Athlon II X2 280 vs A8-3870K
Aggregate performance score
A8-3870K outperforms Athlon II X2 280 by an impressive 70% based on our aggregate benchmark results.
Primary details
Comparing A8-3870K and Athlon II X2 280 processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.
| Place in performance ranking | 2094 | 2490 |
| Place by popularity | not in top-100 | not in top-100 |
| Cost-effectiveness evaluation | no data | 4.52 |
| Market segment | Desktop processor | Desktop processor |
| Architecture codename | Llano (2011−2012) | Regor (2009−2013) |
| Release date | 20 December 2011 (12 years ago) | 6 February 2013 (11 years ago) |
| Launch price (MSRP) | no data | $100 |
Cost-effectiveness evaluation
Performance per price, higher is better.
Detailed specifications
A8-3870K and Athlon II X2 280 basic parameters such as number of cores, number of threads, base frequency and turbo boost clock, lithography, cache size and multiplier lock state. These parameters indirectly say of CPU speed, though for more precise assessment you have to consider their test results.
| Physical cores | 4 (Quad-Core) | 2 (Dual-core) |
| Threads | 4 | 2 |
| Base clock speed | 3 GHz | 3.6 GHz |
| Boost clock speed | 3 GHz | 3.6 GHz |
| L1 cache | 128 KB (per core) | 128 KB |
| L2 cache | 1 MB (per core) | 1 MB |
| L3 cache | 0 KB | 0 KB |
| Chip lithography | 32 nm | 45 nm |
| Die size | 228 mm2 | 117 mm2 |
| Number of transistors | 1,178 million | 410 million |
| 64 bit support | + | + |
| Windows 11 compatibility | - | - |
| Unlocked multiplier | Yes | No |
Compatibility
Information on A8-3870K and Athlon II X2 280 compatibility with other computer components: motherboard (look for socket type), power supply unit (look for power consumption) etc. Useful when planning a future computer configuration or upgrading an existing one. Note that power consumption of some processors can well exceed their nominal TDP, even without overclocking. Some can even double their declared thermals given that the motherboard allows to tune the CPU power parameters.
| Number of CPUs in a configuration | 1 | 1 |
| Socket | FM1 | AM3 |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 100 Watt | 65 Watt |
Virtualization technologies
Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by A8-3870K and Athlon II X2 280 are enumerated here.
| AMD-V | + | no data |
Memory specs
Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by A8-3870K and Athlon II X2 280. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.
| Supported memory types | DDR3 | DDR2, DDR3 |
Graphics specifications
General parameters of integrated GPUs, if any.
| Integrated graphics card | AMD Radeon HD 6550D | no data |
Peripherals
Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by A8-3870K and Athlon II X2 280.
| PCIe version | no data | 2.0 |
Synthetic benchmark performance
Various benchmark results of the processors in comparison. Overall score is measured in points in 0-100 range, higher is better.
Combined synthetic benchmark score
This is our combined benchmark performance rating. We are regularly improving our combining algorithms, but if you find some perceived inconsistencies, feel free to speak up in comments section, we usually fix problems quickly.
Passmark
Passmark CPU Mark is a widespread benchmark, consisting of 8 different types of workload, including integer and floating point math, extended instructions, compression, encryption and physics calculation. There is also one separate single-threaded scenario measuring single-core performance.
Pros & cons summary
| Performance score | 1.50 | 0.88 |
| Recency | 20 December 2011 | 6 February 2013 |
| Physical cores | 4 | 2 |
| Threads | 4 | 2 |
| Chip lithography | 32 nm | 45 nm |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 100 Watt | 65 Watt |
A8-3870K has a 70.5% higher aggregate performance score, 100% more physical cores and 100% more threads, and a 40.6% more advanced lithography process.
Athlon II X2 280, on the other hand, has an age advantage of 1 year, and 53.8% lower power consumption.
The A8-3870K is our recommended choice as it beats the Athlon II X2 280 in performance tests.
Should you still have questions on choice between A8-3870K and Athlon II X2 280, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.
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