Atom x5-E3940 vs Core i3-2330E

CPU

GPU

Atom x5-E3940

4 Cores4 Thrd10 WWMax: 1.8 GHz2014

Core i3-2330E

2 Cores4 Thrd35 WWMax: 2.2 GHz2011

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Atom x5-E3940

4 / 4

1,816

0.0%

1,823

+0.4%

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 x5-E3940 is positioned at rank 337 and the Core i3-2330E is on rank 1133, so the Atom x5-E3940 offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.

MSRP is the manufacturer's suggested retail price.•
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.

Performance Per Dollar Atom x5-E3940

#101

Core i5-1350P

MSRP: $320|Avg: $250

97%

#325

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

485%

#326

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

478%

#327

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

438%

#328

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

436%

#329

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

432%

#331

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

418%

#332

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

400%

#333

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

400%

#334

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

389%

#337

Atom x5-E3940

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Core i3-2330E

#1121

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

3622%

#1122

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

3569%

#1123

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

3277%

#1124

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

3262%

#1125

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

3232%

#1127

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

3121%

#1128

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

2993%

#1129

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

2988%

#1130

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

2907%

#1133

Core i3-2330E

MSRP: $225|Avg: $10

100%

#1135

Core i5-4288U

MSRP: $342|Avg: N/A

96%

#1136

Core m3-6Y30

MSRP: $281|Avg: $281

96%

#1137

Core i3-2340UE

MSRP: $200|Avg: $200

95%

#1138

Core i7-2820QM

MSRP: $568|Avg: N/A

95%

#1139

Core i5-520M

MSRP: $225|Avg: N/A

95%

#1141

Celeron 807

MSRP: $70|Avg: $10

94%

#1142

Pentium B950

MSRP: $134|Avg: $35

94%

#1143

Celeron 220

MSRP: $42|Avg: $42

94%

#1144

Pentium B960

MSRP: $134|Avg: $15

94%

#1146

Pentium 957

MSRP: $134|Avg: $10

93%

#1147

Core 2 Duo SL9400

MSRP: $284|Avg: N/A

93%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Leadership: The Core i3-2330E delivers superior performance across the board. It outperforms the Atom x5-E3940 in both compute-intensive tasks (0.4% faster) and gaming workloads.

Insight	Atom x5-E3940	Core i3-2330E
Gaming	❌ Lower gaming performance	✅ Superior gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	✅ More affordable ($0)	⚠️ Higher cost ($10)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Apollo Lake (2014−2016) / 14 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) / 32 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Insight	Atom x5-E3940	Core i3-2330E
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	✅ More affordable ($0)	⚠️ Higher cost ($10)

Performance Check

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.

Atom x5-E3940 Benchmark Check

Core i3-2330E Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Atom x5-E3940 and Core i3-2330E

Atom x5-E3940

The Atom x5-E3940 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 1.8 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 2 MB (total). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1296. Thermal design power (TDP): 10 Watt. Memory support: DDR3-1866. Passmark benchmark score: 1,816 points. Launch price was $69.

Core i3-2330E

The Core i3-2330E is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 June 2011 (14 years ago). It is based on the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.2 GHz, with boost up to 2.2 GHz. L3 cache: 3 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: PGA988. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,823 points. Launch price was $225.

⚡

Processing Power

The Atom x5-E3940 packs 4 cores / 4 threads, while the Core i3-2330E offers 2 cores / 4 threads — the Atom x5-E3940 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 1.8 GHz on the Atom x5-E3940 versus 2.2 GHz on the Core i3-2330E — a 20% clock advantage for the Core i3-2330E (base: 1.6 GHz vs 2.2 GHz). The Atom x5-E3940 uses the Apollo Lake (2014−2016) architecture (14 nm), while the Core i3-2330E uses Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) (32 nm). In PassMark, the Atom x5-E3940 scores 1,816 against the Core i3-2330E's 1,823 — a 0.4% lead for the Core i3-2330E. L3 cache: 0 kB on the Atom x5-E3940 vs 3 MB (total) on the Core i3-2330E.

Feature	Atom x5-E3940	Core i3-2330E
Cores / Threads	4 / 4+100%	2 / 4
Boost Clock	1.8 GHz	2.2 GHz+22%
Base Clock	1.6 GHz	2.2 GHz+38%
L3 Cache	0 kB	3 MB (total)
L2 Cache	2 MB (total)+700%	256K (per core)
Process	14 nm-56%	32 nm
Architecture	Apollo Lake (2014−2016)	Sandy Bridge (2011−2013)
PassMark	1,816	1,823

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Atom x5-E3940 uses the FCBGA1296 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core i3-2330E uses PGA988 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR3L-1866 memory speed. The Core i3-2330E supports up to 16 GB of RAM compared to 8 GB — 66.7% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 6 (Atom x5-E3940) vs 16 (Core i3-2330E) — the Core i3-2330E offers 10 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives.

Feature	Atom x5-E3940	Core i3-2330E
Socket	FCBGA1296	PGA988
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0+50%	PCIe 2.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR3L-1866	DDR3-1333
Max RAM Capacity	8 GB	16 GB+100%
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	✅	❌
PCIe Lanes	6	16+167%

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Atom x5-E3940) / VT-x (Core i3-2330E). Both include integrated graphics — Intel HD Graphics 500 (Atom x5-E3940) and HD Graphics 3000 (Core i3-2330E) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i3-2330E targets Embedded.