Athlon PRO 300U vs Core i5-3330

Athlon PRO 300U vs Core i5-3330 Performance Spectrum

Athlon PRO 300U

2 / 4

4,080

0.0%

Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

Core i5-3330

4 / 4

4,100

+0.5%

Core m5-6Y54

Celeron Dual-Core T1400

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 PRO 300U vs Core i5-3330 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 PRO 300U vs Core i5-3330: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each CPU makes more sense in practice: gaming, heavier work, platform cost, power draw, and upgrade path.

Athlon PRO 300U

2019

Why buy it

✅Draws 15W instead of 77W, a 62W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (4,080 vs 4,100).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (4 MB vs 6 MB).
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-3330.

Core i5-3330

2012

Why buy it

✅+0.5% higher PassMark.
✅+50% larger total L3 cache (6 MB vs 4 MB).
✅100% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 8) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Athlon PRO 300U.

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $182 MSRP, while Athlon PRO 300U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌413.3% higher power demand at 77W vs 15W.

Quick Answers

So, is Athlon PRO 300U better than Core i5-3330?

It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, Athlon PRO 300U is ahead with a 2.2% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Core i5-3330 pulls ahead with 0.5% better PassMark. Core i5-3330 also has the bigger cache pool with 50% larger total L3 cache (6 MB vs 4 MB).

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i5-3330 is the stronger fit. You are getting 0.5% better PassMark, backed by 4 cores and 4 threads. It also has the larger cache pool with 50% larger total L3 cache (6 MB vs 4 MB).

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

Athlon PRO 300U is still the much better call for a fresh build. Athlon PRO 300U comes in at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $182 MSRP, and it still gives you a 2.2% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. Core i5-3330 only looks stronger on raw value math because it is extremely cheap, but that usually means used-market pricing on an obsolete 2012 platform. Even with 100.0% better value on paper (22.5 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), it really only makes sense as a cheap stopgap or a niche existing-platform option for someone already on LGA1155.

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

Athlon PRO 300U makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2019 vs 2012). That makes it the safer long-term bet.

Athlon PRO 300U vs Core i5-3330 Technical Specifications

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

Athlon PRO 300U

The Athlon PRO 300U is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2009-01-01. It is based on the Raven Ridge 2 (2019) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.4 GHz, with boost up to 3.3 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB (total). L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: FP5. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR4 Dual-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 4,080 points. Launch price was $149.

Core i5-3330

The Core i5-3330 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 3 September 2012 (13 years ago). It is based on the Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 3 GHz, with boost up to 3.2 GHz. L3 cache: 6 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1155. Thermal design power (TDP): 77 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 4,100 points. Launch price was $360.

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Processing Power

The Athlon PRO 300U packs 2 cores / 4 threads, while the Core i5-3330 offers 4 cores / 4 threads — the Core i5-3330 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.3 GHz on the Athlon PRO 300U versus 3.2 GHz on the Core i5-3330 — a 3.1% clock advantage for the Athlon PRO 300U (base: 2.4 GHz vs 3 GHz). The Athlon PRO 300U uses the Raven Ridge 2 (2019) architecture (14 nm), while the Core i5-3330 uses Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon PRO 300U scores 4,080 against the Core i5-3330's 4,100 — a 0.5% lead for the Core i5-3330. L3 cache: 4 MB (total) on the Athlon PRO 300U vs 6 MB (total) on the Core i5-3330.

Feature	Athlon PRO 300U	Core i5-3330
Cores / Threads	2 / 4	4 / 4+100%
Boost Clock	3.3 GHz+3%	3.2 GHz
Base Clock	2.4 GHz	3 GHz+25%
L3 Cache	4 MB (total)	6 MB (total)+50%
L2 Cache	512K (per core)+100%	256 kB (per core)
Process	14 nm-36%	22 nm
Architecture	Raven Ridge 2 (2019)	Ivy Bridge (2012−2013)
PassMark	4,080	4,100
Geekbench 6 Single	—	600

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Memory & Platform

The Athlon PRO 300U uses the FP5 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core i5-3330 uses LGA1155 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR4-2400 on the Athlon PRO 300U versus DDR3-1600 on the Core i5-3330 — the Athlon PRO 300U supports 50% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. Both support up to 32 GB of RAM. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 8 (Athlon PRO 300U) vs 16 (Core i5-3330) — the Core i5-3330 offers 8 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: AMD FP5 (Athlon PRO 300U) and H61,B75,H77,Z75,Z77 (Core i5-3330).

Feature	Athlon PRO 300U	Core i5-3330
Socket	FP5	LGA1155
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2400+50%	DDR3-1600
Max RAM Capacity	32 GB	32 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	Yes	No
PCIe Lanes	8	16+100%

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Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Athlon PRO 300U) / VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Core i5-3330). Both include integrated graphics — AMD Radeon Vega 3 (Athlon PRO 300U) and HD Graphics 2500 (Core i5-3330) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i5-3330 targets Legacy Desktop. Direct competitor: Core i5-3330 rivals FX-6300.