Turion II M520
VS
Core i3-3220T

Turion II M520 vs Core i3-3220T

AMD

Turion II M520

2 Cores2 Thrd1 WWMax: 2.3 GHz2009
VS
Intel

Core i3-3220T

2 Cores4 Thrd35 WWMax: 2.8 GHz2012

Performance Spectrum - CPU

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 Turion II M520 is positioned at rank 303 and the Core i3-3220T is on rank 939, so the Turion II M520 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 Turion II M520

#291
Atom x5-Z8300
MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A
450%
#292
Atom Z3735G
MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A
444%
#293
Core i5-480M
MSRP: $81|Avg: $77
407%
#294
Core i5-460M
MSRP: $80|Avg: $129
405%
#295
Core i5-2540M
MSRP: $266|Avg: $10
402%
#297
Core i5-450M
MSRP: $32|Avg: $31
388%
#298
Core i3-380M
MSRP: $49|Avg: $25
372%
#299
Core i5-430M
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33
371%
#300
Core 2 Duo T6600
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4
361%
#303
Turion II M520
MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A
100%
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Core i3-3220T

#1
Ryzen 9 7950X
MSRP: $194|Avg: $20
23777%
#2
Core i9-10900T
MSRP: $120|Avg: $5
22467%
#3
Ryzen 3 PRO 4355GE
MSRP: $423|Avg: $5
16313%
#4
Ryzen Threadripper 3960X
MSRP: $1399|Avg: $85
4914%
#5
Ryzen 9 9950X
MSRP: $649|Avg: $129
3893%
#6
Ryzen 5 8400F
MSRP: $303|Avg: $55
3405%
#7
Ryzen 7 PRO 2700
MSRP: $299|Avg: $60
1950%
#8
Ryzen 5 2600X
MSRP: $229|Avg: $55
1925%
#9
Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G
MSRP: $150|Avg: $60
1753%
#10
Core Ultra 5 245KF
MSRP: $294|Avg: $189
1753%
#11
Ryzen 5 5500
MSRP: $159|Avg: $85
1733%
#12
Ryzen 5 3600
MSRP: $199|Avg: $80
1686%
#13
Core i3-9100E
MSRP: $202|Avg: $30
1663%
#14
Core Ultra 5 245K
MSRP: $319|Avg: $200
1656%
#15
Core i3-8300T
MSRP: $138|Avg: $25
1641%
#939
Core i3-3220T
MSRP: $149|Avg: $146
100%
#940
Athlon II X2 245e
MSRP: $87|Avg: $15
100%
#941
Athlon II X2 240e
MSRP: $77|Avg: $77
100%
#942
Pentium G630T
MSRP: $79|Avg: $15
100%
#943
Core i7-3970X Extreme Edition
MSRP: $990|Avg: $175
99%
#946
Core i5-650
MSRP: $176|Avg: $22
98%
#947
A10-6790B
MSRP: $122|Avg: $50
97%
#948
Phenom X3 8600
MSRP: $100|Avg: $20
97%
#949
Core i3-6100TE
MSRP: $250|Avg: $90
96%
#950
FX-4320
MSRP: $250|Avg: $100
96%
#951
Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition
MSRP: $990|Avg: $150
96%
#952
Celeron E1200
MSRP: $53|Avg: $98
96%
#954
Core i5-660
MSRP: $196|Avg: $150
95%
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Trade-off: The Core i3-3220T leads in gaming performance. However, the Turion II M520 is the stronger candidate for professional workloads, offering 0.1% greater multi-core processing power.
InsightTurion II M520Core i3-3220T
Gaming
Lower gaming performance
Superior gaming performance
Workstation
Better multi-core power
Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price
More affordable ($0)
⚠️ Higher cost ($146)
Longevity
🛑 Legacy (Caspian (2009) / 45 nm)
🛑 Legacy (Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) / 22 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

InsightTurion II M520Core i3-3220T
Cost Efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost
More affordable ($0)
⚠️ Higher cost ($146)

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.

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Turion II M520 and Core i3-3220T

AMD

Turion II M520

The Turion II M520 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2007-01-01. It is based on the Caspian (2009) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Max frequency: 2.3 GHz. L2 cache: 1 MB. Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: S1g3. Thermal design power (TDP): 1 MB. Passmark benchmark score: 1,955 points. Launch price was $69.

Intel

Core i3-3220T

The Core i3-3220T is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 3 September 2012 (13 years ago). It is based on the Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.8 GHz, with boost up to 2.8 GHz. L3 cache: 3 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1155. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,953 points. Launch price was $201.

Processing Power

The Turion II M520 packs 2 cores / 2 threads, matching the Core i3-3220T's 2 cores. Boost clocks reach 2.3 GHz on the Turion II M520 versus 2.8 GHz on the Core i3-3220T — a 19.6% clock advantage for the Core i3-3220T. The Turion II M520 uses the Caspian (2009) architecture (45 nm), while the Core i3-3220T uses Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Turion II M520 scores 1,955 against the Core i3-3220T's 1,953 — a 0.1% lead for the Turion II M520.

FeatureTurion II M520Core i3-3220T
Cores / Threads
2 / 2
2 / 4
Boost Clock
2.3 GHz
2.8 GHz+22%
Base Clock
2.8 GHz
L3 Cache
3 MB (total)
L2 Cache
1 MB+300%
256 kB (per core)
Process
45 nm
22 nm-51%
Architecture
Caspian (2009)
Ivy Bridge (2012−2013)
PassMark
1,955
1,953
Geekbench 6 Single
465
🧠

Memory & Platform

The Turion II M520 uses the S1g3 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Core i3-3220T uses LGA1155 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

FeatureTurion II M520Core i3-3220T
Socket
S1g3
LGA1155
PCIe Generation
PCIe 2.0
PCIe 3.0+50%
Max RAM Speed
DDR3-1600
Max RAM Capacity
32 GB
RAM Channels
2
ECC Support
PCIe Lanes
16
🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Turion II M520) / VT-x, EPT (Core i3-3220T). The Core i3-3220T includes integrated graphics (HD Graphics 2500), while the Turion II M520 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i3-3220T targets Low Power Desktop. Direct competitor: Core i3-3220T rivals A8-5500.

FeatureTurion II M520Core i3-3220T
Integrated GPU
Yes
IGPU Model
HD Graphics 2500
Unlocked
No
AVX-512
No
Virtualization
VT-x, EPT
Target Use
Low Power Desktop