Athlon XP 1600+ vs Atom Z500
Athlon XP 1600+
Atom Z500
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 XP 1600+ is positioned at rank 1114 and the Atom Z500 is on rank 946, so the Atom Z500 offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Athlon XP 1600+
Performance Per Dollar Atom Z500
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Athlon XP 1600+ | Atom Z500 |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ✅ Superior gaming performance | ❌ Lower gaming performance |
| Workstation | ✅ Better multi-core power | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks |
| Price | ⚠️ Higher cost ($15) | ✅ More affordable ($0) |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Thoroughbred (2001−2002) / 180 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Silverthorne (2008−2010) / 45 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Athlon XP 1600+ | Atom Z500 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ⚠️ Higher cost ($15) | ✅ 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 XP 1600+ and Atom Z500
Athlon XP 1600+
The Athlon XP 1600+ is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2009-01-01. It is based on the Thoroughbred (2001−2002) architecture. It features 1 cores and 1 threads. Max frequency: 1.4 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 256 kB. Built on 180 nm process technology. Socket: A. Thermal design power (TDP): 63 Watt. Passmark benchmark score: 200 points. Launch price was $149.
Atom Z500
The Atom Z500 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2 April 2008 (17 years ago). It is based on the Silverthorne (2008−2010) architecture. It features 1 cores and 1 threads. Max frequency: 0.8 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 512 kB. Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: PBGA441. Thermal design power (TDP): 0.65 Watt. Passmark benchmark score: 165 points. Launch price was $45.
Processing Power
Both the Athlon XP 1600+ and Atom Z500 share an identical 1-core/1-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 1.4 GHz on the Athlon XP 1600+ versus 0.8 GHz on the Atom Z500 — a 54.5% clock advantage for the Athlon XP 1600+. The Athlon XP 1600+ uses the Thoroughbred (2001−2002) architecture (180 nm), while the Atom Z500 uses Silverthorne (2008−2010) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon XP 1600+ scores 200 against the Atom Z500's 165 — a 19.2% lead for the Athlon XP 1600+. Both processors carry 0 kB of L3 cache.
| Feature | Athlon XP 1600+ | Atom Z500 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 1 / 1 | 1 / 1 |
| Boost Clock | 1.4 GHz+75% | 0.8 GHz |
| L3 Cache | 0 kB | 0 kB |
| L2 Cache | 256 kB | 512 kB+100% |
| Process | 180 nm | 45 nm-75% |
| Architecture | Thoroughbred (2001−2002) | Silverthorne (2008−2010) |
| PassMark | 200+21% | 165 |
Memory & Platform
The Athlon XP 1600+ uses the A socket (PCIe 1.1), while the Atom Z500 uses PBGA441 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR-266 on the Athlon XP 1600+ versus DDR2-533 on the Atom Z500 — the Atom Z500 supports -203% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. Both support up to 2 GB of RAM. Both feature 1-channel memory with ECC support. Chipset compatibility: Socket A (Athlon XP 1600+) and Intel US15W (Atom Z500).
| Feature | Athlon XP 1600+ | Atom Z500 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | A | PBGA441 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 1.1 | PCIe 2.0+82% |
| Max RAM Speed | DDR-266 | DDR2-533 |
| Max RAM Capacity | 2 GB | 2 GB |
| RAM Channels | 1 | 1 |
| ECC Support | ❌ | ❌ |
| PCIe Lanes | — | 0 |
Advanced Features
Virtualization: false (Athlon XP 1600+) / not specified (Atom Z500).
| Feature | Athlon XP 1600+ | Atom Z500 |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | No | No |
| Unlocked | No | — |
| AVX-512 | No | — |
| Virtualization | false | — |
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