
Athlon PRO 3045B vs Core i3-6157U

Athlon PRO 3045B

Core i3-6157U
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 3045B is positioned at rank 1177 and the Core i3-6157U is on rank 630, so the Core i3-6157U 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 3045B
Performance Per Dollar Core i3-6157U
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Athlon PRO 3045B | Core i3-6157U |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ✅ Superior gaming performance | ❌ Lower gaming performance |
| Workstation | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks | ✅ Better multi-core power |
| Price | ⚠️ Higher cost ($180) | ✅ More affordable ($0) |
| Longevity | ✨ Modern (Dali (2020−2021) / 14 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Skylake (2015−2016) / 14 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Athlon PRO 3045B | Core i3-6157U |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ⚠️ Higher cost ($180) | ✅ More affordable ($0) |
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 3045B and Core i3-6157U

Athlon PRO 3045B
The Athlon PRO 3045B is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2009-01-01. It is based on the Dali (2020−2021) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.3 GHz, with boost up to 3.2 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB (total). L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: FP5. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 2,770 points. Launch price was $149.

Core i3-6157U
The Core i3-6157U is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 September 2016 (9 years ago). It is based on the Skylake (2015−2016) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.4 GHz, with boost up to 2.4 GHz. L3 cache: 3 MB. L2 cache: 512 kB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: BGA1356. Thermal design power (TDP): 28 Watt. Memory support: DDR3, DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 2,782 points. Launch price was $304.
Processing Power
Both the Athlon PRO 3045B and Core i3-6157U share an identical 2-core/4-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 3.2 GHz on the Athlon PRO 3045B versus 2.4 GHz on the Core i3-6157U — a 28.6% clock advantage for the Athlon PRO 3045B (base: 2.3 GHz vs 2.4 GHz). The Athlon PRO 3045B uses the Dali (2020−2021) architecture (14 nm), while the Core i3-6157U uses Skylake (2015−2016) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon PRO 3045B scores 2,770 against the Core i3-6157U's 2,782 — a 0.4% lead for the Core i3-6157U. L3 cache: 4 MB (total) on the Athlon PRO 3045B vs 3 MB on the Core i3-6157U.
| Feature | Athlon PRO 3045B | Core i3-6157U |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 2 / 4 | 2 / 4 |
| Boost Clock | 3.2 GHz+33% | 2.4 GHz |
| Base Clock | 2.3 GHz | 2.4 GHz+4% |
| L3 Cache | 4 MB (total)+33% | 3 MB |
| L2 Cache | 512 kB (per core) | 512 kB |
| Process | 14 nm | 14 nm |
| Architecture | Dali (2020−2021) | Skylake (2015−2016) |
| PassMark | 2,770 | 2,782 |
Memory & Platform
The Athlon PRO 3045B uses the FP5 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Core i3-6157U uses BGA1356 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR4-2400 memory speed. Both support up to 32 GB of RAM. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 8 (Athlon PRO 3045B) vs 12 (Core i3-6157U) — the Core i3-6157U offers 4 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives.
| Feature | Athlon PRO 3045B | Core i3-6157U |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | FP5 | BGA1356 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 4.0+33% | PCIe 3.0 |
| Max RAM Speed | DDR4-2400 | DDR4-2133 |
| Max RAM Capacity | 32 GB | 32 GB |
| RAM Channels | 2 | 2 |
| ECC Support | ✅ | ❌ |
| PCIe Lanes | 8 | 12+50% |
Advanced Features
Virtualization: not specified (Athlon PRO 3045B) / VT-x, VT-d (Core i3-6157U). Both include integrated graphics — AMD Radeon Vega 3 (Athlon PRO 3045B) and Iris Graphics 550 (Core i3-6157U) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i3-6157U targets Mobile.
| Feature | Athlon PRO 3045B | Core i3-6157U |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | Yes | Yes |
| IGPU Model | AMD Radeon Vega 3 | Iris Graphics 550 |
| Unlocked | — | No |
| AVX-512 | — | No |
| Virtualization | — | VT-x, VT-d |
| Target Use | — | Mobile |
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