Athlon II X2 240 vs Pentium E5500

Athlon II X2 240 vs Pentium E5500 Performance Spectrum

Athlon II X2 240

2 / 2

1,060

0.0%

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3955WX

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7955WX

Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

Pentium E5500

2 / 2

1,064

+0.4%

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 240 vs Pentium E5500 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 240 vs Pentium E5500: 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 240

2009

Why buy it

✅Costs $15 less on MSRP ($60 MSRP vs $75 MSRP).
✅Delivers 24.5% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 17.7 vs 14.2 PassMark/$ ($60 MSRP vs $75 MSRP).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (AMD Stock), unlike Pentium E5500.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Pentium E5500 across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (1,060 vs 1,064).

Pentium E5500

2010

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +4.0% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 14.2 vs 17.7 PassMark/$ ($75 MSRP vs $60 MSRP).
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Athlon II X2 240.

Quick Answers

So, is Pentium E5500 better than Athlon II X2 240?

Yes. Pentium E5500 is the better all-around CPU here. It gives you a 4.0% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data, 0.4% better PassMark, and the stronger long-term platform, which is enough to make it the stronger overall pick.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Pentium E5500 is the better pick. According to our tests, it delivers 4.0% 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, Pentium E5500 is the stronger fit. You are getting 0.4% better PassMark, backed by 2 cores and 2 threads.

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

Pentium E5500 is still the much better call for a fresh build. Pentium E5500 comes in 25.0% more expensive on MSRP at $75 MSRP versus $60 MSRP, and it still gives you a 4.0% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. Athlon II X2 240 only looks stronger on raw value math because it is extremely cheap, but that usually means used-market pricing on an obsolete 2009 platform. Even with 24.5% better value on paper (17.7 vs 14.2 PassMark/$), it really only makes sense as a cheap stopgap or a niche existing-platform option for someone already on AM3.

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

Pentium E5500 makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2010 vs 2009) and more multi-core headroom with 2 cores / 2 threads instead of 2/2. That extra compute headroom is more likely to matter as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

Athlon II X2 240 vs Pentium E5500 Technical Specifications

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

Athlon II X2 240

The Athlon II X2 240 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 23 July 2009 (16 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: 2 MB. Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: AM3. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,060 points. Launch price was $35.

Pentium E5500

The Pentium E5500 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 18 April 2010 (15 years ago). It is based on the Wolfdale (2008−2010) 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: 2 MB (total). Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: LGA775. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR1, DDR2, DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,064 points. Launch price was $109.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Athlon II X2 240 and Pentium E5500 share an identical 2-core/2-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 2.8 GHz on the Athlon II X2 240 versus 2.8 GHz on the Pentium E5500 — identical boost frequencies (base: 2.8 GHz vs 2.8 GHz). The Athlon II X2 240 uses the Regor (2009−2013) architecture (45 nm), while the Pentium E5500 uses Wolfdale (2008−2010) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon II X2 240 scores 1,060 against the Pentium E5500's 1,064 — a 0.4% lead for the Pentium E5500. Both processors carry 0 kB of L3 cache.

Feature	Athlon II X2 240	Pentium E5500
Cores / Threads	2 / 2	2 / 2
Boost Clock	2.8 GHz	2.8 GHz
Base Clock	2.8 GHz	2.8 GHz
L3 Cache	0 kB	0 kB
L2 Cache	2 MB	2 MB (total)
Process	45 nm	45 nm
Architecture	Regor (2009−2013)	Wolfdale (2008−2010)
PassMark	1,060	1,064
Geekbench 6 Single	373	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	700	—

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Athlon II X2 240 uses the AM3 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Pentium E5500 uses LGA775 (PCIe 1.1) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Athlon II X2 240	Pentium E5500
Socket	AM3	LGA775
PCIe Generation	PCIe 2.0+82%	PCIe 1.1
Max RAM Speed	DDR3-1066	—
Max RAM Capacity	16 GB	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	No	—
PCIe Lanes	16	—

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: AMD-V (Athlon II X2 240) / not specified (Pentium E5500). Primary use case: Athlon II X2 240 targets Desktop. Direct competitor: Athlon II X2 240 rivals Pentium E5400.

Feature	Athlon II X2 240	Pentium E5500
Integrated GPU	No	—
IGPU Model	None	—
Unlocked	No	—
AVX-512	No	—
Virtualization	AMD-V	—
Target Use	Desktop	—

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the Athlon II X2 240 was priced at $60, while the Pentium E5500 came in at $75. On launch pricing ($60 vs $75), Athlon II X2 240 was $15 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Athlon II X2 240 delivers 17.7 pts/$ vs 14.2 pts/$ for the Pentium E5500 — making the Athlon II X2 240 the 21.9% better value option.

Feature	Athlon II X2 240	Pentium E5500
MSRP	$60-20%	$75
Performance per Dollar	17.7+25%	14.2
Release Date	2009	2010

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