Athlon X4 950 vs Core i3-1000NG4

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.

Head-to-Head Verdict, Benchmarks, Value & Long-Term Outlook

This comparison brings together gaming FPS, productivity performance, platform differences, power efficiency, pricing context, and upgrade path so you can see which CPU actually makes more sense.

Athlon X4 950

2017

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +19.1% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (8 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Core i3-1000NG4.

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $58 MSRP, while Core i3-1000NG4 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌622.2% higher power demand at 65W vs 9W.

Core i3-1000NG4

2020

Why buy it

✅Draws 9W instead of 65W, a 56W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Athlon X4 950 across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (3,530 vs 3,576).
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Athlon X4 950.

Athlon X4 950

2017

Core i3-1000NG4

2020

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +19.1% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (8 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Core i3-1000NG4.

Why buy it

✅Draws 9W instead of 65W, a 56W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $58 MSRP, while Core i3-1000NG4 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌622.2% higher power demand at 65W vs 9W.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Athlon X4 950 across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (3,530 vs 3,576).
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Athlon X4 950.

Quick Answers

So, is Athlon X4 950 better than Core i3-1000NG4?

Yes. Athlon X4 950 is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 19.1% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data and 1.3% better PassMark, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Athlon X4 950 is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 19.1% more average FPS across 4 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Athlon X4 950 is the better fit. You are getting 1.3% better PassMark, backed by 4 cores and 4 threads.

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

Athlon X4 950 is the smarter buy today. Athlon X4 950 is at an unclear MSRP at $58 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you a 19.1% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (61.7 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), so the better CPU is not just faster, it is also the cleaner value play on paper.

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

Core i3-1000NG4 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2020 vs 2017). That makes it the safer long-term pick.

Games Benchmarks

Paired with RTX 4090

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.

Athlon X4 950 Benchmark Check

Core i3-1000NG4 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Athlon X4 950	Core i3-1000NG4
1080p
low	89 FPS	88 FPS
medium	89 FPS	88 FPS
high	89 FPS	88 FPS
ultra	89 FPS	77 FPS
1440p
low	89 FPS	88 FPS
medium	89 FPS	88 FPS
high	89 FPS	83 FPS
ultra	75 FPS	65 FPS
4K
low	64 FPS	67 FPS
medium	57 FPS	57 FPS
high	45 FPS	43 FPS
ultra	35 FPS	34 FPS

Open Athlon X4 950 Open Core i3-1000NG4

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Athlon X4 950	Core i3-1000NG4
1080p
low	89 FPS	77 FPS
medium	89 FPS	69 FPS
high	89 FPS	63 FPS
ultra	89 FPS	46 FPS
1440p
low	89 FPS	63 FPS
medium	89 FPS	55 FPS
high	89 FPS	52 FPS
ultra	89 FPS	40 FPS
4K
low	89 FPS	44 FPS
medium	89 FPS	40 FPS
high	89 FPS	30 FPS
ultra	67 FPS	21 FPS

Open Athlon X4 950 Open Core i3-1000NG4

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Athlon X4 950	Core i3-1000NG4
1080p
low	89 FPS	88 FPS
medium	89 FPS	88 FPS
high	89 FPS	88 FPS
ultra	89 FPS	88 FPS
1440p
low	89 FPS	88 FPS
medium	89 FPS	88 FPS
high	89 FPS	88 FPS
ultra	89 FPS	88 FPS
4K
low	89 FPS	88 FPS
medium	89 FPS	88 FPS
high	89 FPS	88 FPS
ultra	89 FPS	88 FPS

Open Athlon X4 950 Open Core i3-1000NG4

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Athlon X4 950	Core i3-1000NG4
1080p
low	89 FPS	88 FPS
medium	89 FPS	88 FPS
high	89 FPS	88 FPS
ultra	89 FPS	88 FPS
1440p
low	89 FPS	88 FPS
medium	89 FPS	88 FPS
high	89 FPS	88 FPS
ultra	89 FPS	88 FPS
4K
low	89 FPS	88 FPS
medium	89 FPS	88 FPS
high	89 FPS	88 FPS
ultra	89 FPS	88 FPS

Open Athlon X4 950 Open Core i3-1000NG4

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Athlon X4 950 and Core i3-1000NG4

Athlon X4 950

The Athlon X4 950 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 27 July 2017 (8 years ago). It is based on the Bristol Ridge (2016−2019) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 3.5 GHz, with boost up to 3.8 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 28 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4 Dual-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 3,576 points. Launch price was $60.

Core i3-1000NG4

The Core i3-1000NG4 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 18 March 2020 (5 years ago). It is based on the Ice Lake-Y (2020) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 1.1 GHz, with boost up to 3.2 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 10 nm process technology. Socket: BGA1044. Thermal design power (TDP): 9 Watt. Memory support: LPDDR4-3733. Passmark benchmark score: 3,530 points. Launch price was $69.

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Processing Power

The Athlon X4 950 packs 4 cores / 4 threads, while the Core i3-1000NG4 offers 2 cores / 4 threads — the Athlon X4 950 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.8 GHz on the Athlon X4 950 versus 3.2 GHz on the Core i3-1000NG4 — a 17.1% clock advantage for the Athlon X4 950 (base: 3.5 GHz vs 1.1 GHz). The Athlon X4 950 uses the Bristol Ridge (2016−2019) architecture (28 nm), while the Core i3-1000NG4 uses Ice Lake-Y (2020) (10 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon X4 950 scores 3,576 against the Core i3-1000NG4's 3,530 — a 1.3% lead for the Athlon X4 950. L3 cache: 0 kB on the Athlon X4 950 vs 4 MB (total) on the Core i3-1000NG4.

Feature	Athlon X4 950	Core i3-1000NG4
Cores / Threads	4 / 4+100%	2 / 4
Boost Clock	3.8 GHz+19%	3.2 GHz
Base Clock	3.5 GHz+218%	1.1 GHz
L3 Cache	0 kB	4 MB (total)
L2 Cache	512 kB (per core)+100%	256 kB (per core)
Process	28 nm	10 nm-64%
Architecture	Bristol Ridge (2016−2019)	Ice Lake-Y (2020)
PassMark	3,576+1%	3,530
Geekbench 6 Single	656	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	1,637	—

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Memory & Platform

The Athlon X4 950 uses the AM4 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core i3-1000NG4 uses BGA1044 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.