CPU·Budget
Pentium 3550M
Intel
PassMark
1,327
1 September 2013 (12 years ago)
37 Watt
Haswell (2013−2015)
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.
Overview
The Pentium 3550M is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 September 2013 (12 years ago). It is based on the Haswell (2013−2015) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 2.3 GHz, with boost up to 2.3 GHz. L3 cache: 2 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: PGA946. Thermal design power (TDP): 37 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,327 points. Launch price was $134.
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.
MSRP is the manufacturer's suggested retail price.•
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.
FPS Benchmarks
Predicted performance for Pentium 3550M across popular games. Tested paired with RTX 4090 to isolate CPU performance.
Apex Legends
1080p
low33 FPS
medium33 FPS
high33 FPS
ultra33 FPS
1440p
low33 FPS
medium33 FPS
high33 FPS
ultra33 FPS
4k
low33 FPS
medium33 FPS
high33 FPS
ultra33 FPS
ARC Raiders
1080p
low33 FPS
medium33 FPS
high33 FPS
ultra33 FPS
1440p
low33 FPS
medium33 FPS
high33 FPS
ultra33 FPS
4k
low33 FPS
medium33 FPS
high33 FPS
ultra33 FPS
Counter-Strike 2
1080p
low33 FPS
medium33 FPS
high33 FPS
ultra33 FPS
1440p
low33 FPS
medium33 FPS
high33 FPS
ultra33 FPS
4k
low33 FPS
medium33 FPS
high33 FPS
ultra31 FPS
League of Legends
1080p
low33 FPS
medium33 FPS
high33 FPS
ultra33 FPS
1440p
low33 FPS
medium33 FPS
high33 FPS
ultra33 FPS
4k
low33 FPS
medium33 FPS
high33 FPS
ultra33 FPS
Monster Hunter Wilds
1080p
low33 FPS
medium33 FPS
high33 FPS
ultra29 FPS
1440p
low33 FPS
medium29 FPS
high26 FPS
ultra20 FPS
4k
low15 FPS
medium13 FPS
high10 FPS
ultra8 FPS
Overwatch 2
1080p
low33 FPS
medium33 FPS
high33 FPS
ultra33 FPS
1440p
low33 FPS
medium33 FPS
high33 FPS
ultra33 FPS
4k
low33 FPS
medium33 FPS
high33 FPS
ultra33 FPS
Path of Exile 2
1080p
low33 FPS
medium33 FPS
high33 FPS
ultra33 FPS
1440p
low33 FPS
medium33 FPS
high33 FPS
ultra33 FPS
4k
low33 FPS
medium33 FPS
high33 FPS
ultra33 FPS
Phasmophobia
1080p
low33 FPS
medium33 FPS
high33 FPS
ultra33 FPS
1440p
low33 FPS
medium33 FPS
high33 FPS
ultra33 FPS
4k
low33 FPS
medium33 FPS
high33 FPS
ultra27 FPS
Project Zomboid
1080p
low33 FPS
medium33 FPS
high33 FPS
ultra33 FPS
1440p
low33 FPS
medium33 FPS
high33 FPS
ultra33 FPS
4k
low33 FPS
medium33 FPS
high33 FPS
ultra33 FPS
Red Dead Redemption 2
1080p
low33 FPS
medium33 FPS
high33 FPS
ultra23 FPS
1440p
low33 FPS
medium33 FPS
high27 FPS
ultra19 FPS
4k
low23 FPS
medium16 FPS
high13 FPS
ultra10 FPS
Technical Analysis
Detailed breakdown of Pentium 3550M specifications and capabilities.
⚡
Processing Power
The Pentium 3550M is a 2-core / 2-thread processor based on the Haswell (2013−2015) architecture, manufactured on a 22 nm process node. It reaches a maximum boost clock of 2.3 GHz from a base frequency of 2.3 GHz— higher boost clocks directly translate to better single-threaded performance and responsiveness in gaming. It carries 2 MB (total) of L3 cache, plus 256K (per core) of L2 cache and 64K (per core) of L1 cache per core. In the PassMark benchmark (a comprehensive multi-threaded test), it scores 1,327, placing it in the Entry Level performance tier as a Legacy generation product.
| Specification | Pentium 3550M |
|---|---|
| Cores / ThreadsPhysical/logical processing units | 2C / 2T |
| Max Boost ClockPeak single-core speed under boost | 2.3 GHz |
| Base ClockGuaranteed minimum operating frequency | 2.3 GHz |
| ArchitectureCPU microarchitecture design | Haswell (2013−2015) |
| Process NodeFabrication technology — smaller = more efficient | 22 nm |
| L3 CacheShared cache — reduces memory latency for all cores | 2 MB (total) |
| L2 CachePer-core fast cache for frequently accessed data | 256K (per core) |
| L1 CacheUltra-fast per-core cache | 64K (per core) |
| Die SizePhysical silicon area of the processor | 118 mm2 |
| Transistor CountMore transistors = more capabilities | 1,400 million |
| Bus SpeedData bus frequency | 5 GT/s |
| Max TemperatureMaximum safe operating temperature (Tjmax) | 100 °C |
| 64-bit Support | Yes |
| Windows 11 Compatible | No |
| PassMark ScoreOverall multi-threaded benchmark score | 1,327 |
🧠
Memory & Platform
The Pentium 3550M fits into the PGA946 socket and supports PCIe 3.0. It supports DDR3 memory.
| Specification | Pentium 3550M |
|---|---|
| TypeDesktop or Laptop processor | Laptop |
| SeriesProduct family | Intel Pentium |
| SocketMotherboard socket required | PGA946 |
| PCIe GenerationPeripheral interconnect speed — affects GPU and SSD bandwidth | PCIe 3.0 |
| RAM TypeSupported memory standard | DDR3 |
| Max CPUs in ConfigMulti-socket support for servers | 1 |
🌡️
Power & Cooling
The Pentium 3550M has a rated TDP (Thermal Design Power) of 37 Watt — this indicates the amount of heat generated under sustained load and determines what cooling solution is needed.
| Specification | Pentium 3550M |
|---|---|
| TDPThermal Design Power — heat output under sustained workload | 37 Watt |
| Max TemperatureMaximum safe junction temperature (Tjmax) | 100 °C |
💰
Value Analysis
Performance ranking position: #2878 out of all indexed processors.
| Specification | Pentium 3550M |
|---|---|
| Launch PriceOriginal retail price at launch | $134 |
| Performance RankPosition in overall performance ranking | #2878 |
| Release DateLaunch date | 1 September 2013 (12 years ago) |
| Release Year | 2013 |
| DesignerArchitecture designer (e.g. Intel, AMD) | Intel |
| ManufacturerFabrication foundry (e.g. TSMC) | Intel |
Specifications Reference
Raw spec sheet for quick lookup. The analysis cards above explain what these fields mean in practice.
4 categories
General Information
8 specs
General Information
8 specs
| Type | Laptop |
| Series | Intel Pentium |
| Designer | Intel |
| Launch Price | $134 |
| Manufacturer | Intel |
| Release Date | 1 September 2013 (12 years ago) |
| Architecture Codename | Haswell (2013−2015) |
| Performance Ranking Position | 2878 |
Technical Specifications
15 specs
Technical Specifications
15 specs
| Cores | 2 |
| Threads | 2 |
| Die Size | 118 mm2 |
| L1 Cache | 64K (per core) |
| L2 Cache | 256K (per core) |
| L3 Cache | 2 MB (total) |
| Bus Speed | 5 GT/s |
| Max Frequency | 2.3 GHz |
| 64-Bit Support | + |
| Base Frequency | 2.3 GHz |
| Transistor Count | 1,400 million |
| Process Technology | 22 nm |
| Max Core Temperature | 100 °C |
| Windows 11 Compatible | - |
| Max Case Temperature (TCase) | 105 °C |
Compatibility
4 specs
Compatibility
4 specs
| Socket | PGA946 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 3.0 |
| Power Consumption (TDP) | 37 Watt |
| Max Processors In Config | 1 |
Memory
4 specs
Memory
4 specs
| RAM Types | DDR3 |
| Memory Channels | 2 |
| Memory Bandwidth | 25.6 GB/s |
| Max Memory Capacity | 32 GB |
Similar Performance
Processors with benchmark scores closest to the current hardware, grouped by manufacturer.
Intel (12)
Core i7-720QMPassmark: 1,658
4 Cores8 ThrdMax: 2.8 GHz2009
Core i3-3110MPassmark: 1,656
2 Cores4 ThrdMax: 2.4 GHz2012
Core i3-4030YPassmark: 1,654
2 Cores4 ThrdMax: 1.6 GHz2014
Core i3-4005UPassmark: 1,652
2 Cores4 ThrdMax: 1.7 GHz2013
Core i5-4220YPassmark: 1,652
2 Cores4 ThrdMax: 2 GHz2014
Pentium G3220TPassmark: 1,649
2 Cores2 ThrdMax: 2.6 GHz2013
Core i3-2357MPassmark: 1,645
2 Cores4 ThrdMax: 1.3 GHz2011
Core M-5Y10Passmark: 1,644
2 Cores4 ThrdMax: 2 GHz2014
Core i3-560Passmark: 1,642
2 Cores4 ThrdMax: 0.33 GHz2010
Pentium G2010Passmark: 1,641
2 Cores2 ThrdMax: 2.8 GHz2013
Pentium 967Passmark: 1,640
2 Cores2 ThrdMax: 1.3 GHz2011
Core i3-550Passmark: 1,632
2 Cores4 ThrdMax: 3.2 GHz2010
AMD (12)
Phenom X4 9350ePassmark: 1,659
4 Cores4 ThrdMax: 2 GHz2008
Athlon 64 FX-74Passmark: 1,658
2 Cores2 ThrdMax: 3 GHz2006
A10-4655MPassmark: 1,654
4 Cores4 ThrdMax: 2.8 GHz2012
A8-7100Passmark: 1,647
4 Cores4 ThrdMax: 3 GHz2014
Phenom II X4 N970Passmark: 1,647
4 Cores4 ThrdMax: 2.2 GHz2010
Athlon II X3 435Passmark: 1,645
3 Cores3 ThrdMax: 2.9 GHz2009
A6 PRO-7400BPassmark: 1,640
2 Cores2 ThrdMax: 3.9 GHz2014
A8-3510MXPassmark: 1,631
4 Cores4 ThrdMax: 2.5 GHz2011
Athlon X2 QL-65Passmark: 1,630
2 Cores2 ThrdMax: 2.1 GHz2009
A8-5545MPassmark: 1,628
4 Cores4 ThrdMax: 2.7 GHz2013
Turion X2 RM-72Passmark: 1,627
2 Cores2 ThrdMax: 2.1 GHz2009
Turion 64 X2 TL-60Passmark: 1,619
2 Cores2 ThrdMax: 2 GHz2007
Our Recommendation for Pentium 3550M
Suggested pairings based on performance balance
Minimum (Avoid Bottleneck) (12)
Quadro T1000 Max-QG3D Mark: 5,000
4 GBCore: 765 MHz2019
Radeon R9 M295X Mac EditionG3D Mark: 5,000
2 GBCore: 850 MHz2014
QuadroG3D Mark: 5,000
2 GBCore: 135 MHz1999
Radeon HD 7970M CrossfireG3D Mark: 5,000
2 GBCore: 850 MHz2012
Quadro T1000 (móvel)G3D Mark: 5,000
4 GBCore: 1395 MHz2019
M1 8-Core GPUG3D Mark: 5,000
2 GBCore: 1278 MHz2020
GeForce GTX 460 OEMG3D Mark: 5,000
2 GBCore: 650 MHz2010
GeForce GTX 1630G3D Mark: 4,992
4 GBCore: 1740 MHz2022
Radeon R9 M395G3D Mark: 4,934
2 GBCore: 834 MHz2015
RTXA5000-8QG3D Mark: 4,916
2 GBCore: 1170 MHz2021
FirePro S9050G3D Mark: 4,901
4 GBCore: 900 MHz2014
CMP 30HXG3D Mark: 4,892
2 GBCore: 1530 MHz2021
Recommended (Balanced) (12)
GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q DesignG3D Mark: 9,842
8 GBCore: 1215 MHz2017
GeForce GTX 1060 3GBG3D Mark: 9,815
3 GBCore: 1506 MHz2016
Arc A730MG3D Mark: 9,808
12 GBCore: 1100 MHz2022
Radeon 8040SG3D Mark: 9,756
4 GBCore: 1295 MHz2025
Radeon R9 Fury + Fury XG3D Mark: 9,741
4 GB2015
Radeon RX 6550MG3D Mark: 9,705
4 GBCore: 2000 MHz2023
GeForce RTX 2060 with Max-Q DesignG3D Mark: 9,674
6 GBCore: 975 MHz2020
GeForce GTX 970G3D Mark: 9,640
4 GBCore: 1050 MHz2014
Radeon RX 6500 XTG3D Mark: 9,603
4 GBCore: 2610 MHz2022
GRID P40-2QG3D Mark: 9,581
4 GBCore: 557 MHz2015
Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5600GTG3D Mark: 9,558
Shared System RAM2020
Radeon R9 FuryG3D Mark: 9,521
4 GB2015
High-End (Max Performance) (12)
Radeon Pro W6800XG3D Mark: 18,000
32 GBCore: 1800 MHz2021
Radeon 8060SG3D Mark: 17,989
noneCore: 1295 MHz2025
Quadro RTX 6000G3D Mark: 17,887
24 GBCore: 1440 MHz2018
GeForce GTX 1070 SLIG3D Mark: 17,790
8 GBCore: 1506 MHz2016
GeForce GTX 1070 SLI (móvel)G3D Mark: 17,790
8 GBCore: 1443 MHz2016
GeForce RTX 3070 Ti Laptop GPUG3D Mark: 17,621
8 GBCore: 1575 MHz2021
GeForce RTX 3070 Ti MobileG3D Mark: 17,621
8 GBCore: 915 MHz2022
Radeon Pro W5700XG3D Mark: 17,591
16 GBCore: 1243 MHz2019
Radeon Pro W6900XG3D Mark: 17,413
32 GBCore: 1825 MHz2021
GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPUG3D Mark: 17,400
8 GBCore: 2310 MHz2023
GeForce RTX 5060 Laptop GPUG3D Mark: 17,374
8 GBCore: 2407 MHz2025
Radeon RX 6850M XTG3D Mark: 17,350
12 GBCore: 2321 MHz2022
Popular Comparisons
Compare Pentium 3550M with other popular CPUs
VS
Ryzen 5 3600
VS
Ryzen 5 5600X
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Core i5-12400F
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Ryzen 7 5800X
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Ryzen 7 5700X
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Core i7-9700K
VS
Ryzen 7 3700X
VS
Core i5-10400F
VS
Ryzen 5 5600
VS
Ryzen 9 5900X
VS
Core i5-13400F
VS
Ryzen 7 7800X3D
Compare Pentium 3550M
See how this CPU stacks up against similar alternatives
Better Alternatives (8)
2 Cores2 ThrdMax: 2.3 GHz2013
VS
4 Cores4 ThrdMax: 1.5 GHz2014
2 Cores2 ThrdMax: 2.3 GHz2013
VS
2 Cores2 ThrdMax: 3.9 GHz2013
2 Cores2 ThrdMax: 2.3 GHz2013
VS
2 Cores2 ThrdMax: 2.4 GHz2008
2 Cores2 ThrdMax: 2.3 GHz2013
VS
3 Cores3 ThrdMax: 2.3 GHz2009
2 Cores2 ThrdMax: 2.3 GHz2013
VS
2 Cores2 ThrdMax: 2.58 GHz2014
2 Cores2 ThrdMax: 2.3 GHz2013
VS
2 Cores2 ThrdMax: 1.6 GHz2009
2 Cores2 ThrdMax: 2.3 GHz2013
VS
2 Cores2 ThrdMax: 3.4 GHz2011
2 Cores2 ThrdMax: 2.3 GHz2013
VS
2 Cores2 ThrdMax: 3.6 GHz2012
Similar or Lower Performance (8)
2 Cores2 ThrdMax: 2.3 GHz2013
VS
2007
2 Cores2 ThrdMax: 2.3 GHz2013
VS
4 Cores4 ThrdMax: 2.4 GHz2015
2 Cores2 ThrdMax: 2.3 GHz2013
VS
2 Cores2 ThrdMax: 3.3 GHz2010
2 Cores2 ThrdMax: 2.3 GHz2013
VS
2 Cores2 ThrdMax: 1.6 GHz2006
2 Cores2 ThrdMax: 2.3 GHz2013
VS
1 Cores1 ThrdMax: 1.3 GHz2009
2 Cores2 ThrdMax: 2.3 GHz2013
VS
2 Cores4 ThrdMax: 2.8 GHz2010
2 Cores2 ThrdMax: 2.3 GHz2013
VS
2 Cores4 ThrdMax: 2.4 GHz2019
2 Cores2 ThrdMax: 2.3 GHz2013
VS
3 Cores3 ThrdMax: 2.2 GHz2009
