CPU
GPU
Pentium 3550M
Athlon II X2 270
Performance Spectrum - CPU
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 Pentium 3550M is positioned at rank 293 and the Athlon II X2 270 is on rank 825, so the Pentium 3550M offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Pentium 3550M
Performance Per Dollar Athlon II X2 270
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Pentium 3550M | Athlon II X2 270 |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ❌ Lower gaming performance | ✅ Superior gaming performance |
| Workstation | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks | ✅ Better multi-core power |
| Price | ✅ More affordable ($0) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($15) |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Haswell (2013−2015) / 22 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Regor (2009−2013) / 45 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Pentium 3550M | Athlon II X2 270 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ✅ More affordable ($0) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($15) |
Performance Check
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.
Technical Specifications
Side-by-side comparison of Pentium 3550M and Athlon II X2 270
Pentium 3550M
The Pentium 3550M is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 September 2013 (12 years ago). It is based on the Haswell (2013−2015) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 2.3 GHz, with boost up to 2.3 GHz. L3 cache: 2 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: PGA946. Thermal design power (TDP): 37 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,327 points. Launch price was $134.
Athlon II X2 270
The Athlon II X2 270 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 1 July 2011 (14 years ago). It is based on the Regor (2009−2013) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 3.4 GHz, with boost up to 3.4 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 1 MB. Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: AM3. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR2, DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,333 points. Launch price was $100.
Processing Power
Both the Pentium 3550M and Athlon II X2 270 share an identical 2-core/2-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 2.3 GHz on the Pentium 3550M versus 3.4 GHz on the Athlon II X2 270 — a 38.6% clock advantage for the Athlon II X2 270 (base: 2.3 GHz vs 3.4 GHz). The Pentium 3550M uses the Haswell (2013−2015) architecture (22 nm), while the Athlon II X2 270 uses Regor (2009−2013) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Pentium 3550M scores 1,327 against the Athlon II X2 270's 1,333 — a 0.5% lead for the Athlon II X2 270. L3 cache: 2 MB (total) on the Pentium 3550M vs 0 kB on the Athlon II X2 270.
| Feature | Pentium 3550M | Athlon II X2 270 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 2 / 2 | 2 / 2 |
| Boost Clock | 2.3 GHz | 3.4 GHz+48% |
| Base Clock | 2.3 GHz | 3.4 GHz+48% |
| L3 Cache | 2 MB (total) | 0 kB |
| L2 Cache | 256K (per core) | 1 MB+300% |
| Process | 22 nm-51% | 45 nm |
| Architecture | Haswell (2013−2015) | Regor (2009−2013) |
| PassMark | 1,327 | 1,333 |
| Geekbench 6 Single | — | 392 |
| Geekbench 6 Multi | — | 686 |
Memory & Platform
The Pentium 3550M uses the PGA946 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Athlon II X2 270 uses AM3 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Pentium 3550M | Athlon II X2 270 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | PGA946 | AM3 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 3.0+50% | PCIe 2.0 |
| Max RAM Speed | — | 1333 |
| Max RAM Capacity | — | 16 |
| RAM Channels | — | 2 |
| ECC Support | — | ❌ |
| PCIe Lanes | — | 0 |
Advanced Features
Virtualization: not specified (Pentium 3550M) / true (Athlon II X2 270). Direct competitor: Athlon II X2 270 rivals Pentium E6700.
| Feature | Pentium 3550M | Athlon II X2 270 |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | — | No |
| IGPU Model | — | None |
| Unlocked | — | No |
| AVX-512 | — | No |
| Virtualization | — | true |
Top Performing CPUs
The most powerful cpus ranked by PassMark CPU Mark benchmark scores.
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