| IGPU Model | AMD Radeon Vega 3 | — |
| Unlocked | — | Yes |
| AVX-512 | — | No |
| Virtualization | — | AMD-V |
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