Athlon XP 1700+ vs Atom Z520

Athlon XP 1700+ vs Atom Z520 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 Z520

1 / 2

215

+1.4%

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 Z520 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 Z520: 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

❌Lower PassMark (212 vs 215).
❌Launch MSRP is still $190 MSRP, while Atom Z520 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌3100% higher power demand at 64W vs 2W.

Atom Z520

2008

Why buy it

✅+1.4% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 2W instead of 64W, a 62W reduction.

Trade-offs

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

Quick Answers

So, is Atom Z520 better than Athlon XP 1700+?

It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, Athlon XP 1700+ is ahead with 4800% higher max boost clock. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Atom Z520 pulls ahead with 1.4% better PassMark.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Atom Z520 is the stronger fit. You are getting 1.4% better PassMark, backed by 1 cores and 2 threads.

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

Atom Z520 is still the much better call for a fresh build. Atom Z520 comes in at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $190 MSRP, and it still gives you 1.4% better PassMark. Athlon XP 1700+ only looks stronger on raw value math because it is extremely cheap, but that usually means used-market pricing on an obsolete 2001 platform. Even with 100.0% better value on paper (1.1 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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 Z520 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 Z520 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 Z520

The Atom Z520 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 1.33 GHz, with boost up to 0.03 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 512 kB. Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: PBGA441. Thermal design power (TDP): 2 Watt. Passmark benchmark score: 215 points. Launch price was $65.

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Processing Power

The Athlon XP 1700+ packs 1 cores / 1 threads, matching the Atom Z520's 1 cores. Boost clocks reach 1.47 GHz on the Athlon XP 1700+ versus 0.03 GHz on the Atom Z520 — a 192% clock advantage for the Athlon XP 1700+. The Athlon XP 1700+ uses the Thoroughbred (2001−2002) architecture (180 nm), while the Atom Z520 uses Silverthorne (2008−2010) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon XP 1700+ scores 212 against the Atom Z520's 215 — a 1.4% lead for the Atom Z520. Both processors carry 0 kB of L3 cache.

Feature	Athlon XP 1700+	Atom Z520
Cores / Threads	1 / 1	1 / 2
Boost Clock	1.47 GHz+4800%	0.03 GHz
Base Clock	—	1.33 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	215+1%

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Memory & Platform

The Athlon XP 1700+ uses the A socket (PCIe 1.1), while the Atom Z520 uses PBGA441 (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 Z520 — the Atom Z520 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 US15W (Atom Z520).