Atom Z3735G vs Core i5-2500T

Atom Z3735G

4 Cores4 Thrd2 WWMax: 1.83 GHz2014

Core i5-2500T

4 Cores4 Thrd45 WWMax: 3.3 GHz2011

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Atom Z3735G

4 / 4

2,891

0.0%

2,929

+1.3%

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 Z3735G is positioned at rank 5 and the Core i5-2500T is on rank 882, so the Atom Z3735G 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 Z3735G

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

101%

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

100%

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

92%

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

91%

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

91%

#10

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

87%

#11

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

84%

#12

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

84%

#13

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

81%

#17

Core i3-350M

MSRP: $130|Avg: $10

75%

#18

Atom x5-E8000

MSRP: $18|Avg: N/A

74%

#19

Core 2 Duo T5900

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $5

73%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Core i5-2500T

Ryzen 9 7950X

MSRP: $194|Avg: $20

19373%

Core i9-10900T

MSRP: $120|Avg: $5

18306%

Ryzen 3 PRO 4355GE

MSRP: $423|Avg: $5

13291%

Ryzen Threadripper 3960X

MSRP: $1399|Avg: $85

4004%

Ryzen 9 9950X

MSRP: $649|Avg: $129

3172%

Ryzen 5 8400F

MSRP: $303|Avg: $55

2775%

Ryzen 7 PRO 2700

MSRP: $299|Avg: $60

1589%

Ryzen 5 2600X

MSRP: $229|Avg: $55

1568%

Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G

MSRP: $150|Avg: $60

1428%

#10

Core Ultra 5 245KF

MSRP: $294|Avg: $189

1428%

#11

Ryzen 5 5500

MSRP: $159|Avg: $85

1412%

#12

Ryzen 5 3600

MSRP: $199|Avg: $80

1374%

#13

Core i3-9100E

MSRP: $202|Avg: $30

1355%

#14

Core Ultra 5 245K

MSRP: $319|Avg: $200

1349%

#15

Core i3-8300T

MSRP: $138|Avg: $25

1337%

#882

Core i5-2500T

MSRP: $182|Avg: $30

100%

#884

Athlon II X2 265

MSRP: $83|Avg: $15

99%

#885

Core i3-2100

MSRP: $117|Avg: $10

99%

#886

A8-3800

MSRP: $130|Avg: $40

98%

#887

Pentium E5200

MSRP: $84|Avg: $15

97%

#888

Athlon II X2 235e

MSRP: $69|Avg: $15

97%

#889

Athlon II X2 250e

MSRP: $77|Avg: $15

97%

#890

Core i7-2600S

MSRP: $297|Avg: $99

97%

#891

Athlon II X2 250u

MSRP: $60|Avg: $15

97%

#892

Pentium G6951

MSRP: $89|Avg: $50

97%

#893

Core i3-2125

MSRP: $134|Avg: $15

97%

#895

Celeron G1820

MSRP: $110|Avg: $15

96%

#896

Celeron E1600

MSRP: $53|Avg: $10

96%

#897

Athlon II X2 270u

MSRP: $68|Avg: $10

96%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Leadership: The Core i5-2500T delivers superior performance across the board. It outperforms the Atom Z3735G in both compute-intensive tasks (1.3% faster) and gaming workloads.

Insight	Atom Z3735G	Core i5-2500T
Gaming	❌ Lower gaming performance	✅ Superior gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	✅ More affordable ($17)	⚠️ Higher cost ($30)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Bay Trail-T (2013−2014) / 22 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) / 32 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Value Proposition: While both processors are considered legacy components by modern standards, the Atom Z3735G holds the technical lead in efficiency. Priced at $17 (vs $30), it costs 43% less. While offering basic entry-level performance, it results in a 74% higher cost efficiency score compared to the Core i5-2500T.

Insight	Atom Z3735G	Core i5-2500T
Cost Efficiency	✅ Better overall value (+74%)	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	✅ More affordable ($17)	⚠️ Higher cost ($30)

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 Z3735G Benchmark Check

Core i5-2500T Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Atom Z3735G and Core i5-2500T

Atom Z3735G

The Atom Z3735G is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 9 April 2014 (11 years ago). It is based on the Bay Trail-T (2013−2014) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 1.33 GHz, with boost up to 1.83 GHz. L3 cache: 2 MB L2 Cache. L2 cache: 2 MB. Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: UTFCBGA592. Thermal design power (TDP): 2 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 2,891 points. Launch price was $17.

Core i5-2500T

The Core i5-2500T is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 9 January 2011 (14 years ago). It is based on the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.3 GHz, with boost up to 3.3 GHz. L3 cache: 6144 kB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1155. Thermal design power (TDP): 45 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 2,929 points. Launch price was $69.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Atom Z3735G and Core i5-2500T share an identical 4-core/4-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 1.83 GHz on the Atom Z3735G versus 3.3 GHz on the Core i5-2500T — a 57.3% clock advantage for the Core i5-2500T (base: 1.33 GHz vs 2.3 GHz). The Atom Z3735G uses the Bay Trail-T (2013−2014) architecture (22 nm), while the Core i5-2500T uses Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) (32 nm). In PassMark, the Atom Z3735G scores 2,891 against the Core i5-2500T's 2,929 — a 1.3% lead for the Core i5-2500T. L3 cache: 2 MB L2 Cache on the Atom Z3735G vs 6144 kB (total) on the Core i5-2500T.

Feature	Atom Z3735G	Core i5-2500T
Cores / Threads	4 / 4	4 / 4
Boost Clock	1.83 GHz	3.3 GHz+80%
Base Clock	1.33 GHz	2.3 GHz+73%
L3 Cache	2 MB L2 Cache	6144 kB (total)+200%
L2 Cache	2 MB+700%	256 kB (per core)
Process	22 nm-31%	32 nm
Architecture	Bay Trail-T (2013−2014)	Sandy Bridge (2011−2013)
PassMark	2,891	2,929+1%

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Atom Z3735G uses the UTFCBGA592 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Core i5-2500T uses LGA1155 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR3L-RS 1333 memory speed. The Core i5-2500T supports up to 32 GB of RAM compared to 1 GB — 187.9% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 1 (Atom Z3735G) vs 2 (Core i5-2500T). PCIe lanes: 0 (Atom Z3735G) vs 16 (Core i5-2500T) — the Core i5-2500T offers 16 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives.

Feature	Atom Z3735G	Core i5-2500T
Socket	UTFCBGA592	LGA1155
PCIe Generation	PCIe 2.0	PCIe 2.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR3L-RS 1333	DDR3-1333
Max RAM Capacity	1 GB	32 GB+3100%
RAM Channels	1	2+100%
ECC Support	❌	❌
PCIe Lanes	0	16

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Atom Z3735G) / VT-x, VT-d (Core i5-2500T). Both include integrated graphics — Intel HD Graphics (Bay Trail) (Atom Z3735G) and HD Graphics 2000 (Core i5-2500T) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i5-2500T targets Desktop.