Intel Pentium E6500 vs AMD Phenom II X2 550 BE

Comparative analysis of Intel Pentium E6500 and AMD Phenom II X2 550 BE processors for all known characteristics in the following categories: Essentials, Performance, Memory, Compatibility, Security & Reliability, Advanced Technologies, Virtualization. Benchmark processor performance analysis: PassMark - Single thread mark, PassMark - CPU mark, Geekbench 4 - Single Core, Geekbench 4 - Multi-Core, CompuBench 1.5 Desktop - Face Detection (mPixels/s), CompuBench 1.5 Desktop - Ocean Surface Simulation (Frames/s), CompuBench 1.5 Desktop - T-Rex (Frames/s), CompuBench 1.5 Desktop - Video Composition (Frames/s), CompuBench 1.5 Desktop - Bitcoin Mining (mHash/s).

Intel Pentium E6500

AMD Phenom II X2 550 BE

Differences

Reasons to consider the Intel Pentium E6500

CPU is newer: launch date 2 month(s) later
2x more L2 cache, more data can be stored in the L2 cache for quick access later
Around 23% lower typical power consumption: 65 Watt vs 80 Watt

Launch date	August 2009 vs June 2009
L2 cache	2048 KB (shared) vs 512 KB (per core)
Thermal Design Power (TDP)	65 Watt vs 80 Watt

Reasons to consider the AMD Phenom II X2 550 BE

Processor is unlocked, an unlocked multiplier allows for easier overclocking
Around 6% higher clock speed: 3.1 GHz vs 2.93 GHz
2x more L1 cache, more data can be stored in the L1 cache for quick access later
Around 6% better performance in Geekbench 4 - Single Core: 377 vs 355
Around 10% better performance in Geekbench 4 - Multi-Core: 687 vs 625

Specifications (specs)
Unlocked	Unlocked vs Locked
Maximum frequency	3.1 GHz vs 2.93 GHz
L1 cache	128 KB (per core) vs 64 KB (per core)
Benchmarks
Geekbench 4 - Single Core	377 vs 355
Geekbench 4 - Multi-Core	687 vs 625

Compare benchmarks

CPU 1: Intel Pentium E6500
CPU 2: AMD Phenom II X2 550 BE

Geekbench 4 - Single Core

CPU 1

CPU 2

355

377

Geekbench 4 - Multi-Core

CPU 1

CPU 2

625

687

Name	Intel Pentium E6500	AMD Phenom II X2 550 BE
PassMark - Single thread mark	1244
PassMark - CPU mark	1172
Geekbench 4 - Single Core	355	377
Geekbench 4 - Multi-Core	625	687
CompuBench 1.5 Desktop - Face Detection (mPixels/s)	0.322
CompuBench 1.5 Desktop - Ocean Surface Simulation (Frames/s)	13.914
CompuBench 1.5 Desktop - T-Rex (Frames/s)	0.097
CompuBench 1.5 Desktop - Video Composition (Frames/s)	0.533
CompuBench 1.5 Desktop - Bitcoin Mining (mHash/s)	2.296

Compare specifications (specs)

	Intel Pentium E6500	AMD Phenom II X2 550 BE
Essentials
Architecture codename	Wolfdale	Callisto
Launch date	August 2009	June 2009
Launch price (MSRP)	$50
Place in performance rating	3092	3100
Price now	$157.95
Processor Number	E6500
Series	Legacy Intel® Pentium® Processor
Status	Discontinued
Value for money (0-100)	3.28
Vertical segment	Desktop	Desktop
Performance
64 bit support
Base frequency	2.93 GHz
Bus Speed	1066 MHz FSB
Die size	82 mm2	258 mm
L1 cache	64 KB (per core)	128 KB (per core)
L2 cache	2048 KB (shared)	512 KB (per core)
Manufacturing process technology	45 nm	45 nm
Maximum core temperature	74.1°C
Maximum frequency	2.93 GHz	3.1 GHz
Number of cores	2	2
Transistor count	228 million	758 million
VID voltage range	0.8500V – 1.3625V
L3 cache		6144 KB (shared)
Unlocked
Memory
Supported memory types	DDR1, DDR2, DDR3	DDR3
Compatibility
Low Halogen Options Available
Max number of CPUs in a configuration	1	1
Sockets supported	LGA775	AM3
Thermal Design Power (TDP)	65 Watt	80 Watt
Security & Reliability
Execute Disable Bit (EDB)
Intel® Trusted Execution technology (TXT)
Advanced Technologies
Enhanced Intel SpeedStep® technology
Idle States
Intel 64
Intel® AES New Instructions
Intel® Demand Based Switching
Intel® Hyper-Threading technology
Intel® Turbo Boost technology
Thermal Monitoring
Virtualization
Intel® Virtualization Technology (VT-x)
Intel® Virtualization Technology for Directed I/O (VT-d)