Core i3-330E
VS
A4-3330MX

Core i3-330E vs A4-3330MX

Intel

Core i3-330E

2 Cores4 Thrd35 WWMax: 0.03 GHz2010
VS
AMD

A4-3330MX

2 Cores2 Thrd45 WWMax: 2.6 GHz2011

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 Core i3-330E is positioned at rank 1157 and the A4-3330MX is on rank 851, so the A4-3330MX 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 i3-330E

#1145
Atom x5-Z8300
MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A
4121%
#1146
Atom Z3735G
MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A
4060%
#1147
Core i5-480M
MSRP: $81|Avg: $77
3728%
#1148
Core i5-460M
MSRP: $80|Avg: $129
3711%
#1149
Core i5-2540M
MSRP: $266|Avg: $10
3677%
#1151
Core i5-450M
MSRP: $32|Avg: $31
3551%
#1152
Core i3-380M
MSRP: $49|Avg: $25
3404%
#1153
Core i5-430M
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33
3399%
#1154
Core 2 Duo T6600
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4
3308%
#1157
Core i3-330E
MSRP: $177|Avg: $89
100%
#1159
Core i7-2640M
MSRP: $346|Avg: N/A
99%
#1160
Core M-5Y71
MSRP: $281|Avg: $281
99%
#1162
Core i7-2620M
MSRP: $346|Avg: N/A
98%
#1164
Celeron N3010
MSRP: $107|Avg: N/A
96%
#1165
Core i7-3537U
MSRP: $346|Avg: N/A
95%
#1166
Core M-5Y10c
MSRP: $281|Avg: $281
95%
#1167
Core M-5Y31
MSRP: $281|Avg: $30
95%
#1168
Core M-5Y10a
MSRP: $281|Avg: $281
95%
#1170
Celeron 1047UE
MSRP: $100|Avg: $100
95%
#1171
Core M-5Y70
MSRP: $281|Avg: $281
95%
#1172
Celeron U3400
MSRP: $86|Avg: $5
94%
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar A4-3330MX

#839
Atom x5-Z8300
MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A
1393%
#840
Atom Z3735G
MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A
1372%
#841
Core i5-480M
MSRP: $81|Avg: $77
1260%
#842
Core i5-460M
MSRP: $80|Avg: $129
1254%
#843
Core i5-2540M
MSRP: $266|Avg: $10
1242%
#845
Core i5-450M
MSRP: $32|Avg: $31
1200%
#846
Core i3-380M
MSRP: $49|Avg: $25
1150%
#847
Core i5-430M
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33
1149%
#848
Core 2 Duo T6600
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4
1118%
#851
A4-3330MX
MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A
100%
#852
Pentium P6300
MSRP: $80|Avg: $10
100%
#854
E-350
MSRP: $50|Avg: $15
100%
#856
Ryzen Embedded R1305G
MSRP: $150|Avg: $50
99%
#863
Pentium Dual Core T2390
MSRP: $86|Avg: $5
98%
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Leadership: The A4-3330MX delivers superior performance across the board. It outperforms the Core i3-330E in both compute-intensive tasks (0.3% faster) and gaming workloads.
InsightCore i3-330EA4-3330MX
Gaming
Lower gaming performance
Superior gaming performance
Workstation
Weaker in multi-core tasks
Better multi-core power
Price
⚠️ Higher cost ($89)
More affordable ($0)
Longevity
🛑 Legacy (Westmere (2010−2011) / 32 nm)
🛑 Legacy (Llano (2011−2012) / 32 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

InsightCore i3-330EA4-3330MX
Cost Efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost
⚠️ Higher cost ($89)
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.

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i3-330E and A4-3330MX

Intel

Core i3-330E

The Core i3-330E is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 7 January 2010 (15 years ago). It is based on the Westmere (2010−2011) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.13 GHz, with boost up to 0.03 GHz. L3 cache: 3 MB. L2 cache: 512 kB. Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: BGA1288. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR3-800, DDR3-1066. Passmark benchmark score: 1,260 points. Launch price was $177.

AMD

A4-3330MX

The A4-3330MX is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2014-01-01. It is based on the Llano (2011−2012) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 2.2 GHz, with boost up to 2.6 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: FS1. Thermal design power (TDP): 45 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,264 points. Launch price was $50.

Processing Power

The Core i3-330E packs 2 cores / 4 threads, matching the A4-3330MX's 2 cores. Boost clocks reach 0.03 GHz on the Core i3-330E versus 2.6 GHz on the A4-3330MX — a 195.4% clock advantage for the A4-3330MX (base: 2.13 GHz vs 2.2 GHz). The Core i3-330E uses the Westmere (2010−2011) architecture (32 nm), while the A4-3330MX uses Llano (2011−2012) (32 nm). In PassMark, the Core i3-330E scores 1,260 against the A4-3330MX's 1,264 — a 0.3% lead for the A4-3330MX. L3 cache: 3 MB on the Core i3-330E vs 0 kB on the A4-3330MX.

FeatureCore i3-330EA4-3330MX
Cores / Threads
2 / 4
2 / 2
Boost Clock
0.03 GHz
2.6 GHz+8567%
Base Clock
2.13 GHz
2.2 GHz+3%
L3 Cache
3 MB
0 kB
L2 Cache
512 kB
1 MB (per core)+100%
Process
32 nm
32 nm
Architecture
Westmere (2010−2011)
Llano (2011−2012)
PassMark
1,260
1,264
Geekbench 6 Single
263
🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i3-330E uses the BGA1288 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the A4-3330MX uses FS1 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

FeatureCore i3-330EA4-3330MX
Socket
BGA1288
FS1
PCIe Generation
PCIe 2.0
PCIe 2.0
Max RAM Speed
DDR3-1333
Max RAM Capacity
16 GB
RAM Channels
2
ECC Support
PCIe Lanes
16
🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Core i3-330E) / AMD-V (A4-3330MX). The A4-3330MX includes integrated graphics (Radeon HD 6480G), while the Core i3-330E requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: A4-3330MX targets Budget Laptop. Direct competitor: A4-3330MX rivals Pentium B980.

FeatureCore i3-330EA4-3330MX
Integrated GPU
Yes
IGPU Model
Radeon HD 6480G
Unlocked
No
AVX-512
No
Virtualization
AMD-V
Target Use
Budget Laptop