Core i5-4260U vs Athlon II X4 641
Core i5-4260U
Athlon II X4 641
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 i5-4260U is positioned at rank 296 and the Athlon II X4 641 is on rank 733, so the Core i5-4260U offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Core i5-4260U
Performance Per Dollar Athlon II X4 641
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Core i5-4260U | Athlon II X4 641 |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ❌ Lower gaming performance | ✅ Superior gaming performance |
| Workstation | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks | ✅ Better multi-core power |
| Price | ✅ More affordable ($0) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($102) |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Haswell (2013−2015) / 22 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Llano (2011−2012) / 32 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Core i5-4260U | Athlon II X4 641 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ✅ More affordable ($0) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($102) |
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 i5-4260U and Athlon II X4 641
Core i5-4260U
The Core i5-4260U 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 1.4 GHz, with boost up to 2.7 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: 2,311 points. Launch price was $325.
Athlon II X4 641
The Athlon II X4 641 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2009-01-01. It is based on the Llano (2011−2012) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.8 GHz, with boost up to 2.8 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: FM1. Thermal design power (TDP): 100 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 2,313 points. Launch price was $149.
Processing Power
The Core i5-4260U packs 2 cores / 4 threads, while the Athlon II X4 641 offers 4 cores / 4 threads — the Athlon II X4 641 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 2.7 GHz on the Core i5-4260U versus 2.8 GHz on the Athlon II X4 641 — a 3.6% clock advantage for the Athlon II X4 641 (base: 1.4 GHz vs 2.8 GHz). The Core i5-4260U uses the Haswell (2013−2015) architecture (22 nm), while the Athlon II X4 641 uses Llano (2011−2012) (32 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-4260U scores 2,311 against the Athlon II X4 641's 2,313 — a 0.1% lead for the Athlon II X4 641. L3 cache: 3 MB on the Core i5-4260U vs 0 kB on the Athlon II X4 641.
| Feature | Core i5-4260U | Athlon II X4 641 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 2 / 4 | 4 / 4+100% |
| Boost Clock | 2.7 GHz | 2.8 GHz+4% |
| Base Clock | 1.4 GHz | 2.8 GHz+100% |
| L3 Cache | 3 MB | 0 kB |
| L2 Cache | 512 kB | 1 MB (per core)+100% |
| Process | 22 nm-31% | 32 nm |
| Architecture | Haswell (2013−2015) | Llano (2011−2012) |
| PassMark | 2,311 | 2,313 |
Memory & Platform
The Core i5-4260U uses the FCBGA1168 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Athlon II X4 641 uses FM1 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Core i5-4260U | Athlon II X4 641 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | FCBGA1168 | FM1 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 3.0+50% | PCIe 2.0 |
| Max RAM Speed | — | DDR3-1866 |
| Max RAM Capacity | — | 64 GB |
| RAM Channels | — | 2 |
| ECC Support | — | ❌ |
| PCIe Lanes | — | 16 |
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