Athlon XP 1800+ vs Atom 230
Athlon XP 1800+
Atom 230
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 1800+ is positioned at rank 1131 and the Atom 230 is on rank 451, so the Atom 230 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 1800+
Performance Per Dollar Atom 230
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Athlon XP 1800+ | Atom 230 |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ✅ Superior gaming performance | ❌ Lower gaming performance |
| Workstation | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks | ✅ Better multi-core power |
| Price | ⚠️ Higher cost ($30) | ✅ More affordable ($0) |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Thoroughbred (2001−2002) / 180 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Silverthorne (2008−2010) / 45 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Athlon XP 1800+ | Atom 230 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ⚠️ Higher cost ($30) | ✅ 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 1800+ and Atom 230
Athlon XP 1800+
The Athlon XP 1800+ is manufactured by AMD. It was released in Janeiro 2001 (24 years ago). It is based on the Thoroughbred (2001−2002) architecture. It features 1 cores and 1 threads. Max frequency: 1.53 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 256 kB. Built on 180 nm process technology. Socket: A. Thermal design power (TDP): 66 Watt. Passmark benchmark score: 225 points. Launch price was $59.
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.
Processing Power
The Athlon XP 1800+ packs 1 cores / 1 threads, matching the Atom 230's 1 cores. Boost clocks reach 1.53 GHz on the Athlon XP 1800+ versus 0.1 GHz on the Atom 230 — a 175.5% clock advantage for the Athlon XP 1800+. The Athlon XP 1800+ uses the Thoroughbred (2001−2002) architecture (180 nm), while the Atom 230 uses Silverthorne (2008−2010) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon XP 1800+ scores 225 against the Atom 230's 248 — a 9.7% lead for the Atom 230. Both processors carry 0 kB of L3 cache.
| Feature | Athlon XP 1800+ | Atom 230 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 1 / 1 | 1 / 2 |
| Boost Clock | 1.53 GHz+1430% | 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 | 225 | 248+10% |
| Geekbench 6 Single | 180 | — |
| Geekbench 6 Multi | 651 | — |
Memory & Platform
The Athlon XP 1800+ 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 DDR1 on the Athlon XP 1800+ versus DDR2-533 on the Atom 230 — the Atom 230 supports 66.7% 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: KT133,KT266,nForce2 (Athlon XP 1800+) and Intel BGA437 (Atom 230).
| Feature | Athlon XP 1800+ | Atom 230 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | A | PBGA437 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 1.1 | PCIe 2.0+82% |
| Max RAM Speed | DDR1 | DDR2-533+100% |
| Max RAM Capacity | 2 GB | 2 GB |
| RAM Channels | 1 | 1 |
| ECC Support | ❌ | ❌ |
| PCIe Lanes | — | 0 |
Advanced Features
Virtualization: No (Athlon XP 1800+) / not specified (Atom 230). Primary use case: Athlon XP 1800+ targets Budget. Direct competitor: Athlon XP 1800+ rivals Pentium D 830.
| Feature | Athlon XP 1800+ | Atom 230 |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | No | No |
| Unlocked | No | — |
| AVX-512 | No | — |
| Virtualization | No | — |
| Target Use | Budget | — |
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