Athlon X4 830 vs Core i7-5600U

Athlon X4 830 vs Core i7-5600U Performance Spectrum

Athlon X4 830

4 / 4

3,018

+0.2%

Ryzen Threadripper 1950

Ryzen AI Max 390

Ryzen 9 9955HX3D

Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

Core i7-5600U

2 / 4

3,011

0.0%

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 830 vs Core i7-5600U 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 830 vs Core i7-5600U: 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 830

2015

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +4.1% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 65W instead of 512W, a 447W reduction.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $70 MSRP, while Core i7-5600U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

Core i7-5600U

2015

Why buy it

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Athlon X4 830 across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (3,011 vs 3,018).
❌687.7% higher power demand at 512W vs 65W.

Quick Answers

So, is Athlon X4 830 better than Core i7-5600U?

Yes. Athlon X4 830 is the better all-around CPU here. It gives you a 4.1% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data, 0.2% better PassMark, and the stronger long-term platform, which is enough to make it the stronger overall pick.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Athlon X4 830 is the better pick. According to our tests, it delivers 4.1% more average FPS across 50 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Athlon X4 830 is the stronger fit. You are getting 0.2% better PassMark, backed by 4 cores and 4 threads.

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

Athlon X4 830 is the better buy right now. Athlon X4 830 comes in at an unclear MSRP at $70 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it still gives you a 4.1% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (43.1 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), so you are getting the faster CPU without taking a value hit on paper.

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

Athlon X4 830 makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting more multi-core headroom with 4 cores / 4 threads instead of 2/4. That extra compute headroom is more likely to matter as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

Athlon X4 830 vs Core i7-5600U Technical Specifications

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

Athlon X4 830

The Athlon X4 830 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2009-01-01. It is based on the Kaveri (2014−2015) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 3 GHz, with boost up to 3.4 GHz. L2 cache: 4 MB. Built on 28 nm process technology. Socket: FM2+. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR3-2133. Passmark benchmark score: 3,018 points. Launch price was $149.

Core i7-5600U

The Core i7-5600U is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 March 2015 (10 years ago). It is based on the Broadwell-U (2015) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.6 GHz, with boost up to 3.2 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1168. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 3,011 points. Launch price was $393.

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Processing Power

The Athlon X4 830 packs 4 cores / 4 threads, while the Core i7-5600U offers 2 cores / 4 threads — the Athlon X4 830 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.4 GHz on the Athlon X4 830 versus 3.2 GHz on the Core i7-5600U — a 6.1% clock advantage for the Athlon X4 830 (base: 3 GHz vs 2.6 GHz). The Athlon X4 830 uses the Kaveri (2014−2015) architecture (28 nm), while the Core i7-5600U uses Broadwell-U (2015) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon X4 830 scores 3,018 against the Core i7-5600U's 3,011 — a 0.2% lead for the Athlon X4 830.

Feature	Athlon X4 830	Core i7-5600U
Cores / Threads	4 / 4+100%	2 / 4
Boost Clock	3.4 GHz+6%	3.2 GHz
Base Clock	3 GHz+15%	2.6 GHz
L3 Cache	—	4 MB (total)
L2 Cache	4 MB	256K (per core)+6300%
Process	28 nm	14 nm-50%
Architecture	Kaveri (2014−2015)	Broadwell-U (2015)
PassMark	3,018	3,011

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Memory & Platform

The Athlon X4 830 uses the FM2+ socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core i7-5600U uses FCBGA1168 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.