Core i5-2500 vs Athlon PRO 300U
Core i5-2500
Athlon PRO 300U
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 i5-2500 is positioned at rank 922 and the Athlon PRO 300U is on rank 1006, so the Core i5-2500 offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Core i5-2500
Performance Per Dollar Athlon PRO 300U
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Core i5-2500 | Athlon PRO 300U |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ✅ Superior gaming performance | ❌ Lower gaming performance |
| Workstation | ✅ Better multi-core power | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks |
| Price | ⚠️ Higher cost ($69) | ✅ More affordable ($0) |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) / 32 nm) | ✨ Modern (Raven Ridge 2 (2019) / 14 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Core i5-2500 | Athlon PRO 300U |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ⚠️ Higher cost ($69) | ✅ More affordable ($0) |
Performance Check
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 i5-2500 and Athlon PRO 300U
Core i5-2500
The Core i5-2500 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 9 January 2011 (14 years ago). It is based on the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 3.3 GHz, with boost up to 3.7 GHz. L3 cache: 6144 kB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1155. Thermal design power (TDP): 95 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 4,102 points. Launch price was $85.
Athlon PRO 300U
The Athlon PRO 300U is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2009-01-01. It is based on the Raven Ridge 2 (2019) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.4 GHz, with boost up to 3.3 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB (total). L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: FP5. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR4 Dual-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 4,080 points. Launch price was $149.
Processing Power
The Core i5-2500 packs 4 cores / 4 threads, while the Athlon PRO 300U offers 2 cores / 4 threads — the Core i5-2500 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.7 GHz on the Core i5-2500 versus 3.3 GHz on the Athlon PRO 300U — a 11.4% clock advantage for the Core i5-2500 (base: 3.3 GHz vs 2.4 GHz). The Core i5-2500 uses the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture (32 nm), while the Athlon PRO 300U uses Raven Ridge 2 (2019) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-2500 scores 4,102 against the Athlon PRO 300U's 4,080 — a 0.5% lead for the Core i5-2500. L3 cache: 6144 kB (total) on the Core i5-2500 vs 4 MB (total) on the Athlon PRO 300U.
| Feature | Core i5-2500 | Athlon PRO 300U |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 4 / 4+100% | 2 / 4 |
| Boost Clock | 3.7 GHz+12% | 3.3 GHz |
| Base Clock | 3.3 GHz+38% | 2.4 GHz |
| L3 Cache | 6144 kB (total)+50% | 4 MB (total) |
| L2 Cache | 256 kB (per core) | 512K (per core)+100% |
| Process | 32 nm | 14 nm-56% |
| Architecture | Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) | Raven Ridge 2 (2019) |
| PassMark | 4,102 | 4,080 |
| Cinebench R23 Multi | 2,642 | — |
| Geekbench 6 Single | 590 | — |
| Geekbench 6 Multi | 1,690 | — |
Memory & Platform
The Core i5-2500 uses the LGA1155 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Athlon PRO 300U uses FP5 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR3-1333 on the Core i5-2500 versus DDR4-2400 on the Athlon PRO 300U — the Athlon PRO 300U supports 28.6% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. Both support up to 32 GB of RAM. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 16 (Core i5-2500) vs 8 (Athlon PRO 300U) — the Core i5-2500 offers 8 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: H61,H67,P67,Z68,B75,Z77 (Core i5-2500) and AMD FP5 (Athlon PRO 300U).
| Feature | Core i5-2500 | Athlon PRO 300U |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | LGA1155 | FP5 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 2.0 | PCIe 3.0+50% |
| Max RAM Speed | DDR3-1333 | DDR4-2400+33% |
| Max RAM Capacity | 32 GB | 32 GB |
| RAM Channels | 2 | 2 |
| ECC Support | ❌ | ✅ |
| PCIe Lanes | 16+100% | 8 |
Advanced Features
Virtualization: VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Core i5-2500) / not specified (Athlon PRO 300U). Both include integrated graphics — Intel HD Graphics 2000 (Core i5-2500) and AMD Radeon Vega 3 (Athlon PRO 300U) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i5-2500 targets Desktop.
| Feature | Core i5-2500 | Athlon PRO 300U |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | Yes | Yes |
| IGPU Model | Intel HD Graphics 2000 | AMD Radeon Vega 3 |
| Unlocked | No | — |
| AVX-512 | No | — |
| Virtualization | VT-x, VT-d, EPT | — |
| Target Use | Desktop | — |
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