Athlon II X2 220 vs Pentium 3558U

Athlon II X2 220 vs Pentium 3558U Performance Spectrum

Athlon II X2 220

2 / 2

1,046

+0.5%

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3955WX

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7955WX

Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

Pentium 3558U

2 / 2

1,041

0.0%

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 II X2 220 vs Pentium 3558U 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.

Athlon II X2 220 vs Pentium 3558U: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each CPU makes more sense in practice: gaming, heavier work, platform cost, power draw, and upgrade path.

Athlon II X2 220

2010

Why buy it

✅Draws 65W instead of 512W, a 447W reduction.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (true), unlike Pentium 3558U.

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $32 MSRP, while Pentium 3558U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

Pentium 3558U

2014

Why buy it

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (1,041 vs 1,046).
❌687.7% higher power demand at 512W vs 65W.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Athlon II X2 220.

Quick Answers

So, is Athlon II X2 220 better than Pentium 3558U?

Yes. Athlon II X2 220 is the better all-around CPU here. It gives you a 1.7% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data and 0.5% better PassMark, which is enough to make it the stronger overall pick.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Athlon II X2 220 is the better pick. According to our tests, it delivers 1.7% more average FPS across 50 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Athlon II X2 220 is the stronger fit. You are getting 0.5% better PassMark, backed by 2 cores and 2 threads.

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

Athlon II X2 220 is the better buy right now. Athlon II X2 220 comes in at an unclear MSRP at $32 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it still gives you a 1.7% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (32.7 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), so you are getting the faster CPU without taking a value hit on paper.

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

Pentium 3558U makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2014 vs 2010). That makes it the safer long-term bet.

Athlon II X2 220 vs Pentium 3558U Technical Specifications

Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

Athlon II X2 220

The Athlon II X2 220 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 21 September 2010 (15 years ago). It is based on the Regor (2009−2013) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 2.8 GHz, with boost up to 2.8 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 512 kB. Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: AM3. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,046 points. Launch price was $32.

Pentium 3558U

The Pentium 3558U is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 January 2014 (11 years ago). It is based on the Haswell (2013−2015) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 1.7 GHz, with boost up to 1.7 GHz. L3 cache: 2 MB. L2 cache: 512 kB. Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1168. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,041 points. Launch price was $161.

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Processing Power

Both the Athlon II X2 220 and Pentium 3558U share an identical 2-core/2-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 2.8 GHz on the Athlon II X2 220 versus 1.7 GHz on the Pentium 3558U — a 48.9% clock advantage for the Athlon II X2 220 (base: 2.8 GHz vs 1.7 GHz). The Athlon II X2 220 uses the Regor (2009−2013) architecture (45 nm), while the Pentium 3558U uses Haswell (2013−2015) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon II X2 220 scores 1,046 against the Pentium 3558U's 1,041 — a 0.5% lead for the Athlon II X2 220. L3 cache: 0 kB on the Athlon II X2 220 vs 2 MB on the Pentium 3558U.

Feature	Athlon II X2 220	Pentium 3558U
Cores / Threads	2 / 2	2 / 2
Boost Clock	2.8 GHz+65%	1.7 GHz
Base Clock	2.8 GHz+65%	1.7 GHz
L3 Cache	0 kB	2 MB
L2 Cache	512 kB	512 kB
Process	45 nm	22 nm-51%
Architecture	Regor (2009−2013)	Haswell (2013−2015)
PassMark	1,046	1,041
Geekbench 6 Single	285	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	500	—

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Memory & Platform

The Athlon II X2 220 uses the AM3 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Pentium 3558U uses FCBGA1168 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.