Pentium 3550M vs Pentium E5200

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.

Pentium 3550M vs Pentium E5200 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.

Pentium 3550M vs Pentium E5200: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each CPU makes more sense in practice: gaming, heavier work, platform cost, power draw, and upgrade path.

Pentium 3550M

2013

Why buy it

✅+0.9% higher PassMark.

Trade-offs

❌687.7% higher power demand at 512W vs 65W.

Pentium E5200

2008

Why buy it

✅Draws 65W instead of 512W, a 447W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (1,315 vs 1,327).
❌Launch MSRP is still $84 MSRP, while Pentium 3550M mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

Quick Answers

So, is Pentium E5200 better than Pentium 3550M?

It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, Pentium E5200 is ahead with a 1.9% average FPS lead across 49 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Pentium 3550M pulls ahead with 0.9% better PassMark.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Pentium 3550M is the stronger fit. You are getting 0.9% better PassMark, backed by 2 cores and 2 threads.

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

Pentium E5200 is the better buy right now. Pentium E5200 comes in at an unclear MSRP at $84 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it still gives you a 1.9% average FPS lead across 49 shared CPU game tests in our data. The compromise is that Pentium 3550M is still stronger for heavier multi-core work with 0.9% better PassMark. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (15.7 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), so you are getting the faster CPU without taking a value hit on paper.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

Pentium 3550M makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2013 vs 2008) and more multi-core headroom with 2 cores / 2 threads instead of 2/2. That extra compute headroom is more likely to matter as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

Pentium 3550M vs Pentium E5200 Technical Specifications

Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

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.

Pentium E5200

The Pentium E5200 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in Agosto 2008 (17 years ago). It is based on the Wolfdale (2008−2010) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 2.5 GHz, with boost up to 2.5 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: 1,315 points. Launch price was $99.

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Processing Power

Both the Pentium 3550M and Pentium E5200 share an identical 2-core/2-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 2.3 GHz on the Pentium 3550M versus 2.5 GHz on the Pentium E5200 — a 8.3% clock advantage for the Pentium E5200 (base: 2.3 GHz vs 2.5 GHz). The Pentium 3550M uses the Haswell (2013−2015) architecture (22 nm), while the Pentium E5200 uses Wolfdale (2008−2010) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Pentium 3550M scores 1,327 against the Pentium E5200's 1,315 — a 0.9% lead for the Pentium 3550M. L3 cache: 2 MB (total) on the Pentium 3550M vs 0 kB on the Pentium E5200.

Feature	Pentium 3550M	Pentium E5200
Cores / Threads	2 / 2	2 / 2
Boost Clock	2.3 GHz	2.5 GHz+9%
Base Clock	2.3 GHz	2.5 GHz+9%
L3 Cache	2 MB (total)	0 kB
L2 Cache	256K (per core)+12700%	2 MB (total)
Process	22 nm-51%	45 nm
Architecture	Haswell (2013−2015)	Wolfdale (2008−2010)
PassMark	1,327	1,315

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Memory & Platform

The Pentium 3550M uses the PGA946 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Pentium E5200 uses LGA775 (PCIe 1.1) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.