CPU
GPU
Pentium 3550M
Athlon II X3 400e
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 X3 400e is on rank 938, 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 X3 400e
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Pentium 3550M | Athlon II X3 400e |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ✅ Superior gaming performance | ❌ Lower gaming performance |
| Workstation | ✅ Better multi-core power | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks |
| Price | ✅ More affordable ($0) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($10) |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Haswell (2013−2015) / 22 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Rana (2009−2011) / 45 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Pentium 3550M | Athlon II X3 400e |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ✅ More affordable ($0) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($10) |
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 X3 400e
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 X3 400e
The Athlon II X3 400e is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 20 October 2009 (16 years ago). It is based on the Rana (2009−2011) architecture. It features 3 cores and 3 threads. Base frequency is 2.2 GHz, with boost up to 2.2 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: AM3. Thermal design power (TDP): 45 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,320 points. Launch price was $107.
Processing Power
The Pentium 3550M packs 2 cores / 2 threads, while the Athlon II X3 400e offers 3 cores / 3 threads — the Athlon II X3 400e has 1 more core. Boost clocks reach 2.3 GHz on the Pentium 3550M versus 2.2 GHz on the Athlon II X3 400e — a 4.4% clock advantage for the Pentium 3550M (base: 2.3 GHz vs 2.2 GHz). The Pentium 3550M uses the Haswell (2013−2015) architecture (22 nm), while the Athlon II X3 400e uses Rana (2009−2011) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Pentium 3550M scores 1,327 against the Athlon II X3 400e's 1,320 — a 0.5% lead for the Pentium 3550M. L3 cache: 2 MB (total) on the Pentium 3550M vs 0 kB on the Athlon II X3 400e.
| Feature | Pentium 3550M | Athlon II X3 400e |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 2 / 2 | 3 / 3+50% |
| Boost Clock | 2.3 GHz+5% | 2.2 GHz |
| Base Clock | 2.3 GHz+5% | 2.2 GHz |
| L3 Cache | 2 MB (total) | 0 kB |
| L2 Cache | 256K (per core) | 512 kB (per core)+100% |
| Process | 22 nm-51% | 45 nm |
| Architecture | Haswell (2013−2015) | Rana (2009−2011) |
| PassMark | 1,327 | 1,320 |
Memory & Platform
The Pentium 3550M uses the PGA946 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Athlon II X3 400e uses AM3 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Pentium 3550M | Athlon II X3 400e |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | PGA946 | AM3 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 3.0+50% | PCIe 2.0 |
| Max RAM Speed | — | DDR3-1333 |
| Max RAM Capacity | — | 32 GB |
| RAM Channels | — | 2 |
| ECC Support | — | ❌ |
| PCIe Lanes | — | 0 |
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The most powerful cpus ranked by PassMark CPU Mark benchmark scores.
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