Atom C3558 vs Pentium Silver N5000

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.

Atom C3558 vs Pentium Silver N5000 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.

Atom C3558 vs Pentium Silver N5000: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each CPU makes more sense in practice: gaming, heavier work, platform cost, power draw, and upgrade path.

Atom C3558

2017

Why buy it

✅+100% larger total L3 cache (8 MB vs 4 MB).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (12 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (2,431 vs 2,442).
❌166.7% higher power demand at 16W vs 6W.

Pentium Silver N5000

2017

Why buy it

✅Draws 6W instead of 16W, a 10W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (4 MB vs 8 MB).

Quick Answers

So, is Pentium Silver N5000 better than Atom C3558?

Yes. Pentium Silver N5000 is the better all-around CPU here. It gives you a 0.6% 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 Silver N5000 is the better pick. According to our tests, it delivers 0.6% 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 Silver N5000 is the stronger fit. You are getting 0.5% better PassMark, backed by 4 cores and 4 threads.

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

Pentium Silver N5000 still makes the most sense overall. Pentium Silver N5000 comes in at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it still gives you a 0.6% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data.

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

Pentium Silver N5000 makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting more multi-core headroom with 4 cores / 4 threads instead of 4/4. That extra compute headroom is more likely to matter as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

Atom C3558 vs Pentium Silver N5000 Technical Specifications

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

Atom C3558

The Atom C3558 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 15 August 2017 (8 years ago). It is based on the Goldmont (2016−2017) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.2 GHz, with boost up to 2.2 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB. L2 cache: 8 MB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1310. Thermal design power (TDP): 16 Watt. Memory support: DDR4: 2133. Passmark benchmark score: 2,431 points. Launch price was $86.

Pentium Silver N5000

The Pentium Silver N5000 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 11 December 2017 (7 years ago). It is based on the Goldmont Plus (2017) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 1.1 GHz, with boost up to 2.7 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB. L2 cache: 4 MB (total). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1090. Thermal design power (TDP): 6 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 2,442 points. Launch price was $161.

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Processing Power

Both the Atom C3558 and Pentium Silver N5000 share an identical 4-core/4-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 2.2 GHz on the Atom C3558 versus 2.7 GHz on the Pentium Silver N5000 — a 20.4% clock advantage for the Pentium Silver N5000 (base: 2.2 GHz vs 1.1 GHz). The Atom C3558 uses the Goldmont (2016−2017) architecture (14 nm), while the Pentium Silver N5000 uses Goldmont Plus (2017) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Atom C3558 scores 2,431 against the Pentium Silver N5000's 2,442 — a 0.5% lead for the Pentium Silver N5000. L3 cache: 8 MB on the Atom C3558 vs 4 MB on the Pentium Silver N5000.

Feature	Atom C3558	Pentium Silver N5000
Cores / Threads	4 / 4	4 / 4
Boost Clock	2.2 GHz	2.7 GHz+23%
Base Clock	2.2 GHz+100%	1.1 GHz
L3 Cache	8 MB+100%	4 MB
L2 Cache	8 MB+100%	4 MB (total)
Process	14 nm	14 nm
Architecture	Goldmont (2016−2017)	Goldmont Plus (2017)
PassMark	2,431	2,442

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Memory & Platform

The Atom C3558 uses the FCBGA1310 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Pentium Silver N5000 uses FCBGA1090 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Atom C3558	Pentium Silver N5000
Socket	FCBGA1310	FCBGA1090
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2133	—
Max RAM Capacity	256 GB	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	Yes	—
PCIe Lanes	12	—