Athlon II N350 vs Ryzen 5 3600

Athlon II N350

2 Cores2 Thrd1 WWMax: 2.4 GHz2010

Ryzen 5 3600

6 Cores12 Thrd65 WWMax: 4.2 GHz2019

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Athlon II N350

2 / 2

1,045

0.0%

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3955WX

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7955WX

Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

Ryzen 5 3600

6 / 12

17,685

+1592.3%

Ryzen Threadripper 9960X

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. The Athlon II N350 is positioned at rank #1067 in our cost-efficiency ranking, representing a Lower cost-benefit for your build. Components placed above yours deliver better value for money.

MSRP is the manufacturer's suggested retail price.•
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.

Performance Per Dollar Athlon II N350

#1055

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

2808%

#1056

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

2767%

#1057

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

2540%

#1058

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

2528%

#1059

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

2505%

#1061

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

2419%

#1062

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

2320%

#1063

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

2316%

#1064

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

2254%

#1067

Athlon II N350

MSRP: $100|Avg: $100

100%

#1068

Celeron N3350

MSRP: $107|Avg: N/A

99%

#1070

Core i7-2675QM

MSRP: $378|Avg: N/A

99%

#1071

A9-9410

MSRP: $150|Avg: $25

99%

#1073

A8 Pro-7150B

MSRP: $150|Avg: $20

98%

#1074

A9-9420

MSRP: $150|Avg: $30

98%

#1075

Celeron B730

MSRP: $70|Avg: $10

98%

#1078

A9-9425

MSRP: $150|Avg: $30

97%

#1080

Core i5-4402E

MSRP: $266|Avg: $100

96%

#1081

A6-7000

MSRP: $100|Avg: $15

96%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Ryzen 5 3600

Ryzen 9 7950X

MSRP: $194|Avg: $20

1410%

Core i9-10900T

MSRP: $120|Avg: $5

1332%

Ryzen 3 PRO 4355GE

MSRP: $423|Avg: $5

967%

Ryzen Threadripper 3960X

MSRP: $1399|Avg: $85

291%

Ryzen 9 9950X

MSRP: $649|Avg: $129

231%

Ryzen 5 8400F

MSRP: $303|Avg: $55

202%

Ryzen 7 PRO 2700

MSRP: $299|Avg: $60

116%

Ryzen 5 2600X

MSRP: $229|Avg: $55

114%

Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G

MSRP: $150|Avg: $60

104%

#10

Core Ultra 5 245KF

MSRP: $294|Avg: $189

104%

#11

Ryzen 5 5500

MSRP: $159|Avg: $85

103%

#12

Ryzen 5 3600

MSRP: $199|Avg: $80

100%

#13

Core i3-9100E

MSRP: $202|Avg: $30

99%

#14

Core Ultra 5 245K

MSRP: $319|Avg: $200

98%

#15

Core i3-8300T

MSRP: $138|Avg: $25

97%

#16

Core Ultra 5 225F

MSRP: $231|Avg: $150

95%

#17

Core Ultra 7 265K

MSRP: $309|Avg: $285

93%

#18

Ryzen 9 3900

MSRP: $499|Avg: $150

92%

#19

Ryzen 5 3600X

MSRP: $249|Avg: $90

91%

#20

Core i7-14700KF

MSRP: $384|Avg: $260

91%

#21

Core i7-14700K

MSRP: $409|Avg: $270

88%

#22

Ryzen 5 4500

MSRP: $129|Avg: $85

85%

#23

Ryzen 5 5600

MSRP: $199|Avg: $115

85%

#24

Celeron G5925

MSRP: $62|Avg: $15

85%

#25

Ryzen 5 7500F

MSRP: $179|Avg: $145

83%

#26

Core Ultra 5 245

MSRP: $319|Avg: $220

83%

#27

Ryzen 7 2700

MSRP: $299|Avg: $86

82%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Generational Difference: This comparison involves processors from different technological eras. The Ryzen 5 3600 (2019) utilizes 7 nm, 12 nm technology and **DDR4 Dual-channel**, providing a fundamental performance advantage.

Insight	Athlon II N350	Ryzen 5 3600
Gaming	❌ Lower gaming performance	✅ Superior gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	⚠️ Higher cost ($100)	✅ More affordable ($80)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Champlain (2010−2011) / 45 nm)	✨ Modern (Matisse (2019−2020) / 7 nm, 12 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Athlon II N350 (2010) relies on 45 nm technology and DDR3, placing it in a different performance category relative to modern standards.

Insight	Athlon II N350	Ryzen 5 3600
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	✅ Better overall value (+2015%)
Upfront Cost	⚠️ Higher cost ($100)	✅ More affordable ($80)

Performance Check

Paired with RTX 4090

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.

Athlon II N350 Benchmark Check

Ryzen 5 3600 Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Athlon II N350 and Ryzen 5 3600

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.

Ryzen 5 3600

The Ryzen 5 3600 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 7 July 2019 (6 years ago). It is based on the Matisse (2019−2020) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 3.6 GHz, with boost up to 4.2 GHz. L3 cache: 32 MB (total). L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 7 nm, 12 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4 Dual-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 17,685 points. Launch price was $199.

⚡

Processing Power

The Athlon II N350 packs 2 cores / 2 threads, while the Ryzen 5 3600 offers 6 cores / 12 threads — the Ryzen 5 3600 has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 2.4 GHz on the Athlon II N350 versus 4.2 GHz on the Ryzen 5 3600 — a 54.5% clock advantage for the Ryzen 5 3600. The Athlon II N350 uses the Champlain (2010−2011) architecture (45 nm), while the Ryzen 5 3600 uses Matisse (2019−2020) (7 nm, 12 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon II N350 scores 1,045 against the Ryzen 5 3600's 17,685 — a 177.7% lead for the Ryzen 5 3600. Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 210 vs 1,295, a 144.2% lead for the Ryzen 5 3600 that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 400 vs 1,898 (130.4% advantage for the Ryzen 5 3600).

Feature	Athlon II N350	Ryzen 5 3600
Cores / Threads	2 / 2	6 / 12+200%
Boost Clock	2.4 GHz	4.2 GHz+75%
Base Clock	—	3.6 GHz
L3 Cache	—	32 MB (total)
L2 Cache	1 MB+100%	512K (per core)
Process	45 nm	7 nm, 12 nm-84%
Architecture	Champlain (2010−2011)	Matisse (2019−2020)
PassMark	1,045	17,685+1592%
Cinebench R23 Multi	—	9,500
Geekbench 6 Single	210	1,295+517%
Geekbench 6 Multi	400	1,898+375%

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Athlon II N350 uses the S1 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Ryzen 5 3600 uses AM4 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR3-1066 on the Athlon II N350 versus DDR4-3200 on the Ryzen 5 3600 — the Ryzen 5 3600 supports 28.6% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Ryzen 5 3600 supports up to 128 GB of RAM compared to 8 GB — 176.5% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 0 (Athlon II N350) vs 24 (Ryzen 5 3600) — the Ryzen 5 3600 offers 24 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: RS880M,SB850 (Athlon II N350) and AMD B550,AMD X570,AMD B450,AMD X470 (Ryzen 5 3600).

Feature	Athlon II N350	Ryzen 5 3600
Socket	S1	AM4
PCIe Generation	PCIe 2.0	PCIe 4.0+100%
Max RAM Speed	DDR3-1066	DDR4-3200+33%
Max RAM Capacity	8 GB	128 GB+1500%
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	❌	❌
PCIe Lanes	0	24

🔧

Advanced Features

Only the Ryzen 5 3600 has an unlocked multiplier for overclocking — a significant advantage for enthusiasts seeking extra performance. Virtualization support: AMD-V (Athlon II N350) vs Yes (Ryzen 5 3600). Primary use case: Athlon II N350 targets Legacy Laptop, Ryzen 5 3600 targets Gaming/Budget Workstation. Direct competitor: Athlon II N350 rivals Pentium P6100; Ryzen 5 3600 rivals Core i5-10400.

Feature	Athlon II N350	Ryzen 5 3600
Integrated GPU	No	No
Unlocked	No	Yes
AVX-512	No	No
Virtualization	AMD-V	Yes
Target Use	Legacy Laptop	Gaming/Budget Workstation

💰

Value Analysis

The Athlon II N350 launched at $100 MSRP, while the Ryzen 5 3600 debuted at $199. At current prices ($100 vs $80), the Ryzen 5 3600 is $20 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Athlon II N350 delivers 10.4 pts/$ vs 221.1 pts/$ for the Ryzen 5 3600 — making the Ryzen 5 3600 the 181.9% better value option.