Core i3-4030U
VS
Turion II M500

Core i3-4030U vs Turion II M500

Intel

Core i3-4030U

2 Cores4 Thrd512 WWMax: 1.9 GHz2014
VS
AMD

Turion II M500

2 Cores2 Thrd1 WWMax: 2.2 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 i3-4030U is positioned at rank 75 and the Turion II M500 is on rank 322, so the Core i3-4030U 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 i3-4030U

#18
Ryzen 5 8500G
MSRP: $179|Avg: $150
96%
#63
Atom x5-Z8300
MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A
235%
#64
Atom Z3735G
MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A
231%
#65
Core i5-480M
MSRP: $81|Avg: $77
212%
#66
Core i5-460M
MSRP: $80|Avg: $129
211%
#67
Core i5-2540M
MSRP: $266|Avg: $10
209%
#69
Core i5-450M
MSRP: $32|Avg: $31
202%
#70
Core i3-380M
MSRP: $49|Avg: $25
194%
#71
Core i5-430M
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33
193%
#72
Core 2 Duo T6600
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4
188%
#75
Core i3-4030U
MSRP: $281|Avg: N/A
100%
#79
Atom D2500
MSRP: $42|Avg: N/A
97%
#88
Core 2 Duo T7500
MSRP: $316|Avg: $5
92%
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Turion II M500

#96
Ryzen AI Max PRO 380
MSRP: $400|Avg: $400
99%
#97
Core Ultra 5 226V
MSRP: $300|Avg: $300
99%
#310
Atom x5-Z8300
MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A
472%
#311
Atom Z3735G
MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A
465%
#312
Core i5-480M
MSRP: $81|Avg: $77
427%
#313
Core i5-460M
MSRP: $80|Avg: $129
425%
#314
Core i5-2540M
MSRP: $266|Avg: $10
421%
#316
Core i5-450M
MSRP: $32|Avg: $31
407%
#317
Core i3-380M
MSRP: $49|Avg: $25
390%
#318
Core i5-430M
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33
389%
#319
Core 2 Duo T6600
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4
379%
#322
Turion II M500
MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A
100%
#336
Xeon E3-1505M v5
MSRP: $115|Avg: $115
98%
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Trade-off: The Turion II M500 leads in gaming performance. However, the Core i3-4030U is the stronger candidate for professional workloads, offering 0.6% greater multi-core processing power.
InsightCore i3-4030UTurion II M500
Gaming
Lower gaming performance
Superior gaming performance
Workstation
Better multi-core power
Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price
⚠️ Higher cost ($281)
More affordable ($0)
Longevity
🛑 Legacy (Haswell (2013−2015) / 22 nm)
🛑 Legacy (Caspian (2009) / 45 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

InsightCore i3-4030UTurion II M500
Cost Efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost
⚠️ Higher cost ($281)
More affordable ($0)

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 i3-4030U and Turion II M500

Intel

Core i3-4030U

The Core i3-4030U is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 14 April 2014 (11 years ago). It is based on the Haswell (2013−2015) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 1.9 GHz, with boost up to 1.9 GHz. L3 cache: 3 MB. L2 cache: 512 kB. Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1168. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,876 points. Launch price was $281.

AMD

Turion II M500

The Turion II M500 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2007-01-01. It is based on the Caspian (2009) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Max frequency: 2.2 GHz. L2 cache: 1 MB. Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: S1g3. Thermal design power (TDP): 1 MB. Passmark benchmark score: 1,865 points. Launch price was $69.

Processing Power

The Core i3-4030U packs 2 cores / 4 threads, matching the Turion II M500's 2 cores. Boost clocks reach 1.9 GHz on the Core i3-4030U versus 2.2 GHz on the Turion II M500 — a 14.6% clock advantage for the Turion II M500. The Core i3-4030U uses the Haswell (2013−2015) architecture (22 nm), while the Turion II M500 uses Caspian (2009) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Core i3-4030U scores 1,876 against the Turion II M500's 1,865 — a 0.6% lead for the Core i3-4030U.

FeatureCore i3-4030UTurion II M500
Cores / Threads
2 / 4
2 / 2
Boost Clock
1.9 GHz
2.2 GHz+16%
Base Clock
1.9 GHz
L3 Cache
3 MB
L2 Cache
512 kB
1 MB+100%
Process
22 nm-51%
45 nm
Architecture
Haswell (2013−2015)
Caspian (2009)
PassMark
1,876
1,865
🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i3-4030U uses the FCBGA1168 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Turion II M500 uses S1g3 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

FeatureCore i3-4030UTurion II M500
Socket
FCBGA1168
S1g3
PCIe Generation
PCIe 3.0+50%
PCIe 2.0