Atom 330 vs Phenom II X4 P960
Atom 330
Phenom II X4 P960
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 Atom 330 is positioned at rank 39 and the Phenom II X4 P960 is on rank 431, so the Atom 330 offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Atom 330
Performance Per Dollar Phenom II X4 P960
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Atom 330 | Phenom II X4 P960 |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ❌ Lower gaming performance | ✅ Superior gaming performance |
| Workstation | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks | ✅ Better multi-core power |
| Price | ⚠️ Higher cost ($30) | ✅ More affordable ($0) |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Diamondville (2008−2009) / 45 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Champlain (2010−2011) / 45 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Atom 330 | Phenom II X4 P960 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ⚠️ Higher cost ($30) | ✅ 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 Atom 330 and Phenom II X4 P960
Atom 330
The Atom 330 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2 April 2008 (17 years ago). It is based on the Diamondville (2008−2009) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 1.6 GHz, with boost up to 0.1 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 1 MB. Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: PBGA437. Thermal design power (TDP): 8 Watt. Passmark benchmark score: 1,530 points. Launch price was $43.
Phenom II X4 P960
The Phenom II X4 P960 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2009-01-01. It is based on the Champlain (2010−2011) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Max frequency: 1.8 GHz. L2 cache: 2 MB. Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: S1g4. Thermal design power (TDP): 2 MB. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,542 points. Launch price was $149.
Processing Power
The Atom 330 packs 2 cores / 4 threads, while the Phenom II X4 P960 offers 4 cores / 4 threads — the Phenom II X4 P960 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 0.1 GHz on the Atom 330 versus 1.8 GHz on the Phenom II X4 P960 — a 178.9% clock advantage for the Phenom II X4 P960. The Atom 330 uses the Diamondville (2008−2009) architecture (45 nm), while the Phenom II X4 P960 uses Champlain (2010−2011) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Atom 330 scores 1,530 against the Phenom II X4 P960's 1,542 — a 0.8% lead for the Phenom II X4 P960.
| Feature | Atom 330 | Phenom II X4 P960 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 2 / 4 | 4 / 4+100% |
| Boost Clock | 0.1 GHz | 1.8 GHz+1700% |
| Base Clock | 1.6 GHz | — |
| L3 Cache | 0 kB | — |
| L2 Cache | 1 MB | 2 MB+100% |
| Process | 45 nm | 45 nm |
| Architecture | Diamondville (2008−2009) | Champlain (2010−2011) |
| PassMark | 1,530 | 1,542 |
Memory & Platform
The Atom 330 uses the PBGA437 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Phenom II X4 P960 uses S1g4 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Atom 330 | Phenom II X4 P960 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | PBGA437 | S1g4 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 2.0 | PCIe 2.0 |
| Max RAM Speed | DDR2-533 | — |
| Max RAM Capacity | 4 GB | — |
| RAM Channels | 1 | — |
| ECC Support | ❌ | — |
| PCIe Lanes | 0 | — |
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