Athlon 300U vs Core i5-3330S

Athlon 300U vs Core i5-3330S Performance Spectrum

Athlon 300U

2 / 4

3,861

0.0%

Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

Core i5-3330S

4 / 4

3,915

+1.4%

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.

Athlon 300U vs Core i5-3330S FPS Benchmarks

Predicted gaming performance across popular games. Tested paired with GeForce RTX 5090 to isolate CPU performance.

Search any supported game below to compare 1080p FPS for both components.

Athlon 300U vs Core i5-3330S: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each CPU makes more sense in practice: gaming, heavier work, platform cost, power draw, and upgrade path.

Athlon 300U

2019

Why buy it

✅Draws 15W instead of 77W, a 62W reduction.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (12 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Radeon RX Vega 3, while Core i5-3330S needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (3,861 vs 3,915).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (4 MB vs 6 MB).

Core i5-3330S

2012

Why buy it

✅+1.4% higher PassMark.
✅+50% larger total L3 cache (6 MB vs 4 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $231 MSRP, while Athlon 300U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌413.3% higher power demand at 77W vs 15W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Athlon 300U can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Quick Answers

So, is Athlon 300U better than Core i5-3330S?

It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, Athlon 300U is ahead with a 1.7% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Core i5-3330S pulls ahead with 1.4% better PassMark. Core i5-3330S also has the bigger cache pool with 50% larger total L3 cache (6 MB vs 4 MB).

Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i5-3330S is the stronger fit. You are getting 1.4% better PassMark, backed by 4 cores and 4 threads. It also has the larger cache pool with 50% larger total L3 cache (6 MB vs 4 MB).

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?

Athlon 300U is still the much better call for a fresh build. Athlon 300U comes in at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $231 MSRP, and it still gives you a 1.7% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. Core i5-3330S only looks stronger on raw value math because it is extremely cheap, but that usually means used-market pricing on an obsolete 2012 platform. Even with 100.0% better value on paper (16.9 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), it really only makes sense as a cheap stopgap or a niche existing-platform option for someone already on LGA1155.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

Athlon 300U makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2019 vs 2012). That makes it the safer long-term bet.

Athlon 300U vs Core i5-3330S Technical Specifications

Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

Athlon 300U

The Athlon 300U is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2009-01-01. It is based on the Raven Ridge 2 (2019) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.4 GHz, with boost up to 3.3 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB (total). L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: FP5. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR4 Dual-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 3,861 points. Launch price was $149.

Core i5-3330S

The Core i5-3330S is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 3 September 2012 (13 years ago). It is based on the Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.7 GHz, with boost up to 3.2 GHz. L3 cache: 6 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1155. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 3,915 points. Launch price was $231.

⚡

Processing Power

The Athlon 300U packs 2 cores / 4 threads, while the Core i5-3330S offers 4 cores / 4 threads — the Core i5-3330S has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.3 GHz on the Athlon 300U versus 3.2 GHz on the Core i5-3330S — a 3.1% clock advantage for the Athlon 300U (base: 2.4 GHz vs 2.7 GHz). The Athlon 300U uses the Raven Ridge 2 (2019) architecture (14 nm), while the Core i5-3330S uses Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon 300U scores 3,861 against the Core i5-3330S's 3,915 — a 1.4% lead for the Core i5-3330S. L3 cache: 4 MB (total) on the Athlon 300U vs 6 MB (total) on the Core i5-3330S.

Feature	Athlon 300U	Core i5-3330S
Cores / Threads	2 / 4	4 / 4+100%
Boost Clock	3.3 GHz+3%	3.2 GHz
Base Clock	2.4 GHz	2.7 GHz+13%
L3 Cache	4 MB (total)	6 MB (total)+50%
L2 Cache	512K (per core)+100%	256 kB (per core)
Process	14 nm-36%	22 nm
Architecture	Raven Ridge 2 (2019)	Ivy Bridge (2012−2013)
PassMark	3,861	3,915+1%
Geekbench 6 Single	900	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	1,800	—

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Athlon 300U uses the FP5 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core i5-3330S uses LGA1155 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Athlon 300U	Core i5-3330S
Socket	FP5	LGA1155
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2400	—
Max RAM Capacity	32 GB	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	No	—
PCIe Lanes	12	—

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: AMD-V (Athlon 300U) / not specified (Core i5-3330S). The Athlon 300U includes integrated graphics (Radeon RX Vega 3), while the Core i5-3330S requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Athlon 300U targets Budget Laptop.