Athlon II N370 vs Phenom X3 8250e

Athlon II N370 vs Phenom X3 8250e Performance Spectrum

Athlon II N370

2 / 2

1,085

+0.1%

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3955WX

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7955WX

Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

Phenom X3 8250e

3 / 3

1,084

0.0%

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3955WX

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7955WX

Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

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 N370 vs Phenom X3 8250e 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 N370 vs Phenom X3 8250e: 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 N370

2010

Why buy it

✅Draws 1W instead of 65W, a 64W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $60 MSRP, while Phenom X3 8250e mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

Phenom X3 8250e

2008

Why buy it

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (1,084 vs 1,085).
❌6400% higher power demand at 65W vs 1W.

Quick Answers

So, is Athlon II N370 better than Phenom X3 8250e?

Yes. Athlon II N370 is the better all-around CPU here. It gives you a 1.5% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data, 0.1% 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, Athlon II N370 is the better pick. According to our tests, it delivers 1.5% 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, Athlon II N370 is the stronger fit. You are getting 0.1% better PassMark, backed by 2 cores and 2 threads.

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

Athlon II N370 is the better buy right now. Athlon II N370 comes in at an unclear MSRP at $60 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it still gives you a 1.5% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (18.1 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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 N370 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 3/3. That extra compute headroom is more likely to matter as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

Athlon II N370 vs Phenom X3 8250e Technical Specifications

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

Athlon II N370

The Athlon II N370 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: 2.5 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: 1,085 points. Launch price was $149.

Phenom X3 8250e

The Phenom X3 8250e is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2009-01-01. It is based on the Toliman (2008) architecture. It features 3 cores and 3 threads. Max frequency: 1.9 GHz. L3 cache: 2 MB (total). L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 65 nm process technology. Socket: AM2+. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Passmark benchmark score: 1,084 points. Launch price was $149.

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Processing Power

The Athlon II N370 packs 2 cores / 2 threads, while the Phenom X3 8250e offers 3 cores / 3 threads — the Phenom X3 8250e has 1 more core. Boost clocks reach 2.5 GHz on the Athlon II N370 versus 1.9 GHz on the Phenom X3 8250e — a 27.3% clock advantage for the Athlon II N370. The Athlon II N370 uses the Champlain (2010−2011) architecture (45 nm), while the Phenom X3 8250e uses Toliman (2008) (65 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon II N370 scores 1,085 against the Phenom X3 8250e's 1,084 — a 0.1% lead for the Athlon II N370.

Feature	Athlon II N370	Phenom X3 8250e
Cores / Threads	2 / 2	3 / 3+50%
Boost Clock	2.5 GHz+32%	1.9 GHz
L3 Cache	—	2 MB (total)
L2 Cache	1 MB+100%	512 kB (per core)
Process	45 nm-31%	65 nm
Architecture	Champlain (2010−2011)	Toliman (2008)
PassMark	1,085	1,084
Geekbench 6 Single	220	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	420	—

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Memory & Platform

The Athlon II N370 uses the S1 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Phenom X3 8250e uses AM2+ (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Athlon II N370	Phenom X3 8250e
Socket	S1	AM2+
PCIe Generation	PCIe 2.0	PCIe 2.0
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 N370) / not specified (Phenom X3 8250e). Primary use case: Athlon II N370 targets Legacy Laptop. Direct competitor: Athlon II N370 rivals Pentium P6100.