Athlon II X3 405e vs Pentium Dual-Core E2220

Athlon II X3 405e vs Pentium Dual-Core E2220 Performance Spectrum

Athlon II X3 405e

3 / 3

1,331

+0.1%

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3955WX

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7955WX

Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

Pentium Dual-Core E2220

2 / 2

1,330

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 Dual-Core E2220 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 Dual-Core E2220: 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

✅+0.1% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 45W instead of 65W, a 20W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 13.3 vs 41.6 PassMark/$ ($100 MSRP vs $32 MSRP).

Pentium Dual-Core E2220

2008

Why buy it

✅Costs $68 less on MSRP ($32 MSRP vs $100 MSRP).
✅Delivers 212.3% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 41.6 vs 13.3 PassMark/$ ($32 MSRP vs $100 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (1,330 vs 1,331).
❌44.4% higher power demand at 65W vs 45W.

Quick Answers

So, is Athlon II X3 405e better than Pentium Dual-Core E2220?

It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, Pentium Dual-Core E2220 is ahead with a 0.1% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Athlon II X3 405e pulls ahead with 0.1% better PassMark.

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 0.1% 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 still the much better call for a fresh build. Athlon II X3 405e comes in 212.5% more expensive on MSRP at $100 MSRP versus $32 MSRP, and it still gives you 0.1% better PassMark. Pentium Dual-Core E2220 only looks stronger on raw value math because it is extremely cheap, but that usually means used-market pricing on an obsolete 2008 platform. Even with 212.3% better value on paper (41.6 vs 13.3 PassMark/$), it really only makes sense as a cheap stopgap or a niche existing-platform option for someone already on LGA775.

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

Athlon II X3 405e makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2009 vs 2008) and more multi-core headroom with 3 cores / 3 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 X3 405e vs Pentium Dual-Core E2220 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 Dual-Core E2220

The Pentium Dual-Core E2220 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2007-01-01. It is based on the NetBurst (2000−2006) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Max frequency: 2.4 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 1 MB (total). Built on 65 nm process technology. Socket: LGA775. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR1, DDR2, DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,330 points. Launch price was $69.

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Processing Power

The Athlon II X3 405e packs 3 cores / 3 threads, while the Pentium Dual-Core E2220 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 2.4 GHz on the Pentium Dual-Core E2220 — a 4.3% clock advantage for the Pentium Dual-Core E2220. The Athlon II X3 405e uses the Rana (2009−2011) architecture (45 nm), while the Pentium Dual-Core E2220 uses NetBurst (2000−2006) (65 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon II X3 405e scores 1,331 against the Pentium Dual-Core E2220's 1,330 — a 0.1% lead for the Athlon II X3 405e. Both processors carry 0 kB of L3 cache.

Feature	Athlon II X3 405e	Pentium Dual-Core E2220
Cores / Threads	3 / 3+50%	2 / 2
Boost Clock	2.3 GHz	2.4 GHz+4%
Base Clock	2.3 GHz	—
L3 Cache	0 kB	0 kB
L2 Cache	512 kB (per core)	1 MB (total)+100%
Process	45 nm-31%	65 nm
Architecture	Rana (2009−2011)	NetBurst (2000−2006)
PassMark	1,331	1,330

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Memory & Platform

The Athlon II X3 405e uses the AM3 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Pentium Dual-Core E2220 uses LGA775 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Athlon II X3 405e	Pentium Dual-Core E2220
Socket	AM3	LGA775
PCIe Generation	PCIe 2.0	PCIe 2.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR3-1333	—
Max RAM Capacity	32 GB	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	No	—
PCIe Lanes	0	—

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the Athlon II X3 405e was priced at $100, while the Pentium Dual-Core E2220 came in at $32. On launch pricing ($100 vs $32), Pentium Dual-Core E2220 was $68 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Athlon II X3 405e delivers 13.3 pts/$ vs 41.6 pts/$ for the Pentium Dual-Core E2220 — making the Pentium Dual-Core E2220 the 103% better value option.

Feature	Athlon II X3 405e	Pentium Dual-Core E2220
MSRP	$100	$32-68%
Performance per Dollar	13.3	41.6+213%
Release Date	2009	2008

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