Pentium 3550M vs Pentium Gold 6405U

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 Gold 6405U 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 Gold 6405U: 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

✅+0.5% higher PassMark.

Trade-offs

❌51100% higher power demand at 512W vs 1W.

Pentium Gold 6405U

2019

Why buy it

✅Draws 1W instead of 512W, a 511W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (1,320 vs 1,327).

Quick Answers

So, is Pentium Gold 6405U better than Pentium 3550M?

It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, Pentium Gold 6405U is ahead with a 0.4% average FPS lead across 46 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Pentium 3550M pulls ahead with 0.5% 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 0.5% better PassMark, backed by 2 cores and 2 threads.

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

Pentium Gold 6405U still makes the most sense overall. Pentium Gold 6405U comes in at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it still gives you a 0.4% average FPS lead across 46 shared CPU game tests in our data.

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

Pentium Gold 6405U makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2019 vs 2013). That makes it the safer long-term bet.

Pentium 3550M vs Pentium Gold 6405U 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 Gold 6405U

The Pentium Gold 6405U is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 31 October 2019 (6 years ago). It is based on the Comet Lake-U (2019−2020) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.4 GHz, with boost up to 2.4 GHz. L3 cache: 2 MB. L2 cache: 1 MB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1528. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 1,320 points. Launch price was $161.

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Processing Power

The Pentium 3550M packs 2 cores / 2 threads, matching the Pentium Gold 6405U's 2 cores. Boost clocks reach 2.3 GHz on the Pentium 3550M versus 2.4 GHz on the Pentium Gold 6405U — a 4.3% clock advantage for the Pentium Gold 6405U (base: 2.3 GHz vs 2.4 GHz). The Pentium 3550M uses the Haswell (2013−2015) architecture (22 nm), while the Pentium Gold 6405U uses Comet Lake-U (2019−2020) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Pentium 3550M scores 1,327 against the Pentium Gold 6405U's 1,320 — a 0.5% lead for the Pentium 3550M. L3 cache: 2 MB (total) on the Pentium 3550M vs 2 MB on the Pentium Gold 6405U.

Feature	Pentium 3550M	Pentium Gold 6405U
Cores / Threads	2 / 2	2 / 4
Boost Clock	2.3 GHz	2.4 GHz+4%
Base Clock	2.3 GHz	2.4 GHz+4%
L3 Cache	2 MB (total)	2 MB
L2 Cache	256K (per core)+25500%	1 MB
Process	22 nm	14 nm-36%
Architecture	Haswell (2013−2015)	Comet Lake-U (2019−2020)
PassMark	1,327	1,320

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Memory & Platform

The Pentium 3550M uses the PGA946 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Pentium Gold 6405U uses FCBGA1528 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.