Athlon II X3 400e vs Pentium 3550M
Athlon II X3 400e
Pentium 3550M
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 II X3 400e is positioned at rank 938 and the Pentium 3550M is on rank 293, so the Pentium 3550M offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Athlon II X3 400e
Performance Per Dollar Pentium 3550M
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Athlon II X3 400e | Pentium 3550M |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ❌ Lower gaming performance | ✅ Superior gaming performance |
| Workstation | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks | ✅ Better multi-core power |
| Price | ⚠️ Higher cost ($10) | ✅ More affordable ($0) |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Rana (2009−2011) / 45 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Haswell (2013−2015) / 22 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Athlon II X3 400e | Pentium 3550M |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ⚠️ Higher cost ($10) | ✅ 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 II X3 400e and Pentium 3550M
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.
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 |
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.
| Feature | Athlon II X3 400e | Pentium 3550M |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | AM3 | PGA946 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 2.0 | PCIe 3.0+50% |
| Max RAM Speed | DDR3-1333 | — |
| Max RAM Capacity | 32 GB | — |
| RAM Channels | 2 | — |
| ECC Support | ❌ | — |
| PCIe Lanes | 0 | — |
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