
Athlon XP 1500+

C-30
Athlon XP 1500+ vs C-30 Performance Spectrum
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 XP 1500+ vs C-30 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.

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Valorant

Among Us

Apex Legends

ARC Raiders

Baldur's Gate 3

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
Athlon XP 1500+ vs C-30: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict
See where each CPU makes more sense in practice: gaming, heavier work, platform cost, power draw, and upgrade path.
Athlon XP 1500+
2001Why buy it
- ✅Draws 60W instead of 512W, a 452W reduction.
Trade-offs
- ❌Lower PassMark (188 vs 201).
- ❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 1.4 vs 4.0 PassMark/$ ($130 MSRP vs $50 MSRP).
- ❌No integrated graphics, while C-30 can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.
C-30
2011Why buy it
- ✅+6.9% higher PassMark.
- ✅Costs $80 less on MSRP ($50 MSRP vs $130 MSRP).
- ✅Delivers 178.0% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 4.0 vs 1.4 PassMark/$ ($50 MSRP vs $130 MSRP).
- ✅100+% more PCIe lanes (4 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
- ✅Integrated graphics onboard with Radeon HD 6250, while Athlon XP 1500+ needs a discrete GPU.
Trade-offs
- ❌753.3% higher power demand at 512W vs 60W.
Quick Answers
So, is C-30 better than Athlon XP 1500+?
Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?
Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?
Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?
Athlon XP 1500+ vs C-30 Technical Specifications
Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

Athlon XP 1500+
The Athlon XP 1500+ is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2009-01-01. It is based on the Palomino (2001) architecture. It features 1 cores and 1 threads. Max frequency: 1.33 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 256 kB. Built on 180 nm process technology. Socket: A. Thermal design power (TDP): 60 Watt. Passmark benchmark score: 188 points. Launch price was $149.

C-30
The C-30 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 4 January 2011 (14 years ago). It is based on the Ontario (2011−2012) architecture. It features 1 cores and 1 threads. Max frequency: 1.2 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 512 kB. Built on 40 nm process technology. Socket: FT1. Thermal design power (TDP): 512 kB. Memory support: DDR3 Single-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 201 points. Launch price was $69.
Processing Power
Both the Athlon XP 1500+ and C-30 share an identical 1-core/1-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 1.33 GHz on the Athlon XP 1500+ versus 1.2 GHz on the C-30 — a 10.3% clock advantage for the Athlon XP 1500+. The Athlon XP 1500+ uses the Palomino (2001) architecture (180 nm), while the C-30 uses Ontario (2011−2012) (40 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon XP 1500+ scores 188 against the C-30's 201 — a 6.7% lead for the C-30. Both processors carry 0 kB of L3 cache.
| Feature | Athlon XP 1500+ | C-30 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 1 / 1 | 1 / 1 |
| Boost Clock | 1.33 GHz+11% | 1.2 GHz |
| L3 Cache | 0 kB | 0 kB |
| L2 Cache | 256 kB | 512 kB+100% |
| Process | 180 nm | 40 nm-78% |
| Architecture | Palomino (2001) | Ontario (2011−2012) |
| PassMark | 188 | 201+7% |
Memory & Platform
The Athlon XP 1500+ uses the A socket (PCIe 1.1), while the C-30 uses FT1 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR-266 on the Athlon XP 1500+ versus DDR3-1066 on the C-30 — the C-30 supports -500.8% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The C-30 supports up to 4 GB of RAM compared to 2 GB — 100% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 1-channel memory with ECC support. Chipset compatibility: AMD Socket A (Athlon XP 1500+) and AMD BGA413 (C-30).
| Feature | Athlon XP 1500+ | C-30 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | A | FT1 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 1.1 | PCIe 2.0+82% |
| Max RAM Speed | DDR-266 | DDR3-1066 |
| Max RAM Capacity | 2 GB | 4 GB+100% |
| RAM Channels | 1 | 1 |
| ECC Support | No | No |
| PCIe Lanes | — | 4 |
Advanced Features
Virtualization: None (Athlon XP 1500+) / not specified (C-30). The C-30 includes integrated graphics (Radeon HD 6250), while the Athlon XP 1500+ requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Athlon XP 1500+ targets Desktop.
| Feature | Athlon XP 1500+ | C-30 |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | No | Yes |
| IGPU Model | — | Radeon HD 6250 |
| Unlocked | No | — |
| AVX-512 | No | — |
| Virtualization | None | — |
| Target Use | Desktop | — |
Value Analysis
At launch, the Athlon XP 1500+ was priced at $130, while the C-30 came in at $50. On launch pricing ($130 vs $50), C-30 was $80 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Athlon XP 1500+ delivers 1.4 pts/$ vs 4.0 pts/$ for the C-30 — making the C-30 the 94.2% better value option.
| Feature | Athlon XP 1500+ | C-30 |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $130 | $50-62% |
| Performance per Dollar | 1.4 | 4.0+186% |
| Release Date | 2001 | 2011 |
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