Core i5-2500T vs Athlon Silver 3050U

Core i5-2500T

4 Cores4 Thrd45 WWMax: 3.3 GHz2011

Athlon Silver 3050U

2 Cores2 Thrd15 WWMax: 3.2 GHz2020

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Core i5-2500T

4 / 4

2,929

0.0%

2,950

+0.7%

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 i5-2500T is positioned at rank 882 and the Athlon Silver 3050U is on rank 456, so the Athlon Silver 3050U 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 i5-2500T

Ryzen 9 7950X

MSRP: $194|Avg: $20

19373%

Core i9-10900T

MSRP: $120|Avg: $5

18306%

Ryzen 3 PRO 4355GE

MSRP: $423|Avg: $5

13291%

Ryzen Threadripper 3960X

MSRP: $1399|Avg: $85

4004%

Ryzen 9 9950X

MSRP: $649|Avg: $129

3172%

Ryzen 5 8400F

MSRP: $303|Avg: $55

2775%

Ryzen 7 PRO 2700

MSRP: $299|Avg: $60

1589%

Ryzen 5 2600X

MSRP: $229|Avg: $55

1568%

Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G

MSRP: $150|Avg: $60

1428%

#10

Core Ultra 5 245KF

MSRP: $294|Avg: $189

1428%

#11

Ryzen 5 5500

MSRP: $159|Avg: $85

1412%

#12

Ryzen 5 3600

MSRP: $199|Avg: $80

1374%

#13

Core i3-9100E

MSRP: $202|Avg: $30

1355%

#14

Core Ultra 5 245K

MSRP: $319|Avg: $200

1349%

#15

Core i3-8300T

MSRP: $138|Avg: $25

1337%

#882

Core i5-2500T

MSRP: $182|Avg: $30

100%

#884

Athlon II X2 265

MSRP: $83|Avg: $15

99%

#885

Core i3-2100

MSRP: $117|Avg: $10

99%

#886

A8-3800

MSRP: $130|Avg: $40

98%

#887

Pentium E5200

MSRP: $84|Avg: $15

97%

#888

Athlon II X2 235e

MSRP: $69|Avg: $15

97%

#889

Athlon II X2 250e

MSRP: $77|Avg: $15

97%

#890

Core i7-2600S

MSRP: $297|Avg: $99

97%

#891

Athlon II X2 250u

MSRP: $60|Avg: $15

97%

#892

Pentium G6951

MSRP: $89|Avg: $50

97%

#893

Core i3-2125

MSRP: $134|Avg: $15

97%

#895

Celeron G1820

MSRP: $110|Avg: $15

96%

#896

Celeron E1600

MSRP: $53|Avg: $10

96%

#897

Athlon II X2 270u

MSRP: $68|Avg: $10

96%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Athlon Silver 3050U

#144

Core i7-12650H

MSRP: $457|Avg: N/A

97%

#444

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

597%

#445

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

588%

#446

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

540%

#447

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

537%

#448

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

532%

#450

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

514%

#451

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

493%

#452

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

492%

#453

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

479%

#456

Athlon Silver 3050U

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Generational Difference: This comparison involves processors from different technological eras. The Athlon Silver 3050U (2020) utilizes 14 nm technology and DDR4, providing a fundamental performance advantage.

Insight	Core i5-2500T	Athlon Silver 3050U
Gaming	✅ Superior gaming performance	❌ Lower gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	⚠️ Higher cost ($30)	✅ More affordable ($0)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) / 32 nm)	✨ Modern (Dali (Zen) (2020) / 14 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Core i5-2500T (2011) relies on 32 nm technology and DDR3, placing it in a different performance category relative to modern standards.

Insight	Core i5-2500T	Athlon Silver 3050U
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	⚠️ Higher cost ($30)	✅ 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 i5-2500T Benchmark Check

Athlon Silver 3050U Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-2500T and Athlon Silver 3050U

Core i5-2500T

The Core i5-2500T is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 9 January 2011 (14 years ago). It is based on the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.3 GHz, with boost up to 3.3 GHz. L3 cache: 6144 kB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1155. Thermal design power (TDP): 45 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 2,929 points. Launch price was $69.

Athlon Silver 3050U

The Athlon Silver 3050U is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2009-01-01. It is based on the Dali (Zen) (2020) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 2.2 GHz, with boost up to 3.2 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB (total). L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: FP5. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 2,950 points. Launch price was $149.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i5-2500T packs 4 cores / 4 threads, while the Athlon Silver 3050U offers 2 cores / 2 threads — the Core i5-2500T has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.3 GHz on the Core i5-2500T versus 3.2 GHz on the Athlon Silver 3050U — a 3.1% clock advantage for the Core i5-2500T (base: 2.3 GHz vs 2.2 GHz). The Core i5-2500T uses the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture (32 nm), while the Athlon Silver 3050U uses Dali (Zen) (2020) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-2500T scores 2,929 against the Athlon Silver 3050U's 2,950 — a 0.7% lead for the Athlon Silver 3050U. L3 cache: 6144 kB (total) on the Core i5-2500T vs 4 MB (total) on the Athlon Silver 3050U.

Feature	Core i5-2500T	Athlon Silver 3050U
Cores / Threads	4 / 4+100%	2 / 2
Boost Clock	3.3 GHz+3%	3.2 GHz
Base Clock	2.3 GHz+5%	2.2 GHz
L3 Cache	6144 kB (total)+50%	4 MB (total)
L2 Cache	256 kB (per core)	512 kB (per core)+100%
Process	32 nm	14 nm-56%
Architecture	Sandy Bridge (2011−2013)	Dali (Zen) (2020)
PassMark	2,929	2,950
Cinebench R23 Multi	—	900
Geekbench 6 Single	—	873
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	1,524

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i5-2500T uses the LGA1155 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Athlon Silver 3050U uses FP5 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR3-1333 on the Core i5-2500T versus DDR4-2400 on the Athlon Silver 3050U — the Athlon Silver 3050U supports 28.6% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. Both support up to 32 GB of RAM. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 16 (Core i5-2500T) vs 8 (Athlon Silver 3050U) — the Core i5-2500T offers 8 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives.

Feature	Core i5-2500T	Athlon Silver 3050U
Socket	LGA1155	FP5
PCIe Generation	PCIe 2.0	PCIe 3.0+50%
Max RAM Speed	DDR3-1333	DDR4-2400+33%
Max RAM Capacity	32 GB	32 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	❌	❌
PCIe Lanes	16+100%	8

🔧

Advanced Features

Neither processor supports overclocking. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d (Core i5-2500T) vs AMD-V (Athlon Silver 3050U). Both include integrated graphics — HD Graphics 2000 (Core i5-2500T) and Radeon Vega 3 (Athlon Silver 3050U) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i5-2500T targets Desktop, Athlon Silver 3050U targets Budget. Direct competitor: Athlon Silver 3050U rivals Pentium Gold 7505.