Atom x7-E3950 vs Athlon II X3 450
Atom x7-E3950
Athlon II X3 450
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 x7-E3950 is positioned at rank 480 and the Athlon II X3 450 is on rank 761, so the Atom x7-E3950 offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Atom x7-E3950
Performance Per Dollar Athlon II X3 450
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Atom x7-E3950 | Athlon II X3 450 |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ❌ Lower gaming performance | ✅ Superior gaming performance |
| Workstation | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks | ✅ Better multi-core power |
| Price | ✅ More affordable ($0) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($15) |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Apollo Lake (2014−2016) / 14 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Rana (2009−2011) / 45 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Atom x7-E3950 | Athlon II X3 450 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ✅ More affordable ($0) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($15) |
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 x7-E3950 and Athlon II X3 450
Atom x7-E3950
The Atom x7-E3950 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 2 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 2 MB (total). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1296. Thermal design power (TDP): 12 Watt. Memory support: DDR3, DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 1,864 points. Launch price was $57.
Athlon II X3 450
The Athlon II X3 450 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 21 September 2010 (15 years ago). It is based on the Rana (2009−2011) architecture. It features 3 cores and 3 threads. Base frequency is 3.2 GHz, with boost up to 3.2 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: AM3. Thermal design power (TDP): 95 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,865 points. Launch price was $45.
Processing Power
The Atom x7-E3950 packs 4 cores / 4 threads, while the Athlon II X3 450 offers 3 cores / 3 threads — the Atom x7-E3950 has 1 more core. Boost clocks reach 2 GHz on the Atom x7-E3950 versus 3.2 GHz on the Athlon II X3 450 — a 46.2% clock advantage for the Athlon II X3 450 (base: 1.6 GHz vs 3.2 GHz). The Atom x7-E3950 uses the Apollo Lake (2014−2016) architecture (14 nm), while the Athlon II X3 450 uses Rana (2009−2011) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Atom x7-E3950 scores 1,864 against the Athlon II X3 450's 1,865 — a 0.1% lead for the Athlon II X3 450. Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 245 vs 380, a 43.2% lead for the Athlon II X3 450 that directly translates to higher frame rates. Both processors carry 0 kB of L3 cache.
| Feature | Atom x7-E3950 | Athlon II X3 450 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 4 / 4+33% | 3 / 3 |
| Boost Clock | 2 GHz | 3.2 GHz+60% |
| Base Clock | 1.6 GHz | 3.2 GHz+100% |
| L3 Cache | 0 kB | 0 kB |
| L2 Cache | 2 MB (total)+300% | 512 kB (per core) |
| Process | 14 nm-69% | 45 nm |
| Architecture | Apollo Lake (2014−2016) | Rana (2009−2011) |
| PassMark | 1,864 | 1,865 |
| Geekbench 6 Single | 245 | 380+55% |
| Geekbench 6 Multi | — | 980 |
Memory & Platform
The Atom x7-E3950 uses the FCBGA1296 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Athlon II X3 450 uses AM3 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches LPDDR4-2400 on the Atom x7-E3950 versus DDR3-1333 on the Athlon II X3 450 — the Atom x7-E3950 supports 28.6% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Athlon II X3 450 supports up to 32 GB of RAM compared to 8 GB — 120% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 4 (Atom x7-E3950) vs 2 (Athlon II X3 450). PCIe lanes: 6 (Atom x7-E3950) vs 16 (Athlon II X3 450) — the Athlon II X3 450 offers 10 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: Apollo Lake (Atom x7-E3950) and 760G,780G,790GX,880G,970,990FX (Athlon II X3 450).
| Feature | Atom x7-E3950 | Athlon II X3 450 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | FCBGA1296 | AM3 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 3.0+50% | PCIe 2.0 |
| Max RAM Speed | LPDDR4-2400+33% | DDR3-1333 |
| Max RAM Capacity | 8 GB | 32 GB+300% |
| RAM Channels | 4+100% | 2 |
| ECC Support | ✅ | ❌ |
| PCIe Lanes | 6 | 16+167% |
Advanced Features
Neither processor supports overclocking. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d (Atom x7-E3950) vs AMD-V (Athlon II X3 450). The Atom x7-E3950 includes integrated graphics (HD Graphics 505), while the Athlon II X3 450 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Athlon II X3 450 targets Desktop.
| Feature | Atom x7-E3950 | Athlon II X3 450 |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | Yes | No |
| IGPU Model | HD Graphics 505 | — |
| Unlocked | No | No |
| AVX-512 | No | No |
| Virtualization | VT-x, VT-d | AMD-V |
| Target Use | — | Desktop |
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