Athlon II X2 280 vs Core i3-3217UE

Athlon II X2 280

2 Cores2 Thrd65 WWMax: 3.6 GHz2013

Core i3-3217UE

2 Cores4 Thrd17 WWMax: 1.6 GHz2012

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Athlon II X2 280

2 / 2

1,355

0.0%

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3955WX

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7955WX

Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

Core i3-3217UE

2 / 4

1,362

+0.5%

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. Components placed above yours deliver better value for money. The Athlon II X2 280 is positioned at rank 638 and the Core i3-3217UE is on rank 1187, so the Athlon II X2 280 offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.

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 X2 280

Ryzen 9 7950X

MSRP: $194|Avg: $20

11502%

Core i9-10900T

MSRP: $120|Avg: $5

10869%

Ryzen 3 PRO 4355GE

MSRP: $423|Avg: $5

7892%

Ryzen Threadripper 3960X

MSRP: $1399|Avg: $85

2377%

Ryzen 9 9950X

MSRP: $649|Avg: $129

1883%

Ryzen 5 8400F

MSRP: $303|Avg: $55

1647%

Ryzen 7 PRO 2700

MSRP: $299|Avg: $60

944%

Ryzen 5 2600X

MSRP: $229|Avg: $55

931%

Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G

MSRP: $150|Avg: $60

848%

#10

Core Ultra 5 245KF

MSRP: $294|Avg: $189

848%

#11

Ryzen 5 5500

MSRP: $159|Avg: $85

838%

#12

Ryzen 5 3600

MSRP: $199|Avg: $80

816%

#13

Core i3-9100E

MSRP: $202|Avg: $30

804%

#14

Core Ultra 5 245K

MSRP: $319|Avg: $200

801%

#15

Core i3-8300T

MSRP: $138|Avg: $25

794%

#387

Ryzen Embedded V1807B

MSRP: $300|Avg: $300

99%

#638

Athlon II X2 280

MSRP: $50|Avg: $15

100%

#639

FX-8300

MSRP: $197|Avg: $50

100%

#640

Celeron G540T

MSRP: $42|Avg: $42

100%

#641

Core i5-6600

MSRP: $224|Avg: $90

100%

#642

Core i5-4460

MSRP: $182|Avg: $40

100%

#645

Core i3-4170T

MSRP: $117|Avg: $17

99%

#646

FX-8370E

MSRP: $199|Avg: $80

99%

#647

Core i5-4590S

MSRP: $192|Avg: $45

99%

#648

Pentium G2020

MSRP: $64|Avg: $15

98%

#649

Pentium G3450

MSRP: $82|Avg: $25

98%

#650

Core i7-6700

MSRP: $303|Avg: $143

98%

#651

Athlon II X4 631

MSRP: $80|Avg: $15

98%

#652

Pentium G3240T

MSRP: $64|Avg: $15

98%

#653

Core i3-4160T

MSRP: $117|Avg: $18

97%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Core i3-3217UE

#1175

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

4850%

#1176

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

4779%

#1177

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

4387%

#1178

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

4367%

#1179

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

4327%

#1181

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

4179%

#1182

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

4007%

#1183

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

4000%

#1184

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

3893%

#1187

Core i3-3217UE

MSRP: $225|Avg: $35

100%

#1188

Celeron T3000

MSRP: $150|Avg: $54

100%

#1189

Core m7-6Y75

MSRP: $393|Avg: $393

99%

#1190

Core M-5Y10

MSRP: $281|Avg: $20

97%

#1193

Celeron 900

MSRP: $86|Avg: $5

93%

#1194

Pentium T3400

MSRP: $150|Avg: $90

93%

#1195

Core 2 Solo SU3500

MSRP: $262|Avg: $15

93%

#1196

Core 2 Duo E8335

MSRP: $200|Avg: $50

90%

#1199

Celeron 560

MSRP: $89|Avg: $5

88%

#1200

Core i3-2312M

MSRP: $225|Avg: N/A

87%

#1201

Celeron 857

MSRP: $134|Avg: $10

87%

#1202

Celeron 925

MSRP: $100|Avg: $100

87%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Leadership: The Core i3-3217UE delivers superior performance across the board. It outperforms the Athlon II X2 280 in both compute-intensive tasks (0.5% faster) and gaming workloads.

Insight	Athlon II X2 280	Core i3-3217UE
Gaming	❌ Lower gaming performance	✅ Superior gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	✅ More affordable ($15)	⚠️ Higher cost ($35)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Regor (2009−2013) / 45 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) / 22 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Value Proposition: While both processors are considered legacy components by modern standards, the Athlon II X2 280 holds the technical lead in efficiency. Priced at $15 (vs $35), it costs 57% less. While offering basic entry-level performance, it results in a 132% higher cost efficiency score compared to the Core i3-3217UE.

Insight	Athlon II X2 280	Core i3-3217UE
Cost Efficiency	✅ Better overall value (+132%)	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	✅ More affordable ($15)	⚠️ Higher cost ($35)

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 X2 280 Benchmark Check

Core i3-3217UE Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Athlon II X2 280 and Core i3-3217UE

Athlon II X2 280

The Athlon II X2 280 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 6 February 2013 (12 years ago). It is based on the Regor (2009−2013) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 3.6 GHz, with boost up to 3.6 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 1 MB. Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: AM3. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR2, DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,355 points. Launch price was $100.

Core i3-3217UE

The Core i3-3217UE is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 August 2012 (13 years ago). It is based on the Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Max frequency: 1.6 GHz. L3 cache: 3 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: BGA1023. Thermal design power (TDP): 17 Watt. Memory support: unknown Dual-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 1,362 points. Launch price was $69.

⚡

Processing Power

The Athlon II X2 280 packs 2 cores / 2 threads, matching the Core i3-3217UE's 2 cores. Boost clocks reach 3.6 GHz on the Athlon II X2 280 versus 1.6 GHz on the Core i3-3217UE — a 76.9% clock advantage for the Athlon II X2 280. The Athlon II X2 280 uses the Regor (2009−2013) architecture (45 nm), while the Core i3-3217UE uses Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon II X2 280 scores 1,355 against the Core i3-3217UE's 1,362 — a 0.5% lead for the Core i3-3217UE. Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 290 vs 353, a 19.6% lead for the Core i3-3217UE that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 550 vs 790 (35.8% advantage for the Core i3-3217UE). L3 cache: 0 kB on the Athlon II X2 280 vs 3 MB (total) on the Core i3-3217UE.

Feature	Athlon II X2 280	Core i3-3217UE
Cores / Threads	2 / 2	2 / 4
Boost Clock	3.6 GHz+125%	1.6 GHz
Base Clock	3.6 GHz	—
L3 Cache	0 kB	3 MB (total)
L2 Cache	1 MB+300%	256 kB (per core)
Process	45 nm	22 nm-51%
Architecture	Regor (2009−2013)	Ivy Bridge (2012−2013)
PassMark	1,355	1,362
Geekbench 6 Single	290	353+22%
Geekbench 6 Multi	550	790+44%

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Athlon II X2 280 uses the AM3 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Core i3-3217UE uses BGA1023 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR3-1333 memory speed. Both support up to 16 GB of RAM. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 0 (Athlon II X2 280) vs 16 (Core i3-3217UE) — the Core i3-3217UE offers 16 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: 870,880G,890GX,890FX,970,990X,990FX (Athlon II X2 280) and HM65,QM77 (Core i3-3217UE).

Feature	Athlon II X2 280	Core i3-3217UE
Socket	AM3	BGA1023
PCIe Generation	PCIe 2.0	PCIe 3.0+50%
Max RAM Speed	DDR3-1333	DDR3-1600
Max RAM Capacity	16 GB	16 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	✅	✅
PCIe Lanes	0	16

🔧

Advanced Features

Neither processor supports overclocking. Virtualization support: AMD-V (Athlon II X2 280) vs Yes (Core i3-3217UE). The Core i3-3217UE includes integrated graphics (HD Graphics 4000), while the Athlon II X2 280 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Athlon II X2 280 targets Legacy Desktop, Core i3-3217UE targets Embedded. Direct competitor: Athlon II X2 280 rivals Pentium E6700.

Feature	Athlon II X2 280	Core i3-3217UE
Integrated GPU	No	Yes
IGPU Model	—	HD Graphics 4000
Unlocked	No	No
AVX-512	No	No
Virtualization	AMD-V	Yes
Target Use	Legacy Desktop	Embedded

💰

Value Analysis

The Athlon II X2 280 launched at $50 MSRP, while the Core i3-3217UE debuted at $225. At current prices ($15 vs $35), the Athlon II X2 280 is $20 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Athlon II X2 280 delivers 90.3 pts/$ vs 38.9 pts/$ for the Core i3-3217UE — making the Athlon II X2 280 the 79.6% better value option.