Athlon X2 340 vs Athlon II X3 405e
Athlon X2 340
Athlon II X3 405e
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 X2 340 is positioned at rank 462 and the Athlon II X3 405e is on rank 935, so the Athlon X2 340 offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Athlon X2 340
Performance Per Dollar Athlon II X3 405e
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Athlon X2 340 | Athlon II X3 405e |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ✅ Superior gaming performance | ❌ Lower gaming performance |
| Workstation | ✅ Better multi-core power | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks |
| Price | ⚠️ Higher cost ($15) | ✅ More affordable ($10) |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Trinity (2012−2013) / 32 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Rana (2009−2011) / 45 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Athlon X2 340 | Athlon II X3 405e |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ✅ Better overall value (+50%) |
| Upfront Cost | ⚠️ Higher cost ($15) | ✅ More affordable ($10) |
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 X2 340 and Athlon II X3 405e
Athlon X2 340
The Athlon X2 340 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2009-01-01. It is based on the Trinity (2012−2013) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 3.2 GHz, with boost up to 3.6 GHz. L2 cache: 1 MB (total). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: FM2. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR3-1600. Passmark benchmark score: 1,333 points. Launch price was $149.
Athlon II X3 405e
The Athlon II X3 405e is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 20 October 2009 (16 years ago). It is based on the Rana (2009−2011) architecture. It features 3 cores and 3 threads. Base frequency is 2.3 GHz, with boost up to 2.3 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: AM3. Thermal design power (TDP): 45 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,331 points. Launch price was $80.
Processing Power
The Athlon X2 340 packs 2 cores / 2 threads, while the Athlon II X3 405e offers 3 cores / 3 threads — the Athlon II X3 405e has 1 more core. Boost clocks reach 3.6 GHz on the Athlon X2 340 versus 2.3 GHz on the Athlon II X3 405e — a 44.1% clock advantage for the Athlon X2 340 (base: 3.2 GHz vs 2.3 GHz). The Athlon X2 340 uses the Trinity (2012−2013) architecture (32 nm), while the Athlon II X3 405e uses Rana (2009−2011) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon X2 340 scores 1,333 against the Athlon II X3 405e's 1,331 — a 0.2% lead for the Athlon X2 340.
| Feature | Athlon X2 340 | Athlon II X3 405e |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 2 / 2 | 3 / 3+50% |
| Boost Clock | 3.6 GHz+57% | 2.3 GHz |
| Base Clock | 3.2 GHz+39% | 2.3 GHz |
| L3 Cache | — | 0 kB |
| L2 Cache | 1 MB (total)+100% | 512 kB (per core) |
| Process | 32 nm-29% | 45 nm |
| Architecture | Trinity (2012−2013) | Rana (2009−2011) |
| PassMark | 1,333 | 1,331 |
| Geekbench 6 Single | 397 | — |
| Geekbench 6 Multi | 549 | — |
Memory & Platform
The Athlon X2 340 uses the FM2 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Athlon II X3 405e uses AM3 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR3-1600 memory speed. Both support up to 32 GB of RAM. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 16 (Athlon X2 340) vs 0 (Athlon II X3 405e) — the Athlon X2 340 offers 16 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: A55,A75,A85X,A88X (Athlon X2 340) and AMD AM3 (Athlon II X3 405e).
| Feature | Athlon X2 340 | Athlon II X3 405e |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | FM2 | AM3 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 2.0 | PCIe 2.0 |
| Max RAM Speed | DDR3-1600 | DDR3-1333 |
| Max RAM Capacity | 32 GB | 32 GB |
| RAM Channels | 2 | 2 |
| ECC Support | ❌ | ❌ |
| PCIe Lanes | 16 | 0 |
Advanced Features
Virtualization: AMD-V (Athlon X2 340) / not specified (Athlon II X3 405e). Primary use case: Athlon X2 340 targets Desktop.
| Feature | Athlon X2 340 | Athlon II X3 405e |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | No | No |
| Unlocked | No | — |
| AVX-512 | No | — |
| Virtualization | AMD-V | — |
| Target Use | Desktop | — |
Value Analysis
The Athlon X2 340 launched at $30 MSRP, while the Athlon II X3 405e debuted at $100. At current prices ($15 vs $10), the Athlon II X3 405e is $5 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Athlon X2 340 delivers 88.9 pts/$ vs 133.1 pts/$ for the Athlon II X3 405e — making the Athlon II X3 405e the 39.9% better value option.
| Feature | Athlon X2 340 | Athlon II X3 405e |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $30-70% | $100 |
| Avg Price (30d) | $15 | $10-33% |
| Performance per Dollar | 88.9 | 133.1+50% |
| Release Date | 2012 | 2009 |
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