AMD Athlon X4 760K

AMD Athlon X4 760K

AMD Athlon X4 760K: A Budget Veteran in 2025. Is It Worth It?


Introduction: Why Is the Athlon X4 760K Still Being Discussed?

The AMD Athlon X4 760K, released in 2013, is one of the symbols of the era of budget multi-core processors. Despite its age, it is still found on the secondary market (price: $30–40) and sparks interest among enthusiasts building PCs for simple tasks. But is it still relevant in 2025? Let’s delve into the details.


1. Key Specifications: What’s Under the Hood?

Architecture and Process Technology

- Codename: Richland — an evolution of the Piledriver line.

- Process Technology: 32 nm, which looks outdated in 2025 (modern CPUs are at 5–7 nm).

- Cores and Threads: 4 cores, 4 threads. No support for SMT or Hyper-Threading.

- Clock Speed: Base — 3.8 GHz, turbo mode — up to 4.1 GHz.

- Cache: L2 — 4 MB (2 MB per module), L1 — 192 KB.

Performance

- Geekbench 6: Single-Core — 534, Multi-Core — 1236. For comparison, the modern Ryzen 3 7300 (2024) scores around ~1800/5500.

- Real-World Use: In 2025, the processor handles office applications, browsers, and older games (for example, CS:GO at low settings provides 60–80 FPS). However, rendering in Blender or working with 4K video is not its strong suit.

Key Features

- Unlocked Multiplier: Overclocking is possible (depends on the motherboard and cooling).

- Integrated Graphics: Absent — a discrete graphics card is required.


2. Compatible Motherboards: Where to Look?

Socket and Chipsets

- Socket: FM2. It’s important not to confuse it with FM2+ (the latter is backwards compatible, but FM2 motherboards will not work for FM2+ processors).

- Chipsets: A55, A75, A85X. The best choice is A85X motherboards (support for RAID, more SATA 6 Gbps ports, and USB 3.0).

Choosing Features

- Examples of Motherboards:

- ASRock FM2A85X Extreme6 (price in 2025 on the secondary market: $40–60) — 8 SATA ports, CrossFire.

- Gigabyte GA-F2A55M-DS2 (budget option, $25–35) — minimal features but suitable for a basic build.

- Tip: Look for motherboards with USB 3.0 and a PWM cooler connector. Avoid models with bulging capacitors.


3. Supported Memory: DDR3 and Its Limitations

- Memory Type: Only DDR3 with frequencies up to 2133 MHz (officially up to 1866 MHz).

- Dual-Channel Mode: Essential for performance improvement (e.g., 2×4 GB instead of 1×8 GB).

- Limitations: The memory capacity depends on the motherboard — most support up to 64 GB, but in practice, 16–32 GB is more than sufficient.

Important: DDR4 and DDR5 are not supported. In 2025, DDR3 falls short even compared to budget DDR4 modules in terms of speed and energy efficiency.


4. Power Supply Units: How Many Watts Do You Need?

- Processor TDP: 100 W.

- Recommendations:

- Minimum: 400–450 W (e.g., EVGA 450 BR).

- Optimal: 500–550 W (Corsair CX550) — headroom for a graphics card like the GTX 1650 or Radeon RX 6400.

- Tip: Avoid cheap non-brand PSUs. The high power consumption of the processor requires stable voltages.


5. Pros and Cons: Is It Worth It?

Pros

- Price: One of the lowest on the market ($30–40).

- Overclocking: Possible with a good cooler (e.g., Deepcool Gammaxx 400).

- Compatibility: Suitable for upgrading older PCs on FM2.

Cons

- Outdated Process Technology: 32 nm vs. 5–7 nm in modern CPUs.

- High Power Consumption: 100 W compared to 35–65 W for Ryzen 3/Athlon 3000G.

- No Support for Modern Standards: PCIe 2.0, SATA 3.0, lack of NVMe (only via adapters).


6. Use Cases: What Is It Good For?

- Office Tasks: Word, Excel, a browser with 10+ tabs.

- Multimedia: Viewing 1080p/4K videos (with hardware decoding via a graphics card).

- Gaming:

- Older Titles: Skyrim, GTA V (at low settings with a GPU like the GTX 1050 Ti).

- Indie Games: Hollow Knight, Stardew Valley — no issues.

- Not Suitable For:

- Modern AAA games (Cyberpunk 2077, Starfield).

- Video editing, 3D modeling.


7. Comparison with Competitors: Who Else Is in the Same Price Segment?

- Intel Pentium G3420 (Haswell): 2 cores, 55 W TDP. Loses in multi-threading but is more power-efficient.

- AMD A10-7850K (Kaveri): Integrated Radeon R7 graphics but weaker in CPU tasks.

- Modern Alternatives (2025):

- Intel Celeron G6900 ($50–60): 2 cores, supports DDR4, PCIe 5.0.

- AMD Athlon 3000G ($60–70): 2 cores/4 threads, Vega graphics, 35 W TDP.

Conclusion: The Athlon X4 760K excels only in multi-threaded tasks against budget dual-core CPUs but lags in energy efficiency and support for new technologies.


8. Practical Assembly Tips

- Motherboard: Look for models with USB 3.0 and UEFI (for SSD with GPT).

- Storage: An SSD is essential (even SATA 3.0) — Kingston A400 240 GB ($25).

- Cooling: The stock cooler is noisy. Replace it with a Deepcool Gammaxx 400 V2 ($20).

- Graphics Card: Best not to exceed a used GTX 1060 3GB ($50–70) to avoid bottlenecks.


9. Final Conclusion: Who Should Consider the Athlon X4 760K?

This processor should only be considered in three scenarios:

1. Upgrading an Old PC: If you already have an FM2 motherboard.

2. Ultra-Budget Build: When you need to build a PC for office use or a media center for $100–150.

3. Experimentation: For learning overclocking or building a retro system.

In 2025, the Athlon X4 760K is more of an artifact than a current solution. For new builds, it's better to choose Ryzen 3 or Intel's 12th generation Celeron. But if the budget is tight and the tasks are simple — this "veteran" can still do some work.

Basic

Label Name
AMD
Platform
Desktop
Launch Date
June 2013
Model Name
?
The Intel processor number is just one of several factors - along with processor brand, system configurations, and system-level benchmarks - to be considered when choosing the right processor for your computing needs.
Athlon X4 760K
Code Name
Richland
Generation
Athlon (Richland)

CPU Specifications

Total Cores
?
Cores is a hardware term that describes the number of independent central processing units in a single computing component (die or chip).
4
Total Threads
?
Where applicable, Intel® Hyper-Threading Technology is only available on Performance-cores.
4
Basic Frequency
3.8 GHz
Max Turbo Frequency
?
Max Turbo Frequency is the maximum single-core frequency at which the processor is capable of operating using Intel® Turbo Boost Technology and, if present, Intel® Turbo Boost Max Technology 3.0 and Intel® Thermal Velocity Boost. Frequency is typically measured in gigahertz (GHz), or billion cycles per second.
up to 4.1 GHz
L1 Cache
192 KB
L2 Cache
4 MB
Multiplier
38.0x
Bus Frequency
100 MHz
CPU Socket
?
The socket is the component that provides the mechanical and electrical connections between the processor and motherboard.
AMD Socket FM2
Multiplier Unlocked
Yes
Technology
?
Lithography refers to the semiconductor technology used to manufacture an integrated circuit, and is reported in nanometer (nm), indicative of the size of features built on the semiconductor.
32 nm
TDP
100 W
PCI Express Version
?
PCI Express Revision is the supported version of the PCI Express standard. Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (or PCIe) is a high-speed serial computer expansion bus standard for attaching hardware devices to a computer. The different PCI Express versions support different data rates.
Gen 2
Transistors
1,303 million

Memory Specifications

Memory Type
?
Intel® processors come in four different types: Single Channel, Dual Channel, Triple Channel, and Flex Mode. Maximum supported memory speed may be lower when populating multiple DIMMs per channel on products that support multiple memory channels.
DDR3
Memory Channels
?
The number of memory channels refers to the bandwidth operation for real world application.
Dual-channel
ECC Memory
No

GPU Specifications

Integrated Graphics Model
?
An integrated GPU refers to the graphics core that is integrated into the CPU processor. Leveraging the processor's powerful computational capabilities and intelligent power efficiency management, it delivers outstanding graphics performance and a smooth application experience at a lower power consumption.
N/A

Benchmarks

Geekbench 6
Single Core Score
534
Geekbench 6
Multi Core Score
1236
Geekbench 5
Single Core Score
519
Geekbench 5
Multi Core Score
1256
Passmark CPU
Single Core Score
1527
Passmark CPU
Multi Core Score
2948

Compared to Other CPU

Geekbench 6 Single Core
607 +13.7%
569 +6.6%
495 -7.3%
460 -13.9%
Geekbench 6 Multi Core
1541 +24.7%
1404 +13.6%
1094 -11.5%
973 -21.3%
Geekbench 5 Single Core
553 +6.6%
533 +2.7%
505 -2.7%
490 -5.6%
Geekbench 5 Multi Core
1411 +12.3%
1351 +7.6%
1172 -6.7%
1093 -13%
Passmark CPU Single Core
1583 +3.7%
1561 +2.2%
1490 -2.4%
1470 -3.7%
Passmark CPU Multi Core
3259 +10.5%
3081 +4.5%
2780 -5.7%
2620 -11.1%