Core i3-330E vs Athlon X2 QL-60

CPU

GPU

Core i3-330E

2 Cores4 Thrd35 WWMax: 0.03 GHz2010

Athlon X2 QL-60

2 Cores2 Thrd1 WWMax: 1.9 GHz2008

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Core i3-330E

2 / 4

1,260

0.0%

1,273

+1.0%

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3955WX

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7955WX

Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

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 Athlon X2 QL-60 is on rank 783, so the Athlon X2 QL-60 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 Athlon X2 QL-60

#771

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

1152%

#772

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

1136%

#773

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

1042%

#774

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

1038%

#775

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

1028%

#777

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

993%

#778

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

952%

#779

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

951%

#780

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

925%

#783

Athlon X2 QL-60

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#790

Athlon 64 TF-20

MSRP: $50|Avg: $10

98%

#795

Core i3-1115G4E

MSRP: $213|Avg: $47

96%

#797

Celeron M 900

MSRP: $86|Avg: $10

96%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Leadership: The Athlon X2 QL-60 delivers superior performance across the board. It outperforms the Core i3-330E in both compute-intensive tasks (1% faster) and gaming workloads.

Insight	Core i3-330E	Athlon X2 QL-60
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 (Lion (2008−2009) / 65 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Insight	Core i3-330E	Athlon X2 QL-60
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.

Core i3-330E Benchmark Check

Athlon X2 QL-60 Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i3-330E and Athlon X2 QL-60

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.

Athlon X2 QL-60

The Athlon X2 QL-60 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2009-01-01. It is based on the Lion (2008−2009) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Max frequency: 1.9 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 1 MB. Built on 65 nm process technology. Socket: S1. Thermal design power (TDP): 1 MB. Passmark benchmark score: 1,273 points. Launch price was $149.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i3-330E packs 2 cores / 4 threads, matching the Athlon X2 QL-60's 2 cores. Boost clocks reach 0.03 GHz on the Core i3-330E versus 1.9 GHz on the Athlon X2 QL-60 — a 193.8% clock advantage for the Athlon X2 QL-60. The Core i3-330E uses the Westmere (2010−2011) architecture (32 nm), while the Athlon X2 QL-60 uses Lion (2008−2009) (65 nm). In PassMark, the Core i3-330E scores 1,260 against the Athlon X2 QL-60's 1,273 — a 1% lead for the Athlon X2 QL-60. L3 cache: 3 MB on the Core i3-330E vs 0 kB on the Athlon X2 QL-60.

Feature	Core i3-330E	Athlon X2 QL-60
Cores / Threads	2 / 4	2 / 2
Boost Clock	0.03 GHz	1.9 GHz+6233%
Base Clock	2.13 GHz	—
L3 Cache	3 MB	0 kB
L2 Cache	512 kB	1 MB+100%
Process	32 nm-51%	65 nm
Architecture	Westmere (2010−2011)	Lion (2008−2009)
PassMark	1,260	1,273+1%

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i3-330E uses the BGA1288 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Athlon X2 QL-60 uses S1 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.