AMD Athlon 3000G 2-core AM4

The Athlon 3000G is a cheap, cheerful way to get a working PC with graphics built in. It's not fast, but it's honest, and sometimes that's all you need.

The 3.5GHz base clock and 4MB of L3 cache keep everyday tasks feeling snappy enough, but the multi-thread score of 4434 in PassMark puts it firmly in the lower third of desktop CPUs. Single-thread lands right around average, which is why web browsing and light productivity feel fine. The Vega 3 graphics are the real surprise here, they'll handle 1080p video, older games, and even some light esports titles without needing a separate GPU. Just don't expect miracles from a 35W chip.

Against the Intel Core i3 14100F, the Athlon gets absolutely smoked in raw performance, but the i3 needs a discrete GPU and costs way more. The Dell Xeon E5-2637 V2 is a different beast entirely, old server silicon that's not even in the same conversation for a budget desktop. If you're cross-shopping, the real question is whether you need integrated graphics. If yes, the Athlon is the budget pick. If no, save a bit more and get something with more cores.

At USD 50 to USD 99 depending on the listing, this is a no-brainer for the right use case. The best USD deal we're seeing is at the low end of that range, and EUR buyers can grab one for EUR 33 to EUR 45. For that money you get a CPU, a cooler with thermal paste pre-applied, and graphics. That's hard to beat if you're building something basic.

The Athlon 3000G is the cheapest way to get a working AM4 system with usable graphics, and that's basically the whole pitch. Two cores, four threads, and a Vega 3 iGPU for pocket change. It's not fast, but it's honest about what it is. If you need a basic office box, a media PC, or a stopgap chip while you save for something better, this does the job without drama.

If you're planning to game seriously, edit video, or run anything that needs more than two cores, this isn't it. Go grab a Ryzen 5 or an i3 with a discrete GPU instead. The Athlon is for basic builds, not ambitious ones.

Buy it if you need the cheapest possible AM4 chip with graphics and you know exactly what you're getting into. It's a budget APU that handles basics fine and games lightly. For anything more demanding, this isn't your chip, but for a home office or media box, it's hard to argue with the price.