Atom 230 vs Z-01

Atom 230

1 Cores2 Thrd4 WWMax: 0.1 GHz2008

Z-01

2 Cores2 Thrd6 WWMax: 1 GHz2011

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Atom 230

1 / 2

248

+15.3%

215

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

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 Atom 230 is positioned at rank 451 and the Z-01 is on rank 1221, so the Atom 230 offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.

MSRP is the manufacturer's suggested retail price.•
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.

Performance Per Dollar Atom 230

#439

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

592%

#440

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

583%

#441

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

535%

#442

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

533%

#443

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

528%

#445

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

510%

#446

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

489%

#447

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

488%

#448

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

475%

#451

Atom 230

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Z-01

#1209

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

6823%

#1210

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

6723%

#1211

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

6172%

#1212

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

6144%

#1213

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

6088%

#1215

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

5879%

#1216

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

5637%

#1217

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

5628%

#1218

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

5477%

#1221

Z-01

MSRP: $50|Avg: $10

100%

#1222

Pentium T2310

MSRP: $150|Avg: $14

97%

#1223

Celeron SU2300

MSRP: $134|Avg: $134

95%

#1224

Core i5-560UM

MSRP: $250|Avg: N/A

94%

#1225

Core i7-660UM

MSRP: $317|Avg: N/A

94%

#1226

C-30

MSRP: $50|Avg: $15

93%

#1228

Core i7-620UM

MSRP: $278|Avg: N/A

91%

#1230

Celeron 570

MSRP: $134|Avg: $15

88%

#1231

Core i7-820QM

MSRP: $546|Avg: N/A

77%

#1233

Core Duo T2700

MSRP: $663|Avg: N/A

65%

#1235

Pentium SU4100

MSRP: $289|Avg: $15

55%

#1236

Core Solo T1400

MSRP: $200|Avg: $5

50%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Trade-off: The Z-01 leads in gaming performance. However, the Atom 230 is the stronger candidate for professional workloads, offering 14.3% greater multi-core processing power.

Insight	Atom 230	Z-01
Gaming	❌ Lower gaming performance	✅ Superior gaming performance
Workstation	✅ Better multi-core power	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price	✅ More affordable ($0)	⚠️ Higher cost ($10)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Silverthorne (2008−2010) / 45 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Desna (2011) / 40 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Insight	Atom 230	Z-01
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	✅ More affordable ($0)	⚠️ Higher cost ($10)

Performance Check

Paired with RTX 4090

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.

Atom 230 Benchmark Check

Z-01 Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Atom 230 and Z-01

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.

Z-01

The Z-01 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 1 June 2011 (14 years ago). It is based on the Desna (2011) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Max frequency: 1 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 1 MB. Built on 40 nm process technology. Socket: FT1. Thermal design power (TDP): 6 Watt. Memory support: DDR3 Single-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 215 points. Launch price was $69.

⚡

Processing Power

The Atom 230 packs 1 cores / 2 threads, while the Z-01 offers 2 cores / 2 threads — the Z-01 has 1 more core. Boost clocks reach 0.1 GHz on the Atom 230 versus 1 GHz on the Z-01 — a 163.6% clock advantage for the Z-01. The Atom 230 uses the Silverthorne (2008−2010) architecture (45 nm), while the Z-01 uses Desna (2011) (40 nm). In PassMark, the Atom 230 scores 248 against the Z-01's 215 — a 14.3% lead for the Atom 230. Both processors carry 0 kB of L3 cache.

Feature	Atom 230	Z-01
Cores / Threads	1 / 2	2 / 2+100%
Boost Clock	0.1 GHz	1 GHz+900%
Base Clock	1.6 GHz	—
L3 Cache	0 kB	0 kB
L2 Cache	512 kB	1 MB+100%
Process	45 nm	40 nm-11%
Architecture	Silverthorne (2008−2010)	Desna (2011)
PassMark	248+15%	215
Geekbench 6 Single	—	100
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	180

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Atom 230 uses the PBGA437 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Z-01 uses FT1 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR2-533 on the Atom 230 versus DDR3-1066 on the Z-01 — the Z-01 supports 40% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Z-01 supports up to 4 GB of RAM compared to 2 GB — 66.7% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 1-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 0 (Atom 230) vs 4 (Z-01) — the Z-01 offers 4 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: Intel BGA437 (Atom 230) and Desna (Z-01).

Feature	Atom 230	Z-01
Socket	PBGA437	FT1
PCIe Generation	PCIe 2.0	PCIe 2.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR2-533	DDR3-1066+50%
Max RAM Capacity	2 GB	4 GB+100%
RAM Channels	1	1
ECC Support	❌	❌
PCIe Lanes	0	4

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Atom 230) / AMD-V (Z-01). The Z-01 includes integrated graphics (Radeon HD 6250), while the Atom 230 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Z-01 targets Tablet/Netbook.