Athlon II X3 400e vs Pentium 3550M

Athlon II X3 400e vs Pentium 3550M Performance Spectrum

Athlon II X3 400e

3 / 3

1,320

0.0%

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3955WX

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7955WX

Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

Pentium 3550M

2 / 2

1,327

+0.5%

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 X3 400e vs Pentium 3550M 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 X3 400e vs Pentium 3550M: 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 X3 400e

2009

Why buy it

✅Draws 45W instead of 512W, a 467W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (1,320 vs 1,327).
❌Launch MSRP is still $100 MSRP, while Pentium 3550M mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

Pentium 3550M

2013

Why buy it

Trade-offs

❌1037.8% higher power demand at 512W vs 45W.

Quick Answers

So, is Pentium 3550M better than Athlon II X3 400e?

Yes. Pentium 3550M is the better all-around CPU here. It gives you a 1.6% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data, 0.5% 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 3550M is the better pick. According to our tests, it delivers 1.6% 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 3550M 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?

Pentium 3550M is still the much better call for a fresh build. Pentium 3550M comes in at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $100 MSRP, and it still gives you a 1.6% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. Athlon II X3 400e only looks stronger on raw value math because it is extremely cheap, but that usually means used-market pricing on an obsolete 2009 platform. Even with 100.0% better value on paper (13.2 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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 3550M makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2013 vs 2009) and more multi-core headroom with 2 cores / 2 threads instead of 3/3. That extra compute headroom is more likely to matter as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

Athlon II X3 400e vs Pentium 3550M Technical Specifications

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

Athlon II X3 400e

The Athlon II X3 400e is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 20 October 2009 (16 years ago). It is based on the Rana (2009−2011) architecture. It features 3 cores and 3 threads. Base frequency is 2.2 GHz, with boost up to 2.2 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: AM3. Thermal design power (TDP): 45 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,320 points. Launch price was $107.

Pentium 3550M

The Pentium 3550M is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 September 2013 (12 years ago). It is based on the Haswell (2013−2015) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 2.3 GHz, with boost up to 2.3 GHz. L3 cache: 2 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: PGA946. Thermal design power (TDP): 37 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,327 points. Launch price was $134.

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Processing Power

The Athlon II X3 400e packs 3 cores / 3 threads, while the Pentium 3550M offers 2 cores / 2 threads — the Athlon II X3 400e has 1 more core. Boost clocks reach 2.2 GHz on the Athlon II X3 400e versus 2.3 GHz on the Pentium 3550M — a 4.4% clock advantage for the Pentium 3550M (base: 2.2 GHz vs 2.3 GHz). The Athlon II X3 400e uses the Rana (2009−2011) architecture (45 nm), while the Pentium 3550M uses Haswell (2013−2015) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon II X3 400e scores 1,320 against the Pentium 3550M's 1,327 — a 0.5% lead for the Pentium 3550M. L3 cache: 0 kB on the Athlon II X3 400e vs 2 MB (total) on the Pentium 3550M.

Feature	Athlon II X3 400e	Pentium 3550M
Cores / Threads	3 / 3+50%	2 / 2
Boost Clock	2.2 GHz	2.3 GHz+5%
Base Clock	2.2 GHz	2.3 GHz+5%
L3 Cache	0 kB	2 MB (total)
L2 Cache	512 kB (per core)+100%	256K (per core)
Process	45 nm	22 nm-51%
Architecture	Rana (2009−2011)	Haswell (2013−2015)
PassMark	1,320	1,327

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Memory & Platform

The Athlon II X3 400e uses the AM3 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Pentium 3550M uses PGA946 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.