Phenom II X3 N850 vs Pentium J2900

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Phenom II X3 N850

3 / 3

1,253

0.0%

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3955WX

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7955WX

Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

Pentium J2900

4 / 4

1,254

+0.1%

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 Pentium J2900 is on rank 1013, 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 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 Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Leadership: The Pentium J2900 delivers superior performance across the board. It outperforms the Phenom II X3 N850 in both compute-intensive tasks (0.1% faster) and gaming workloads.

Insight	Phenom II X3 N850	Pentium J2900
Gaming	❌ Lower gaming performance	✅ Superior gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	✅ More affordable ($0)	⚠️ Higher cost ($20)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Champlain (2010−2011) / 45 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Bay Trail-D (2013) / 22 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Insight	Phenom II X3 N850	Pentium J2900
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	✅ More affordable ($0)	⚠️ Higher cost ($20)

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

Pentium J2900 Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Phenom II X3 N850 and Pentium J2900

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.

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.

⚡

Processing Power

The Phenom II X3 N850 packs 3 cores / 3 threads, while the Pentium J2900 offers 4 cores / 4 threads — the Pentium J2900 has 1 more core. Boost clocks reach 2.2 GHz on the Phenom II X3 N850 versus 2.66 GHz on the Pentium J2900 — a 18.9% clock advantage for the Pentium J2900. The Phenom II X3 N850 uses the Champlain (2010−2011) architecture (45 nm), while the Pentium J2900 uses Bay Trail-D (2013) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Phenom II X3 N850 scores 1,253 against the Pentium J2900's 1,254 — a 0.1% lead for the Pentium J2900.

Feature	Phenom II X3 N850	Pentium J2900
Cores / Threads	3 / 3	4 / 4+33%
Boost Clock	2.2 GHz	2.66 GHz+21%
Base Clock	—	2.41 GHz
L3 Cache	—	2 MB L2 Cache
L2 Cache	1.5 MB	2 MB+33%
Process	45 nm	22 nm-51%
Architecture	Champlain (2010−2011)	Bay Trail-D (2013)
PassMark	1,253	1,254

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Phenom II X3 N850 uses the S1g4 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Pentium J2900 uses FCBGA1170 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.