Core i3-4030U vs Atom x7-E3950

CPU

GPU

Core i3-4030U

2 Cores4 Thrd512 WWMax: 1.9 GHz2014

Atom x7-E3950

4 Cores4 Thrd12 WWMax: 2 GHz2016

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Core i3-4030U

2 / 4

1,876

+0.6%

1,864

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 i3-4030U is positioned at rank 75 and the Atom x7-E3950 is on rank 480, so the Core i3-4030U 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 i3-4030U

#18

Ryzen 5 8500G

MSRP: $179|Avg: $150

96%

#63

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

235%

#64

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

231%

#65

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

212%

#66

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

211%

#67

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

209%

#69

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

202%

#70

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

194%

#71

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

193%

#72

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

188%

#75

Core i3-4030U

MSRP: $281|Avg: N/A

100%

#79

Atom D2500

MSRP: $42|Avg: N/A

97%

#88

Core 2 Duo T7500

MSRP: $316|Avg: $5

92%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Atom x7-E3950

#153

Core i7-1370P

MSRP: $438|Avg: $280

98%

#467

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

630%

#468

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

620%

#469

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

570%

#470

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

567%

#471

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

562%

#473

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

542%

#474

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

520%

#475

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

519%

#476

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

505%

#480

Atom x7-E3950

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#487

Processor U300

MSRP: $193|Avg: $180

99%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Trade-off: The Atom x7-E3950 leads in gaming performance. However, the Core i3-4030U is the stronger candidate for professional workloads, offering 0.6% greater multi-core processing power.

Insight	Core i3-4030U	Atom x7-E3950
Gaming	❌ Lower gaming performance	✅ Superior gaming performance
Workstation	✅ Better multi-core power	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price	⚠️ Higher cost ($281)	✅ More affordable ($0)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Haswell (2013−2015) / 22 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Apollo Lake (2014−2016) / 14 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Insight	Core i3-4030U	Atom x7-E3950
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	⚠️ Higher cost ($281)	✅ 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 i3-4030U Benchmark Check

Atom x7-E3950 Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i3-4030U and Atom x7-E3950

Core i3-4030U

The Core i3-4030U is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 14 April 2014 (11 years ago). It is based on the Haswell (2013−2015) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 1.9 GHz, with boost up to 1.9 GHz. L3 cache: 3 MB. L2 cache: 512 kB. Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1168. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,876 points. Launch price was $281.

Atom x7-E3950

The Atom x7-E3950 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 2 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 2 MB (total). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1296. Thermal design power (TDP): 12 Watt. Memory support: DDR3, DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 1,864 points. Launch price was $57.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i3-4030U packs 2 cores / 4 threads, while the Atom x7-E3950 offers 4 cores / 4 threads — the Atom x7-E3950 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 1.9 GHz on the Core i3-4030U versus 2 GHz on the Atom x7-E3950 — a 5.1% clock advantage for the Atom x7-E3950 (base: 1.9 GHz vs 1.6 GHz). The Core i3-4030U uses the Haswell (2013−2015) architecture (22 nm), while the Atom x7-E3950 uses Apollo Lake (2014−2016) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core i3-4030U scores 1,876 against the Atom x7-E3950's 1,864 — a 0.6% lead for the Core i3-4030U. L3 cache: 3 MB on the Core i3-4030U vs 0 kB on the Atom x7-E3950.

Feature	Core i3-4030U	Atom x7-E3950
Cores / Threads	2 / 4	4 / 4+100%
Boost Clock	1.9 GHz	2 GHz+5%
Base Clock	1.9 GHz+19%	1.6 GHz
L3 Cache	3 MB	0 kB
L2 Cache	512 kB	2 MB (total)+300%
Process	22 nm	14 nm-36%
Architecture	Haswell (2013−2015)	Apollo Lake (2014−2016)
PassMark	1,876	1,864
Geekbench 6 Single	—	245

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i3-4030U uses the FCBGA1168 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Atom x7-E3950 uses FCBGA1296 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i3-4030U	Atom x7-E3950
Socket	FCBGA1168	FCBGA1296
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	—	LPDDR4-2400
Max RAM Capacity	—	8 GB
RAM Channels	—	4
ECC Support	—	✅
PCIe Lanes	—	6

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Core i3-4030U) / VT-x, VT-d (Atom x7-E3950). The Atom x7-E3950 includes integrated graphics (HD Graphics 505), while the Core i3-4030U requires a dedicated GPU.