Atom Z540 vs Atom E680

CPU

GPU

Atom Z540

1 Cores2 Thrd2.4 WWMax: 0.07 GHz2008

Atom E680

1 Cores2 Thrd4 WWMax: 1.6 GHz2010

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Atom Z540

1 / 2

305

0.0%

325

+6.6%

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 Z540 is positioned at rank 334 and the Atom E680 is on rank 952, so the Atom Z540 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 Z540

#322

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

481%

#323

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

474%

#324

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

435%

#325

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

433%

#326

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

429%

#328

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

414%

#329

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

397%

#330

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

397%

#331

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

386%

#334

Atom Z540

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#336

Xeon E3-1505M v5

MSRP: $115|Avg: $115

100%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Atom E680

#940

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

1806%

#941

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

1779%

#942

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

1633%

#943

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

1626%

#944

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

1611%

#946

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

1556%

#947

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

1492%

#948

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

1489%

#949

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

1449%

#952

Atom E680

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#954

Core i7-5850EQ

MSRP: $435|Avg: $370

100%

#956

Core i7-4810MQ

MSRP: $378|Avg: $378

99%

#959

Celeron Dual-Core T3500

MSRP: $80|Avg: $15

98%

#960

Celeron 4305UE

MSRP: $107|Avg: $107

98%

#963

Core i7-10510U

MSRP: $409|Avg: N/A

96%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Leadership: The Atom E680 delivers superior performance across the board. It outperforms the Atom Z540 in both compute-intensive tasks (6.3% faster) and gaming workloads.

Insight	Atom Z540	Atom E680
Gaming	❌ Lower gaming performance	✅ Superior gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	Equivalent pricing	Equivalent pricing
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Silverthorne (2008−2010) / 45 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Tunnel Creek (2010) / 45 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Insight	Atom Z540	Atom E680
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	Equivalent pricing	Equivalent pricing

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 Z540 Benchmark Check

Atom E680 Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Atom Z540 and Atom E680

Atom Z540

The Atom Z540 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 1.86 GHz, with boost up to 0.07 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 512 kB. Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: PBGA441. Thermal design power (TDP): 2.4 Watt. Passmark benchmark score: 305 points. Launch price was $160.

Atom E680

The Atom E680 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 14 September 2010 (15 years ago). It is based on the Tunnel Creek (2010) architecture. It features 1 cores and 2 threads. Max frequency: 1.6 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: BGA676. Thermal design power (TDP): 4 Watt. Memory support: DDR2. Passmark benchmark score: 325 points. Launch price was $69.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Atom Z540 and Atom E680 share an identical 1-core/2-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 0.07 GHz on the Atom Z540 versus 1.6 GHz on the Atom E680 — a 183.2% clock advantage for the Atom E680. The Atom Z540 uses the Silverthorne (2008−2010) architecture (45 nm), while the Atom E680 uses Tunnel Creek (2010) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Atom Z540 scores 305 against the Atom E680's 325 — a 6.3% lead for the Atom E680. Both processors carry 0 kB of L3 cache.

Feature	Atom Z540	Atom E680
Cores / Threads	1 / 2	1 / 2
Boost Clock	0.07 GHz	1.6 GHz+2186%
Base Clock	1.86 GHz	—
L3 Cache	0 kB	0 kB
L2 Cache	512 kB	512 kB (per core)
Process	45 nm	45 nm
Architecture	Silverthorne (2008−2010)	Tunnel Creek (2010)
PassMark	305	325+7%

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Atom Z540 uses the PBGA441 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Atom E680 uses BGA676 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR2-533 memory speed. Both support up to 2 GB of RAM. Both feature 1-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 0 (Atom Z540) vs 4 (Atom E680) — the Atom E680 offers 4 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: Intel US15W (Atom Z540) and Intel FCBGA518 (Atom E680).