Pentium N3540 vs Athlon II X2 255
Pentium N3540
Athlon II X2 255
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 N3540 is positioned at rank 1149 and the Athlon II X2 255 is on rank 793, so the Athlon II X2 255 offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Pentium N3540
Performance Per Dollar Athlon II X2 255
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Pentium N3540 | Athlon II X2 255 |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ❌ Lower gaming performance | ✅ Superior gaming performance |
| Workstation | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks | ✅ Better multi-core power |
| Price | ⚠️ Higher cost ($161) | ✅ More affordable ($10) |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Bay Trail-M (2013−2014) / 22 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Regor (2009−2013) / 45 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Pentium N3540 | Athlon II X2 255 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ✅ Better overall value (+1514%) |
| Upfront Cost | ⚠️ Higher cost ($161) | ✅ 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 N3540 and Athlon II X2 255
Pentium N3540
The Pentium N3540 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 22 May 2014 (11 years ago). It is based on the Bay Trail-M (2013−2014) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.16 GHz, with boost up to 2.66 GHz. L3 cache: 2 MB L2 Cache. L2 cache: 2 MB. Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1170. Thermal design power (TDP): 7.5 Watt. Memory support: DDR3L-1333. Passmark benchmark score: 1,207 points. Launch price was $251.
Athlon II X2 255
The Athlon II X2 255 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 25 January 2010 (15 years ago). It is based on the Regor (2009−2013) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 3.1 GHz, with boost up to 3.1 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 1 MB. Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: AM3. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,210 points. Launch price was $60.
Processing Power
The Pentium N3540 packs 4 cores / 4 threads, while the Athlon II X2 255 offers 2 cores / 2 threads — the Pentium N3540 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 2.66 GHz on the Pentium N3540 versus 3.1 GHz on the Athlon II X2 255 — a 15.3% clock advantage for the Athlon II X2 255 (base: 2.16 GHz vs 3.1 GHz). The Pentium N3540 uses the Bay Trail-M (2013−2014) architecture (22 nm), while the Athlon II X2 255 uses Regor (2009−2013) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Pentium N3540 scores 1,207 against the Athlon II X2 255's 1,210 — a 0.2% lead for the Athlon II X2 255. L3 cache: 2 MB L2 Cache on the Pentium N3540 vs 0 kB on the Athlon II X2 255.
| Feature | Pentium N3540 | Athlon II X2 255 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 4 / 4+100% | 2 / 2 |
| Boost Clock | 2.66 GHz | 3.1 GHz+17% |
| Base Clock | 2.16 GHz | 3.1 GHz+44% |
| L3 Cache | 2 MB L2 Cache | 0 kB |
| L2 Cache | 2 MB+100% | 1 MB |
| Process | 22 nm-51% | 45 nm |
| Architecture | Bay Trail-M (2013−2014) | Regor (2009−2013) |
| PassMark | 1,207 | 1,210 |
| Geekbench 6 Single | — | 265 |
| Geekbench 6 Multi | — | 500 |
Memory & Platform
The Pentium N3540 uses the FCBGA1170 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Athlon II X2 255 uses AM3 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Pentium N3540 | Athlon II X2 255 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | FCBGA1170 | AM3 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 2.0 | PCIe 2.0 |
| Max RAM Speed | — | DDR3-1333 |
| Max RAM Capacity | — | 16 GB |
| RAM Channels | — | 2 |
| ECC Support | — | ✅ |
| PCIe Lanes | — | 0 |
Advanced Features
Virtualization: not specified (Pentium N3540) / AMD-V (Athlon II X2 255). Primary use case: Athlon II X2 255 targets Legacy Desktop. Direct competitor: Athlon II X2 255 rivals Pentium E5700.
| Feature | Pentium N3540 | Athlon II X2 255 |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | — | No |
| Unlocked | — | No |
| AVX-512 | — | No |
| Virtualization | — | AMD-V |
| Target Use | — | Legacy Desktop |
Value Analysis
The Pentium N3540 launched at $161 MSRP, while the Athlon II X2 255 debuted at $60. At current prices ($161 vs $10), the Athlon II X2 255 is $151 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Pentium N3540 delivers 7.5 pts/$ vs 121.0 pts/$ for the Athlon II X2 255 — making the Athlon II X2 255 the 176.7% better value option.
| Feature | Pentium N3540 | Athlon II X2 255 |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $161 | $60-63% |
| Avg Price (30d) | $161 | $10-94% |
| Performance per Dollar | 7.5 | 121.0+1513% |
| Release Date | 2014 | 2010 |
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