Opteron X3421 vs Athlon X4 840
Opteron X3421
Athlon X4 840
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 Opteron X3421 is positioned at rank 102 and the Athlon X4 840 is on rank 563, so the Opteron X3421 offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Opteron X3421
Performance Per Dollar Athlon X4 840
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Opteron X3421 | Athlon X4 840 |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ❌ Lower gaming performance | ✅ Superior gaming performance |
| Workstation | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks | ✅ Better multi-core power |
| Price | ✅ More affordable ($0) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($25) |
| Longevity | ✨ Modern (Excavator (2017−2018) / 28 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Kaveri (2014−2015) / 28 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Opteron X3421 | Athlon X4 840 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ✅ More affordable ($0) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($25) |
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 Opteron X3421 and Athlon X4 840
Opteron X3421
The Opteron X3421 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2015-01-01. It is based on the Excavator (2017−2018) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.1 GHz, with boost up to 3.4 GHz. L2 cache: 2 MB (total). Built on 28 nm process technology. Socket: FP4. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 3,306 points. Launch price was $800.
Athlon X4 840
The Athlon X4 840 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2009-01-01. It is based on the Kaveri (2014−2015) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 3.1 GHz, with boost up to 3.8 GHz. L2 cache: 4 MB. Built on 28 nm process technology. Socket: FM2+. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 3,331 points. Launch price was $149.
Processing Power
Both the Opteron X3421 and Athlon X4 840 share an identical 4-core/4-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 3.4 GHz on the Opteron X3421 versus 3.8 GHz on the Athlon X4 840 — a 11.1% clock advantage for the Athlon X4 840 (base: 2.1 GHz vs 3.1 GHz). The Opteron X3421 uses the Excavator (2017−2018) architecture (28 nm), while the Athlon X4 840 uses Kaveri (2014−2015) (28 nm). In PassMark, the Opteron X3421 scores 3,306 against the Athlon X4 840's 3,331 — a 0.8% lead for the Athlon X4 840.
| Feature | Opteron X3421 | Athlon X4 840 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 4 / 4 | 4 / 4 |
| Boost Clock | 3.4 GHz | 3.8 GHz+12% |
| Base Clock | 2.1 GHz | 3.1 GHz+48% |
| L2 Cache | 2 MB (total) | 4 MB+100% |
| Process | 28 nm | 28 nm |
| Architecture | Excavator (2017−2018) | Kaveri (2014−2015) |
| PassMark | 3,306 | 3,331 |
Memory & Platform
The Opteron X3421 uses the FP4 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Athlon X4 840 uses FM2+ (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Opteron X3421 | Athlon X4 840 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | FP4 | FM2+ |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 3.0 | PCIe 3.0 |
| Max RAM Speed | — | DDR3-2133 |
| Max RAM Capacity | — | 64 GB |
| RAM Channels | — | 2 |
| ECC Support | — | ❌ |
| PCIe Lanes | — | 16 |
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