Pentium G3420 vs Athlon II X4 615e
Pentium G3420
Athlon II X4 615e
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 Pentium G3420 is positioned at rank 714 and the Athlon II X4 615e is on rank 983, so the Pentium G3420 offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Pentium G3420
Performance Per Dollar Athlon II X4 615e
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Pentium G3420 | Athlon II X4 615e |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ✅ Superior gaming performance | ❌ Lower gaming performance |
| Workstation | ✅ Better multi-core power | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks |
| Price | ⚠️ Higher cost ($40) | ✅ More affordable ($30) |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Haswell (2013−2015) / 22 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Propus (2009−2011) / 45 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Pentium G3420 | Athlon II X4 615e |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ✅ Better overall value (+33%) |
| Upfront Cost | ⚠️ Higher cost ($40) | ✅ More affordable ($30) |
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 Pentium G3420 and Athlon II X4 615e
Pentium G3420
The Pentium G3420 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 September 2013 (12 years ago). It is based on the Haswell (2013−2015) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 3.2 GHz, with boost up to 3.2 GHz. L3 cache: 3 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1150. Thermal design power (TDP): 53 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 2,022 points. Launch price was $252.
Athlon II X4 615e
The Athlon II X4 615e is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 21 September 2010 (15 years ago). It is based on the Propus (2009−2011) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.5 GHz, with boost up to 2.5 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: AM3. Thermal design power (TDP): 45 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 2,018 points. Launch price was $59.
Processing Power
The Pentium G3420 packs 2 cores / 2 threads, while the Athlon II X4 615e offers 4 cores / 4 threads — the Athlon II X4 615e has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.2 GHz on the Pentium G3420 versus 2.5 GHz on the Athlon II X4 615e — a 24.6% clock advantage for the Pentium G3420 (base: 3.2 GHz vs 2.5 GHz). The Pentium G3420 uses the Haswell (2013−2015) architecture (22 nm), while the Athlon II X4 615e uses Propus (2009−2011) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Pentium G3420 scores 2,022 against the Athlon II X4 615e's 2,018 — a 0.2% lead for the Pentium G3420. L3 cache: 3 MB (total) on the Pentium G3420 vs 0 kB on the Athlon II X4 615e.
| Feature | Pentium G3420 | Athlon II X4 615e |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 2 / 2 | 4 / 4+100% |
| Boost Clock | 3.2 GHz+28% | 2.5 GHz |
| Base Clock | 3.2 GHz+28% | 2.5 GHz |
| L3 Cache | 3 MB (total) | 0 kB |
| L2 Cache | 256 kB (per core) | 512 kB (per core)+100% |
| Process | 22 nm-51% | 45 nm |
| Architecture | Haswell (2013−2015) | Propus (2009−2011) |
| PassMark | 2,022 | 2,018 |
| Cinebench R23 Multi | — | 1,161 |
| Geekbench 6 Single | — | 331 |
| Geekbench 6 Multi | — | 1,161 |
Memory & Platform
The Pentium G3420 uses the LGA1150 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Athlon II X4 615e uses AM3 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Pentium G3420 | Athlon II X4 615e |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | LGA1150 | AM3 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 3.0+50% | PCIe 2.0 |
| Max RAM Speed | — | DDR3-1333 |
| Max RAM Capacity | — | 16 GB |
| RAM Channels | — | 2 |
| ECC Support | — | ❌ |
| PCIe Lanes | — | 16 |
Advanced Features
Virtualization: not specified (Pentium G3420) / AMD-V (Athlon II X4 615e). Primary use case: Athlon II X4 615e targets Gaming. Direct competitor: Athlon II X4 615e rivals Intel Core 2 Quad Q8300.
| Feature | Pentium G3420 | Athlon II X4 615e |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | — | No |
| Unlocked | — | Yes |
| AVX-512 | — | No |
| Virtualization | — | AMD-V |
| Target Use | — | Gaming |
Value Analysis
The Pentium G3420 launched at $86 MSRP, while the Athlon II X4 615e debuted at $186. At current prices ($40 vs $30), the Athlon II X4 615e is $10 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Pentium G3420 delivers 50.5 pts/$ vs 67.3 pts/$ for the Athlon II X4 615e — making the Athlon II X4 615e the 28.4% better value option.
| Feature | Pentium G3420 | Athlon II X4 615e |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $86-54% | $186 |
| Avg Price (30d) | $40 | $30-25% |
| Performance per Dollar | 50.5 | 67.3+33% |
| Release Date | 2013 | 2010 |
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