Pentium P6300 vs Phenom II X3 B73

Pentium P6300 vs Phenom II X3 B73 Performance Spectrum

Pentium P6300

2 / 2

1,685

+0.8%

Pentium Dual-Core E2180

1,671

0.0%

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 5945WX

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 P6300 vs Phenom II X3 B73 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 P6300 vs Phenom II X3 B73: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

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

Pentium P6300

2011

Why buy it

✅+0.8% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 35W instead of 95W, a 60W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (3 MB vs 6 MB).
❌Launch MSRP is still $80 MSRP, while Phenom II X3 B73 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

Phenom II X3 B73

2009

Why buy it

✅+100% larger total L3 cache (6 MB vs 3 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (1,671 vs 1,685).
❌171.4% higher power demand at 95W vs 35W.

Quick Answers

So, is Pentium P6300 better than Phenom II X3 B73?

It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, Phenom II X3 B73 is ahead with a 0.8% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Pentium P6300 pulls ahead with 0.8% better PassMark. Phenom II X3 B73 also has the bigger cache pool with 100% larger total L3 cache (6 MB vs 3 MB).

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Pentium P6300 is the stronger fit. You are getting 0.8% better PassMark, backed by 2 cores and 2 threads.

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

Pentium P6300 is the better buy right now. Pentium P6300 comes in at an unclear MSRP at $80 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it still gives you 0.8% better PassMark. The compromise is that Phenom II X3 B73 is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 0.8% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (21.1 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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 P6300 makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2011 vs 2009) and more multi-core headroom with 2 cores / 2 threads instead of 3/3. That extra compute headroom is more likely to matter as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

Pentium P6300 vs Phenom II X3 B73 Technical Specifications

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

Pentium P6300

The Pentium P6300 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2007-01-01. It is based on the Arrandale (2010−2011) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 2.27 GHz, with boost up to 0.27 GHz. L3 cache: 3 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: PGA988. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,685 points. Launch price was $69.

Phenom II X3 B73

The Phenom II X3 B73 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 1 October 2009 (16 years ago). It is based on the Heka (2009−2010) architecture. It features 3 cores and 3 threads. Base frequency is 2.8 GHz, with boost up to 2.8 GHz. L3 cache: 6 MB (total). L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: AM3. Thermal design power (TDP): 95 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,671 points. Launch price was $75.

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Processing Power

The Pentium P6300 packs 2 cores / 2 threads, while the Phenom II X3 B73 offers 3 cores / 3 threads — the Phenom II X3 B73 has 1 more core. Boost clocks reach 0.27 GHz on the Pentium P6300 versus 2.8 GHz on the Phenom II X3 B73 — a 164.8% clock advantage for the Phenom II X3 B73 (base: 2.27 GHz vs 2.8 GHz). The Pentium P6300 uses the Arrandale (2010−2011) architecture (32 nm), while the Phenom II X3 B73 uses Heka (2009−2010) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Pentium P6300 scores 1,685 against the Phenom II X3 B73's 1,671 — a 0.8% lead for the Pentium P6300. L3 cache: 3 MB (total) on the Pentium P6300 vs 6 MB (total) on the Phenom II X3 B73.

Feature	Pentium P6300	Phenom II X3 B73
Cores / Threads	2 / 2	3 / 3+50%
Boost Clock	0.27 GHz	2.8 GHz+937%
Base Clock	2.27 GHz	2.8 GHz+23%
L3 Cache	3 MB (total)	6 MB (total)+100%
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	512 kB (per core)+100%
Process	32 nm-29%	45 nm
Architecture	Arrandale (2010−2011)	Heka (2009−2010)
PassMark	1,685	1,671

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Memory & Platform

The Pentium P6300 uses the PGA988 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Phenom II X3 B73 uses AM3 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.