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.

Head-to-Head Verdict, Benchmarks, Value & Long-Term Outlook

This comparison brings together gaming FPS, productivity performance, platform differences, power efficiency, pricing context, and upgrade path so you can see which CPU actually makes more sense.

Ryzen AI 5 330

2025

Why buy it

✅+0.7% higher PassMark.
✅Costs $317 less on MSRP ($350 MSRP vs $667 MSRP).
✅Delivers 91.9% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 36.6 vs 19.1 PassMark/$ ($350 MSRP vs $667 MSRP).
✅Draws 28W instead of 115W, a 87W reduction.
✅Newer platform on FP8 with DDR5 support instead of LGA2011 and older memory support.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon E5-2680 v2 across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Smaller total L3 cache (4 MB vs 25 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon E5-2680 v2, which brings 10 cores / 20 threads and 40 PCIe lanes.

Xeon E5-2680 v2

2013

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +10.4% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+525% larger total L3 cache (25 MB vs 4 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 10 cores / 20 threads, plus 40 PCIe lanes vs 0.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (40 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (12,707 vs 12,794).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 19.1 vs 36.6 PassMark/$ ($667 MSRP vs $350 MSRP).
❌310.7% higher power demand at 115W vs 28W.
❌Older platform position on LGA2011, while Ryzen AI 5 330 moves to FP8 and DDR5.

Ryzen AI 5 330

2025

Xeon E5-2680 v2

2013

Why buy it

✅+0.7% higher PassMark.
✅Costs $317 less on MSRP ($350 MSRP vs $667 MSRP).
✅Delivers 91.9% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 36.6 vs 19.1 PassMark/$ ($350 MSRP vs $667 MSRP).
✅Draws 28W instead of 115W, a 87W reduction.
✅Newer platform on FP8 with DDR5 support instead of LGA2011 and older memory support.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +10.4% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+525% larger total L3 cache (25 MB vs 4 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 10 cores / 20 threads, plus 40 PCIe lanes vs 0.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (40 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon E5-2680 v2 across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Smaller total L3 cache (4 MB vs 25 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon E5-2680 v2, which brings 10 cores / 20 threads and 40 PCIe lanes.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (12,707 vs 12,794).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 19.1 vs 36.6 PassMark/$ ($667 MSRP vs $350 MSRP).
❌310.7% higher power demand at 115W vs 28W.
❌Older platform position on LGA2011, while Ryzen AI 5 330 moves to FP8 and DDR5.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen AI 5 330 better than Xeon E5-2680 v2?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. Xeon E5-2680 v2 makes more sense for workstation-style multi-core throughput, while Ryzen AI 5 330 is the better mainstream desktop choice for gaming, platform cost, and day-to-day practicality.

Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen AI 5 330 is the better fit. You are getting 0.7% better PassMark, backed by 4 cores and 8 threads.

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?

Ryzen AI 5 330 is the smarter buy today. Ryzen AI 5 330 is $317 cheaper on MSRP at $350 MSRP versus $667 MSRP, and it gives you 0.7% better PassMark. The trade-off is that Xeon E5-2680 v2 is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 10.4% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 91.9% better value on MSRP (36.6 vs 19.1 PassMark/$), so the better CPU is not just faster, it is also the cleaner value play on paper.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

Ryzen AI 5 330 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2025 vs 2013), a healthier platform with FP8 and DDR5 instead of LGA2011, and more multi-core headroom with 4 cores / 8 threads instead of 10/20. That should give you a better long-term upgrade path for motherboard, RAM, and future CPU swaps.

Games Benchmarks

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.

Ryzen AI 5 330 Benchmark Check

Xeon E5-2680 v2 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Ryzen AI 5 330	Xeon E5-2680 v2
1080p
low	169 FPS	170 FPS
medium	136 FPS	145 FPS
high	110 FPS	117 FPS
ultra	88 FPS	95 FPS
1440p
low	142 FPS	144 FPS
medium	113 FPS	120 FPS
high	91 FPS	95 FPS
ultra	74 FPS	76 FPS
4K
low	79 FPS	66 FPS
medium	67 FPS	58 FPS
high	53 FPS	46 FPS
ultra	42 FPS	36 FPS

Open Ryzen AI 5 330 Open Xeon E5-2680 v2

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Ryzen AI 5 330	Xeon E5-2680 v2
1080p
low	168 FPS	310 FPS
medium	142 FPS	277 FPS
high	128 FPS	240 FPS
ultra	111 FPS	195 FPS
1440p
low	142 FPS	267 FPS
medium	122 FPS	246 FPS
high	114 FPS	213 FPS
ultra	97 FPS	172 FPS
4K
low	101 FPS	173 FPS
medium	90 FPS	160 FPS
high	77 FPS	139 FPS
ultra	65 FPS	111 FPS

Open Ryzen AI 5 330 Open Xeon E5-2680 v2

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Ryzen AI 5 330	Xeon E5-2680 v2
1080p
low	320 FPS	318 FPS
medium	320 FPS	318 FPS
high	320 FPS	318 FPS
ultra	320 FPS	318 FPS
1440p
low	320 FPS	318 FPS
medium	320 FPS	318 FPS
high	320 FPS	318 FPS
ultra	320 FPS	318 FPS
4K
low	320 FPS	318 FPS
medium	320 FPS	318 FPS
high	286 FPS	318 FPS
ultra	226 FPS	284 FPS

Open Ryzen AI 5 330 Open Xeon E5-2680 v2

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Ryzen AI 5 330	Xeon E5-2680 v2
1080p
low	320 FPS	318 FPS
medium	320 FPS	318 FPS
high	320 FPS	318 FPS
ultra	320 FPS	318 FPS
1440p
low	320 FPS	318 FPS
medium	320 FPS	318 FPS
high	320 FPS	318 FPS
ultra	320 FPS	318 FPS
4K
low	320 FPS	318 FPS
medium	320 FPS	318 FPS
high	320 FPS	318 FPS
ultra	320 FPS	318 FPS

Open Ryzen AI 5 330 Open Xeon E5-2680 v2

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Ryzen AI 5 330 and Xeon E5-2680 v2

Ryzen AI 5 330

The Ryzen AI 5 330 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 16 July 2025 (less than a year ago). It is based on the Krackan Point 2 (2025) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 2 GHz, with boost up to 4.5 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB. L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 4 nm process technology. Socket: FP8. Thermal design power (TDP): 28 Watt. Memory support: DDR5, LPDDR5X. Passmark benchmark score: 12,794 points. Launch price was $149.

Xeon E5-2680 v2

The Xeon E5-2680 v2 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 September 2013 (12 years ago). It is based on the Ivy Bridge-EP (2013) architecture. It features 10 cores and 20 threads. Base frequency is 2.8 GHz, with boost up to 3.6 GHz. L3 cache: 25 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2011. Thermal design power (TDP): 115 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 12,707 points. Launch price was $1,260.

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Processing Power

The Ryzen AI 5 330 packs 4 cores / 8 threads, while the Xeon E5-2680 v2 offers 10 cores / 20 threads — the Xeon E5-2680 v2 has 6 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.5 GHz on the Ryzen AI 5 330 versus 3.6 GHz on the Xeon E5-2680 v2 — a 22.2% clock advantage for the Ryzen AI 5 330 (base: 2 GHz vs 2.8 GHz). The Ryzen AI 5 330 uses the Krackan Point 2 (2025) architecture (4 nm), while the Xeon E5-2680 v2 uses Ivy Bridge-EP (2013) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Ryzen AI 5 330 scores 12,794 against the Xeon E5-2680 v2's 12,707 — a 0.7% lead for the Ryzen AI 5 330. L3 cache: 4 MB on the Ryzen AI 5 330 vs 25 MB (total) on the Xeon E5-2680 v2.

Feature	Ryzen AI 5 330	Xeon E5-2680 v2
Cores / Threads	4 / 8	10 / 20+150%
Boost Clock	4.5 GHz+25%	3.6 GHz
Base Clock	2 GHz	2.8 GHz+40%
L3 Cache	4 MB	25 MB (total)+525%
L2 Cache	1 MB (per core)+300%	256 kB (per core)
Process	4 nm-82%	22 nm
Architecture	Krackan Point 2 (2025)	Ivy Bridge-EP (2013)
PassMark	12,794	12,707

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Ryzen AI 5 330 uses the FP8 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Xeon E5-2680 v2 uses LGA2011 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Ryzen AI 5 330	Xeon E5-2680 v2
Socket	FP8	LGA2011
PCIe Generation	PCIe 4.0+33%	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	—	DDR3-1866
Max RAM Capacity	—	768 GB
RAM Channels	—	4
ECC Support	—	Yes
PCIe Lanes	—	40

💰

Value Analysis

The Ryzen AI 5 330 launched at $350 MSRP, while the Xeon E5-2680 v2 debuted at $667. On MSRP ($350 vs $667), the Ryzen AI 5 330 is $317 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Ryzen AI 5 330 delivers 36.6 pts/$ vs 19.1 pts/$ for the Xeon E5-2680 v2 — making the Ryzen AI 5 330 the 63% better value option.