Core i3-4000M
VS
Athlon II M320

Core i3-4000M vs Athlon II M320

Intel

Core i3-4000M

2 Cores4 Thrd512 WWMax: 2.4 GHz2013
VS
AMD

Athlon II M320

2 Cores2 Thrd1 WWMax: 2.1 GHz2009

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 Core i3-4000M is positioned at rank 501 and the Athlon II M320 is on rank 809, so the Core i3-4000M 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 Core i3-4000M

#158
Core i9-13900H
MSRP: $617|Avg: N/A
99%
#161
Core Ultra 7 268V
MSRP: $450|Avg: $400
97%
#489
Atom x5-Z8300
MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A
653%
#490
Atom Z3735G
MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A
643%
#491
Core i5-480M
MSRP: $81|Avg: $77
591%
#492
Core i5-460M
MSRP: $80|Avg: $129
588%
#493
Core i5-2540M
MSRP: $266|Avg: $10
583%
#495
Core i5-450M
MSRP: $32|Avg: $31
563%
#496
Core i3-380M
MSRP: $49|Avg: $25
540%
#497
Core i5-430M
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33
539%
#498
Core 2 Duo T6600
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4
524%
#501
Core i3-4000M
MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A
100%
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Athlon II M320

#797
Atom x5-Z8300
MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A
1226%
#798
Atom Z3735G
MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A
1208%
#799
Core i5-480M
MSRP: $81|Avg: $77
1109%
#800
Core i5-460M
MSRP: $80|Avg: $129
1104%
#801
Core i5-2540M
MSRP: $266|Avg: $10
1094%
#803
Core i5-450M
MSRP: $32|Avg: $31
1056%
#804
Core i3-380M
MSRP: $49|Avg: $25
1013%
#805
Core i5-430M
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33
1011%
#806
Core 2 Duo T6600
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4
984%
#809
Athlon II M320
MSRP: $75|Avg: $15
100%
#810
Celeron B800
MSRP: $80|Avg: $5
100%
#811
Celeron B710
MSRP: $86|Avg: $10
100%
#813
Athlon II Neo K345
MSRP: $50|Avg: $10
100%
#818
Core i7-8709G
MSRP: $338|Avg: $150
98%
#819
Celeron M 560
MSRP: $86|Avg: $10
98%
#824
Celeron Dual-Core T3000
MSRP: $80|Avg: $15
94%
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Leadership: The Core i3-4000M delivers superior performance across the board. It outperforms the Athlon II M320 in both compute-intensive tasks (0.1% faster) and gaming workloads.
InsightCore i3-4000MAthlon II M320
Gaming
Superior gaming performance
Lower gaming performance
Workstation
Better multi-core power
Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price
More affordable ($0)
⚠️ Higher cost ($15)
Longevity
🛑 Legacy (Haswell (2013−2015) / 22 nm)
🛑 Legacy (Caspian (2009) / 45 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

InsightCore i3-4000MAthlon II M320
Cost Efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost
More affordable ($0)
⚠️ Higher cost ($15)

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.

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i3-4000M and Athlon II M320

Intel

Core i3-4000M

The Core i3-4000M is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 4 September 2013 (12 years ago). It is based on the Haswell (2013−2015) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.4 GHz, with boost up to 2.4 GHz. L3 cache: 3 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: PGA946. Thermal design power (TDP): 37 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,797 points. Launch price was $225.

AMD

Athlon II M320

The Athlon II M320 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2009-01-01. It is based on the Caspian (2009) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Max frequency: 2.1 GHz. L2 cache: 1 MB. Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: S1g3. Thermal design power (TDP): 1 MB. Memory support: DDR2. Passmark benchmark score: 1,795 points. Launch price was $149.

Processing Power

The Core i3-4000M packs 2 cores / 4 threads, matching the Athlon II M320's 2 cores. Boost clocks reach 2.4 GHz on the Core i3-4000M versus 2.1 GHz on the Athlon II M320 — a 13.3% clock advantage for the Core i3-4000M. The Core i3-4000M uses the Haswell (2013−2015) architecture (22 nm), while the Athlon II M320 uses Caspian (2009) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Core i3-4000M scores 1,797 against the Athlon II M320's 1,795 — a 0.1% lead for the Core i3-4000M.

FeatureCore i3-4000MAthlon II M320
Cores / Threads
2 / 4
2 / 2
Boost Clock
2.4 GHz+14%
2.1 GHz
Base Clock
2.4 GHz
L3 Cache
3 MB (total)
L2 Cache
256K (per core)
1 MB+300%
Process
22 nm-51%
45 nm
Architecture
Haswell (2013−2015)
Caspian (2009)
PassMark
1,797
1,795
Geekbench 6 Single
188
Geekbench 6 Multi
1,955
🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i3-4000M uses the PGA946 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Athlon II M320 uses S1g3 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

FeatureCore i3-4000MAthlon II M320
Socket
PGA946
S1g3
PCIe Generation
PCIe 3.0+50%
PCIe 2.0
Max RAM Speed
DDR2-800
Max RAM Capacity
8 GB
RAM Channels
2
ECC Support
PCIe Lanes
0
🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Core i3-4000M) / AMD-V (Athlon II M320). Primary use case: Athlon II M320 targets Legacy Laptop. Direct competitor: Athlon II M320 rivals Core 2 Duo T6400.

FeatureCore i3-4000MAthlon II M320
Integrated GPU
No
IGPU Model
None
Unlocked
No
AVX-512
No
Virtualization
AMD-V
Target Use
Legacy Laptop