Athlon II X3 420e vs Xeon E5335
Athlon II X3 420e
Xeon E5335
Performance Spectrum - CPU
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 X3 420e is positioned at rank 906 and the Xeon E5335 is on rank 922, so the Athlon II X3 420e offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Athlon II X3 420e
Performance Per Dollar Xeon E5335
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Athlon II X3 420e | Xeon E5335 |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ✅ Superior gaming performance | ❌ Lower gaming performance |
| Workstation | ✅ Better multi-core power | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks |
| Price | ⚠️ Higher cost ($15) | ✅ More affordable ($0) |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Rana (2009−2011) / 45 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Clovertown (2006−2007) / 65 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Athlon II X3 420e | Xeon E5335 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ⚠️ Higher cost ($15) | ✅ More affordable ($0) |
Performance Check
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.
Technical Specifications
Side-by-side comparison of Athlon II X3 420e and Xeon E5335
Athlon II X3 420e
The Athlon II X3 420e is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 21 September 2010 (15 years ago). It is based on the Rana (2009−2011) architecture. It features 3 cores and 3 threads. Base frequency is 2.6 GHz, with boost up to 2.6 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: AM3. Thermal design power (TDP): 45 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,557 points. Launch price was $116.
Xeon E5335
The Xeon E5335 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. It is based on the Clovertown (2006−2007) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2 GHz, with boost up to 2 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB L2 Cache. L2 cache: 4 MB (total). Built on 65 nm process technology. Socket: LGA771. Thermal design power (TDP): 80 Watt. Memory support: DDR2, DDR3 Depends on motherboard. Passmark benchmark score: 1,549 points. Launch price was $800.
Processing Power
The Athlon II X3 420e packs 3 cores / 3 threads, while the Xeon E5335 offers 4 cores / 4 threads — the Xeon E5335 has 1 more core. Boost clocks reach 2.6 GHz on the Athlon II X3 420e versus 2 GHz on the Xeon E5335 — a 26.1% clock advantage for the Athlon II X3 420e (base: 2.6 GHz vs 2 GHz). The Athlon II X3 420e uses the Rana (2009−2011) architecture (45 nm), while the Xeon E5335 uses Clovertown (2006−2007) (65 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon II X3 420e scores 1,557 against the Xeon E5335's 1,549 — a 0.5% lead for the Athlon II X3 420e. L3 cache: 0 kB on the Athlon II X3 420e vs 8 MB L2 Cache on the Xeon E5335.
| Feature | Athlon II X3 420e | Xeon E5335 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 3 / 3 | 4 / 4+33% |
| Boost Clock | 2.6 GHz+30% | 2 GHz |
| Base Clock | 2.6 GHz+30% | 2 GHz |
| L3 Cache | 0 kB | 8 MB L2 Cache |
| L2 Cache | 512 kB (per core) | 4 MB (total)+700% |
| Process | 45 nm-31% | 65 nm |
| Architecture | Rana (2009−2011) | Clovertown (2006−2007) |
| PassMark | 1,557 | 1,549 |
| Geekbench 6 Single | 314 | — |
| Geekbench 6 Multi | 880 | — |
Memory & Platform
The Athlon II X3 420e uses the AM3 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Xeon E5335 uses LGA771 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Athlon II X3 420e | Xeon E5335 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | AM3 | LGA771 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 2.0 | PCIe 2.0 |
| Max RAM Speed | DDR3-1333 | — |
| Max RAM Capacity | 16 GB | — |
| RAM Channels | 2 | — |
| ECC Support | ❌ | — |
| PCIe Lanes | 16 | — |
Advanced Features
Virtualization: AMD-V (Athlon II X3 420e) / not specified (Xeon E5335). Primary use case: Athlon II X3 420e targets Legacy Desktop. Direct competitor: Athlon II X3 420e rivals Athlon II X3 415e.
| Feature | Athlon II X3 420e | Xeon E5335 |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | No | — |
| Unlocked | No | — |
| AVX-512 | No | — |
| Virtualization | AMD-V | — |
| Target Use | Legacy Desktop | — |
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