Athlon II X2 245e vs Pentium N3520

Athlon II X2 245e vs Pentium N3520 Performance Spectrum

Athlon II X2 245e

2 / 2

1,141

0.0%

Mobile Athlon 64 3700+

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3955WX

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7955WX

Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

Pentium N3520

4 / 4

1,144

+0.3%

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 X2 245e vs Pentium N3520 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 X2 245e vs Pentium N3520: 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 X2 245e

2010

Why buy it

✅Costs $13 less on MSRP ($87 MSRP vs $100 MSRP).
✅Delivers 14.6% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 13.1 vs 11.4 PassMark/$ ($87 MSRP vs $100 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (1,141 vs 1,144).
❌2150% higher power demand at 45W vs 2W.

Pentium N3520

2013

Why buy it

✅+0.3% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 2W instead of 45W, a 43W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 11.4 vs 13.1 PassMark/$ ($100 MSRP vs $87 MSRP).

Quick Answers

So, is Pentium N3520 better than Athlon II X2 245e?

It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, Athlon II X2 245e is ahead with a 0.1% average FPS lead across 41 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Pentium N3520 pulls ahead with 0.3% better PassMark.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Pentium N3520 is the stronger fit. You are getting 0.3% better PassMark, backed by 4 cores and 4 threads.

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

Pentium N3520 is still the much better call for a fresh build. Pentium N3520 comes in 14.9% more expensive on MSRP at $100 MSRP versus $87 MSRP, and it still gives you 0.3% better PassMark. Athlon II X2 245e only looks stronger on raw value math because it is extremely cheap, but that usually means used-market pricing on an obsolete 2010 platform. Even with 14.6% better value on paper (13.1 vs 11.4 PassMark/$), it really only makes sense as a cheap stopgap or a niche existing-platform option for someone already on AM3.

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

Pentium N3520 makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2013 vs 2010) and more multi-core headroom with 4 cores / 4 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 X2 245e vs Pentium N3520 Technical Specifications

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

Athlon II X2 245e

The Athlon II X2 245e is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 11 May 2010 (15 years ago). It is based on the Regor (2009−2013) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 2.9 GHz, with boost up to 2.9 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 1 MB. Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: AM3. Thermal design power (TDP): 45 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,141 points. Launch price was $80.

Pentium N3520

The Pentium N3520 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 December 2013 (12 years ago). It is based on the Bay Trail-M (2013−2014) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.17 GHz, with boost up to 2.42 GHz. L3 cache: 2 MB. L2 cache: 2 MB. Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1170. Thermal design power (TDP): 7.5 Watt. Memory support: DDR3L-1333. Passmark benchmark score: 1,144 points. Launch price was $161.

⚡

Processing Power

The Athlon II X2 245e packs 2 cores / 2 threads, while the Pentium N3520 offers 4 cores / 4 threads — the Pentium N3520 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 2.9 GHz on the Athlon II X2 245e versus 2.42 GHz on the Pentium N3520 — a 18% clock advantage for the Athlon II X2 245e (base: 2.9 GHz vs 2.17 GHz). The Athlon II X2 245e uses the Regor (2009−2013) architecture (45 nm), while the Pentium N3520 uses Bay Trail-M (2013−2014) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon II X2 245e scores 1,141 against the Pentium N3520's 1,144 — a 0.3% lead for the Pentium N3520. L3 cache: 0 kB on the Athlon II X2 245e vs 2 MB on the Pentium N3520.

Feature	Athlon II X2 245e	Pentium N3520
Cores / Threads	2 / 2	4 / 4+100%
Boost Clock	2.9 GHz+20%	2.42 GHz
Base Clock	2.9 GHz+34%	2.17 GHz
L3 Cache	0 kB	2 MB
L2 Cache	1 MB	2 MB+100%
Process	45 nm	22 nm-51%
Architecture	Regor (2009−2013)	Bay Trail-M (2013−2014)
PassMark	1,141	1,144
Geekbench 6 Single	319	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	741	—

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Athlon II X2 245e uses the AM3 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Pentium N3520 uses FCBGA1170 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Athlon II X2 245e	Pentium N3520
Socket	AM3	FCBGA1170
PCIe Generation	PCIe 2.0	PCIe 2.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR3-1333	—
Max RAM Capacity	16 GB	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	No	—

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: AMD-V (Athlon II X2 245e) / not specified (Pentium N3520). Primary use case: Athlon II X2 245e targets Budget. Direct competitor: Athlon II X2 245e rivals Athlon II X2 270u.

Feature	Athlon II X2 245e	Pentium N3520
Integrated GPU	No	—
Unlocked	No	—
AVX-512	No	—
Virtualization	AMD-V	—
Target Use	Budget	—

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the Athlon II X2 245e was priced at $87, while the Pentium N3520 came in at $100. On launch pricing ($87 vs $100), Athlon II X2 245e was $13 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Athlon II X2 245e delivers 13.1 pts/$ vs 11.4 pts/$ for the Pentium N3520 — making the Athlon II X2 245e the 13.6% better value option.

Feature	Athlon II X2 245e	Pentium N3520
MSRP	$87-13%	$100
Performance per Dollar	13.1+15%	11.4
Release Date	2010	2013

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