Athlon X4 740 vs Pentium G4520

Athlon X4 740 vs Pentium G4520 Performance Spectrum

Athlon X4 740

4 / 4

2,646

0.0%

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7955WX

Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

Pentium G4520

2 / 2

2,670

+0.9%

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 X4 740 vs Pentium G4520 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 X4 740 vs Pentium G4520: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

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

Athlon X4 740

2012

Why buy it

✅Costs $15 less on MSRP ($71 MSRP vs $86 MSRP).
✅Delivers 20.0% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 37.3 vs 31.0 PassMark/$ ($71 MSRP vs $86 MSRP).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (2,646 vs 2,670).
❌27.5% higher power demand at 65W vs 51W.

Pentium G4520

2015

Why buy it

✅+0.9% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 51W instead of 65W, a 14W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 31.0 vs 37.3 PassMark/$ ($86 MSRP vs $71 MSRP).

Quick Answers

So, is Pentium G4520 better than Athlon X4 740?

It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, Athlon X4 740 is ahead with a 1.0% average FPS lead across 49 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Pentium G4520 pulls ahead with 0.9% better PassMark.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Pentium G4520 is the stronger fit. You are getting 0.9% better PassMark, backed by 2 cores and 2 threads.

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?

Pentium G4520 is still the much better call for a fresh build. Pentium G4520 comes in 21.1% more expensive on MSRP at $86 MSRP versus $71 MSRP, and it still gives you 0.9% better PassMark. Athlon X4 740 only looks stronger on raw value math because it is extremely cheap, but that usually means used-market pricing on an obsolete 2012 platform. Even with 20.0% better value on paper (37.3 vs 31.0 PassMark/$), it really only makes sense as a cheap stopgap or a niche existing-platform option for someone already on FM2.

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

Pentium G4520 makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2015 vs 2012) and more multi-core headroom with 2 cores / 2 threads instead of 4/4. That extra compute headroom is more likely to matter as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

Athlon X4 740 vs Pentium G4520 Technical Specifications

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

Athlon X4 740

The Athlon X4 740 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 3.2 GHz, with boost up to 3.7 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: 2,646 points. Launch price was $149.

Pentium G4520

The Pentium G4520 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 September 2015 (10 years ago). It is based on the Skylake (2015−2016) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 3.6 GHz, with boost up to 3.6 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1151. Thermal design power (TDP): 51 Watt. Memory support: DDR3, DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 2,670 points. Launch price was $93.

⚡

Processing Power

The Athlon X4 740 packs 4 cores / 4 threads, while the Pentium G4520 offers 2 cores / 2 threads — the Athlon X4 740 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.7 GHz on the Athlon X4 740 versus 3.6 GHz on the Pentium G4520 — a 2.7% clock advantage for the Athlon X4 740 (base: 3.2 GHz vs 3.6 GHz). The Athlon X4 740 uses the Trinity (2012−2013) architecture (32 nm), while the Pentium G4520 uses Skylake (2015−2016) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon X4 740 scores 2,646 against the Pentium G4520's 2,670 — a 0.9% lead for the Pentium G4520.

Feature	Athlon X4 740	Pentium G4520
Cores / Threads	4 / 4+100%	2 / 2
Boost Clock	3.7 GHz+3%	3.6 GHz
Base Clock	3.2 GHz	3.6 GHz+12%
L3 Cache	—	4 MB (total)
L2 Cache	4 MB (total)	256K (per core)+6300%
Process	32 nm	14 nm-56%
Architecture	Trinity (2012−2013)	Skylake (2015−2016)
PassMark	2,646	2,670

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Athlon X4 740 uses the FM2 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Pentium G4520 uses LGA1151 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Athlon X4 740	Pentium G4520
Socket	FM2	LGA1151
PCIe Generation	PCIe 2.0	PCIe 3.0+50%
Max RAM Speed	DDR3-1866	—
Max RAM Capacity	64 GB	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	No	—
PCIe Lanes	16	—

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: AMD-V (Athlon X4 740) / not specified (Pentium G4520). Primary use case: Athlon X4 740 targets Desktop.

Feature	Athlon X4 740	Pentium G4520
Integrated GPU	No	—
Unlocked	No	—
AVX-512	No	—
Virtualization	AMD-V	—
Target Use	Desktop	—

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the Athlon X4 740 was priced at $71, while the Pentium G4520 came in at $86. On launch pricing ($71 vs $86), Athlon X4 740 was $15 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Athlon X4 740 delivers 37.3 pts/$ vs 31.0 pts/$ for the Pentium G4520 — making the Athlon X4 740 the 18.2% better value option.

Feature	Athlon X4 740	Pentium G4520
MSRP	$71-17%	$86
Performance per Dollar	37.3+20%	31.0
Release Date	2012	2015

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