Atom N550 vs A8-3520M

Atom N550

2 Cores4 Thrd9 WWMax: 1.5 GHz2010

A8-3520M

4 Cores4 Thrd35 WWMax: 2.5 GHz2011

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Atom N550

2 / 4

1,435

0.0%

1,441

+0.4%

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3955WX

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7955WX

Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

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 N550 is positioned at rank 618 and the A8-3520M is on rank 806, so the Atom N550 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 N550

#605

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

818%

#606

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

806%

#607

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

740%

#608

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

736%

#609

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

730%

#611

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

705%

#612

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

676%

#613

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

674%

#614

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

656%

#618

Atom N550

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#621

Athlon II P320

MSRP: $50|Avg: $15

99%

#624

Core 3 N355

MSRP: $300|Avg: $300

98%

#627

Core i5-1335UE

MSRP: $312|Avg: $312

97%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar A8-3520M

#794

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

1221%

#795

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

1204%

#796

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

1105%

#797

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

1100%

#798

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

1090%

#800

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

1052%

#801

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

1009%

#802

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

1007%

#803

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

980%

#806

A8-3520M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#809

Athlon II M320

MSRP: $75|Avg: $15

100%

#810

Celeron B800

MSRP: $80|Avg: $5

99%

#811

Celeron B710

MSRP: $86|Avg: $10

99%

#812

Athlon II Neo K345

MSRP: $50|Avg: $10

99%

#818

Core i7-8709G

MSRP: $338|Avg: $150

98%

#819

Celeron M 560

MSRP: $86|Avg: $10

97%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Leadership: The A8-3520M delivers superior performance across the board. It outperforms the Atom N550 in both compute-intensive tasks (0.4% faster) and gaming workloads.

Insight	Atom N550	A8-3520M
Gaming	❌ Lower gaming performance	✅ Superior gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	Equivalent pricing	Equivalent pricing
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Pineview (2009−2011) / 45 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Llano (2011−2012) / 32 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Insight	Atom N550	A8-3520M
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 N550 Benchmark Check

A8-3520M Benchmark Check

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Atom N550 and A8-3520M

Atom N550

The Atom N550 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 23 August 2010 (15 years ago). It is based on the Pineview (2009−2011) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 1.5 GHz, with boost up to 1.5 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA559. Thermal design power (TDP): 8.5 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,435 points. Launch price was $86.

A8-3520M

The A8-3520M is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2014-01-01. It is based on the Llano (2011−2012) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 1.6 GHz, with boost up to 2.5 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: FS1. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,441 points. Launch price was $90.

⚡

Processing Power

The Atom N550 packs 2 cores / 4 threads, while the A8-3520M offers 4 cores / 4 threads — the A8-3520M has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 1.5 GHz on the Atom N550 versus 2.5 GHz on the A8-3520M — a 50% clock advantage for the A8-3520M (base: 1.5 GHz vs 1.6 GHz). The Atom N550 uses the Pineview (2009−2011) architecture (45 nm), while the A8-3520M uses Llano (2011−2012) (32 nm). In PassMark, the Atom N550 scores 1,435 against the A8-3520M's 1,441 — a 0.4% lead for the A8-3520M. Both processors carry 0 kB of L3 cache.

Feature	Atom N550	A8-3520M
Cores / Threads	2 / 4	4 / 4+100%
Boost Clock	1.5 GHz	2.5 GHz+67%
Base Clock	1.5 GHz	1.6 GHz+7%
L3 Cache	0 kB	0 kB
L2 Cache	512K (per core)	1 MB (per core)+100%
Process	45 nm	32 nm-29%
Architecture	Pineview (2009−2011)	Llano (2011−2012)
PassMark	1,435	1,441
Geekbench 6 Single	—	255

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Atom N550 uses the FCBGA559 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the A8-3520M uses FS1 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR3-667 memory speed. The A8-3520M supports up to 16 GB of RAM compared to 2 GB — 155.6% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 1 (Atom N550) vs 2 (A8-3520M). PCIe lanes: 0 (Atom N550) vs 20 (A8-3520M) — the A8-3520M offers 20 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives.

Feature	Atom N550	A8-3520M
Socket	FCBGA559	FS1
PCIe Generation	PCIe 2.0	PCIe 2.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR3-667	DDR3-1333
Max RAM Capacity	2 GB	16 GB+700%
RAM Channels	1	2+100%
ECC Support	❌	❌
PCIe Lanes	0	20

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Atom N550) / AMD-V (A8-3520M). Both include integrated graphics — Intel GMA 3150 (Atom N550) and Radeon HD 6620G (A8-3520M) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: A8-3520M targets Budget Laptop. Direct competitor: A8-3520M rivals Core i3-2330M.