Pentium N3520 vs Phenom X3 8850

Pentium N3520 vs Phenom X3 8850 Performance Spectrum

Pentium N3520

4 / 4

1,144

+0.2%

1,142

0.0%

Mobile Athlon 64 3700+

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.

Pentium N3520 vs Phenom X3 8850 FPS Benchmarks

Predicted gaming performance across popular games. Tested paired with GeForce RTX 5090 to isolate CPU performance.

Search any supported game below to compare 1080p FPS for both components.

Pentium N3520 vs Phenom X3 8850: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each CPU makes more sense in practice: gaming, heavier work, platform cost, power draw, and upgrade path.

Pentium N3520

2013

Why buy it

✅+0.2% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 2W instead of 95W, a 93W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $100 MSRP, while Phenom X3 8850 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

Phenom X3 8850

2008

Why buy it

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (1,142 vs 1,144).
❌4650% higher power demand at 95W vs 2W.

Quick Answers

So, is Pentium N3520 better than Phenom X3 8850?

It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, Phenom X3 8850 is ahead with a 0.2% average FPS lead across 46 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Pentium N3520 pulls ahead with 0.2% better PassMark.

Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Pentium N3520 is the stronger fit. You are getting 0.2% better PassMark, backed by 4 cores and 4 threads.

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?

Pentium N3520 is the better buy right now. Pentium N3520 comes in at an unclear MSRP at $100 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it still gives you 0.2% better PassMark. The compromise is that Phenom X3 8850 is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 0.2% average FPS lead across 46 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (11.4 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), so you are getting the faster CPU without taking a value hit on paper.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

Pentium N3520 makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2013 vs 2008) and more multi-core headroom with 4 cores / 4 threads instead of 3/3. That extra compute headroom is more likely to matter as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

Pentium N3520 vs Phenom X3 8850 Technical Specifications

Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

Pentium N3520

The Pentium N3520 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 December 2013 (12 years ago). It is based on the Bay Trail-M (2013−2014) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.17 GHz, with boost up to 2.42 GHz. L3 cache: 2 MB. L2 cache: 2 MB. Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1170. Thermal design power (TDP): 7.5 Watt. Memory support: DDR3L-1333. Passmark benchmark score: 1,144 points. Launch price was $161.

Phenom X3 8850

The Phenom X3 8850 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: 2.5 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: 1,142 points. Launch price was $149.

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Processing Power

The Pentium N3520 packs 4 cores / 4 threads, while the Phenom X3 8850 offers 3 cores / 3 threads — the Pentium N3520 has 1 more core. Boost clocks reach 2.42 GHz on the Pentium N3520 versus 2.5 GHz on the Phenom X3 8850 — a 3.3% clock advantage for the Phenom X3 8850. The Pentium N3520 uses the Bay Trail-M (2013−2014) architecture (22 nm), while the Phenom X3 8850 uses Toliman (2008) (65 nm). In PassMark, the Pentium N3520 scores 1,144 against the Phenom X3 8850's 1,142 — a 0.2% lead for the Pentium N3520. L3 cache: 2 MB on the Pentium N3520 vs 2 MB (total) on the Phenom X3 8850.

Feature	Pentium N3520	Phenom X3 8850
Cores / Threads	4 / 4+33%	3 / 3
Boost Clock	2.42 GHz	2.5 GHz+3%
Base Clock	2.17 GHz	—
L3 Cache	2 MB	2 MB (total)
L2 Cache	2 MB+300%	512 kB (per core)
Process	22 nm-66%	65 nm
Architecture	Bay Trail-M (2013−2014)	Toliman (2008)
PassMark	1,144	1,142

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Memory & Platform

The Pentium N3520 uses the FCBGA1170 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Phenom X3 8850 uses AM2+ (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.