Pentium E5500 vs Athlon II X2 240
Pentium E5500
Athlon II X2 240
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 E5500 is positioned at rank 913 and the Athlon II X2 240 is on rank 852, so the Athlon II X2 240 offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Pentium E5500
Performance Per Dollar Athlon II X2 240
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Pentium E5500 | Athlon II X2 240 |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | Balanced gaming performance | Balanced gaming performance |
| Workstation | ✅ Better multi-core power | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks |
| Price | ⚠️ Higher cost ($25) | ✅ More affordable ($10) |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Wolfdale (2008−2010) / 45 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Regor (2009−2013) / 45 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Pentium E5500 | Athlon II X2 240 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ✅ Better overall value (+149%) |
| Upfront Cost | ⚠️ Higher cost ($25) | ✅ More affordable ($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 E5500 and Athlon II X2 240
Pentium E5500
The Pentium E5500 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 18 April 2010 (15 years ago). It is based on the Wolfdale (2008−2010) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 2.8 GHz, with boost up to 2.8 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: 1,064 points. Launch price was $109.
Athlon II X2 240
The Athlon II X2 240 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 23 July 2009 (16 years ago). It is based on the Regor (2009−2013) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 2.8 GHz, with boost up to 2.8 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 2 MB. Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: AM3. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,060 points. Launch price was $35.
Processing Power
Both the Pentium E5500 and Athlon II X2 240 share an identical 2-core/2-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 2.8 GHz on the Pentium E5500 versus 2.8 GHz on the Athlon II X2 240 — identical boost frequencies (base: 2.8 GHz vs 2.8 GHz). The Pentium E5500 uses the Wolfdale (2008−2010) architecture (45 nm), while the Athlon II X2 240 uses Regor (2009−2013) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Pentium E5500 scores 1,064 against the Athlon II X2 240's 1,060 — a 0.4% lead for the Pentium E5500. Both processors carry 0 kB of L3 cache.
| Feature | Pentium E5500 | Athlon II X2 240 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 2 / 2 | 2 / 2 |
| Boost Clock | 2.8 GHz | 2.8 GHz |
| Base Clock | 2.8 GHz | 2.8 GHz |
| L3 Cache | 0 kB | 0 kB |
| L2 Cache | 2 MB (total) | 2 MB |
| Process | 45 nm | 45 nm |
| Architecture | Wolfdale (2008−2010) | Regor (2009−2013) |
| PassMark | 1,064 | 1,060 |
| Geekbench 6 Single | — | 373 |
| Geekbench 6 Multi | — | 700 |
Memory & Platform
The Pentium E5500 uses the LGA775 socket (PCIe 1.1), while the Athlon II X2 240 uses AM3 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Pentium E5500 | Athlon II X2 240 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | LGA775 | AM3 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 1.1 | PCIe 2.0+82% |
| Max RAM Speed | — | DDR3-1066 |
| Max RAM Capacity | — | 16 GB |
| RAM Channels | — | 2 |
| ECC Support | — | ❌ |
| PCIe Lanes | — | 16 |
Advanced Features
Virtualization: not specified (Pentium E5500) / AMD-V (Athlon II X2 240). Primary use case: Athlon II X2 240 targets Desktop. Direct competitor: Athlon II X2 240 rivals Pentium E5400.
| Feature | Pentium E5500 | Athlon II X2 240 |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | — | No |
| IGPU Model | — | None |
| Unlocked | — | No |
| AVX-512 | — | No |
| Virtualization | — | AMD-V |
| Target Use | — | Desktop |
Value Analysis
The Pentium E5500 launched at $75 MSRP, while the Athlon II X2 240 debuted at $60. At current prices ($25 vs $10), the Athlon II X2 240 is $15 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Pentium E5500 delivers 42.6 pts/$ vs 106.0 pts/$ for the Athlon II X2 240 — making the Athlon II X2 240 the 85.4% better value option.
| Feature | Pentium E5500 | Athlon II X2 240 |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $75 | $60-20% |
| Avg Price (30d) | $25 | $10-60% |
| Performance per Dollar | 42.6 | 106.0+149% |
| Release Date | 2010 | 2009 |
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