Athlon II N330 vs Pentium G3250

Athlon II N330 vs Pentium G3250 Performance Spectrum

Athlon II N330

2 / 2

1,999

0.0%

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7955WX

Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

Pentium G3250

2 / 2

2,010

+0.6%

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 II N330 vs Pentium G3250 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 II N330 vs Pentium G3250: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

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

Athlon II N330

2010

Why buy it

✅Costs $71 less on MSRP ($100 MSRP vs $171 MSRP).
✅Delivers 70.1% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 20.0 vs 11.8 PassMark/$ ($100 MSRP vs $171 MSRP).
✅Draws 1W instead of 54W, a 53W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (1,999 vs 2,010).

Pentium G3250

2014

Why buy it

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 11.8 vs 20.0 PassMark/$ ($171 MSRP vs $100 MSRP).
❌5300% higher power demand at 54W vs 1W.

Quick Answers

So, is Pentium G3250 better than Athlon II N330?

Yes. Pentium G3250 is the better all-around CPU here. It gives you a 0.5% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data, 0.6% better PassMark, and the stronger long-term platform, which is enough to make it the stronger overall pick.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Pentium G3250 is the better pick. According to our tests, it delivers 0.5% more average FPS across 50 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Pentium G3250 is the stronger fit. You are getting 0.6% better PassMark, backed by 2 cores and 2 threads.

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

Pentium G3250 is still the much better call for a fresh build. Pentium G3250 comes in 71.0% more expensive on MSRP at $171 MSRP versus $100 MSRP, and it still gives you a 0.5% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. Athlon II N330 only looks stronger on raw value math because it is extremely cheap, but that usually means used-market pricing on an obsolete 2010 platform. Even with 70.1% better value on paper (20.0 vs 11.8 PassMark/$), it really only makes sense as a cheap stopgap or a niche existing-platform option for someone already on S1.

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

Pentium G3250 makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2014 vs 2010) and more multi-core headroom with 2 cores / 2 threads instead of 2/2. That extra compute headroom is more likely to matter as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

Athlon II N330 vs Pentium G3250 Technical Specifications

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

Athlon II N330

The Athlon II N330 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2009-01-01. It is based on the Champlain (2010−2011) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Max frequency: 2.3 GHz. L2 cache: 1 MB. Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: S1. Thermal design power (TDP): 1 MB. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,999 points. Launch price was $149.

Pentium G3250

The Pentium G3250 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 21 July 2014 (11 years ago). It is based on the Haswell (2013−2015) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 3.2 GHz, with boost up to 3.2 GHz. L3 cache: 3 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1150. Thermal design power (TDP): 53 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 2,010 points. Launch price was $171.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Athlon II N330 and Pentium G3250 share an identical 2-core/2-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 2.3 GHz on the Athlon II N330 versus 3.2 GHz on the Pentium G3250 — a 32.7% clock advantage for the Pentium G3250. The Athlon II N330 uses the Champlain (2010−2011) architecture (45 nm), while the Pentium G3250 uses Haswell (2013−2015) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon II N330 scores 1,999 against the Pentium G3250's 2,010 — a 0.5% lead for the Pentium G3250.

Feature	Athlon II N330	Pentium G3250
Cores / Threads	2 / 2	2 / 2
Boost Clock	2.3 GHz	3.2 GHz+39%
Base Clock	—	3.2 GHz
L3 Cache	—	3 MB (total)
L2 Cache	1 MB+300%	256 kB (per core)
Process	45 nm	22 nm-51%
Architecture	Champlain (2010−2011)	Haswell (2013−2015)
PassMark	1,999	2,010

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Athlon II N330 uses the S1 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Pentium G3250 uses LGA1150 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Athlon II N330	Pentium G3250
Socket	S1	LGA1150
PCIe Generation	PCIe 2.0	PCIe 3.0+50%
Max RAM Speed	1066	—
Max RAM Capacity	8	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	No	—
PCIe Lanes	0	—

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: true (Athlon II N330) / not specified (Pentium G3250). Direct competitor: Athlon II N330 rivals Pentium P6100.

Feature	Athlon II N330	Pentium G3250
Integrated GPU	No	—
IGPU Model	None	—
Unlocked	No	—
AVX-512	No	—
Virtualization	true	—

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the Athlon II N330 was priced at $100, while the Pentium G3250 came in at $171. On launch pricing ($100 vs $171), Athlon II N330 was $71 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Athlon II N330 delivers 20.0 pts/$ vs 11.8 pts/$ for the Pentium G3250 — making the Athlon II N330 the 51.9% better value option.

Feature	Athlon II N330	Pentium G3250
MSRP	$100-42%	$171
Performance per Dollar	20.0+69%	11.8
Release Date	2010	2014

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