Athlon X4 845 vs Core i3-8145U

Athlon X4 845 vs Core i3-8145U Performance Spectrum

Athlon X4 845

4 / 4

3,768

0.0%

Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

Core i3-8145U

2 / 4

3,781

+0.3%

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 845 vs Core i3-8145U 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 845 vs Core i3-8145U: 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 845

2016

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +11.2% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (3,768 vs 3,781).
❌Launch MSRP is still $70 MSRP, while Core i3-8145U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌333.3% higher power demand at 65W vs 15W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i3-8145U can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Core i3-8145U

2018

Why buy it

✅+0.3% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 15W instead of 65W, a 50W reduction.
✅100% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 8) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD Graphics 620, while Athlon X4 845 needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Athlon X4 845 across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i3-8145U better than Athlon X4 845?

It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, Athlon X4 845 is ahead with a 11.2% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Core i3-8145U pulls ahead with 0.3% better PassMark.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i3-8145U is the stronger fit. You are getting 0.3% better PassMark, backed by 2 cores and 4 threads.

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

Core i3-8145U is still the much better call for a fresh build. Core i3-8145U comes in at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $70 MSRP, and it still gives you 0.3% better PassMark. Athlon X4 845 only looks stronger on raw value math because it is extremely cheap, but that usually means used-market pricing on an obsolete 2016 platform. Even with 100.0% better value on paper (53.8 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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?

Core i3-8145U makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2018 vs 2016) and more multi-core headroom with 2 cores / 4 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 845 vs Core i3-8145U Technical Specifications

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

Athlon X4 845

The Athlon X4 845 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2009-01-01. It is based on the Carrizo (2015−2018) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 3.5 GHz, with boost up to 3.8 GHz. L2 cache: 2 MB. Built on 28 nm process technology. Socket: FM2+. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR3-2133. Passmark benchmark score: 3,768 points. Launch price was $149.

Core i3-8145U

The Core i3-8145U is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 October 2018 (7 years ago). It is based on the Whiskey Lake-U (2018−2019) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.1 GHz, with boost up to 3.9 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1528. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 3,781 points. Launch price was $281.

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Processing Power

The Athlon X4 845 packs 4 cores / 4 threads, while the Core i3-8145U offers 2 cores / 4 threads — the Athlon X4 845 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.8 GHz on the Athlon X4 845 versus 3.9 GHz on the Core i3-8145U — a 2.6% clock advantage for the Core i3-8145U (base: 3.5 GHz vs 2.1 GHz). The Athlon X4 845 uses the Carrizo (2015−2018) architecture (28 nm), while the Core i3-8145U uses Whiskey Lake-U (2018−2019) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon X4 845 scores 3,768 against the Core i3-8145U's 3,781 — a 0.3% lead for the Core i3-8145U.

Feature	Athlon X4 845	Core i3-8145U
Cores / Threads	4 / 4+100%	2 / 4
Boost Clock	3.8 GHz	3.9 GHz+3%
Base Clock	3.5 GHz+67%	2.1 GHz
L3 Cache	—	4 MB (total)
L2 Cache	2 MB+700%	256 kB (per core)
Process	28 nm	14 nm-50%
Architecture	Carrizo (2015−2018)	Whiskey Lake-U (2018−2019)
PassMark	3,768	3,781

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Memory & Platform

The Athlon X4 845 uses the FM2+ socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core i3-8145U uses FCBGA1528 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR3-2133 on the Athlon X4 845 versus DDR4-2400 on the Core i3-8145U — the Core i3-8145U supports 12.5% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. Both support up to 64 GB of RAM. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 8 (Athlon X4 845) vs 16 (Core i3-8145U) — the Core i3-8145U offers 8 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives.

Feature	Athlon X4 845	Core i3-8145U
Socket	FM2+	FCBGA1528
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR3-2133	DDR4-2400+13%
Max RAM Capacity	64 GB	64 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	No	No
PCIe Lanes	8	16+100%

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Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Athlon X4 845) / VT-x, VT-d (Core i3-8145U). The Core i3-8145U includes integrated graphics (UHD Graphics 620), while the Athlon X4 845 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i3-8145U targets Mobile.