Phenom II X3 N850 vs Core i3-330E

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Phenom II X3 N850

3 / 3

1,253

0.0%

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3955WX

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7955WX

Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

Core i3-330E

2 / 4

1,260

+0.6%

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 Phenom II X3 N850 is positioned at rank 539 and the Core i3-330E is on rank 1157, so the Phenom II X3 N850 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 Phenom II X3 N850

#169

Core i7-1280P

MSRP: $482|Avg: $482

100%

#527

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

702%

#528

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

692%

#529

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

635%

#530

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

633%

#531

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

627%

#533

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

605%

#534

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

580%

#535

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

579%

#536

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

564%

#539

Phenom II X3 N850

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#549

Celeron Dual-Core T1500

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $49

97%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Core i3-330E

#1145

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

4121%

#1146

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

4060%

#1147

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

3728%

#1148

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

3711%

#1149

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

3677%

#1151

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

3551%

#1152

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

3404%

#1153

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

3399%

#1154

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

3308%

#1157

Core i3-330E

MSRP: $177|Avg: $89

100%

#1159

Core i7-2640M

MSRP: $346|Avg: N/A

99%

#1160

Core M-5Y71

MSRP: $281|Avg: $281

99%

#1162

Core i7-2620M

MSRP: $346|Avg: N/A

98%

#1164

Celeron N3010

MSRP: $107|Avg: N/A

96%

#1165

Core i7-3537U

MSRP: $346|Avg: N/A

95%

#1166

Core M-5Y10c

MSRP: $281|Avg: $281

95%

#1167

Core M-5Y31

MSRP: $281|Avg: $30

95%

#1168

Core M-5Y10a

MSRP: $281|Avg: $281

95%

#1170

Celeron 1047UE

MSRP: $100|Avg: $100

95%

#1171

Core M-5Y70

MSRP: $281|Avg: $281

95%

#1172

Celeron U3400

MSRP: $86|Avg: $5

94%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Trade-off: The Phenom II X3 N850 leads in gaming performance. However, the Core i3-330E is the stronger candidate for professional workloads, offering 0.6% greater multi-core processing power.

Insight	Phenom II X3 N850	Core i3-330E
Gaming	✅ Superior gaming performance	❌ Lower gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	✅ More affordable ($0)	⚠️ Higher cost ($89)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Champlain (2010−2011) / 45 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Westmere (2010−2011) / 32 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Insight	Phenom II X3 N850	Core i3-330E
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	✅ More affordable ($0)	⚠️ Higher cost ($89)

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.

Phenom II X3 N850 Benchmark Check

Core i3-330E Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Phenom II X3 N850 and Core i3-330E

Phenom II X3 N850

The Phenom II X3 N850 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2009-01-01. It is based on the Champlain (2010−2011) architecture. It features 3 cores and 3 threads. Max frequency: 2.2 GHz. L2 cache: 1.5 MB. Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: S1g4. Thermal design power (TDP): 1.5 MB. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,253 points. Launch price was $149.

Core i3-330E

The Core i3-330E is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 7 January 2010 (15 years ago). It is based on the Westmere (2010−2011) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.13 GHz, with boost up to 0.03 GHz. L3 cache: 3 MB. L2 cache: 512 kB. Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: BGA1288. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR3-800, DDR3-1066. Passmark benchmark score: 1,260 points. Launch price was $177.

⚡

Processing Power

The Phenom II X3 N850 packs 3 cores / 3 threads, while the Core i3-330E offers 2 cores / 4 threads — the Phenom II X3 N850 has 1 more core. Boost clocks reach 2.2 GHz on the Phenom II X3 N850 versus 0.03 GHz on the Core i3-330E — a 194.6% clock advantage for the Phenom II X3 N850. The Phenom II X3 N850 uses the Champlain (2010−2011) architecture (45 nm), while the Core i3-330E uses Westmere (2010−2011) (32 nm). In PassMark, the Phenom II X3 N850 scores 1,253 against the Core i3-330E's 1,260 — a 0.6% lead for the Core i3-330E.

Feature	Phenom II X3 N850	Core i3-330E
Cores / Threads	3 / 3+50%	2 / 4
Boost Clock	2.2 GHz+7233%	0.03 GHz
Base Clock	—	2.13 GHz
L3 Cache	—	3 MB
L2 Cache	1.5 MB+200%	512 kB
Process	45 nm	32 nm-29%
Architecture	Champlain (2010−2011)	Westmere (2010−2011)
PassMark	1,253	1,260

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Phenom II X3 N850 uses the S1g4 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Core i3-330E uses BGA1288 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.