CPU
GPU
Turion II N550
Athlon II X3 400e
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 Turion II N550 is positioned at rank 511 and the Athlon II X3 400e is on rank 938, so the Turion II N550 offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Turion II N550
Performance Per Dollar Athlon II X3 400e
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Turion II N550 | Athlon II X3 400e |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ✅ Superior gaming performance | ❌ Lower gaming performance |
| Workstation | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks | ✅ Better multi-core power |
| Price | ✅ More affordable ($0) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($10) |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Champlain (2010−2011) / 45 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Rana (2009−2011) / 45 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Turion II N550 | Athlon II X3 400e |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ✅ More affordable ($0) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($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 Turion II N550 and Athlon II X3 400e
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.
Athlon II X3 400e
The Athlon II X3 400e is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 20 October 2009 (16 years ago). It is based on the Rana (2009−2011) architecture. It features 3 cores and 3 threads. Base frequency is 2.2 GHz, with boost up to 2.2 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: AM3. Thermal design power (TDP): 45 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,320 points. Launch price was $107.
Processing Power
The Turion II N550 packs 2 cores / 2 threads, while the Athlon II X3 400e offers 3 cores / 3 threads — the Athlon II X3 400e has 1 more core. Boost clocks reach 2.6 GHz on the Turion II N550 versus 2.2 GHz on the Athlon II X3 400e — a 16.7% clock advantage for the Turion II N550. The Turion II N550 uses the Champlain (2010−2011) architecture (45 nm), while the Athlon II X3 400e uses Rana (2009−2011) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Turion II N550 scores 1,315 against the Athlon II X3 400e's 1,320 — a 0.4% lead for the Athlon II X3 400e.
| Feature | Turion II N550 | Athlon II X3 400e |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 2 / 2 | 3 / 3+50% |
| Boost Clock | 2.6 GHz+18% | 2.2 GHz |
| Base Clock | — | 2.2 GHz |
| L3 Cache | — | 0 kB |
| L2 Cache | 2 MB+300% | 512 kB (per core) |
| Process | 45 nm | 45 nm |
| Architecture | Champlain (2010−2011) | Rana (2009−2011) |
| PassMark | 1,315 | 1,320 |
Memory & Platform
The Turion II N550 uses the S1 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Athlon II X3 400e uses AM3 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Turion II N550 | Athlon II X3 400e |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | S1 | AM3 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 2.0 | PCIe 2.0 |
| Max RAM Speed | — | DDR3-1333 |
| Max RAM Capacity | — | 32 GB |
| RAM Channels | — | 2 |
| ECC Support | — | ❌ |
| PCIe Lanes | — | 0 |
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