Athlon Silver 3050U vs Core i5-3380M

Athlon Silver 3050U vs Core i5-3380M Performance Spectrum

Athlon Silver 3050U

2 / 2

2,950

+0.4%

Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

Core i5-3380M

2 / 4

2,938

0.0%

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 Silver 3050U vs Core i5-3380M 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 Silver 3050U vs Core i5-3380M: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

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

Athlon Silver 3050U

2020

Why buy it

✅+24.7% higher Geekbench single-core performance for gaming and desktop responsiveness.
✅+33.3% larger total L3 cache (4 MB vs 3 MB).
✅Draws 15W instead of 512W, a 497W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower Geekbench multi-core (1,524 vs 1,600).

Core i5-3380M

2013

Why buy it

✅+5% higher Geekbench multi-core.
✅100% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 8) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower Geekbench single-core performance for gaming (700 vs 873).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (3 MB vs 4 MB).
❌3313.3% higher power demand at 512W vs 15W.

Quick Answers

So, is Athlon Silver 3050U better than Core i5-3380M?

It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, Athlon Silver 3050U is ahead with a 2.5% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Core i5-3380M pulls ahead with 5% better Geekbench multi-core. Athlon Silver 3050U also has the bigger cache pool with 33.3% larger total L3 cache (4 MB vs 3 MB).

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i5-3380M is the stronger fit. You are getting 5% better Geekbench multi-core, backed by 2 cores and 4 threads.

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

Athlon Silver 3050U still makes the most sense overall. Athlon Silver 3050U comes in at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it still gives you a 2.5% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data.

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

Athlon Silver 3050U makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2020 vs 2013) and 33.3% larger total L3 cache (4 MB vs 3 MB). That makes it the safer long-term bet.

Athlon Silver 3050U vs Core i5-3380M Technical Specifications

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

Athlon Silver 3050U

The Athlon Silver 3050U is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2009-01-01. It is based on the Dali (Zen) (2020) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 2.2 GHz, with boost up to 3.2 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB (total). L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: FP5. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 2,950 points. Launch price was $149.

Core i5-3380M

The Core i5-3380M is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 January 2013 (12 years ago). It is based on the Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.9 GHz, with boost up to 3.6 GHz. L3 cache: 3 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: PGA988. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 2,938 points. Launch price was $69.

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Processing Power

The Athlon Silver 3050U packs 2 cores / 2 threads, matching the Core i5-3380M's 2 cores. Boost clocks reach 3.2 GHz on the Athlon Silver 3050U versus 3.6 GHz on the Core i5-3380M — a 11.8% clock advantage for the Core i5-3380M (base: 2.2 GHz vs 2.9 GHz). The Athlon Silver 3050U uses the Dali (Zen) (2020) architecture (14 nm), while the Core i5-3380M uses Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon Silver 3050U scores 2,950 against the Core i5-3380M's 2,938 — a 0.4% lead for the Athlon Silver 3050U. Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 873 vs 700, a 22% lead for the Athlon Silver 3050U that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 1,524 vs 1,600 (4.9% advantage for the Core i5-3380M). L3 cache: 4 MB (total) on the Athlon Silver 3050U vs 3 MB (total) on the Core i5-3380M.

Feature	Athlon Silver 3050U	Core i5-3380M
Cores / Threads	2 / 2	2 / 4
Boost Clock	3.2 GHz	3.6 GHz+12%
Base Clock	2.2 GHz	2.9 GHz+32%
L3 Cache	4 MB (total)+33%	3 MB (total)
L2 Cache	512 kB (per core)+100%	256K (per core)
Process	14 nm-36%	22 nm
Architecture	Dali (Zen) (2020)	Ivy Bridge (2012−2013)
PassMark	2,950	2,938
Cinebench R23 Multi	900	—
Geekbench 6 Single	873+25%	700
Geekbench 6 Multi	1,524	1,600+5%

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Memory & Platform

The Athlon Silver 3050U uses the FP5 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core i5-3380M uses PGA988 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR4-2400 on the Athlon Silver 3050U versus DDR3-1600 on the Core i5-3380M — the Athlon Silver 3050U 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 Silver 3050U) vs 16 (Core i5-3380M) — the Core i5-3380M offers 8 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: Mobile (Athlon Silver 3050U) and HM77,QM77 (Core i5-3380M).

Feature	Athlon Silver 3050U	Core i5-3380M
Socket	FP5	PGA988
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	No	No
PCIe Lanes	8	16+100%

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Advanced Features

Neither processor supports overclocking. Virtualization support: AMD-V (Athlon Silver 3050U) vs VT-x, VT-d (Core i5-3380M). Both include integrated graphics — Radeon Vega 3 (Athlon Silver 3050U) and Intel HD Graphics 4000 (Core i5-3380M) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Athlon Silver 3050U targets Budget, Core i5-3380M targets Business Laptop. Direct competitor: Athlon Silver 3050U rivals Pentium Gold 7505; Core i5-3380M rivals AMD A10-4600M.