Xeon X6550 vs Athlon II X3 455
Xeon X6550
Athlon II X3 455
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 Xeon X6550 is positioned at rank 879 and the Athlon II X3 455 is on rank 750, so the Athlon II X3 455 offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Xeon X6550
Performance Per Dollar Athlon II X3 455
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Xeon X6550 | Athlon II X3 455 |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ✅ Superior gaming performance | ❌ Lower gaming performance |
| Workstation | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks | ✅ Better multi-core power |
| Price | ✅ More affordable ($0) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($15) |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Legacy / 45 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Rana (2009−2011) / 45 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Xeon X6550 | Athlon II X3 455 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ✅ More affordable ($0) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($15) |
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 Xeon X6550 and Athlon II X3 455
Xeon X6550
The Xeon X6550 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 2 GHz, with boost up to 2.4 GHz. L3 cache: 18 MB L3 Cache. Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1567. Thermal design power (TDP): 130 Watt. Passmark benchmark score: 1,936 points. Launch price was $800.
Athlon II X3 455
The Athlon II X3 455 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 7 December 2010 (14 years ago). It is based on the Rana (2009−2011) architecture. It features 3 cores and 3 threads. Base frequency is 3.3 GHz, with boost up to 3.3 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: AM3. Thermal design power (TDP): 95 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,938 points. Launch price was $88.
Processing Power
The Xeon X6550 packs 8 cores / 16 threads, while the Athlon II X3 455 offers 3 cores / 3 threads — the Xeon X6550 has 5 more cores. Boost clocks reach 2.4 GHz on the Xeon X6550 versus 3.3 GHz on the Athlon II X3 455 — a 31.6% clock advantage for the Athlon II X3 455 (base: 2 GHz vs 3.3 GHz). The Athlon II X3 455 is built on the Rana (2009−2011) architecture. In PassMark, the Xeon X6550 scores 1,936 against the Athlon II X3 455's 1,938 — a 0.1% lead for the Athlon II X3 455. L3 cache: 18 MB L3 Cache on the Xeon X6550 vs 0 kB on the Athlon II X3 455.
| Feature | Xeon X6550 | Athlon II X3 455 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 8 / 16+167% | 3 / 3 |
| Boost Clock | 2.4 GHz | 3.3 GHz+38% |
| Base Clock | 2 GHz | 3.3 GHz+65% |
| L3 Cache | 18 MB L3 Cache | 0 kB |
| L2 Cache | — | 512 kB (per core) |
| Process | 45 nm | 45 nm |
| Architecture | — | Rana (2009−2011) |
| PassMark | 1,936 | 1,938 |
Memory & Platform
The Xeon X6550 uses the LGA1567 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Athlon II X3 455 uses AM3 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR3-1333 memory speed. Memory channels: 4 (Xeon X6550) vs 2 (Athlon II X3 455). Chipset compatibility: Nehalem-EX (Xeon X6550) and AMD AM3 (Athlon II X3 455).
| Feature | Xeon X6550 | Athlon II X3 455 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | LGA1567 | AM3 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 5.0+150% | PCIe 2.0 |
| Max RAM Speed | DDR3-1333 | DDR3-1333 |
| Max RAM Capacity | — | 32 GB |
| RAM Channels | 4+100% | 2 |
| ECC Support | ✅ | ❌ |
| PCIe Lanes | — | 0 |
Advanced Features
Virtualization: VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Xeon X6550) / not specified (Athlon II X3 455). Primary use case: Xeon X6550 targets Server. Direct competitor: Xeon X6550 rivals Core i7-980X.
| Feature | Xeon X6550 | Athlon II X3 455 |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | No | No |
| Unlocked | No | — |
| AVX-512 | No | — |
| Virtualization | VT-x, VT-d, EPT | — |
| Target Use | Server | — |
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