
Athlon 64 FX-55

E1-1500
Athlon 64 FX-55 vs E1-1500 Performance Spectrum
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.
Athlon 64 FX-55 vs E1-1500 FPS Benchmarks
Predicted gaming performance across popular games. Tested paired with GeForce RTX 5090 to isolate CPU performance.
Search any supported game below to compare 1080p FPS for both components.

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Valorant

Among Us

Apex Legends

ARC Raiders

Baldur's Gate 3

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
Athlon 64 FX-55 vs E1-1500: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict
See where each CPU makes more sense in practice: gaming, heavier work, platform cost, power draw, and upgrade path.
Athlon 64 FX-55
2004Why buy it
- ✅Better for gaming: +6.4% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
Trade-offs
- ❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 0.8 vs 11.0 PassMark/$ ($827 MSRP vs $60 MSRP).
- ❌477.8% higher power demand at 104W vs 18W.
E1-1500
2013Why buy it
- ✅Costs $767 less on MSRP ($60 MSRP vs $827 MSRP).
- ✅Delivers 1218.4% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 11.0 vs 0.8 PassMark/$ ($60 MSRP vs $827 MSRP).
- ✅Draws 18W instead of 104W, a 86W reduction.
Trade-offs
- ❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Athlon 64 FX-55 across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
- ❌Lower PassMark (660 vs 690).
Quick Answers
So, is Athlon 64 FX-55 better than E1-1500?
Which one is better for gaming?
Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?
Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?
Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?
Athlon 64 FX-55 vs E1-1500 Technical Specifications
Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

Athlon 64 FX-55
The Athlon 64 FX-55 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 10 October 2004 (21 years ago). It is based on the Clawhammer (2001−2005) architecture. It features 1 cores and 1 threads. Base frequency is 2.6 GHz, with boost up to 2.6 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 1 MB. Built on 130 nm process technology. Socket: 939. Thermal design power (TDP): 104 Watt. Memory support: DDR1 Depends on motherboard. Passmark benchmark score: 690 points. Launch price was $180.

E1-1500
The E1-1500 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2014-01-01. It is based on the Zacate (2011−2013) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Max frequency: 1.48 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 40 nm process technology. Socket: FT1. Thermal design power (TDP): 18 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 660 points. Launch price was $50.
Processing Power
The Athlon 64 FX-55 packs 1 cores / 1 threads, while the E1-1500 offers 2 cores / 2 threads — the E1-1500 has 1 more core. Boost clocks reach 2.6 GHz on the Athlon 64 FX-55 versus 1.48 GHz on the E1-1500 — a 54.9% clock advantage for the Athlon 64 FX-55. The Athlon 64 FX-55 uses the Clawhammer (2001−2005) architecture (130 nm), while the E1-1500 uses Zacate (2011−2013) (40 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon 64 FX-55 scores 690 against the E1-1500's 660 — a 4.4% lead for the Athlon 64 FX-55. Both processors carry 0 kB of L3 cache.
| Feature | Athlon 64 FX-55 | E1-1500 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 1 / 1 | 2 / 2+100% |
| Boost Clock | 2.6 GHz+76% | 1.48 GHz |
| Base Clock | 2.6 GHz | — |
| L3 Cache | 0 kB | 0 kB |
| L2 Cache | 1 MB | 512K (per core)+51100% |
| Process | 130 nm | 40 nm-69% |
| Architecture | Clawhammer (2001−2005) | Zacate (2011−2013) |
| PassMark | 690+5% | 660 |
Memory & Platform
The Athlon 64 FX-55 uses the 939 socket (PCIe 1.1), while the E1-1500 uses FT1 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Athlon 64 FX-55 | E1-1500 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | 939 | FT1 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 1.1 | PCIe 3.0+173% |
| Max RAM Speed | DDR1-400 | — |
| Max RAM Capacity | 4 GB | — |
| RAM Channels | 2 | — |
| ECC Support | No | — |
| PCIe Lanes | 0 | — |
Value Analysis
At launch, the Athlon 64 FX-55 was priced at $827, while the E1-1500 came in at $60. On launch pricing ($827 vs $60), E1-1500 was $767 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Athlon 64 FX-55 delivers 0.8 pts/$ vs 11.0 pts/$ for the E1-1500 — making the E1-1500 the 171.8% better value option.
| Feature | Athlon 64 FX-55 | E1-1500 |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $827 | $60-93% |
| Performance per Dollar | 0.8 | 11.0+1275% |
| Release Date | 2004 | 2013 |
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