CPU
GPU
Athlon X4 730
Core i7-4550U
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 X4 730 is positioned at rank 519 and the Core i7-4550U is on rank 145, so the Core i7-4550U offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Athlon X4 730
Performance Per Dollar Core i7-4550U
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Athlon X4 730 | Core i7-4550U |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ✅ Superior gaming performance | ❌ Lower gaming performance |
| Workstation | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks | ✅ Better multi-core power |
| Price | ⚠️ Higher cost ($52) | ✅ More affordable ($0) |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Trinity (2012−2013) / 32 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Haswell-ULT (2013) / 22 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Athlon X4 730 | Core i7-4550U |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ⚠️ Higher cost ($52) | ✅ 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 X4 730 and Core i7-4550U
Athlon X4 730
The Athlon X4 730 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2009-01-01. It is based on the Trinity (2012−2013) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.8 GHz, with boost up to 3.2 GHz. L2 cache: 4 MB (total). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: FM2. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR3-1866. Passmark benchmark score: 2,278 points. Launch price was $149.
Core i7-4550U
The Core i7-4550U is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 4 June 2013 (12 years ago). It is based on the Haswell-ULT (2013) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 1.5 GHz, with boost up to 3 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1168. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 2,307 points. Launch price was $69.
Processing Power
The Athlon X4 730 packs 4 cores / 4 threads, while the Core i7-4550U offers 2 cores / 4 threads — the Athlon X4 730 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.2 GHz on the Athlon X4 730 versus 3 GHz on the Core i7-4550U — a 6.5% clock advantage for the Athlon X4 730 (base: 2.8 GHz vs 1.5 GHz). The Athlon X4 730 uses the Trinity (2012−2013) architecture (32 nm), while the Core i7-4550U uses Haswell-ULT (2013) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon X4 730 scores 2,278 against the Core i7-4550U's 2,307 — a 1.3% lead for the Core i7-4550U.
| Feature | Athlon X4 730 | Core i7-4550U |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 4 / 4+100% | 2 / 4 |
| Boost Clock | 3.2 GHz+7% | 3 GHz |
| Base Clock | 2.8 GHz+87% | 1.5 GHz |
| L3 Cache | — | 4 MB (total) |
| L2 Cache | 4 MB (total)+1500% | 256K (per core) |
| Process | 32 nm | 22 nm-31% |
| Architecture | Trinity (2012−2013) | Haswell-ULT (2013) |
| PassMark | 2,278 | 2,307+1% |
Memory & Platform
The Athlon X4 730 uses the FM2 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Core i7-4550U uses FCBGA1168 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Athlon X4 730 | Core i7-4550U |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | FM2 | FCBGA1168 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 2.0 | PCIe 3.0+50% |
| Max RAM Speed | DDR3-1866 | — |
| Max RAM Capacity | 64 GB | — |
| RAM Channels | 2 | — |
| ECC Support | ❌ | — |
| PCIe Lanes | 16 | — |
Top Performing CPUs
The most powerful cpus ranked by PassMark CPU Mark benchmark scores.
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