Pentium N3530 vs Pentium A1020

Pentium N3530

4 Cores4 Thrd2 WWMax: 2.58 GHz2014

Pentium A1020

4 Cores4 Thrd10 WWMax: 2.7 GHz2016

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Pentium N3530

4 / 4

1,159

0.0%

1,167

+0.7%

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 N3530 is positioned at rank 1156 and the Pentium A1020 is on rank 1009, so the Pentium A1020 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 N3530

#1144

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

4075%

#1145

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

4015%

#1146

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

3686%

#1147

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

3669%

#1148

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

3636%

#1150

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

3511%

#1151

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

3367%

#1152

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

3361%

#1153

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

3271%

#1156

Pentium N3530

MSRP: $161|Avg: $20

100%

#1158

Core i3-330E

MSRP: $177|Avg: $89

99%

#1159

Core i7-2640M

MSRP: $346|Avg: N/A

98%

#1160

Core M-5Y71

MSRP: $281|Avg: $281

98%

#1163

Core i7-2620M

MSRP: $346|Avg: N/A

97%

#1164

Celeron N3010

MSRP: $107|Avg: N/A

95%

#1165

Core i7-3537U

MSRP: $346|Avg: N/A

94%

#1166

Core M-5Y10c

MSRP: $281|Avg: $281

94%

#1167

Core M-5Y10a

MSRP: $281|Avg: $281

94%

#1168

Core M-5Y31

MSRP: $281|Avg: $30

94%

#1170

Celeron 1047UE

MSRP: $100|Avg: $100

94%

#1171

Core M-5Y70

MSRP: $281|Avg: $281

93%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Pentium A1020

#997

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

2162%

#998

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

2130%

#999

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

1956%

#1000

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

1947%

#1001

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

1929%

#1003

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

1863%

#1004

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

1786%

#1005

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

1783%

#1006

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

1735%

#1009

Pentium A1020

MSRP: $86|Avg: $86

100%

#1010

Core i3-1115GRE

MSRP: $338|Avg: $480

100%

#1011

Core i7-4702MQ

MSRP: $383|Avg: $50

100%

#1012

Pentium N4200

MSRP: $161|Avg: $30.89

99%

#1013

Pentium J2900

MSRP: $94|Avg: $20

98%

#1014

Celeron T1700

MSRP: $80|Avg: $5

97%

#1015

Celeron T3500

MSRP: $80|Avg: $10

97%

#1016

A12-9720P

MSRP: $200|Avg: $25

97%

#1017

Core i5-4300M

MSRP: $227|Avg: N/A

96%

#1018

Celeron 1005M

MSRP: $86|Avg: N/A

96%

#1019

Athlon 64 X2 TK-42

MSRP: $60|Avg: $10

95%

#1020

Athlon Neo MV-40

MSRP: $100|Avg: $5

94%

#1021

Core i7-4860EQ

MSRP: $434|Avg: $80

94%

#1022

Pentium SU2700

MSRP: $100|Avg: $10

93%

#1023

A4-1250

MSRP: $100|Avg: $30

93%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Leadership: The Pentium A1020 delivers superior performance across the board. It outperforms the Pentium N3530 in both compute-intensive tasks (0.7% faster) and gaming workloads.

Insight	Pentium N3530	Pentium A1020
Gaming	❌ Lower gaming performance	✅ Superior gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	✅ More affordable ($20)	⚠️ Higher cost ($86)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Bay Trail-M (2013−2014) / 22 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Legacy / 22 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Value Proposition: While both processors are considered legacy components by modern standards, the Pentium N3530 holds the technical lead in efficiency. Priced at $20 (vs $86), it costs 77% less. While offering basic entry-level performance, it results in a 327% higher cost efficiency score compared to the Pentium A1020.

Insight	Pentium N3530	Pentium A1020
Cost Efficiency	✅ Better overall value (+327%)	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	✅ More affordable ($20)	⚠️ Higher cost ($86)

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 N3530 Benchmark Check

Pentium A1020 Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Pentium N3530 and Pentium A1020

Pentium N3530

The Pentium N3530 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2007-01-01. It is based on the Bay Trail-M (2013−2014) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.16 GHz, with boost up to 2.58 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: 1,159 points. Launch price was $69.

Pentium A1020

The Pentium A1020 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2007-01-01. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.41 GHz, with boost up to 2.7 GHz. L3 cache: 2 MB L2 Cache. Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1170. Thermal design power (TDP): 10 Watt. Memory support: DDR3L-1333. Passmark benchmark score: 1,167 points. Launch price was $69.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Pentium N3530 and Pentium A1020 share an identical 4-core/4-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 2.58 GHz on the Pentium N3530 versus 2.7 GHz on the Pentium A1020 — a 4.5% clock advantage for the Pentium A1020 (base: 2.16 GHz vs 2.41 GHz). The Pentium N3530 is built on the Bay Trail-M (2013−2014) architecture. In PassMark, the Pentium N3530 scores 1,159 against the Pentium A1020's 1,167 — a 0.7% lead for the Pentium A1020. L3 cache: 2 MB on the Pentium N3530 vs 2 MB L2 Cache on the Pentium A1020.

Feature	Pentium N3530	Pentium A1020
Cores / Threads	4 / 4	4 / 4
Boost Clock	2.58 GHz	2.7 GHz+5%
Base Clock	2.16 GHz	2.41 GHz+12%
L3 Cache	2 MB	2 MB L2 Cache
L2 Cache	2 MB	—
Process	22 nm	22 nm
Architecture	Bay Trail-M (2013−2014)	—
PassMark	1,159	1,167

🧠

Memory & Platform

Both processors use the FCBGA1170 socket with PCIe 2.0.

Feature	Pentium N3530	Pentium A1020
Socket	FCBGA1170	FCBGA1170
PCIe Generation	PCIe 2.0	PCIe 3.0+50%

💰

Value Analysis

The Pentium N3530 launched at $161 MSRP, while the Pentium A1020 debuted at $86. At current prices ($20 vs $86), the Pentium N3530 is $66 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Pentium N3530 delivers 58.0 pts/$ vs 13.6 pts/$ for the Pentium A1020 — making the Pentium N3530 the 124.1% better value option.