Athlon II X4 640 vs Core i5-2520M

Aggregate performance score

Core i5-2520M
2011
2 cores / 4 threads, 35 Watt
1.44
Athlon II X4 640
2010
4 cores / 4 threads, 95 Watt
1.45
+0.7%

Athlon II X4 640 outperforms Core i5-2520M by a minimal 1% based on our aggregate benchmark results.

Primary details

Comparing Core i5-2520M and Athlon II X4 640 processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.

Place in performance ranking20972095
Place by popularitynot in top-100not in top-100
Cost-effectiveness evaluationno data2.92
Market segmentLaptopDesktop processor
SeriesIntel Core i5no data
Architecture codenameSandy Bridge (2011−2013)Propus (2009−2011)
Release date1 February 2011 (13 years ago)11 May 2010 (14 years ago)
Launch price (MSRP)$225$80
Current price$75 (0.3x MSRP)$49 (0.6x MSRP)

Cost-effectiveness evaluation

Performance per price, higher is better.

no data

Detailed specifications

Core i5-2520M and Athlon II X4 640 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 cores2 (Dual-core)4 (Quad-Core)
Threads44
Base clock speed2.5 GHz3 GHz
Boost clock speed3.2 GHz3 GHz
L1 cache64K (per core)128 KB (per core)
L2 cache256K (per core)512 KB (per core)
L3 cache3 MB (shared)0 KB
Chip lithography32 nm45 nm
Die size149 mm2169 mm2
Maximum core temperature100 °Cno data
Number of transistors624 million300 million
64 bit support++
Windows 11 compatibility--
Unlocked multiplierNoNo

Compatibility

Information on Core i5-2520M and Athlon II X4 640 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 configuration11
SocketPPGA988AM3
Power consumption (TDP)35 Watt95 Watt

Technologies and extensions

Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Core i5-2520M and Athlon II X4 640. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.

Instruction set extensionsIntel® AVXno data
AES-NI+no data
FMA+no data
AVX+no data
vPro+no data
Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST)+no data
My WiFi+no data
Turbo Boost Technology2.0no data
Hyper-Threading Technology+no data
Idle States+no data
Thermal Monitoring+no data
Flex Memory Access+no data
Demand Based Switching-no data
FDI+no data
Fast Memory Access+no data
StatusDiscontinuedno data

Security technologies

Core i5-2520M and Athlon II X4 640 technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.

TXT+no data
EDB+no data
Identity Protection+no data
Anti-Theft+no data

Virtualization technologies

Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Core i5-2520M and Athlon II X4 640 are enumerated here.

AMD-V+no data
VT-d+no data
VT-x+no data
EPT+no data

Memory specs

Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Core i5-2520M and Athlon II X4 640. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.

Supported memory typesDDR3DDR3
Maximum memory size16 GBno data
Max memory channels2no data
Maximum memory bandwidth21.3 GB/sno data
ECC memory support-no data

Graphics specifications

General parameters of integrated GPUs, if any.

Integrated graphics cardIntel HD Graphics 3000no data
Quick Sync Video+no data
Clear Video HD+no data
Graphics max frequency1.3 GHzno data
InTru 3D+no data

Graphics interfaces

Available interfaces and connections of Core i5-2520M and Athlon II X4 640 integrated GPUs.

Number of displays supported2no data
eDP+no data
DisplayPort+no data
HDMI+no data
SDVO+no data
CRT+no data

Peripherals

Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Core i5-2520M and Athlon II X4 640.

PCIe version2.02.0
PCI Express lanes16no data

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.

i5-2520M 1.44
Athlon II X4 640 1.45
+0.7%

Athlon II X4 640 outperforms Core i5-2520M by 1% based on our aggregate benchmark results.


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.

Benchmark coverage: 68%

i5-2520M 2234
Athlon II X4 640 2238
+0.2%

GeekBench 5 Single-Core

GeekBench 5 Single-Core is a cross-platform application developed in the form of CPU tests that independently recreate certain real-world tasks with which to accurately measure performance. This version uses only a single CPU core.

Benchmark coverage: 42%

i5-2520M 468
+50.5%
Athlon II X4 640 311

Core i5-2520M outperforms Athlon II X4 640 by 50% in GeekBench 5 Single-Core.

GeekBench 5 Multi-Core

GeekBench 5 Multi-Core is a cross-platform application developed in the form of CPU tests that independently recreate certain real-world tasks with which to accurately measure performance. This version uses all available CPU cores.

Benchmark coverage: 42%

i5-2520M 931
Athlon II X4 640 943
+1.3%

Athlon II X4 640 outperforms Core i5-2520M by 1% in GeekBench 5 Multi-Core.

Gaming performance

Pros & cons summary


Performance score 1.44 1.45
Recency 1 February 2011 11 May 2010
Physical cores 2 4
Cost $225 $80
Chip lithography 32 nm 45 nm
Power consumption (TDP) 35 Watt 95 Watt

Given the minimal performance differences, no clear winner can be declared between Core i5-2520M and Athlon II X4 640.

Be aware that Core i5-2520M is a notebook processor while Athlon II X4 640 is a desktop one.


Should you still have questions on choice between Core i5-2520M and Athlon II X4 640, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.

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Intel Core i5-2520M
Core i5-2520M
AMD Athlon II X4 640
Athlon II X4 640

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Community ratings

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Questions & comments

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