Athlon 64 X2 5600+ vs Phenom X4 9550
Athlon 64 X2 5600+
Phenom X4 9550
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 Athlon 64 X2 5600+ is positioned at rank 1088 and the Phenom X4 9550 is on rank 382, so the Phenom X4 9550 offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Athlon 64 X2 5600+
Performance Per Dollar Phenom X4 9550
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Athlon 64 X2 5600+ | Phenom X4 9550 |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ✅ Superior gaming performance | ❌ Lower gaming performance |
| Workstation | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks | ✅ Better multi-core power |
| Price | ⚠️ Higher cost ($15) | ✅ More affordable ($0) |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Windsor (2006−2007) / 90 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Agena (2007−2008) / 65 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Athlon 64 X2 5600+ | Phenom X4 9550 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ⚠️ Higher cost ($15) | ✅ More affordable ($0) |
Performance Check
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 Athlon 64 X2 5600+ and Phenom X4 9550
Athlon 64 X2 5600+
The Athlon 64 X2 5600+ is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2009-01-01. It is based on the Windsor (2006−2007) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Max frequency: 2.9 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 512K. Built on 90 nm process technology. Socket: AM2. Thermal design power (TDP): 89 Watt. Passmark benchmark score: 1,665 points. Launch price was $149.
Phenom X4 9550
The Phenom X4 9550 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2009-01-01. It is based on the Agena (2007−2008) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Max frequency: 2.2 GHz. L3 cache: 2 MB (total). L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 65 nm process technology. Socket: AM2+. Thermal design power (TDP): 95 Watt. Passmark benchmark score: 1,667 points. Launch price was $149.
Processing Power
The Athlon 64 X2 5600+ packs 2 cores / 2 threads, while the Phenom X4 9550 offers 4 cores / 4 threads — the Phenom X4 9550 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 2.9 GHz on the Athlon 64 X2 5600+ versus 2.2 GHz on the Phenom X4 9550 — a 27.5% clock advantage for the Athlon 64 X2 5600+. The Athlon 64 X2 5600+ uses the Windsor (2006−2007) architecture (90 nm), while the Phenom X4 9550 uses Agena (2007−2008) (65 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon 64 X2 5600+ scores 1,665 against the Phenom X4 9550's 1,667 — a 0.1% lead for the Phenom X4 9550. L3 cache: 0 kB on the Athlon 64 X2 5600+ vs 2 MB (total) on the Phenom X4 9550.
| Feature | Athlon 64 X2 5600+ | Phenom X4 9550 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 2 / 2 | 4 / 4+100% |
| Boost Clock | 2.9 GHz+32% | 2.2 GHz |
| L3 Cache | 0 kB | 2 MB (total) |
| L2 Cache | 512K | 512 kB (per core) |
| Process | 90 nm | 65 nm-28% |
| Architecture | Windsor (2006−2007) | Agena (2007−2008) |
| PassMark | 1,665 | 1,667 |
Memory & Platform
The Athlon 64 X2 5600+ uses the AM2 socket (PCIe 1.1), while the Phenom X4 9550 uses AM2+ (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Athlon 64 X2 5600+ | Phenom X4 9550 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | AM2 | AM2+ |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 1.1 | PCIe 2.0+82% |
| Max RAM Speed | DDR2-800 | — |
| Max RAM Capacity | 16 GB | — |
| RAM Channels | 2 | — |
| ECC Support | ❌ | — |
| PCIe Lanes | 0 | — |
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The most powerful cpus ranked by PassMark CPU Mark benchmark scores.
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