Phenom II X2 N640 vs i3-550

Aggregate performance score

Core i3-550
2010
2 cores / 4 threads, 73 Watt
1.05
+11.7%

Core i3-550 outperforms Phenom II X2 N640 by a moderate 12% based on our aggregate benchmark results.

Primary details

Comparing Core i3-550 and Phenom II X2 N640 processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.

Place in the ranking24432523
Place by popularitynot in top-100not in top-100
Cost-effectiveness evaluation0.07no data
Market segmentDesktop processorLaptop
Seriesno data2x AMD Phenom II
Power efficiency1.312.45
Architecture codenameClarkdale (2010−2011)Champlain (2010−2011)
Release date30 May 2010 (14 years ago)1 October 2010 (14 years ago)
Launch price (MSRP)$101no data

Cost-effectiveness evaluation

Performance per price, higher is better.

no data

Detailed specifications

Core i3-550 and Phenom II X2 N640 basic parameters such as number of cores, number of threads, base frequency and turbo boost clock, lithography, cache size and multiplier lock state. These parameters indirectly say of CPU speed, though for more precise assessment you have to consider their test results.

Physical cores2 (Dual-core)2 (Dual-core)
Threads42
Base clock speed3.2 GHzno data
Boost clock speed3.2 GHz2.9 GHz
Bus rate2.5 GT/s3600 MHz
L1 cache64 KB (per core)256 KB
L2 cache256 KB (per core)2 MB
L3 cache4 MB (shared)no data
Chip lithography32 nm45 nm
Die size81 mm2no data
Maximum core temperature73 °Cno data
Number of transistors382 millionno data
64 bit support++
Windows 11 compatibility--

Compatibility

Information on Core i3-550 and Phenom II X2 N640 compatibility with other computer components: motherboard (look for socket type), power supply unit (look for power consumption) etc. Useful when planning a future computer configuration or upgrading an existing one. Note that power consumption of some processors can well exceed their nominal TDP, even without overclocking. Some can even double their declared thermals given that the motherboard allows to tune the CPU power parameters.

Number of CPUs in a configuration1no data
SocketFCLGA1156S1
Power consumption (TDP)73 Watt35 Watt

Technologies and extensions

Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Core i3-550 and Phenom II X2 N640. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.

Instruction set extensionsIntel® SSE4.2HyperTransport 3.0, SSE4A, AMD64, Enhanced Virus Protection, Vurtualization
VirusProtect-+
Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST)+no data
Turbo Boost Technology-no data
Hyper-Threading Technology+no data
Idle States+no data
Demand Based Switching-no data
PAE36 Bitno data
FDI+no data

Security technologies

Core i3-550 and Phenom II X2 N640 technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.

TXT-no data
EDB+no data

Virtualization technologies

Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Core i3-550 and Phenom II X2 N640 are enumerated here.

VT-x+no data
EPT+no data

Memory specs

Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Core i3-550 and Phenom II X2 N640. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.

Supported memory typesDDR3DDR3
Maximum memory size16.38 GBno data
Max memory channels2no data
Maximum memory bandwidth21 GB/sno data

Graphics specifications

General parameters of integrated GPUs, if any.

Integrated graphics cardIntel® HD Graphics for Previous Generation Intel® Processorsno data
Clear Video HD+no data

Graphics interfaces

Available interfaces and connections of Core i3-550 and Phenom II X2 N640 integrated GPUs.

Number of displays supported2no data

Peripherals

Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Core i3-550 and Phenom II X2 N640.

PCIe version2.0no data
PCI Express lanes16no data

Synthetic benchmark performance

Various benchmark results of the processors in comparison. Overall score is measured in points in 0-100 range, higher is better.


Combined synthetic benchmark score

This is our combined benchmark performance rating. We are regularly improving our combining algorithms, but if you find some perceived inconsistencies, feel free to speak up in comments section, we usually fix problems quickly.

i3-550 1.05
+11.7%
Phenom II X2 N640 0.94

GeekBench 5 Single-Core

GeekBench 5 Single-Core is a cross-platform application developed in the form of CPU tests that independently recreate certain real-world tasks with which to accurately measure performance. This version uses only a single CPU core.

i3-550 428
+25.1%
Phenom II X2 N640 342

GeekBench 5 Multi-Core

GeekBench 5 Multi-Core is a cross-platform application developed in the form of CPU tests that independently recreate certain real-world tasks with which to accurately measure performance. This version uses all available CPU cores.

i3-550 872
+40%
Phenom II X2 N640 623

Gaming performance

Pros & cons summary


Performance score 1.05 0.94
Recency 30 May 2010 1 October 2010
Threads 4 2
Chip lithography 32 nm 45 nm
Power consumption (TDP) 73 Watt 35 Watt

i3-550 has a 11.7% higher aggregate performance score, 100% more threads, and a 40.6% more advanced lithography process.

Phenom II X2 N640, on the other hand, has an age advantage of 4 months, and 108.6% lower power consumption.

The Core i3-550 is our recommended choice as it beats the Phenom II X2 N640 in performance tests.

Note that Core i3-550 is a desktop processor while Phenom II X2 N640 is a notebook one.


Should you still have questions on choice between Core i3-550 and Phenom II X2 N640, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.

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Intel Core i3-550
Core i3-550
AMD Phenom II X2 N640
Phenom II X2 N640

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Community ratings

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Questions & comments

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