Atom N450 vs Atom Z540

Atom N450

1 Cores2 Thrd512 WWMax: 1.67 GHz2009

Atom Z540

1 Cores2 Thrd2.4 WWMax: 0.07 GHz2008

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Atom N450

1 / 2

325

+6.6%

305

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.

Value Upgrade Path

This is the official ChipVERSUS Value Rating, comparing raw performance (PassMark) per dollar. Components placed above yours deliver better value for money. The Atom N450 is positioned at rank 660 and the Atom Z540 is on rank 334, so the Atom Z540 offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.

MSRP is the manufacturer's suggested retail price.•
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.

Performance Per Dollar Atom N450

#648

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

903%

#649

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

890%

#650

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

817%

#651

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

813%

#652

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

805%

#654

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

778%

#655

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

746%

#656

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

745%

#657

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

725%

#660

Atom N450

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#662

Athlon II P360

MSRP: $60|Avg: $10

100%

#665

Athlon X2 QL-64

MSRP: $50|Avg: $15

99%

#666

Core 3 N350

MSRP: $225|Avg: $220

99%

#668

FX-7500

MSRP: $100|Avg: $25

99%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Atom Z540

#322

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

481%

#323

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

474%

#324

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

435%

#325

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

433%

#326

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

429%

#328

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

414%

#329

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

397%

#330

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

397%

#331

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

386%

#334

Atom Z540

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#336

Xeon E3-1505M v5

MSRP: $115|Avg: $115

100%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Leadership: The Atom N450 delivers superior performance across the board. It outperforms the Atom Z540 in both compute-intensive tasks (6.3% faster) and gaming workloads.

Insight	Atom N450	Atom Z540
Gaming	✅ Superior gaming performance	❌ Lower gaming performance
Workstation	✅ Better multi-core power	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price	Equivalent pricing	Equivalent pricing
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Pinetrail (2009−2011) / 45 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Silverthorne (2008−2010) / 45 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Insight	Atom N450	Atom Z540
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	Equivalent pricing	Equivalent pricing

Performance Check

Paired with RTX 4090

To accurately isolate CPU performance, all benchmarks below use an NVIDIA RTX 4090 as the reference GPU. This eliminates GPU-side bottlenecks and highlights pure processing throughput differences between the CPUs.

Note: Real-world results may vary based on your actual GPU. CPU performance impact is more visible in processing-intensive titles and high-refresh-rate gaming scenarios.

Atom N450 Benchmark Check

Atom Z540 Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Atom N450 and Atom Z540

Atom N450

The Atom N450 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 21 December 2009 (15 years ago). It is based on the Pinetrail (2009−2011) architecture. It features 1 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 1.66 GHz, with boost up to 1.67 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA559. Thermal design power (TDP): 5.5 Watt. Memory support: DDR2. Passmark benchmark score: 325 points. Launch price was $64.

Atom Z540

The Atom Z540 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2 April 2008 (17 years ago). It is based on the Silverthorne (2008−2010) architecture. It features 1 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 1.86 GHz, with boost up to 0.07 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 512 kB. Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: PBGA441. Thermal design power (TDP): 2.4 Watt. Passmark benchmark score: 305 points. Launch price was $160.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Atom N450 and Atom Z540 share an identical 1-core/2-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 1.67 GHz on the Atom N450 versus 0.07 GHz on the Atom Z540 — a 183.9% clock advantage for the Atom N450 (base: 1.66 GHz vs 1.86 GHz). The Atom N450 uses the Pinetrail (2009−2011) architecture (45 nm), while the Atom Z540 uses Silverthorne (2008−2010) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Atom N450 scores 325 against the Atom Z540's 305 — a 6.3% lead for the Atom N450. Both processors carry 0 kB of L3 cache.

Feature	Atom N450	Atom Z540
Cores / Threads	1 / 2	1 / 2
Boost Clock	1.67 GHz+2286%	0.07 GHz
Base Clock	1.66 GHz	1.86 GHz+12%
L3 Cache	0 kB	0 kB
L2 Cache	512 kB (per core)	512 kB
Process	45 nm	45 nm
Architecture	Pinetrail (2009−2011)	Silverthorne (2008−2010)
PassMark	325+7%	305

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Atom N450 uses the FCBGA559 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Atom Z540 uses PBGA441 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR2-667 memory speed. Both support up to 2 GB of RAM. Both feature 1-channel memory with ECC support. Both provide 0 PCIe lanes. Chipset compatibility: Intel NM10 (Atom N450) and Intel US15W (Atom Z540).