Atom E3845 vs Pentium 3556U

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 E3845 vs Pentium 3556U 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 E3845 vs Pentium 3556U: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

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

Atom E3845

2013

Why buy it

✅Draws 10W instead of 512W, a 502W reduction.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (4 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Intel HD Graphics (Bay Trail), while Pentium 3556U needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (1,071 vs 1,072).

Pentium 3556U

2013

Why buy it

✅+0.1% higher PassMark.

Trade-offs

❌5020% higher power demand at 512W vs 10W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Atom E3845 can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Quick Answers

So, is Atom E3845 better than Pentium 3556U?

It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, Atom E3845 is ahead with a 1.7% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Pentium 3556U 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, Pentium 3556U is the stronger fit. You are getting 0.1% better PassMark, backed by 2 cores and 2 threads.

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

Atom E3845 still makes the most sense overall. Atom E3845 comes in at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it still gives you a 1.7% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data.

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

Pentium 3556U is the safer long-term CPU choice because it gives you more room to grow and a better platform outlook.

Atom E3845 vs Pentium 3556U Technical Specifications

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

Atom E3845

The Atom E3845 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 8 October 2013 (12 years ago). It is based on the Bay Trail-I (2013) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Max frequency: 1.91 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1170. Thermal design power (TDP): 10 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,071 points. Launch price was $69.

Pentium 3556U

The Pentium 3556U is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2007-01-01. It is based on the Haswell (2013−2015) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 1.7 GHz, with boost up to 1.7 GHz. L3 cache: 2 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1168. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,072 points. Launch price was $69.

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Processing Power

The Atom E3845 packs 4 cores / 4 threads, while the Pentium 3556U offers 2 cores / 2 threads — the Atom E3845 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 1.91 GHz on the Atom E3845 versus 1.7 GHz on the Pentium 3556U — a 11.6% clock advantage for the Atom E3845. The Atom E3845 uses the Bay Trail-I (2013) architecture (22 nm), while the Pentium 3556U uses Haswell (2013−2015) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Atom E3845 scores 1,071 against the Pentium 3556U's 1,072 — a 0.1% lead for the Pentium 3556U. L3 cache: 0 kB on the Atom E3845 vs 2 MB (total) on the Pentium 3556U.

Feature	Atom E3845	Pentium 3556U
Cores / Threads	4 / 4+100%	2 / 2
Boost Clock	1.91 GHz+12%	1.7 GHz
Base Clock	—	1.7 GHz
L3 Cache	0 kB	2 MB (total)
L2 Cache	512 kB (per core)+100%	256K (per core)
Process	22 nm	22 nm
Architecture	Bay Trail-I (2013)	Haswell (2013−2015)
PassMark	1,071	1,072

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Memory & Platform

The Atom E3845 uses the FCBGA1170 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Pentium 3556U uses FCBGA1168 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Atom E3845	Pentium 3556U
Socket	FCBGA1170	FCBGA1168
PCIe Generation	PCIe 2.0	PCIe 3.0+50%
Max RAM Speed	DDR3L-1333	—
Max RAM Capacity	8 GB	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	Yes	—
PCIe Lanes	4	—