Core i3-4030U vs Turion II M500

Core i3-4030U vs Turion II M500 Performance Spectrum

Core i3-4030U

2 / 4

1,876

+0.6%

1,865

0.0%

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7955WX

Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

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.

Core i3-4030U vs Turion II M500 FPS Benchmarks

Predicted gaming performance across popular games. Tested paired with GeForce RTX 5090 to isolate CPU performance.

Search any supported game below to compare 1080p FPS for both components.

Core i3-4030U vs Turion II M500: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each CPU makes more sense in practice: gaming, heavier work, platform cost, power draw, and upgrade path.

Core i3-4030U

2014

Why buy it

✅+0.6% higher PassMark.

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $281 MSRP, while Turion II M500 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌51100% higher power demand at 512W vs 1W.

Turion II M500

2009

Why buy it

✅Draws 1W instead of 512W, a 511W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (1,865 vs 1,876).

Quick Answers

So, is Core i3-4030U better than Turion II M500?

It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, Turion II M500 is ahead with a 2.2% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Core i3-4030U pulls ahead with 0.6% better PassMark.

Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i3-4030U is the stronger fit. You are getting 0.6% better PassMark, backed by 2 cores and 4 threads.

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?

Core i3-4030U is the better buy right now. Core i3-4030U comes in at an unclear MSRP at $281 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it still gives you 0.6% better PassMark. The compromise is that Turion II M500 is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 2.2% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (6.7 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), so you are getting the faster CPU without taking a value hit on paper.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

Core i3-4030U makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2014 vs 2009) and more multi-core headroom with 2 cores / 4 threads instead of 2/2. That extra compute headroom is more likely to matter as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

Core i3-4030U vs Turion II M500 Technical Specifications

Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

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.

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.

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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.

Feature	Core i3-4030U	Turion 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

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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.