Athlon II N330 vs Phenom II X4 905e
Athlon II N330
Phenom II X4 905e
Performance Spectrum - CPU
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.
Value Upgrade Path
This is the official ChipVERSUS Value Rating, comparing raw performance (PassMark) per dollar. Components placed above yours deliver better value for money. The Athlon II N330 is positioned at rank 884 and the Phenom II X4 905e is on rank 316, so the Phenom II X4 905e offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Athlon II N330
Performance Per Dollar Phenom II X4 905e
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Athlon II N330 | Phenom II X4 905e |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ❌ Lower gaming performance | ✅ Superior gaming performance |
| Workstation | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks | ✅ Better multi-core power |
| Price | ⚠️ Higher cost ($50) | ✅ More affordable ($0) |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Champlain (2010−2011) / 45 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Deneb (2009−2011) / 45 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Athlon II N330 | Phenom II X4 905e |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ⚠️ Higher cost ($50) | ✅ More affordable ($0) |
Performance Check
To accurately isolate CPU performance, all benchmarks below use an NVIDIA RTX 4090 as the reference GPU. This eliminates GPU-side bottlenecks and highlights pure processing throughput differences between the CPUs.
Note: Real-world results may vary based on your actual GPU. CPU performance impact is more visible in processing-intensive titles and high-refresh-rate gaming scenarios.
Technical Specifications
Side-by-side comparison of Athlon II N330 and Phenom II X4 905e
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.
Phenom II X4 905e
The Phenom II X4 905e is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2 June 2009 (16 years ago). It is based on the Deneb (2009−2011) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.5 GHz, with boost up to 2.5 GHz. L3 cache: 6 MB (total). L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: AM3. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 2,014 points. Launch price was $212.
Processing Power
The Athlon II N330 packs 2 cores / 2 threads, while the Phenom II X4 905e offers 4 cores / 4 threads — the Phenom II X4 905e has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 2.3 GHz on the Athlon II N330 versus 2.5 GHz on the Phenom II X4 905e — a 8.3% clock advantage for the Phenom II X4 905e. The Athlon II N330 uses the Champlain (2010−2011) architecture (45 nm), while the Phenom II X4 905e uses Deneb (2009−2011) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon II N330 scores 1,999 against the Phenom II X4 905e's 2,014 — a 0.7% lead for the Phenom II X4 905e.
| Feature | Athlon II N330 | Phenom II X4 905e |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 2 / 2 | 4 / 4+100% |
| Boost Clock | 2.3 GHz | 2.5 GHz+9% |
| Base Clock | — | 2.5 GHz |
| L3 Cache | — | 6 MB (total) |
| L2 Cache | 1 MB+100% | 512 kB (per core) |
| Process | 45 nm | 45 nm |
| Architecture | Champlain (2010−2011) | Deneb (2009−2011) |
| PassMark | 1,999 | 2,014 |
Memory & Platform
The Athlon II N330 uses the S1 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Phenom II X4 905e uses AM3 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Athlon II N330 | Phenom II X4 905e |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | S1 | AM3 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 2.0 | PCIe 2.0 |
| Max RAM Speed | 1066 | — |
| Max RAM Capacity | 8 | — |
| RAM Channels | 2 | — |
| ECC Support | ❌ | — |
| PCIe Lanes | 0 | — |
Advanced Features
Virtualization: true (Athlon II N330) / not specified (Phenom II X4 905e). Direct competitor: Athlon II N330 rivals Pentium P6100.
| Feature | Athlon II N330 | Phenom II X4 905e |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | No | — |
| IGPU Model | None | — |
| Unlocked | No | — |
| AVX-512 | No | — |
| Virtualization | true | — |
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