Pentium Extreme Edition 955 vs A9-9420e
Pentium Extreme Edition 955
A9-9420e
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 Extreme Edition 955 is positioned at rank 1123 and the A9-9420e is on rank 833, so the A9-9420e offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Pentium Extreme Edition 955
Performance Per Dollar A9-9420e
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Pentium Extreme Edition 955 | A9-9420e |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ❌ Lower gaming performance | ✅ Superior gaming performance |
| Workstation | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks | ✅ Better multi-core power |
| Price | ⚠️ Higher cost ($50) | ✅ More affordable ($0) |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Presler (2005−2007) / 65 nm) | ✨ Modern (Stoney Ridge (2016−2019) / 28 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Pentium Extreme Edition 955 | A9-9420e |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ⚠️ Higher cost ($50) | ✅ More affordable ($0) |
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 Extreme Edition 955 and A9-9420e
Pentium Extreme Edition 955
The Pentium Extreme Edition 955 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 27 December 2005 (19 years ago). It is based on the Presler (2005−2007) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 3.466 GHz, with boost up to 0.47 GHz. L2 cache: 2 MB (per core). Built on 65 nm process technology. Socket: LGA775. Thermal design power (TDP): 130 Watt. Memory support: DDR1, DDR2, DDR3 Depends on motherboard. Passmark benchmark score: 1,095 points. Launch price was $999.
A9-9420e
The A9-9420e is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 1 June 2018 (7 years ago). It is based on the Stoney Ridge (2016−2019) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Max frequency: 2.5 GHz. L2 cache: 1 MB. Built on 28 nm process technology. Socket: BGA. Thermal design power (TDP): 1 MB. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 1,101 points. Launch price was $69.
Processing Power
The Pentium Extreme Edition 955 packs 2 cores / 4 threads, matching the A9-9420e's 2 cores. Boost clocks reach 0.47 GHz on the Pentium Extreme Edition 955 versus 2.5 GHz on the A9-9420e — a 136.7% clock advantage for the A9-9420e. The Pentium Extreme Edition 955 uses the Presler (2005−2007) architecture (65 nm), while the A9-9420e uses Stoney Ridge (2016−2019) (28 nm). In PassMark, the Pentium Extreme Edition 955 scores 1,095 against the A9-9420e's 1,101 — a 0.5% lead for the A9-9420e.
| Feature | Pentium Extreme Edition 955 | A9-9420e |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 2 / 4 | 2 / 2 |
| Boost Clock | 0.47 GHz | 2.5 GHz+432% |
| Base Clock | 3.466 GHz | — |
| L2 Cache | 2 MB (per core)+100% | 1 MB |
| Process | 65 nm | 28 nm-57% |
| Architecture | Presler (2005−2007) | Stoney Ridge (2016−2019) |
| PassMark | 1,095 | 1,101 |
Memory & Platform
The Pentium Extreme Edition 955 uses the LGA775 socket (PCIe 1.1), while the A9-9420e uses BGA (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Pentium Extreme Edition 955 | A9-9420e |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | LGA775 | BGA |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 1.1 | PCIe 3.0+173% |
| Max RAM Speed | — | 2133 |
| Max RAM Capacity | — | 16 |
| RAM Channels | — | 1 |
| ECC Support | — | ❌ |
| PCIe Lanes | — | 4 |
Advanced Features
Virtualization: not specified (Pentium Extreme Edition 955) / true (A9-9420e). The A9-9420e includes integrated graphics (Radeon R5 Graphics), while the Pentium Extreme Edition 955 requires a dedicated GPU. Direct competitor: A9-9420e rivals Pentium N4200.
| Feature | Pentium Extreme Edition 955 | A9-9420e |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | — | Yes |
| IGPU Model | — | Radeon R5 Graphics |
| Unlocked | — | No |
| AVX-512 | — | No |
| Virtualization | — | true |
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