AMD Athlon X4 880K vs Intel Core i3-6320 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark data paints an unambiguous picture: the Intel Core i3-6320 wins every single recorded head-to-head comparison against the AMD Athlon X4 880K. Across five Cinebench tests, the Intel part holds a consistent advantage, with all deltas falling in a narrow band between 17.0% and 17.2%.

In Cinebench R15 multicore, the Athlon scores 313 points while the Core i3 reaches 378, a 17.2% deficit for the AMD part. The pattern repeats in Cinebench R20 multicore, where the AMD Athlon X4 880K records 1307 against Intel’s 1576, again a 17.1% gap. The single-core tests tell the same story: in Cinebench R20 single-core, the AMD chip posts 184 versus 222 for the Intel chip, a 17.1% difference. Cinebench R23 multicore shows 3114 for AMD and 3753 for Intel, a 17.0% edge for the Core i3. Finally, Cinebench R23 single-core sees the AMD part at 439 and the Intel part at 529, another 17.0% lead.

What is striking is the uniformity of these margins. A 17% advantage in every workload, whether single-threaded or multi-threaded, suggests a fundamental throughput gap rather than a workload-specific quirk. The Intel Core i3-6320 does not merely edge ahead in one test; it delivers a consistent, repeatable performance advantage across the entire Cinebench suite. The data does not show a single benchmark where the AMD Athlon X4 880K takes the lead, and the wins column confirms this: 0 wins for AMD, 5 for Intel.

The average benchmark scores in the database reinforce the trend. The AMD Athlon X4 880K averages 1071 across its recorded benchmarks, while the Intel Core i3-6320 averages 1085. That 14-point difference on the aggregate scale is modest compared to the 17% margins in individual Cinebench tests, which reflects the different weighting of the benchmark mix. Nonetheless, the directional signal is consistent: Intel holds the performance edge in every measured scenario.

Where Each One Wins

Given the head-to-head results, the use-case split is straightforward. The Intel Core i3-6320 wins in every category that the recorded benchmarks cover. For applications that rely heavily on single-thread performance, such as lightly threaded productivity tasks or older software that cannot utilize many cores, the Intel part’s 17.0% to 17.1% single-core advantage is decisive. The Cinebench R23 single-core score of 529 versus 439 means the Intel chip completes single-threaded render tasks measurably faster.

For multi-threaded workloads, the Intel Core i3-6320 also comes out ahead, despite having only 2 physical cores compared to the AMD Athlon X4 880K’s 4 physical cores. The 17.0% to 17.2% multicore lead shows that Intel’s Hyper-Threading implementation, which provides 4 threads on 2 cores, outperforms AMD’s 4 native cores in this specific Cinebench workload set. This suggests that the Intel architecture extracts more useful work per thread, compensating for the core count disadvantage.

The AMD Athlon X4 880K, however, does hold advantages outside the benchmark suite that matter for certain users. Its multiplier is unlocked, which means the CPU can be overclocked. The database records a base clock of 4.00 GHz and a boost clock of 4.20 GHz, and the unlocked multiplier provides headroom for users who want to push beyond those figures. The Intel Core i3-6320, by contrast, has a locked multiplier and a fixed base clock of 3.90 GHz with no boost clock listed, so it cannot be overclocked in the traditional sense.

The AMD part also targets a different platform. It uses AMD Socket FM2+, which may be relevant for users with existing FM2+ motherboards who want a drop-in upgrade. The Intel part uses Socket 1151, which is a different ecosystem entirely. From a pure performance standpoint, the Intel Core i3-6320 wins every benchmark. From a system-level perspective, the AMD Athlon X4 880K offers overclocking freedom and platform continuity for existing FM2+ owners.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from fundamentally different architectural generations and manufacturing processes. The AMD Athlon X4 880K is built on the Steamroller architecture, codenamed Godaveri, and manufactured on a 28 nm process at GlobalFoundries. The Intel Core i3-6320 uses the Skylake architecture, also codenamed Skylake, and is manufactured on a 14 nm process at Intel’s own fabs.

The process node difference is significant. AMD’s 28 nm process is older and less dense than Intel’s 14 nm process. This shows in the transistor counts and die sizes. The AMD chip packs 2,411 million transistors on a 245 mm² die, while the Intel chip uses 1,400 million transistors on a 150 mm² die. The Intel part achieves a higher transistor density on a smaller die, which typically translates to better power efficiency and higher clock-for-clock performance.

The core configurations differ sharply. The AMD Athlon X4 880K has 4 physical cores and 4 threads, with a base clock of 4.00 GHz and a boost clock of 4.20 GHz. The Intel Core i3-6320 has 2 physical cores and 4 threads (via Hyper-Threading), with a base clock of 3.90 GHz and no boost clock listed. Despite the lower physical core count, Intel’s per-core performance advantage is sufficient to overcome the 2-core deficit in the recorded benchmarks.

Cache hierarchies also differ. The AMD chip has 256 KB of L1 cache and 4 MB of L2 cache, with no L3 cache listed. The Intel chip has 64 KB of L1 cache per core, 256 KB of L2 cache per core, and 4 MB of shared L3 cache. The presence of a shared L3 cache on the Intel part likely contributes to its better multi-threaded performance, as it reduces the penalty for inter-core communication.

Memory support is another differentiator. The AMD Athlon X4 880K supports DDR3 memory, while the Intel Core i3-6320 supports DDR4 memory. Both use a dual-channel memory bus, and both have the same listed memory bandwidth of 34.1 GB/s. The newer DDR4 standard on the Intel platform offers potential advantages in latency and efficiency, though the recorded bandwidth figures are identical.

The Intel part includes integrated graphics with Intel HD 530, while the AMD Athlon X4 880K has no integrated graphics listed. This means the AMD chip requires a discrete graphics card to output video, whereas the Intel chip can operate with just a motherboard’s display outputs for basic tasks. The Intel part is also listed as Active in production status, while the AMD part is End-of-life.

The Verdict

The database is unequivocal: the Intel Core i3-6320 is the faster processor in every measured benchmark. The 17% to 17.2% advantage across Cinebench R15, R20, and R23, in both single-core and multi-core tests, establishes a clear performance hierarchy. The Intel part’s average benchmark score of 1085 also edges out the AMD part’s 1071, though the margin is smaller on the aggregate scale.

Users who prioritize raw performance should choose the Intel Core i3-6320. It delivers higher scores in every recorded workload, runs on a more modern 14 nm process, supports DDR4 memory, includes integrated graphics, and is still in active production. The 2-core, 4-thread configuration is sufficient to beat the AMD chip’s 4-core, 4-thread setup in Cinebench, which indicates a substantial per-core efficiency advantage.

The AMD Athlon X4 880K has its own appeal, but not for benchmark-driven performance. Its unlocked multiplier is a genuine feature for overclocking enthusiasts, and the 4.00 GHz base clock provides a solid starting point. For users who already own an FM2+ motherboard and want to maximize that platform’s performance without a full platform swap, the Athlon X4 880K remains a viable option. Its end-of-life status, however, means new buyers should be cautious about long-term support and availability.

The Intel Core i3-6320 is the clear recommendation for new builds. Its performance lead is consistent, its platform is current, and its 51 W TDP (versus the AMD part’s 95 W TDP) indicates substantially lower power consumption, even though the database does not record specific wattage figures for this comparison. The AMD Athlon X4 880K is the choice only for specific legacy-platform scenarios or overclocking projects where the unlocked multiplier is the primary requirement.

FAQ

Q: Does the AMD Athlon X4 880K win any benchmark against the Intel Core i3-6320?

A: No. In the recorded head-to-head benchmarks, the Intel Core i3-6320 wins all 5 tests, with the AMD part losing by margins between 17.0% and 17.2%.

Q: How much faster is the Intel Core i3-6320 in single-core performance?

A: In Cinebench R23 single-core, the Intel part scores 529 versus 439 for the AMD part, a 17.0% advantage. In Cinebench R20 single-core, the Intel part scores 222 versus 184, a 17.1% advantage.

Q: Does the AMD Athlon X4 880K have more cores than the Intel Core i3-6320?

A: Yes. The AMD chip has 4 physical cores and 4 threads, while the Intel chip has 2 physical cores and 4 threads. Despite this, the Intel chip wins all recorded multi-core benchmarks.

Q: Can the AMD Athlon X4 880K be overclocked?

A: Yes. The multiplier is unlocked, and the chip has a base clock of 4.00 GHz with a boost clock of 4.20 GHz. The Intel Core i3-6320 has a locked multiplier.

Q: What memory types do these processors support?

A: The AMD Athlon X4 880K supports DDR3, while the Intel Core i3-6320 supports DDR4. Both use dual-channel memory buses with a listed bandwidth of 34.1 GB/s.

Q: Does the Intel Core i3-6320 have integrated graphics?

A: Yes. It includes Intel HD 530. The AMD Athlon X4 880K has no integrated graphics listed, so it requires a discrete GPU for video output.