Athlon II N350 vs Core 2 Duo E7400

Athlon II N350 vs Core 2 Duo E7400 Performance Spectrum

Athlon II N350

2 / 2

1,045

+0.2%

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3955WX

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7955WX

Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

Core 2 Duo E7400

2 / 2

1,043

0.0%

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 N350 vs Core 2 Duo E7400 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 N350 vs Core 2 Duo E7400: 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 N350

2010

Why buy it

✅+0.2% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 1W instead of 65W, a 64W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $100 MSRP, while Core 2 Duo E7400 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core 2 Duo E7400.

Core 2 Duo E7400

2008

Why buy it

✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (true), unlike Athlon II N350.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (1,043 vs 1,045).
❌6400% higher power demand at 65W vs 1W.

Quick Answers

So, is Athlon II N350 better than Core 2 Duo E7400?

It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, Core 2 Duo E7400 is ahead with a 0.2% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Athlon II N350 pulls ahead with 0.2% better PassMark.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Athlon II N350 is the stronger fit. You are getting 0.2% better PassMark, backed by 2 cores and 2 threads.

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

Athlon II N350 is the better buy right now. Athlon II N350 comes in at an unclear MSRP at $100 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it still gives you 0.2% better PassMark. The compromise is that Core 2 Duo E7400 is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 0.2% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (10.4 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), so you are getting the faster CPU without taking a value hit on paper.

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

Athlon II N350 makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2010 vs 2008) 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 N350 vs Core 2 Duo E7400 Technical Specifications

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

Athlon II N350

The Athlon II N350 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: 2.4 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: 1,045 points. Launch price was $149.

Core 2 Duo E7400

The Core 2 Duo E7400 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2008-01-01. It is based on the Wolfdale (2008−2010) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 2.8 GHz, with boost up to 2.8 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 3 MB (total). Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: LGA775. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR1, DDR2, DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,043 points. Launch price was $249.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Athlon II N350 and Core 2 Duo E7400 share an identical 2-core/2-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 2.4 GHz on the Athlon II N350 versus 2.8 GHz on the Core 2 Duo E7400 — a 15.4% clock advantage for the Core 2 Duo E7400. The Athlon II N350 uses the Champlain (2010−2011) architecture (45 nm), while the Core 2 Duo E7400 uses Wolfdale (2008−2010) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon II N350 scores 1,045 against the Core 2 Duo E7400's 1,043 — a 0.2% lead for the Athlon II N350.

Feature	Athlon II N350	Core 2 Duo E7400
Cores / Threads	2 / 2	2 / 2
Boost Clock	2.4 GHz	2.8 GHz+17%
Base Clock	—	2.8 GHz
L3 Cache	—	0 kB
L2 Cache	1 MB	3 MB (total)+200%
Process	45 nm	45 nm
Architecture	Champlain (2010−2011)	Wolfdale (2008−2010)
PassMark	1,045	1,043
Geekbench 6 Single	210	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	400	—

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Athlon II N350 uses the S1 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Core 2 Duo E7400 uses LGA775 (PCIe 1.1) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR3-1066 memory speed. The Core 2 Duo E7400 supports up to 16 GB of RAM compared to 8 GB — 100% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 0 (Athlon II N350) vs 16 (Core 2 Duo E7400) — the Core 2 Duo E7400 offers 16 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: RS880M,SB850 (Athlon II N350) and P35,G31,G33,P45 (Core 2 Duo E7400).

Feature	Athlon II N350	Core 2 Duo E7400
Socket	S1	LGA775
PCIe Generation	PCIe 2.0+82%	PCIe 1.1
Max RAM Speed	DDR3-1066	1066
Max RAM Capacity	8 GB	16 GB+100%
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	No	No
PCIe Lanes	0	16

🔧

Advanced Features

Neither processor supports overclocking. Virtualization support: AMD-V (Athlon II N350) vs true (Core 2 Duo E7400). Primary use case: Athlon II N350 targets Legacy Laptop. Direct competitor: Athlon II N350 rivals Pentium P6100; Core 2 Duo E7400 rivals Athlon II X2 245.