Core i7-3520M vs Athlon X4 750K

Core i7-3520M

2 Cores4 Thrd512 WWMax: 3.6 GHz2012

Athlon X4 750K

4 Cores4 Thrd100 WWMax: 4 GHz2012

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Core i7-3520M

2 / 4

2,842

0.0%

2,879

+1.3%

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 i7-3520M is positioned at rank 1127 and the Athlon X4 750K is on rank 576, so the Athlon X4 750K 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 i7-3520M

#1113

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

3574%

#1114

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

3521%

#1115

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

3233%

#1116

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

3218%

#1117

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

3189%

#1119

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

3079%

#1120

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

2952%

#1121

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

2948%

#1122

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

2868%

#1125

Pentium Dual Core T4300

MSRP: $150|Avg: $99

100%

#1126

Core i3-4100E

MSRP: $225|Avg: $30

100%

#1127

Core i7-3520M

MSRP: $346|Avg: N/A

100%

#1128

Core i3-2310E

MSRP: $225|Avg: $20

100%

#1129

Core i5-2510E

MSRP: $230|Avg: $30

100%

#1130

Core m5-6Y54

MSRP: $281|Avg: $281

99%

#1132

Core i3-2330E

MSRP: $225|Avg: $10

99%

#1133

Core i5-4288U

MSRP: $342|Avg: N/A

95%

#1134

Core m3-6Y30

MSRP: $281|Avg: $281

95%

#1135

Core i3-2340UE

MSRP: $200|Avg: $200

94%

#1136

Core i7-2820QM

MSRP: $568|Avg: N/A

94%

#1137

Core i5-520M

MSRP: $225|Avg: N/A

94%

#1139

Celeron 807

MSRP: $70|Avg: $10

93%

#1140

Pentium B950

MSRP: $134|Avg: $35

93%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Athlon X4 750K

Ryzen 9 7950X

MSRP: $194|Avg: $20

9852%

Core i9-10900T

MSRP: $120|Avg: $5

9309%

Ryzen 3 PRO 4355GE

MSRP: $423|Avg: $5

6759%

Ryzen Threadripper 3960X

MSRP: $1399|Avg: $85

2036%

Ryzen 9 9950X

MSRP: $649|Avg: $129

1613%

Ryzen 5 8400F

MSRP: $303|Avg: $55

1411%

Ryzen 7 PRO 2700

MSRP: $299|Avg: $60

808%

Ryzen 5 2600X

MSRP: $229|Avg: $55

798%

Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G

MSRP: $150|Avg: $60

726%

#10

Core Ultra 5 245KF

MSRP: $294|Avg: $189

726%

#11

Ryzen 5 5500

MSRP: $159|Avg: $85

718%

#12

Ryzen 5 3600

MSRP: $199|Avg: $80

699%

#13

Core i3-9100E

MSRP: $202|Avg: $30

689%

#14

Core Ultra 5 245K

MSRP: $319|Avg: $200

686%

#15

Core i3-8300T

MSRP: $138|Avg: $25

680%

#278

Ryzen Threadripper 1900X

MSRP: $549|Avg: $116

97%

#576

Athlon X4 750K

MSRP: $91|Avg: $17

100%

#577

Core i7-7700K

MSRP: $305|Avg: $140

100%

#578

Core i5-7600K

MSRP: $217|Avg: $84

99%

#579

FX-6300

MSRP: $132|Avg: $35

99%

#581

Core i3-6100T

MSRP: $117|Avg: $20

98%

#582

Athlon X4 970

MSRP: $85|Avg: $85

98%

#583

FX-8370

MSRP: $199|Avg: $100

98%

#584

Pentium G4520

MSRP: $86|Avg: $45

98%

#585

Core i3-4170

MSRP: $117|Avg: $40

98%

#586

Celeron G460

MSRP: $37|Avg: $10

98%

#587

A4 PRO-7350B

MSRP: $50|Avg: $11

98%

#589

Pentium G3220T

MSRP: $54|Avg: $15

97%

#590

Celeron G1620

MSRP: $52|Avg: $40

96%

#591

Core i5-7600T

MSRP: $192|Avg: $60

96%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Leadership: The Athlon X4 750K delivers superior performance across the board. It outperforms the Core i7-3520M in both compute-intensive tasks (1.3% faster) and gaming workloads.

Insight	Core i7-3520M	Athlon X4 750K
Gaming	❌ Lower gaming performance	✅ Superior gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	⚠️ Higher cost ($346)	✅ More affordable ($17)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) / 22 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Trinity (2012−2013) / 32 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Efficiency: Even within a comparison of older hardware, the Athlon X4 750K stands out as the superior choice. It is effectively 95% cheaper ($17 vs $346) while identifying as the stronger performer.

Insight	Core i7-3520M	Athlon X4 750K
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	✅ Better overall value (+1962%)
Upfront Cost	⚠️ Higher cost ($346)	✅ More affordable ($17)

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 i7-3520M Benchmark Check

Athlon X4 750K Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-3520M and Athlon X4 750K

Core i7-3520M

The Core i7-3520M is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 3 June 2012 (13 years ago). It is based on the Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.9 GHz, with boost up to 3.6 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: PGA988. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 2,842 points. Launch price was $346.

Athlon X4 750K

The Athlon X4 750K is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2009-01-01. It is based on the Trinity (2012−2013) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 3.4 GHz, with boost up to 4 GHz. L2 cache: 4 MB (total). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: FM2. Thermal design power (TDP): 100 Watt. Memory support: DDR3-1866. Passmark benchmark score: 2,879 points. Launch price was $149.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i7-3520M packs 2 cores / 4 threads, while the Athlon X4 750K offers 4 cores / 4 threads — the Athlon X4 750K has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.6 GHz on the Core i7-3520M versus 4 GHz on the Athlon X4 750K — a 10.5% clock advantage for the Athlon X4 750K (base: 2.9 GHz vs 3.4 GHz). The Core i7-3520M uses the Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) architecture (22 nm), while the Athlon X4 750K uses Trinity (2012−2013) (32 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-3520M scores 2,842 against the Athlon X4 750K's 2,879 — a 1.3% lead for the Athlon X4 750K.

Feature	Core i7-3520M	Athlon X4 750K
Cores / Threads	2 / 4	4 / 4+100%
Boost Clock	3.6 GHz	4 GHz+11%
Base Clock	2.9 GHz	3.4 GHz+17%
L3 Cache	4 MB (total)	—
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	4 MB (total)+1500%
Process	22 nm-31%	32 nm
Architecture	Ivy Bridge (2012−2013)	Trinity (2012−2013)
PassMark	2,842	2,879+1%

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i7-3520M uses the PGA988 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Athlon X4 750K uses FM2 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches 1600 on the Core i7-3520M versus DDR3-1866 on the Athlon X4 750K — the Core i7-3520M supports 199.3% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Athlon X4 750K supports up to 64 GB of RAM compared to 32 — 66.7% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. Both provide 16 PCIe lanes. Chipset compatibility: HM75,HM76,HM77,QM77,QS77 (Core i7-3520M) and AMD FM2 (Athlon X4 750K).

Feature	Core i7-3520M	Athlon X4 750K
Socket	PGA988	FM2
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0+50%	PCIe 2.0
Max RAM Speed	1600+53233%	DDR3-1866
Max RAM Capacity	32	64 GB+209715100%
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	❌	❌
PCIe Lanes	16	16

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: true (Core i7-3520M) / not specified (Athlon X4 750K). The Core i7-3520M includes integrated graphics (Intel HD Graphics 4000), while the Athlon X4 750K requires a dedicated GPU. Direct competitor: Core i7-3520M rivals AMD A10-5750M.