Atom C3538 vs Opteron X2170
Atom C3538
Opteron X2170
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 Opteron X2170 is on rank 285, so the Opteron X2170 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 Opteron X2170
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Atom C3538 | Opteron X2170 |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ❌ Lower gaming performance | ✅ Superior gaming performance |
| Workstation | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks | ✅ Better multi-core power |
| Price | Equivalent pricing | Equivalent pricing |
| Longevity | ✨ Modern (Goldmont (2016−2017) / 14 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Steppe Eagle (2016) / 28 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Atom C3538 | Opteron X2170 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | Equivalent pricing | Equivalent pricing |
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 Opteron X2170
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.
Opteron X2170
The Opteron X2170 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2015-01-01. It is based on the Steppe Eagle (2016) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.4 GHz, with boost up to 2.4 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 2 MB (total). Built on 28 nm process technology. Socket: FT3. Thermal design power (TDP): 25 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,911 points. Launch price was $800.
Processing Power
Both the Atom C3538 and Opteron X2170 share an identical 4-core/4-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 2.1 GHz on the Atom C3538 versus 2.4 GHz on the Opteron X2170 — a 13.3% clock advantage for the Opteron X2170 (base: 2.1 GHz vs 2.4 GHz). The Atom C3538 uses the Goldmont (2016−2017) architecture (14 nm), while the Opteron X2170 uses Steppe Eagle (2016) (28 nm). In PassMark, the Atom C3538 scores 1,910 against the Opteron X2170's 1,911 — a 0.1% lead for the Opteron X2170. L3 cache: 8 MB on the Atom C3538 vs 0 kB on the Opteron X2170.
| Feature | Atom C3538 | Opteron X2170 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 4 / 4 | 4 / 4 |
| Boost Clock | 2.1 GHz | 2.4 GHz+14% |
| Base Clock | 2.1 GHz | 2.4 GHz+14% |
| L3 Cache | 8 MB | 0 kB |
| L2 Cache | 8 MB+300% | 2 MB (total) |
| Process | 14 nm-50% | 28 nm |
| Architecture | Goldmont (2016−2017) | Steppe Eagle (2016) |
| PassMark | 1,910 | 1,911 |
Memory & Platform
The Atom C3538 uses the FCBGA1310 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Opteron X2170 uses FT3 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Atom C3538 | Opteron X2170 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | FCBGA1310 | FT3 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 3.0 | PCIe 3.0 |
| Max RAM Speed | DDR4-2133 | — |
| Max RAM Capacity | 256 GB | — |
| RAM Channels | 2 | — |
| ECC Support | ✅ | — |
| PCIe Lanes | 12 | — |
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