Athlon XP 1700+ vs Atom 230

Athlon XP 1700+ vs Atom 230 Performance Spectrum

Athlon XP 1700+

1 / 1

212

0.0%

Athlon XP 1500+

Ryzen 7 4700GE

Ryzen 9 5900X

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7955WX

Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

Ryzen Threadripper 7970X

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7985WX

Ryzen Threadripper 7980X

Atom 230

1 / 2

248

+17.0%

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 XP 1700+ vs Atom 230 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 XP 1700+ vs Atom 230: 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 1700+

2001

Why buy it

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Atom 230 across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (212 vs 248).
❌Launch MSRP is still $190 MSRP, while Atom 230 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌1500% higher power demand at 64W vs 4W.

Atom 230

2008

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +20.0% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 4W instead of 64W, a 60W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Fewer obvious downsides in this matchup outside of normal market pricing swings.

Quick Answers

So, is Atom 230 better than Athlon XP 1700+?

Yes. Atom 230 is the better all-around CPU here. It gives you a 20.0% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data, 17% 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, Atom 230 is the better pick. According to our tests, it delivers 20.0% 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, Atom 230 is the stronger fit. You are getting 17% better PassMark, backed by 1 cores and 2 threads.

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

Atom 230 is still the much better call for a fresh build. Atom 230 comes in at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $190 MSRP, and it still gives you a 20.0% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. Athlon XP 1700+ only looks stronger on raw value math because it is extremely cheap, but that usually means used-market pricing on an obsolete 2001 platform. Even with 100.0% better value on paper (1.1 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), it really only makes sense as a cheap stopgap or a niche existing-platform option for someone already on A.

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

Atom 230 makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2008 vs 2001) and more multi-core headroom with 1 cores / 2 threads instead of 1/1. That extra compute headroom is more likely to matter as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

Athlon XP 1700+ vs Atom 230 Technical Specifications

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

Athlon XP 1700+

The Athlon XP 1700+ 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: 1.47 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 256 kB. Built on 180 nm process technology. Socket: A. Thermal design power (TDP): 64 Watt. Passmark benchmark score: 212 points. Launch price was $149.

Atom 230

The Atom 230 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 2 threads. Base frequency is 1.6 GHz, with boost up to 0.1 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 512 kB. Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: PBGA437. Thermal design power (TDP): 4 Watt. Passmark benchmark score: 248 points. Launch price was $29.

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Processing Power

The Athlon XP 1700+ packs 1 cores / 1 threads, matching the Atom 230's 1 cores. Boost clocks reach 1.47 GHz on the Athlon XP 1700+ versus 0.1 GHz on the Atom 230 — a 174.5% clock advantage for the Athlon XP 1700+. The Athlon XP 1700+ uses the Thoroughbred (2001−2002) architecture (180 nm), while the Atom 230 uses Silverthorne (2008−2010) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon XP 1700+ scores 212 against the Atom 230's 248 — a 15.7% lead for the Atom 230. Both processors carry 0 kB of L3 cache.

Feature	Athlon XP 1700+	Atom 230
Cores / Threads	1 / 1	1 / 2
Boost Clock	1.47 GHz+1370%	0.1 GHz
Base Clock	—	1.6 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	212	248+17%

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Memory & Platform

The Athlon XP 1700+ uses the A socket (PCIe 1.1), while the Atom 230 uses PBGA437 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR-266 on the Athlon XP 1700+ versus DDR2-533 on the Atom 230 — the Atom 230 supports -300.4% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Athlon XP 1700+ 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. Both provide 0 PCIe lanes. Chipset compatibility: AMD Socket A (Athlon XP 1700+) and Intel BGA437 (Atom 230).