Athlon XP 3100+ vs Pentium M 730
Athlon XP 3100+
Pentium M 730
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 3100+ is positioned at rank 1096 and the Pentium M 730 is on rank 161, so the Pentium M 730 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 3100+
Performance Per Dollar Pentium M 730
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Athlon XP 3100+ | Pentium M 730 |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ✅ Superior gaming performance | ❌ Lower gaming performance |
| Workstation | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks | ✅ Better multi-core power |
| Price | ⚠️ Higher cost ($20) | ✅ More affordable ($0) |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Thorton (2001−2003) / 130 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Dothan (2004−2005) / 90 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Athlon XP 3100+ | Pentium M 730 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ⚠️ Higher cost ($20) | ✅ 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 3100+ and Pentium M 730
Athlon XP 3100+
The Athlon XP 3100+ is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2009-01-01. It is based on the Thorton (2001−2003) architecture. It features 1 cores and 1 threads. Max frequency: 2.2 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 256 kB. Built on 130 nm process technology. Socket: A. Thermal design power (TDP): 68 Watt. Passmark benchmark score: 425 points. Launch price was $149.
Pentium M 730
The Pentium M 730 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2007-01-01. It is based on the Dothan (2004−2005) architecture. It features 1 cores and 1 threads. Base frequency is 1.6 GHz, with boost up to 1.6 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 2 MB. Built on 90 nm process technology. Socket: PGA478. Thermal design power (TDP): 27 Watt. Memory support: DDR2. Passmark benchmark score: 435 points. Launch price was $69.
Processing Power
Both the Athlon XP 3100+ and Pentium M 730 share an identical 1-core/1-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 2.2 GHz on the Athlon XP 3100+ versus 1.6 GHz on the Pentium M 730 — a 31.6% clock advantage for the Athlon XP 3100+. The Athlon XP 3100+ uses the Thorton (2001−2003) architecture (130 nm), while the Pentium M 730 uses Dothan (2004−2005) (90 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon XP 3100+ scores 425 against the Pentium M 730's 435 — a 2.3% lead for the Pentium M 730. Both processors carry 0 kB of L3 cache.
| Feature | Athlon XP 3100+ | Pentium M 730 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 1 / 1 | 1 / 1 |
| Boost Clock | 2.2 GHz+38% | 1.6 GHz |
| Base Clock | — | 1.6 GHz |
| L3 Cache | 0 kB | 0 kB |
| L2 Cache | 256 kB | 2 MB+700% |
| Process | 130 nm | 90 nm-31% |
| Architecture | Thorton (2001−2003) | Dothan (2004−2005) |
| PassMark | 425 | 435+2% |
Memory & Platform
The Athlon XP 3100+ uses the A socket (PCIe 1.1), while the Pentium M 730 uses PGA478 (PCIe 1.1) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Athlon XP 3100+ | Pentium M 730 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | A | PGA478 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 1.1 | PCIe 1.1 |
| Max RAM Speed | DDR-333 | — |
| Max RAM Capacity | 4 GB | — |
| RAM Channels | 1 | — |
| ECC Support | ❌ | — |
| PCIe Lanes | 0 | — |
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The most powerful cpus ranked by PassMark CPU Mark benchmark scores.
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