AMD Athlon 220GE vs Intel Core i5-3350P Comparison

# AMD Athlon 220GE vs Intel Core i5-3350P: A Tale of Two Eras

The AMD Athlon 220GE and Intel Core i5-3350P represent two very different approaches to desktop computing, separated by six years of architecture evolution. Despite their differences in core counts, process nodes, and platform requirements, benchmark data shows they land in nearly identical performance territory. The Athlon 220GE holds a slim but consistent edge across every Cinebench test in the head-to-head comparison, while the i5-3350P counters with additional Geekbench results that the Athlon lacks. Both CPUs sit at the 30th percentile of all processors, with identical average benchmark scores of 1088, making this a genuine toss-up that hinges on platform priorities rather than raw performance dominance.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Athlon 220GE wins every single head-to-head benchmark recorded, though the margins are consistently narrow. In Cinebench R15 multicore, the Athlon scores 379 against the i5-3350P's 371, a 2.2% advantage. The single-core R15 result shows 53 versus 52, a 1.9% edge. Moving to Cinebench R20, the Athlon's multicore score of 1580 beats 1546 by 2.2%, and its single-core 223 beats 217 by 2.8%. The R23 results follow the same pattern: 3764 versus 3681 in multicore (2.3% ahead) and 531 versus 519 in single-core (2.3% ahead). These wins are small but uniform across all six tests, suggesting the Zen architecture's efficiency per clock is doing the heavy lifting against Intel's older Ivy Bridge design.

The Intel Core i5-3350P's strengths are not visible in the head-to-head benchmark data, as it loses all six recorded comparisons. However, it does have two Geekbench results in its own benchmark list that the Athlon 220GE does not report: a multicore score of 1730 and a single-core score of 584. These scores cannot be directly compared to the Athlon since no equivalent Geekbench data exists for the AMD part. The i5-3350P also brings four physical cores versus the Athlon's two, which is not reflected in the Cinebench results but could matter in workloads that scale with true core count rather than thread scheduling. The i5-3350P has no integrated graphics, while the Athlon includes Radeon Vega 3, making the AMD part the clear choice for systems without a discrete GPU.

The Verdict

The data points to a clear recommendation for most builders: the AMD Athlon 220GE is the better processor. It wins every benchmark where both CPUs were tested, and it does so while consuming 35W TDP versus the i5-3350P's 69W. The Athlon also includes Radeon Vega 3 integrated graphics, which the i5-3350P lacks entirely, making the AMD part a complete platform solution for basic desktop use. The i5-3350P's only advantages are its four physical cores and two additional Geekbench scores that have no direct comparison — neither of which translates into a single benchmark win in the head-to-head data.

However, there is a legitimate case for the i5-3350P if you already own an Intel Socket 1155 motherboard and DDR3 memory. The i5-3350P's four cores could handle multi-threaded workloads differently than the Athlon's two cores with four threads, even if Cinebench results show the Athlon ahead. The i5-3350P also supports PCIe Gen 3 with 16 lanes from the CPU, compared to the Athlon's 8 lanes, which matters for systems with high-bandwidth discrete GPUs. For a new build in 2024, the Athlon 220GE's modern AM4 platform, DDR4 support, and integrated graphics make it the logical choice. For an upgrade on an existing Ivy Bridge system, the i5-3350P remains serviceable.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The most significant win for the AMD Athlon 220GE comes in Cinebench R20 single-core, where it scores 223 against the i5-3350P's 217, a 2.8% margin. This is the largest delta in the entire comparison and reflects the Zen architecture's superior instruction-per-clock efficiency over Ivy Bridge. In multicore workloads, the Athlon maintains its advantage despite having only two physical cores. The R15 multicore test shows 379 versus 371, and the R20 multicore shows 1580 versus 1546, both 2.2% wins. The R23 multicore result of 3764 versus 3681 represents a 2.3% edge, proving that the Athlon's four threads can effectively compete with the i5-3350P's four physical cores in these rendering workloads.

The i5-3350P's best showing is in Cinebench R15 single-core, where it scores 52 against the Athlon's 53, a difference of just 1.9%. This is the closest margin in the entire comparison. The i5-3350P's four cores do not provide any advantage in the head-to-head results, as the Athlon wins even the multicore tests. The Geekbench results for the i5-3350P — 1730 multicore and 584 single-core — are included in its benchmark list but have no corresponding Athlon scores, so they cannot be used for direct comparison. The pattern across all six head-to-head tests is consistent: the Athlon 220GE is 1.9% to 2.8% faster, with no single workload where the i5-3350P pulls ahead.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has a higher average benchmark score?

A: Both CPUs have identical average benchmark scores of 1088, placing them in a statistical tie overall.

Q: Does the Intel Core i5-3350P win any benchmark against the Athlon 220GE?

A: No. The head-to-head data shows the Athlon winning all six Cinebench tests, with the i5-3350P winning zero.

Q: Which CPU includes integrated graphics?

A: The AMD Athlon 220GE includes Radeon Vega 3 integrated graphics. The Intel Core i5-3350P has no integrated graphics listed.

Q: What is the TDP difference between these two processors?

A: The AMD Athlon 220GE has a 35W TDP, while the Intel Core i5-3350P has a 69W TDP.

Q: Which CPU supports DDR4 memory?

A: The AMD Athlon 220GE supports DDR4 memory, while the Intel Core i5-3350P supports DDR3.

Q: How many physical cores does each processor have?

A: The AMD Athlon 220GE has 2 physical cores with 4 threads, while the Intel Core i5-3350P has 4 physical cores with 4 threads.

Architecture Differences

The AMD Athlon 220GE is built on the Zen architecture, codenamed Raven Ridge, using a 14 nm process from GlobalFoundries. It packs 4,950 million transistors into a 209.8 mm² die. The CPU is part of the Athlon generation for the AM4 socket and was released in December 2018. Its cache hierarchy includes 96 KB of L1 per core, 512 KB of L2 per core, and 4 MB of shared L3 cache. The memory controller supports DDR4 in dual-channel configuration with 42.7 GB/s bandwidth. The integrated Radeon Vega 3 GPU provides basic graphics output without a discrete card.

The Intel Core i5-3350P uses the Ivy Bridge architecture on a 22 nm process from Intel's own foundry. The die size is 133 mm², and the transistor count is not listed in the data. It was released in September 2012 for the Intel Socket 1155 platform. The cache layout differs significantly: 64 KB of L1 per core, 256 KB of L2 per core, and 6 MB of shared L3 cache. The memory controller supports DDR3 in dual-channel configuration, though no memory bandwidth figure is provided. The i5-3350P has no integrated graphics and relies entirely on a discrete GPU. The Athlon's Zen architecture delivers higher instructions per clock, which explains its benchmark wins despite having fewer physical cores.

Specification Differences

The most obvious specification difference is core count: the Athlon 220GE has 2 cores and 4 threads, while the i5-3350P has 4 cores and 4 threads. The Athlon's base clock runs at 3.40 GHz with no boost clock, while the i5-3350P runs at 3.10 GHz base and boosts to 3.30 GHz. The TDP difference is substantial: 35W for the AMD part versus 69W for the Intel part. The Athlon supports DDR4 memory with 42.7 GB/s bandwidth, while the i5-3350P supports DDR3 with no bandwidth figure listed. The PCIe configurations differ as well: the Athlon provides Gen 3 with 8 lanes from the CPU, while the i5-3350P provides Gen 3 with 16 lanes.

The integrated graphics situation is binary: the Athlon includes Radeon Vega 3, and the i5-3350P includes none. The process nodes differ by 8 nm, with AMD using 14 nm and Intel using 22 nm. The Athlon has a smaller L1 cache per core (96 KB versus 64 KB) but a larger L2 cache per core (512 KB versus 256 KB). The L3 cache totals 4 MB on the Athlon and 6 MB on the i5-3350P. The Athlon's launch MSRP was $65, while no launch price is listed for the i5-3350P. Neither CPU has an unlocked multiplier. The Athlon uses the AM4 socket, and the i5-3350P uses Socket 1155, meaning they require completely different motherboards and memory types.