Pentium J2900 vs Phenom X3 8600

CPU

GPU

Pentium J2900

4 Cores4 Thrd2 WWMax: 2.66 GHz2013

Phenom X3 8600

3 Cores3 Thrd95 WWMax: 2.3 GHz2008

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Pentium J2900

4 / 4

1,254

0.0%

1,267

+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 Pentium J2900 is positioned at rank 1013 and the Phenom X3 8600 is on rank 947, so the Phenom X3 8600 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 Pentium J2900

#1001

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

2199%

#1002

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

2167%

#1003

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

1990%

#1004

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

1981%

#1005

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

1962%

#1007

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

1895%

#1008

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

1817%

#1009

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

1814%

#1010

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

1765%

#1013

Pentium J2900

MSRP: $94|Avg: $20

100%

#1014

Celeron T1700

MSRP: $80|Avg: $5

99%

#1015

Celeron T3500

MSRP: $80|Avg: $10

99%

#1016

A12-9720P

MSRP: $200|Avg: $25

98%

#1017

Core i5-4300M

MSRP: $227|Avg: N/A

98%

#1018

Celeron 1005M

MSRP: $86|Avg: N/A

97%

#1019

Athlon 64 X2 TK-42

MSRP: $60|Avg: $10

97%

#1020

Athlon Neo MV-40

MSRP: $100|Avg: $5

96%

#1021

Core i7-4860EQ

MSRP: $434|Avg: $80

95%

#1022

Pentium SU2700

MSRP: $100|Avg: $10

95%

#1023

A4-1250

MSRP: $100|Avg: $30

94%

#1025

Core i5-4200M

MSRP: $225|Avg: N/A

94%

#1026

Celeron 1000M

MSRP: $86|Avg: N/A

93%

#1028

Celeron B840

MSRP: $86|Avg: $15

93%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Phenom X3 8600

Ryzen 9 7950X

MSRP: $194|Avg: $20

24603%

Core i9-10900T

MSRP: $120|Avg: $5

23247%

Ryzen 3 PRO 4355GE

MSRP: $423|Avg: $5

16879%

Ryzen Threadripper 3960X

MSRP: $1399|Avg: $85

5085%

Ryzen 9 9950X

MSRP: $649|Avg: $129

4028%

Ryzen 5 8400F

MSRP: $303|Avg: $55

3524%

Ryzen 7 PRO 2700

MSRP: $299|Avg: $60

2018%

Ryzen 5 2600X

MSRP: $229|Avg: $55

1992%

Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G

MSRP: $150|Avg: $60

1814%

#10

Core Ultra 5 245KF

MSRP: $294|Avg: $189

1813%

#11

Ryzen 5 5500

MSRP: $159|Avg: $85

1793%

#12

Ryzen 5 3600

MSRP: $199|Avg: $80

1745%

#13

Core i3-9100E

MSRP: $202|Avg: $30

1720%

#14

Core Ultra 5 245K

MSRP: $319|Avg: $200

1713%

#15

Core i3-8300T

MSRP: $138|Avg: $25

1698%

#947

Phenom X3 8600

MSRP: $100|Avg: $20

100%

#948

A10-6790B

MSRP: $122|Avg: $50

100%

#949

Core i3-6100TE

MSRP: $250|Avg: $90

100%

#950

FX-4320

MSRP: $250|Avg: $100

99%

#951

Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition

MSRP: $990|Avg: $150

99%

#952

Celeron E1200

MSRP: $53|Avg: $98

99%

#954

Core i5-660

MSRP: $196|Avg: $150

98%

#955

Athlon II X2 250

MSRP: $87|Avg: $15

98%

#956

Core i3-2120T

MSRP: $127|Avg: $38

98%

#957

Phenom II X3 720

MSRP: $130|Avg: $64

97%

#958

Pentium E6300

MSRP: $84|Avg: $15

97%

#959

Core i5-661

MSRP: $196|Avg: $40

96%

#960

Core i3-4150

MSRP: $281|Avg: $70

96%

#961

Core i5-750

MSRP: $210|Avg: $30

96%

#962

Core i3-2100T

MSRP: $127|Avg: $127

95%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Trade-off: The Pentium J2900 leads in gaming performance. However, the Phenom X3 8600 is the stronger candidate for professional workloads, offering 1% greater multi-core processing power.

Insight	Pentium J2900	Phenom X3 8600
Gaming	✅ Superior gaming performance	❌ Lower gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	Equivalent pricing	Equivalent pricing
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Bay Trail-D (2013) / 22 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Toliman (2008) / 65 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Efficiency: Even within a comparison of older hardware, the Phenom X3 8600 stands out as the superior choice. It is effectively 0% cheaper ($20 vs $20) while identifying as the stronger performer.

Insight	Pentium J2900	Phenom X3 8600
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	✅ Better overall value (+1%)
Upfront Cost	Equivalent pricing	Equivalent pricing

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.

Pentium J2900 Benchmark Check

Phenom X3 8600 Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Pentium J2900 and Phenom X3 8600

Pentium J2900

The Pentium J2900 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 November 2013 (12 years ago). It is based on the Bay Trail-D (2013) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.41 GHz, with boost up to 2.66 GHz. L3 cache: 2 MB L2 Cache. L2 cache: 2 MB. Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1170. Thermal design power (TDP): 10 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,254 points. Launch price was $94.

Phenom X3 8600

The Phenom X3 8600 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2009-01-01. It is based on the Toliman (2008) architecture. It features 3 cores and 3 threads. Max frequency: 2.3 GHz. L3 cache: 2 MB (total). L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 65 nm process technology. Socket: AM2+. Thermal design power (TDP): 95 Watt. Passmark benchmark score: 1,267 points. Launch price was $149.

⚡

Processing Power

The Pentium J2900 packs 4 cores / 4 threads, while the Phenom X3 8600 offers 3 cores / 3 threads — the Pentium J2900 has 1 more core. Boost clocks reach 2.66 GHz on the Pentium J2900 versus 2.3 GHz on the Phenom X3 8600 — a 14.5% clock advantage for the Pentium J2900. The Pentium J2900 uses the Bay Trail-D (2013) architecture (22 nm), while the Phenom X3 8600 uses Toliman (2008) (65 nm). In PassMark, the Pentium J2900 scores 1,254 against the Phenom X3 8600's 1,267 — a 1% lead for the Phenom X3 8600. L3 cache: 2 MB L2 Cache on the Pentium J2900 vs 2 MB (total) on the Phenom X3 8600.

Feature	Pentium J2900	Phenom X3 8600
Cores / Threads	4 / 4+33%	3 / 3
Boost Clock	2.66 GHz+16%	2.3 GHz
Base Clock	2.41 GHz	—
L3 Cache	2 MB L2 Cache	2 MB (total)
L2 Cache	2 MB+300%	512 kB (per core)
Process	22 nm-66%	65 nm
Architecture	Bay Trail-D (2013)	Toliman (2008)
PassMark	1,254	1,267+1%

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Pentium J2900 uses the FCBGA1170 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Phenom X3 8600 uses AM2+ (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Pentium J2900	Phenom X3 8600
Socket	FCBGA1170	AM2+
PCIe Generation	PCIe 2.0	PCIe 2.0

💰

Value Analysis

The Pentium J2900 launched at $94 MSRP, while the Phenom X3 8600 debuted at $100. At current prices ($20 vs $20), the Phenom X3 8600 is $0 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Pentium J2900 delivers 62.7 pts/$ vs 63.4 pts/$ for the Phenom X3 8600 — making the Phenom X3 8600 the 1% better value option.