Athlon X2 340 vs Pentium 3550M

Athlon X2 340 vs Pentium 3550M Performance Spectrum

Athlon X2 340

2 / 2

1,333

+0.5%

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 X2 340 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 X2 340 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 X2 340

2012

Why buy it

✅Draws 65W instead of 512W, a 447W reduction.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (AMD Stock), unlike Pentium 3550M.

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $30 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 1,333).
❌687.7% higher power demand at 512W vs 65W.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Athlon X2 340.

Quick Answers

So, is Athlon X2 340 better than Pentium 3550M?

Yes. Athlon X2 340 is the better all-around CPU here. It gives you a 2.3% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data and 0.5% better PassMark, which is enough to make it the stronger overall pick.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Athlon X2 340 is the better pick. According to our tests, it delivers 2.3% 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, Athlon X2 340 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?

Athlon X2 340 is the better buy right now. Athlon X2 340 comes in at an unclear MSRP at $30 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it still gives you a 2.3% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (44.4 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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 2012). That makes it the safer long-term bet.

Athlon X2 340 vs Pentium 3550M Technical Specifications

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

Athlon X2 340

The Athlon X2 340 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2009-01-01. It is based on the Trinity (2012−2013) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 3.2 GHz, with boost up to 3.6 GHz. L2 cache: 1 MB (total). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: FM2. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR3-1600. Passmark benchmark score: 1,333 points. Launch price was $149.

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

Both the Athlon X2 340 and Pentium 3550M share an identical 2-core/2-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 3.6 GHz on the Athlon X2 340 versus 2.3 GHz on the Pentium 3550M — a 44.1% clock advantage for the Athlon X2 340 (base: 3.2 GHz vs 2.3 GHz). The Athlon X2 340 uses the Trinity (2012−2013) architecture (32 nm), while the Pentium 3550M uses Haswell (2013−2015) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon X2 340 scores 1,333 against the Pentium 3550M's 1,327 — a 0.5% lead for the Athlon X2 340.

Feature	Athlon X2 340	Pentium 3550M
Cores / Threads	2 / 2	2 / 2
Boost Clock	3.6 GHz+57%	2.3 GHz
Base Clock	3.2 GHz+39%	2.3 GHz
L3 Cache	—	2 MB (total)
L2 Cache	1 MB (total)	256K (per core)+25500%
Process	32 nm	22 nm-31%
Architecture	Trinity (2012−2013)	Haswell (2013−2015)
PassMark	1,333	1,327
Geekbench 6 Single	397	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	549	—

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Memory & Platform

The Athlon X2 340 uses the FM2 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Pentium 3550M uses PGA946 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.