Athlon X2 QL-60 vs Core i3-4012Y

Athlon X2 QL-60 vs Core i3-4012Y Performance Spectrum

Athlon X2 QL-60

2 / 2

1,273

0.0%

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3955WX

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7955WX

Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

Core i3-4012Y

2 / 4

1,278

+0.4%

Atom D2550

Pentium T3400

Pentium Dual-Core E2200

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 X2 QL-60 vs Core i3-4012Y 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 X2 QL-60 vs Core i3-4012Y: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each CPU makes more sense in practice: gaming, heavier work, platform cost, power draw, and upgrade path.

Athlon X2 QL-60

2008

Why buy it

✅Draws 1W instead of 512W, a 511W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (1,273 vs 1,278).
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i3-4012Y can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Core i3-4012Y

2013

Why buy it

✅+0.4% higher PassMark.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (12 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Intel HD Graphics 4200, while Athlon X2 QL-60 needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌51100% higher power demand at 512W vs 1W.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i3-4012Y better than Athlon X2 QL-60?

It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, Athlon X2 QL-60 is ahead with a 2.2% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Core i3-4012Y pulls ahead with 0.4% better PassMark.

Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i3-4012Y 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?

Core i3-4012Y still makes the most sense overall. Core i3-4012Y comes in at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it still gives you 0.4% better PassMark.

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

Core i3-4012Y makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2013 vs 2008) and more multi-core headroom with 2 cores / 4 threads instead of 2/2. That extra compute headroom is more likely to matter as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

Athlon X2 QL-60 vs Core i3-4012Y Technical Specifications

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

Athlon X2 QL-60

The Athlon X2 QL-60 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2009-01-01. It is based on the Lion (2008−2009) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Max frequency: 1.9 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 1 MB. Built on 65 nm process technology. Socket: S1. Thermal design power (TDP): 1 MB. Passmark benchmark score: 1,273 points. Launch price was $149.

Core i3-4012Y

The Core i3-4012Y is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 September 2013 (12 years ago). It is based on the Haswell (2013−2015) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 1.5 GHz, with boost up to 1.5 GHz. L3 cache: 3 MB. L2 cache: 512 kB. Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1168. Thermal design power (TDP): 11.5 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,278 points. Launch price was $69.

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Processing Power

The Athlon X2 QL-60 packs 2 cores / 2 threads, matching the Core i3-4012Y's 2 cores. Boost clocks reach 1.9 GHz on the Athlon X2 QL-60 versus 1.5 GHz on the Core i3-4012Y — a 23.5% clock advantage for the Athlon X2 QL-60. The Athlon X2 QL-60 uses the Lion (2008−2009) architecture (65 nm), while the Core i3-4012Y uses Haswell (2013−2015) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon X2 QL-60 scores 1,273 against the Core i3-4012Y's 1,278 — a 0.4% lead for the Core i3-4012Y. L3 cache: 0 kB on the Athlon X2 QL-60 vs 3 MB on the Core i3-4012Y.

Feature	Athlon X2 QL-60	Core i3-4012Y
Cores / Threads	2 / 2	2 / 4
Boost Clock	1.9 GHz+27%	1.5 GHz
Base Clock	—	1.5 GHz
L3 Cache	0 kB	3 MB
L2 Cache	1 MB+100%	512 kB
Process	65 nm	22 nm-66%
Architecture	Lion (2008−2009)	Haswell (2013−2015)
PassMark	1,273	1,278
Geekbench 6 Single	—	485
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	988

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Memory & Platform

The Athlon X2 QL-60 uses the S1 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Core i3-4012Y uses FCBGA1168 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR2-667 on the Athlon X2 QL-60 versus DDR3L-1600 / LPDDR3-1600 on the Core i3-4012Y — the Core i3-4012Y supports 139.9% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Core i3-4012Y supports up to 16 GB of RAM compared to 8 GB — 100% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 0 (Athlon X2 QL-60) vs 12 (Core i3-4012Y) — the Core i3-4012Y offers 12 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: AMD S1 (Athlon X2 QL-60) and HM86,HM87,QM87 (Core i3-4012Y).

Feature	Athlon X2 QL-60	Core i3-4012Y
Socket	S1	FCBGA1168
PCIe Generation	PCIe 2.0	PCIe 3.0+50%
Max RAM Speed	DDR2-667	DDR3L-1600 / LPDDR3-1600+140%
Max RAM Capacity	8 GB	16 GB+100%
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	No	No
PCIe Lanes	0	12

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Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Athlon X2 QL-60) / VT-x / EPT (Core i3-4012Y). The Core i3-4012Y includes integrated graphics (Intel HD Graphics 4200), while the Athlon X2 QL-60 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i3-4012Y targets Low Power.