Athlon II X3 405e vs Pentium 3550M

Athlon II X3 405e vs Pentium 3550M Performance Spectrum

Athlon II X3 405e

3 / 3

1,331

+0.3%

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3955WX

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7955WX

Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

Pentium 3550M

2 / 2

1,327

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 X3 405e 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 405e 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 405e

2009

Why buy it

✅+0.3% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 45W instead of 512W, a 467W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌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

❌Lower PassMark (1,327 vs 1,331).
❌1037.8% higher power demand at 512W vs 45W.

Quick Answers

So, is Athlon II X3 405e better than Pentium 3550M?

Yes. Athlon II X3 405e 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 0.3% better PassMark, which is enough to make it the stronger overall pick.

Which one is better for gaming?

For gaming, this matchup is basically a tie in the data we have.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Athlon II X3 405e is the stronger fit. You are getting 0.3% better PassMark, backed by 3 cores and 3 threads.

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

Athlon II X3 405e is the better buy right now. Athlon II X3 405e comes in at an unclear MSRP at $100 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it still gives you a 1.7% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (13.3 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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 3550M makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2013 vs 2009). That makes it the safer long-term bet.

Athlon II X3 405e vs Pentium 3550M Technical Specifications

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

Athlon II X3 405e

The Athlon II X3 405e 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 2.3 GHz, with boost up to 2.3 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: 1,331 points. Launch price was $80.

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 405e packs 3 cores / 3 threads, while the Pentium 3550M offers 2 cores / 2 threads — the Athlon II X3 405e has 1 more core. Boost clocks reach 2.3 GHz on the Athlon II X3 405e versus 2.3 GHz on the Pentium 3550M — identical boost frequencies (base: 2.3 GHz vs 2.3 GHz). The Athlon II X3 405e uses the Rana (2009−2011) architecture (45 nm), while the Pentium 3550M uses Haswell (2013−2015) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon II X3 405e scores 1,331 against the Pentium 3550M's 1,327 — a 0.3% lead for the Athlon II X3 405e. L3 cache: 0 kB on the Athlon II X3 405e vs 2 MB (total) on the Pentium 3550M.

Feature	Athlon II X3 405e	Pentium 3550M
Cores / Threads	3 / 3+50%	2 / 2
Boost Clock	2.3 GHz	2.3 GHz
Base Clock	2.3 GHz	2.3 GHz
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	1,331	1,327

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Memory & Platform

The Athlon II X3 405e uses the AM3 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Pentium 3550M uses PGA946 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.