Core i3-2330E vs Atom x5-E3940

CPU

GPU

Core i3-2330E

2 Cores4 Thrd35 WWMax: 2.2 GHz2011

Atom x5-E3940

4 Cores4 Thrd10 WWMax: 1.8 GHz2014

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Core i3-2330E

2 / 4

1,823

+0.4%

1,816

0.0%

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 Core i3-2330E is positioned at rank 1133 and the Atom x5-E3940 is on rank 337, 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 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 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 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	Core i3-2330E	Atom x5-E3940
Gaming	✅ Superior gaming performance	❌ Lower gaming performance
Workstation	✅ Better multi-core power	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price	⚠️ Higher cost ($10)	✅ More affordable ($0)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) / 32 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Apollo Lake (2014−2016) / 14 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

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

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.

Core i3-2330E Benchmark Check

Atom x5-E3940 Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

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

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.

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.

⚡

Processing Power

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

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

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i3-2330E uses the PGA988 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Atom x5-E3940 uses FCBGA1296 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR3-1333 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: 16 (Core i3-2330E) vs 6 (Atom x5-E3940) — the Core i3-2330E offers 10 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives.

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

🔧

Advanced Features

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