Athlon II N350 vs Pentium E6300

AMD

Athlon II N350

2 Cores2 Thrd1 WWMax: 2.4 GHz2010
Similar parts
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VS
Intel

Pentium E6300

2 Cores2 Thrd65 WWMax: 2.8 GHz2009
Similar parts
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Athlon II N350 vs Pentium E6300 Performance Spectrum

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 Pentium E6300 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 Pentium E6300: 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

  • +1.3% higher PassMark.
  • Draws 1W instead of 65W, a 64W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Lower PassMark per dollar, at 10.4 vs 12.3 PassMark/$ ($100 MSRP vs $84 MSRP).

Pentium E6300

2009

Why buy it

  • Costs $16 less on MSRP ($84 MSRP vs $100 MSRP).
  • Delivers 17.6% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 12.3 vs 10.4 PassMark/$ ($84 MSRP vs $100 MSRP).

Trade-offs

  • Lower PassMark (1,032 vs 1,045).
  • 6400% higher power demand at 65W vs 1W.

Quick Answers

So, is Athlon II N350 better than Pentium E6300?
It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, Pentium E6300 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 1.3% 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 1.3% 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 still the much better call for a fresh build. Athlon II N350 comes in 19.0% more expensive on MSRP at $100 MSRP versus $84 MSRP, and it still gives you 1.3% better PassMark. Pentium E6300 only looks stronger on raw value math because it is extremely cheap, but that usually means used-market pricing on an obsolete 2009 platform. Even with 17.6% better value on paper (12.3 vs 10.4 PassMark/$), it really only makes sense as a cheap stopgap or a niche existing-platform option for someone already on LGA775.
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 2009) 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 Pentium E6300 Technical Specifications

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

AMD

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.

Intel

Pentium E6300

The Pentium E6300 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 9 May 2009 (16 years ago). 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: 2 MB (total). Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: LGA775. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR1, DDR2, DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,032 points. Launch price was $40.

Processing Power

Both the Athlon II N350 and Pentium E6300 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 Pentium E6300 — a 15.4% clock advantage for the Pentium E6300. The Athlon II N350 uses the Champlain (2010−2011) architecture (45 nm), while the Pentium E6300 uses Wolfdale (2008−2010) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon II N350 scores 1,045 against the Pentium E6300's 1,032 — a 1.3% lead for the Athlon II N350.

FeatureAthlon II N350Pentium E6300
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
2 MB (total)+100%
Process
45 nm
45 nm
Architecture
Champlain (2010−2011)
Wolfdale (2008−2010)
PassMark
1,045+1%
1,032
Geekbench 6 Single
210
Geekbench 6 Multi
400
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Memory & Platform

The Athlon II N350 uses the S1 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Pentium E6300 uses LGA775 (PCIe 1.1) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

FeatureAthlon II N350Pentium E6300
Socket
S1
LGA775
PCIe Generation
PCIe 2.0+82%
PCIe 1.1
Max RAM Speed
DDR3-1066
Max RAM Capacity
8 GB
RAM Channels
2
ECC Support
No
PCIe Lanes
0
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Advanced Features

Virtualization: AMD-V (Athlon II N350) / not specified (Pentium E6300). Primary use case: Athlon II N350 targets Legacy Laptop. Direct competitor: Athlon II N350 rivals Pentium P6100.

FeatureAthlon II N350Pentium E6300
Integrated GPU
No
Unlocked
No
AVX-512
No
Virtualization
AMD-V
Target Use
Legacy Laptop
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Value Analysis

At launch, the Athlon II N350 was priced at $100, while the Pentium E6300 came in at $84. On launch pricing ($100 vs $84), Pentium E6300 was $16 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Athlon II N350 delivers 10.4 pts/$ vs 12.3 pts/$ for the Pentium E6300 — making the Pentium E6300 the 16.1% better value option.

FeatureAthlon II N350Pentium E6300
MSRP
$100
$84-16%
Performance per Dollar
10.4
12.3+18%
Release Date
2010
2009

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