Atom C3538 vs Athlon 5370
Atom C3538
Athlon 5370
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 Atom C3538 is positioned at rank 389 and the Athlon 5370 is on rank 545, so the Atom C3538 offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Atom C3538
Performance Per Dollar Athlon 5370
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Atom C3538 | Athlon 5370 |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ❌ Lower gaming performance | ✅ Superior gaming performance |
| Workstation | ✅ Better multi-core power | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks |
| Price | ✅ More affordable ($0) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($15) |
| Longevity | ✨ Modern (Goldmont (2016−2017) / 14 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Kabini (2013−2014) / 28 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Atom C3538 | Athlon 5370 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ✅ More affordable ($0) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($15) |
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 Atom C3538 and Athlon 5370
Atom C3538
The Atom C3538 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 15 August 2017 (8 years ago). It is based on the Goldmont (2016−2017) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.1 GHz, with boost up to 2.1 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB. L2 cache: 8 MB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1310. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR4: 2133. Passmark benchmark score: 1,910 points. Launch price was $75.
Athlon 5370
The Athlon 5370 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2009-01-01. It is based on the Kabini (2013−2014) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.2 GHz, with boost up to 2.2 GHz. L2 cache: 2048 kB. Built on 28 nm process technology. Socket: AM1. Thermal design power (TDP): 25 Watt. Memory support: DDR3-1600. Passmark benchmark score: 1,906 points. Launch price was $149.
Processing Power
Both the Atom C3538 and Athlon 5370 share an identical 4-core/4-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 2.1 GHz on the Atom C3538 versus 2.2 GHz on the Athlon 5370 — a 4.7% clock advantage for the Athlon 5370 (base: 2.1 GHz vs 2.2 GHz). The Atom C3538 uses the Goldmont (2016−2017) architecture (14 nm), while the Athlon 5370 uses Kabini (2013−2014) (28 nm). In PassMark, the Atom C3538 scores 1,910 against the Athlon 5370's 1,906 — a 0.2% lead for the Atom C3538.
| Feature | Atom C3538 | Athlon 5370 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 4 / 4 | 4 / 4 |
| Boost Clock | 2.1 GHz | 2.2 GHz+5% |
| Base Clock | 2.1 GHz | 2.2 GHz+5% |
| L3 Cache | 8 MB | — |
| L2 Cache | 8 MB+300% | 2048 kB |
| Process | 14 nm-50% | 28 nm |
| Architecture | Goldmont (2016−2017) | Kabini (2013−2014) |
| PassMark | 1,910 | 1,906 |
| Geekbench 6 Single | — | 247 |
| Geekbench 6 Multi | — | 636 |
Memory & Platform
The Atom C3538 uses the FCBGA1310 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Athlon 5370 uses AM1 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR4-2133 on the Atom C3538 versus DDR3-1600 on the Athlon 5370 — the Atom C3538 supports 28.6% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Atom C3538 supports up to 256 GB of RAM compared to 16 GB — 176.5% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 2 (Atom C3538) vs 1 (Athlon 5370). PCIe lanes: 12 (Atom C3538) vs 4 (Athlon 5370) — the Atom C3538 offers 8 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: Intel FCBGA1310 (Atom C3538) and AM1,A50M (Athlon 5370).
| Feature | Atom C3538 | Athlon 5370 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | FCBGA1310 | AM1 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 3.0+50% | PCIe 2.0 |
| Max RAM Speed | DDR4-2133+33% | DDR3-1600 |
| Max RAM Capacity | 256 GB+1500% | 16 GB |
| RAM Channels | 2+100% | 1 |
| ECC Support | ✅ | ❌ |
| PCIe Lanes | 12+200% | 4 |
Advanced Features
Virtualization: not specified (Atom C3538) / AMD-V (Athlon 5370). The Athlon 5370 includes integrated graphics (Radeon R3), while the Atom C3538 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Athlon 5370 targets Budget.
| Feature | Atom C3538 | Athlon 5370 |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | No | Yes |
| IGPU Model | — | Radeon R3 |
| Unlocked | — | No |
| AVX-512 | — | No |
| Virtualization | — | AMD-V |
| Target Use | — | Budget |
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