Core i5-3330S vs Athlon 300U
Core i5-3330S
Athlon 300U
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 i5-3330S is positioned at rank 866 and the Athlon 300U is on rank 624, so the Athlon 300U offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Core i5-3330S
Performance Per Dollar Athlon 300U
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Core i5-3330S | Athlon 300U |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ❌ Lower gaming performance | ✅ Superior gaming performance |
| Workstation | ✅ Better multi-core power | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks |
| Price | ⚠️ Higher cost ($30) | ✅ More affordable ($0) |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) / 22 nm) | ✨ Modern (Raven Ridge 2 (2019) / 14 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Core i5-3330S | Athlon 300U |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ⚠️ Higher cost ($30) | ✅ More affordable ($0) |
Performance Check
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 i5-3330S and Athlon 300U
Core i5-3330S
The Core i5-3330S is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 3 September 2012 (13 years ago). It is based on the Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.7 GHz, with boost up to 3.2 GHz. L3 cache: 6 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1155. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 3,915 points. Launch price was $231.
Athlon 300U
The Athlon 300U is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2009-01-01. It is based on the Raven Ridge 2 (2019) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.4 GHz, with boost up to 3.3 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB (total). L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: FP5. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR4 Dual-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 3,861 points. Launch price was $149.
Processing Power
The Core i5-3330S packs 4 cores / 4 threads, while the Athlon 300U offers 2 cores / 4 threads — the Core i5-3330S has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.2 GHz on the Core i5-3330S versus 3.3 GHz on the Athlon 300U — a 3.1% clock advantage for the Athlon 300U (base: 2.7 GHz vs 2.4 GHz). The Core i5-3330S uses the Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) architecture (22 nm), while the Athlon 300U uses Raven Ridge 2 (2019) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-3330S scores 3,915 against the Athlon 300U's 3,861 — a 1.4% lead for the Core i5-3330S. L3 cache: 6 MB (total) on the Core i5-3330S vs 4 MB (total) on the Athlon 300U.
| Feature | Core i5-3330S | Athlon 300U |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 4 / 4+100% | 2 / 4 |
| Boost Clock | 3.2 GHz | 3.3 GHz+3% |
| Base Clock | 2.7 GHz+13% | 2.4 GHz |
| L3 Cache | 6 MB (total)+50% | 4 MB (total) |
| L2 Cache | 256 kB (per core) | 512K (per core)+100% |
| Process | 22 nm | 14 nm-36% |
| Architecture | Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) | Raven Ridge 2 (2019) |
| PassMark | 3,915+1% | 3,861 |
| Geekbench 6 Single | — | 900 |
| Geekbench 6 Multi | — | 1,800 |
Memory & Platform
The Core i5-3330S uses the LGA1155 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Athlon 300U uses FP5 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Core i5-3330S | Athlon 300U |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | LGA1155 | FP5 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 3.0 | PCIe 3.0 |
| Max RAM Speed | — | DDR4-2400 |
| Max RAM Capacity | — | 32 GB |
| RAM Channels | — | 2 |
| ECC Support | — | ❌ |
| PCIe Lanes | — | 12 |
Advanced Features
Virtualization: not specified (Core i5-3330S) / AMD-V (Athlon 300U). The Athlon 300U includes integrated graphics (Radeon RX Vega 3), while the Core i5-3330S requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Athlon 300U targets Budget Laptop.
| Feature | Core i5-3330S | Athlon 300U |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | — | Yes |
| IGPU Model | — | Radeon RX Vega 3 |
| Unlocked | — | No |
| AVX-512 | — | No |
| Virtualization | — | AMD-V |
| Target Use | — | Budget Laptop |
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