Athlon II X3 435 vs Pentium G3220T

Athlon II X3 435 vs Pentium G3220T Performance Spectrum

Athlon II X3 435

3 / 3

1,645

0.0%

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 5945WX

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7955WX

Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

Pentium G3220T

2 / 2

1,649

+0.2%

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 X3 435 vs Pentium G3220T 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 X3 435 vs Pentium G3220T: 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 X3 435

2009

Why buy it

✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Pentium G3220T.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (1,645 vs 1,649).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 18.9 vs 30.5 PassMark/$ ($87 MSRP vs $54 MSRP).
❌171.4% higher power demand at 95W vs 35W.

Pentium G3220T

2013

Why buy it

✅+0.2% higher PassMark.
✅Costs $33 less on MSRP ($54 MSRP vs $87 MSRP).
✅Delivers 61.5% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 30.5 vs 18.9 PassMark/$ ($54 MSRP vs $87 MSRP).
✅Draws 35W instead of 95W, a 60W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Athlon II X3 435.

Quick Answers

So, is Pentium G3220T better than Athlon II X3 435?

It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, Athlon II X3 435 is ahead with a 1.1% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Pentium G3220T pulls ahead with 0.2% better PassMark.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Pentium G3220T is the stronger fit. You are getting 0.2% better PassMark, backed by 2 cores and 2 threads.

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

Pentium G3220T is the better buy right now. Pentium G3220T comes in $33 cheaper on MSRP at $54 MSRP versus $87 MSRP, and it still gives you 0.2% better PassMark. The compromise is that Athlon II X3 435 is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 1.1% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 61.5% better value on MSRP (30.5 vs 18.9 PassMark/$), so you are getting the faster CPU without taking a value hit on paper.

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

Pentium G3220T makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2013 vs 2009) 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 X3 435 vs Pentium G3220T Technical Specifications

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

Athlon II X3 435

The Athlon II X3 435 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 9 October 2009 (16 years ago). It is based on the Rana (2009−2011) architecture. It features 3 cores and 3 threads. Base frequency is 2.9 GHz, with boost up to 2.9 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: AM3. Thermal design power (TDP): 95 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,645 points. Launch price was $160.

Pentium G3220T

The Pentium G3220T is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 September 2013 (12 years ago). It is based on the Haswell (2013−2015) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 2.6 GHz, with boost up to 2.6 GHz. L3 cache: 3 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1150. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,649 points. Launch price was $40.

⚡

Processing Power

The Athlon II X3 435 packs 3 cores / 3 threads, while the Pentium G3220T offers 2 cores / 2 threads — the Athlon II X3 435 has 1 more core. Boost clocks reach 2.9 GHz on the Athlon II X3 435 versus 2.6 GHz on the Pentium G3220T — a 10.9% clock advantage for the Athlon II X3 435 (base: 2.9 GHz vs 2.6 GHz). The Athlon II X3 435 uses the Rana (2009−2011) architecture (45 nm), while the Pentium G3220T uses Haswell (2013−2015) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon II X3 435 scores 1,645 against the Pentium G3220T's 1,649 — a 0.2% lead for the Pentium G3220T. L3 cache: 0 kB on the Athlon II X3 435 vs 3 MB (total) on the Pentium G3220T.

Feature	Athlon II X3 435	Pentium G3220T
Cores / Threads	3 / 3+50%	2 / 2
Boost Clock	2.9 GHz+12%	2.6 GHz
Base Clock	2.9 GHz+12%	2.6 GHz
L3 Cache	0 kB	3 MB (total)
L2 Cache	512 kB (per core)+100%	256 kB (per core)
Process	45 nm	22 nm-51%
Architecture	Rana (2009−2011)	Haswell (2013−2015)
PassMark	1,645	1,649

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Memory & Platform

The Athlon II X3 435 uses the AM3 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Pentium G3220T uses LGA1150 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Athlon II X3 435	Pentium G3220T
Socket	AM3	LGA1150
PCIe Generation	PCIe 2.0	PCIe 3.0+50%
Max RAM Speed	DDR3-1333	—
Max RAM Capacity	16 GB	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	No	—
PCIe Lanes	16	—

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: AMD-V (Athlon II X3 435) / not specified (Pentium G3220T).

Feature	Athlon II X3 435	Pentium G3220T
Integrated GPU	No	—
Unlocked	No	—
AVX-512	No	—
Virtualization	AMD-V	—

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the Athlon II X3 435 was priced at $87, while the Pentium G3220T came in at $54. On launch pricing ($87 vs $54), Pentium G3220T was $33 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Athlon II X3 435 delivers 18.9 pts/$ vs 30.5 pts/$ for the Pentium G3220T — making the Pentium G3220T the 47% better value option.

Feature	Athlon II X3 435	Pentium G3220T
MSRP	$87	$54-38%
Performance per Dollar	18.9	30.5+61%
Release Date	2009	2013

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