Atom E3845 vs Pentium E5500

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 E5500 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 E5500: 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

✅+0.7% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 10W instead of 65W, a 55W 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 E5500 needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Fewer obvious downsides in this matchup outside of normal market pricing swings.

Pentium E5500

2010

Why buy it

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (1,064 vs 1,071).
❌Launch MSRP is still $75 MSRP, while Atom E3845 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌550% higher power demand at 65W 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 E5500?

It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, Pentium E5500 is ahead with a 0.2% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Atom E3845 pulls ahead with 0.7% better PassMark.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Atom E3845 is the stronger fit. You are getting 0.7% better PassMark, backed by 4 cores and 4 threads.

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

Atom E3845 is still the much better call for a fresh build. Atom E3845 comes in at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $75 MSRP, and it still gives you 0.7% better PassMark. Pentium E5500 only looks stronger on raw value math because it is extremely cheap, but that usually means used-market pricing on an obsolete 2010 platform. Even with 100.0% better value on paper (14.2 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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?

Atom E3845 makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2013 vs 2010) and more multi-core headroom with 4 cores / 4 threads instead of 2/2. That extra compute headroom is more likely to matter as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

Atom E3845 vs Pentium E5500 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 E5500

The Pentium E5500 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 18 April 2010 (15 years ago). It is based on the Wolfdale (2008−2010) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 2.8 GHz, with boost up to 2.8 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 2 MB (total). Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: LGA775. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR1, DDR2, DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,064 points. Launch price was $109.

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Processing Power

The Atom E3845 packs 4 cores / 4 threads, while the Pentium E5500 offers 2 cores / 2 threads — the Atom E3845 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 1.91 GHz on the Atom E3845 versus 2.8 GHz on the Pentium E5500 — a 37.8% clock advantage for the Pentium E5500. The Atom E3845 uses the Bay Trail-I (2013) architecture (22 nm), while the Pentium E5500 uses Wolfdale (2008−2010) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Atom E3845 scores 1,071 against the Pentium E5500's 1,064 — a 0.7% lead for the Atom E3845. Both processors carry 0 kB of L3 cache.

Feature	Atom E3845	Pentium E5500
Cores / Threads	4 / 4+100%	2 / 2
Boost Clock	1.91 GHz	2.8 GHz+47%
Base Clock	—	2.8 GHz
L3 Cache	0 kB	0 kB
L2 Cache	512 kB (per core)	2 MB (total)+300%
Process	22 nm-51%	45 nm
Architecture	Bay Trail-I (2013)	Wolfdale (2008−2010)
PassMark	1,071	1,064

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Memory & Platform

The Atom E3845 uses the FCBGA1170 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Pentium E5500 uses LGA775 (PCIe 1.1) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Atom E3845	Pentium E5500
Socket	FCBGA1170	LGA775
PCIe Generation	PCIe 2.0+82%	PCIe 1.1
Max RAM Speed	DDR3L-1333	—
Max RAM Capacity	8 GB	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	Yes	—
PCIe Lanes	4	—