Athlon 64 X2 TK-42
Pentium U5600
Athlon 64 X2 TK-42 vs Pentium U5600 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 X2 TK-42 vs Pentium U5600 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 X2 TK-42 vs Pentium U5600: 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 X2 TK-42
2009Why buy it
- ✅Costs $40 less on MSRP ($60 MSRP vs $100 MSRP).
- ✅Delivers 54.7% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 12.9 vs 8.3 PassMark/$ ($60 MSRP vs $100 MSRP).
- ✅Draws 1W instead of 18W, a 17W reduction.
Trade-offs
- ❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Pentium U5600 across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
- ❌Lower PassMark (775 vs 835).
Pentium U5600
2011Why buy it
- ✅Better for gaming: +8.8% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
Trade-offs
- ❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 8.3 vs 12.9 PassMark/$ ($100 MSRP vs $60 MSRP).
- ❌1700% higher power demand at 18W vs 1W.
Quick Answers
So, is Pentium U5600 better than Athlon 64 X2 TK-42?
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 X2 TK-42 vs Pentium U5600 Technical Specifications
Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.
Athlon 64 X2 TK-42
The Athlon 64 X2 TK-42 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2009-01-01. It is based on the Tyler (2007−2009) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Max frequency: 1.6 GHz. L2 cache: 1 MB. Built on 65 nm process technology. Socket: S1. Thermal design power (TDP): 1 MB. Passmark benchmark score: 775 points. Launch price was $149.
Pentium U5600
The Pentium U5600 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2007-01-01. It is based on the Arrandale (2010−2011) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 1.33 GHz, with boost up to 1.33 GHz. L3 cache: 3 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: BGA1288. Thermal design power (TDP): 18 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 835 points. Launch price was $69.
Processing Power
Both the Athlon 64 X2 TK-42 and Pentium U5600 share an identical 2-core/2-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 1.6 GHz on the Athlon 64 X2 TK-42 versus 1.33 GHz on the Pentium U5600 — a 18.4% clock advantage for the Athlon 64 X2 TK-42. The Athlon 64 X2 TK-42 uses the Tyler (2007−2009) architecture (65 nm), while the Pentium U5600 uses Arrandale (2010−2011) (32 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon 64 X2 TK-42 scores 775 against the Pentium U5600's 835 — a 7.5% lead for the Pentium U5600.
| Feature | Athlon 64 X2 TK-42 | Pentium U5600 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 2 / 2 | 2 / 2 |
| Boost Clock | 1.6 GHz+20% | 1.33 GHz |
| Base Clock | — | 1.33 GHz |
| L3 Cache | — | 3 MB (total) |
| L2 Cache | 1 MB | 256K (per core)+25500% |
| Process | 65 nm | 32 nm-51% |
| Architecture | Tyler (2007−2009) | Arrandale (2010−2011) |
| PassMark | 775 | 835+8% |
Memory & Platform
The Athlon 64 X2 TK-42 uses the S1 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Pentium U5600 uses BGA1288 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Athlon 64 X2 TK-42 | Pentium U5600 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | S1 | BGA1288 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 2.0 | PCIe 2.0 |
| Max RAM Speed | DDR2-667 | — |
| Max RAM Capacity | 8 GB | — |
| RAM Channels | 2 | — |
| ECC Support | No | — |
| PCIe Lanes | 0 | — |
Value Analysis
At launch, the Athlon 64 X2 TK-42 was priced at $60, while the Pentium U5600 came in at $100. On launch pricing ($60 vs $100), Athlon 64 X2 TK-42 was $40 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Athlon 64 X2 TK-42 delivers 12.9 pts/$ vs 8.3 pts/$ for the Pentium U5600 — making the Athlon 64 X2 TK-42 the 42.9% better value option.
| Feature | Athlon 64 X2 TK-42 | Pentium U5600 |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $60-40% | $100 |
| Performance per Dollar | 12.9+55% | 8.3 |
| Release Date | 2009 | 2011 |
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