Core i3-350M vs Athlon II X2 235e

Core i3-350M

2 Cores4 Thrd35 WWMax: 0.27 GHz2010

Athlon II X2 235e

2 Cores2 Thrd45 WWMax: 2.7 GHz2009

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Core i3-350M

2 / 4

1,088

+0.8%

1,079

0.0%

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 i3-350M is positioned at rank 17 and the Athlon II X2 235e is on rank 888, so the Core i3-350M 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 i3-350M

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

135%

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

133%

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

122%

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

121%

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

120%

#11

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

116%

#12

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

111%

#13

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

111%

#14

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

108%

#17

Core i3-350M

MSRP: $130|Avg: $10

100%

#18

Atom x5-E8000

MSRP: $18|Avg: N/A

99%

#19

Core 2 Duo T5900

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $5

98%

#22

Core i3-3130M

MSRP: $225|Avg: N/A

88%

#23

Core 2 Duo T5550

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $5

84%

#24

Core 2 Duo T7100

MSRP: $197|Avg: $15

84%

#27

Pentium 2030M

MSRP: $134|Avg: N/A

80%

#28

Core 2 Duo T5750

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $8

80%

#29

Core 2 Duo T7200

MSRP: $286|Avg: $6

79%

#30

Core i5-3230M

MSRP: $225|Avg: $13

79%

#31

Atom D525

MSRP: $63|Avg: N/A

78%

#32

Atom x7835RE

MSRP: $127|Avg: N/A

78%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Athlon II X2 235e

Ryzen 9 7950X

MSRP: $194|Avg: $20

19931%

Core i9-10900T

MSRP: $120|Avg: $5

18832%

Ryzen 3 PRO 4355GE

MSRP: $423|Avg: $5

13674%

Ryzen Threadripper 3960X

MSRP: $1399|Avg: $85

4119%

Ryzen 9 9950X

MSRP: $649|Avg: $129

3263%

Ryzen 5 8400F

MSRP: $303|Avg: $55

2854%

Ryzen 7 PRO 2700

MSRP: $299|Avg: $60

1635%

Ryzen 5 2600X

MSRP: $229|Avg: $55

1614%

Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G

MSRP: $150|Avg: $60

1469%

#10

Core Ultra 5 245KF

MSRP: $294|Avg: $189

1469%

#11

Ryzen 5 5500

MSRP: $159|Avg: $85

1453%

#12

Ryzen 5 3600

MSRP: $199|Avg: $80

1413%

#13

Core i3-9100E

MSRP: $202|Avg: $30

1394%

#14

Core Ultra 5 245K

MSRP: $319|Avg: $200

1388%

#15

Core i3-8300T

MSRP: $138|Avg: $25

1375%

#299

Core i9-7980XE

MSRP: $1999|Avg: $300

95%

#888

Athlon II X2 235e

MSRP: $69|Avg: $15

100%

#889

Athlon II X2 250e

MSRP: $77|Avg: $15

100%

#890

Core i7-2600S

MSRP: $297|Avg: $99

100%

#891

Athlon II X2 250u

MSRP: $60|Avg: $15

100%

#892

Pentium G6951

MSRP: $89|Avg: $50

99%

#893

Core i3-2125

MSRP: $134|Avg: $15

99%

#895

Celeron G1820

MSRP: $110|Avg: $15

99%

#896

Celeron E1600

MSRP: $53|Avg: $10

98%

#897

Athlon II X2 270u

MSRP: $68|Avg: $10

98%

#898

Core i5-4570TE

MSRP: $202|Avg: $40

98%

#899

Core i3-2130

MSRP: $138|Avg: $138

96%

#902

Core i3-6100E

MSRP: $225|Avg: $50

94%

#903

Core i3-4330TE

MSRP: $138|Avg: $15

94%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Leadership: The Core i3-350M delivers superior performance across the board. It outperforms the Athlon II X2 235e in both compute-intensive tasks (0.8% faster) and gaming workloads.

Insight	Core i3-350M	Athlon II X2 235e
Gaming	✅ Superior gaming performance	❌ Lower gaming performance
Workstation	✅ Better multi-core power	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price	✅ More affordable ($10)	⚠️ Higher cost ($15)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Arrandale (2010−2011) / 32 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Regor (2009−2013) / 45 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Efficiency: Even within a comparison of older hardware, the Core i3-350M stands out as the superior choice. It is effectively 33% cheaper ($10 vs $15) while identifying as the stronger performer.

Insight	Core i3-350M	Athlon II X2 235e
Cost Efficiency	✅ Better overall value (+51%)	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	✅ More affordable ($10)	⚠️ Higher cost ($15)

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 i3-350M Benchmark Check

Athlon II X2 235e Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i3-350M and Athlon II X2 235e

Core i3-350M

The Core i3-350M is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 7 January 2010 (15 years ago). It is based on the Arrandale (2010−2011) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.26 GHz, with boost up to 0.27 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: 1,088 points. Launch price was $130.

Athlon II X2 235e

The Athlon II X2 235e is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 20 October 2009 (16 years ago). It is based on the Regor (2009−2013) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 2.7 GHz, with boost up to 2.7 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 1 MB. Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: AM3. Thermal design power (TDP): 45 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,079 points. Launch price was $84.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i3-350M packs 2 cores / 4 threads, matching the Athlon II X2 235e's 2 cores. Boost clocks reach 0.27 GHz on the Core i3-350M versus 2.7 GHz on the Athlon II X2 235e — a 163.6% clock advantage for the Athlon II X2 235e (base: 2.26 GHz vs 2.7 GHz). The Core i3-350M uses the Arrandale (2010−2011) architecture (32 nm), while the Athlon II X2 235e uses Regor (2009−2013) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Core i3-350M scores 1,088 against the Athlon II X2 235e's 1,079 — a 0.8% lead for the Core i3-350M. Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 280 vs 240, a 15.4% lead for the Core i3-350M that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 650 vs 450 (36.4% advantage for the Core i3-350M). L3 cache: 3 MB (total) on the Core i3-350M vs 0 kB on the Athlon II X2 235e.

Feature	Core i3-350M	Athlon II X2 235e
Cores / Threads	2 / 4	2 / 2
Boost Clock	0.27 GHz	2.7 GHz+900%
Base Clock	2.26 GHz	2.7 GHz+19%
L3 Cache	3 MB (total)	0 kB
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	1 MB+300%
Process	32 nm-29%	45 nm
Architecture	Arrandale (2010−2011)	Regor (2009−2013)
PassMark	1,088	1,079
Geekbench 6 Single	280+17%	240
Geekbench 6 Multi	650+44%	450

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i3-350M uses the PGA988 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Athlon II X2 235e uses AM3 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR3-1066 memory speed. The Athlon II X2 235e 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 i3-350M) vs 0 (Athlon II X2 235e) — the Core i3-350M offers 16 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: HM55,HM57 (Core i3-350M) and 760G,780G,785G,790GX (Athlon II X2 235e).

Feature	Core i3-350M	Athlon II X2 235e
Socket	PGA988	AM3
PCIe Generation	PCIe 2.0	PCIe 2.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR3-1066	DDR3-1333
Max RAM Capacity	8 GB	16 GB+100%
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	❌	✅
PCIe Lanes	16	0

🔧

Advanced Features

Neither processor supports overclocking. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Core i3-350M) vs AMD-V (Athlon II X2 235e). The Core i3-350M includes integrated graphics (Intel HD Graphics), while the Athlon II X2 235e requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i3-350M targets Entry Laptop, Athlon II X2 235e targets Energy Efficient Legacy Desktop. Direct competitor: Core i3-350M rivals AMD Athlon II P320; Athlon II X2 235e rivals Pentium E5300.

Feature	Core i3-350M	Athlon II X2 235e
Integrated GPU	Yes	No
IGPU Model	Intel HD Graphics	—
Unlocked	No	No
AVX-512	No	No
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d, EPT	AMD-V
Target Use	Entry Laptop	Energy Efficient Legacy Desktop

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i3-350M launched at $130 MSRP, while the Athlon II X2 235e debuted at $69. At current prices ($10 vs $15), the Core i3-350M is $5 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i3-350M delivers 108.8 pts/$ vs 71.9 pts/$ for the Athlon II X2 235e — making the Core i3-350M the 40.8% better value option.