Pentium 3550M vs Turion II N550

Intel

Pentium 3550M

2 Cores2 Thrd512 WWMax: 2.3 GHz2013
VS
AMD

Turion II N550

2 Cores2 Thrd2 WWMax: 2.6 GHz2010
Similar parts
·······

Pentium 3550M vs Turion II N550 Performance Spectrum

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.

Pentium 3550M vs Turion II N550 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 Turion II N550: 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

  • 25500% higher power demand at 512W vs 2W.

Turion II N550

2010

Why buy it

  • Draws 2W instead of 512W, a 510W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Lower PassMark (1,315 vs 1,327).

Quick Answers

So, is Pentium 3550M better than Turion II N550?
It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, Turion II N550 is ahead with a 1.6% average FPS lead across 50 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 3550M still makes the most sense overall. Pentium 3550M comes in at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it still gives you 0.9% better PassMark.
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 2010) 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 Turion II N550 Technical Specifications

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

Intel

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.

AMD

Turion II N550

The Turion II N550 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2007-01-01. It is based on the Champlain (2010−2011) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Max frequency: 2.6 GHz. L2 cache: 2 MB. Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: S1. Thermal design power (TDP): 2 MB. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,315 points. Launch price was $69.

Processing Power

Both the Pentium 3550M and Turion II N550 share an identical 2-core/2-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 2.3 GHz on the Pentium 3550M versus 2.6 GHz on the Turion II N550 — a 12.2% clock advantage for the Turion II N550. The Pentium 3550M uses the Haswell (2013−2015) architecture (22 nm), while the Turion II N550 uses Champlain (2010−2011) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Pentium 3550M scores 1,327 against the Turion II N550's 1,315 — a 0.9% lead for the Pentium 3550M.

FeaturePentium 3550MTurion II N550
Cores / Threads
2 / 2
2 / 2
Boost Clock
2.3 GHz
2.6 GHz+13%
Base Clock
2.3 GHz
L3 Cache
2 MB (total)
L2 Cache
256K (per core)+12700%
2 MB
Process
22 nm-51%
45 nm
Architecture
Haswell (2013−2015)
Champlain (2010−2011)
PassMark
1,327
1,315
🧠

Memory & Platform

The Pentium 3550M uses the PGA946 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Turion II N550 uses S1 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

FeaturePentium 3550MTurion II N550
Socket
PGA946
S1
PCIe Generation
PCIe 3.0+50%
PCIe 2.0