Core i3-6157U vs Athlon PRO 3045B

Core i3-6157U

2 Cores4 Thrd512 WWMax: 2.4 GHz2016

Athlon PRO 3045B

2 Cores4 Thrd15 WWMax: 3.2 GHz2021

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Core i3-6157U

2 / 4

2,782

+0.4%

2,770

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.

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 i3-6157U is positioned at rank 630 and the Athlon PRO 3045B is on rank 1177, so the Core i3-6157U 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 i3-6157U

#187

Core Ultra 9 288V

MSRP: $600|Avg: $600

97%

#188

Core i7-10870H

MSRP: $417|Avg: N/A

97%

#618

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

844%

#619

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

831%

#620

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

763%

#621

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

760%

#622

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

753%

#624

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

727%

#625

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

697%

#626

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

696%

#627

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

677%

#630

Core i3-6157U

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#638

Celeron Dual-Core T1400

MSRP: $80|Avg: $10

98%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Athlon PRO 3045B

#1164

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

4514%

#1165

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

4448%

#1166

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

4083%

#1167

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

4065%

#1168

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

4027%

#1170

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

3889%

#1171

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

3729%

#1172

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

3723%

#1173

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

3623%

#1176

Core 2 Duo SL9600

MSRP: $316|Avg: N/A

100%

#1177

Athlon PRO 3045B

MSRP: $426|Avg: $180

100%

#1178

Core 2 Duo T5600

MSRP: $241|Avg: N/A

100%

#1179

Pentium N3510

MSRP: $161|Avg: $161

99%

#1180

Core i7-7Y75

MSRP: $393|Avg: $285

99%

#1182

Core i7-4500U

MSRP: $398|Avg: N/A

96%

#1184

Athlon Neo X2 L325

MSRP: $100|Avg: $5

95%

#1185

Core i3-2370M

MSRP: $225|Avg: N/A

94%

#1186

Core i3-3217UE

MSRP: $225|Avg: $35

93%

#1187

Celeron T3000

MSRP: $150|Avg: $54

93%

#1188

Core m7-6Y75

MSRP: $393|Avg: $393

92%

#1189

Core M-5Y10

MSRP: $281|Avg: $20

90%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Generational Difference: This comparison involves processors from different technological eras. The Athlon PRO 3045B (2021) utilizes 14 nm technology and DDR4, providing a fundamental performance advantage.

Insight	Core i3-6157U	Athlon PRO 3045B
Gaming	❌ Lower gaming performance	✅ Superior gaming performance
Workstation	✅ Better multi-core power	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price	✅ More affordable ($0)	⚠️ Higher cost ($180)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Skylake (2015−2016) / 14 nm)	✨ Modern (Dali (2020−2021) / 14 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Core i3-6157U (2016) relies on 14 nm technology and DDR3, DDR4, placing it in a different performance category relative to modern standards.

Insight	Core i3-6157U	Athlon PRO 3045B
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	✅ More affordable ($0)	⚠️ Higher cost ($180)

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.

Core i3-6157U Benchmark Check

Athlon PRO 3045B Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i3-6157U and Athlon PRO 3045B

Core i3-6157U

The Core i3-6157U is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 September 2016 (9 years ago). It is based on the Skylake (2015−2016) 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. L2 cache: 512 kB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: BGA1356. Thermal design power (TDP): 28 Watt. Memory support: DDR3, DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 2,782 points. Launch price was $304.

Athlon PRO 3045B

The Athlon PRO 3045B is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2009-01-01. It is based on the Dali (2020−2021) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.3 GHz, with boost up to 3.2 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB (total). L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: FP5. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 2,770 points. Launch price was $149.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Core i3-6157U and Athlon PRO 3045B share an identical 2-core/4-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 2.4 GHz on the Core i3-6157U versus 3.2 GHz on the Athlon PRO 3045B — a 28.6% clock advantage for the Athlon PRO 3045B (base: 2.4 GHz vs 2.3 GHz). The Core i3-6157U uses the Skylake (2015−2016) architecture (14 nm), while the Athlon PRO 3045B uses Dali (2020−2021) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core i3-6157U scores 2,782 against the Athlon PRO 3045B's 2,770 — a 0.4% lead for the Core i3-6157U. L3 cache: 3 MB on the Core i3-6157U vs 4 MB (total) on the Athlon PRO 3045B.

Feature	Core i3-6157U	Athlon PRO 3045B
Cores / Threads	2 / 4	2 / 4
Boost Clock	2.4 GHz	3.2 GHz+33%
Base Clock	2.4 GHz+4%	2.3 GHz
L3 Cache	3 MB	4 MB (total)+33%
L2 Cache	512 kB	512 kB (per core)
Process	14 nm	14 nm
Architecture	Skylake (2015−2016)	Dali (2020−2021)
PassMark	2,782	2,770

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i3-6157U uses the BGA1356 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Athlon PRO 3045B uses FP5 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR4-2133 memory speed. Both support up to 32 GB of RAM. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 12 (Core i3-6157U) vs 8 (Athlon PRO 3045B) — the Core i3-6157U offers 4 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives.

Feature	Core i3-6157U	Athlon PRO 3045B
Socket	BGA1356	FP5
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 4.0+33%
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2133	DDR4-2400
Max RAM Capacity	32 GB	32 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	❌	✅
PCIe Lanes	12+50%	8

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: VT-x, VT-d (Core i3-6157U) / not specified (Athlon PRO 3045B). Both include integrated graphics — Iris Graphics 550 (Core i3-6157U) and AMD Radeon Vega 3 (Athlon PRO 3045B) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i3-6157U targets Mobile.