Athlon II X3 450 vs Atom x7-E3950
Athlon II X3 450
Atom x7-E3950
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 450 is positioned at rank 761 and the Atom x7-E3950 is on rank 480, so the Atom x7-E3950 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 450
Performance Per Dollar Atom x7-E3950
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Athlon II X3 450 | Atom x7-E3950 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 (Apollo Lake (2014−2016) / 14 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Athlon II X3 450 | Atom x7-E3950 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 450 and Atom x7-E3950
Athlon II X3 450
The Athlon II X3 450 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 3.2 GHz, with boost up to 3.2 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: 1,865 points. Launch price was $45.
Atom x7-E3950
The Atom x7-E3950 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 30 August 2014 (11 years ago). It is based on the Apollo Lake (2014−2016) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 1.6 GHz, with boost up to 2 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 2 MB (total). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1296. Thermal design power (TDP): 12 Watt. Memory support: DDR3, DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 1,864 points. Launch price was $57.
Processing Power
The Athlon II X3 450 packs 3 cores / 3 threads, while the Atom x7-E3950 offers 4 cores / 4 threads — the Atom x7-E3950 has 1 more core. Boost clocks reach 3.2 GHz on the Athlon II X3 450 versus 2 GHz on the Atom x7-E3950 — a 46.2% clock advantage for the Athlon II X3 450 (base: 3.2 GHz vs 1.6 GHz). The Athlon II X3 450 uses the Rana (2009−2011) architecture (45 nm), while the Atom x7-E3950 uses Apollo Lake (2014−2016) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon II X3 450 scores 1,865 against the Atom x7-E3950's 1,864 — a 0.1% lead for the Athlon II X3 450. Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 380 vs 245, a 43.2% lead for the Athlon II X3 450 that directly translates to higher frame rates. Both processors carry 0 kB of L3 cache.
| Feature | Athlon II X3 450 | Atom x7-E3950 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 3 / 3 | 4 / 4+33% |
| Boost Clock | 3.2 GHz+60% | 2 GHz |
| Base Clock | 3.2 GHz+100% | 1.6 GHz |
| L3 Cache | 0 kB | 0 kB |
| L2 Cache | 512 kB (per core) | 2 MB (total)+300% |
| Process | 45 nm | 14 nm-69% |
| Architecture | Rana (2009−2011) | Apollo Lake (2014−2016) |
| PassMark | 1,865 | 1,864 |
| Geekbench 6 Single | 380+55% | 245 |
| Geekbench 6 Multi | 980 | — |
Memory & Platform
The Athlon II X3 450 uses the AM3 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Atom x7-E3950 uses FCBGA1296 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR3-1333 on the Athlon II X3 450 versus LPDDR4-2400 on the Atom x7-E3950 — the Atom x7-E3950 supports 28.6% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Athlon II X3 450 supports up to 32 GB of RAM compared to 8 GB — 120% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 2 (Athlon II X3 450) vs 4 (Atom x7-E3950). PCIe lanes: 16 (Athlon II X3 450) vs 6 (Atom x7-E3950) — the Athlon II X3 450 offers 10 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: 760G,780G,790GX,880G,970,990FX (Athlon II X3 450) and Apollo Lake (Atom x7-E3950).
| Feature | Athlon II X3 450 | Atom x7-E3950 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | AM3 | FCBGA1296 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 2.0 | PCIe 3.0+50% |
| Max RAM Speed | DDR3-1333 | LPDDR4-2400+33% |
| Max RAM Capacity | 32 GB+300% | 8 GB |
| RAM Channels | 2 | 4+100% |
| ECC Support | ❌ | ✅ |
| PCIe Lanes | 16+167% | 6 |
Advanced Features
Neither processor supports overclocking. Virtualization support: AMD-V (Athlon II X3 450) vs VT-x, VT-d (Atom x7-E3950). The Atom x7-E3950 includes integrated graphics (HD Graphics 505), while the Athlon II X3 450 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Athlon II X3 450 targets Desktop.
| Feature | Athlon II X3 450 | Atom x7-E3950 |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | No | Yes |
| IGPU Model | — | HD Graphics 505 |
| Unlocked | No | No |
| AVX-512 | No | No |
| Virtualization | AMD-V | VT-x, VT-d |
| Target Use | Desktop | — |
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