Athlon II X2 255

Details and Benchmarks for AMD Athlon II X2 255

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Benchmark Results

Combined benchmark scores based on multiple data points, giving a quick overview of this processor's performance.

Overall Score

Overall score for Athlon II X2 255 based on all benchmark results gathered. Look at this like a meta score, you will find more specific workload ratings below.

4,281 Rank: 1547
Rank Name Score Visual
1543 Pentium E6600 4,288
+0.2%
1544 Core 2 Duo P9700 4,286
+0.1%
1545 Phenom II X2 555 4,284
+0.1%
1546 A10-6700T 4,282
+0%
1547 Athlon II X2 255 4,281
1548 A4-5300B 4,281
+0%
1549 Phenom II X4 830 4,279
+-0%
1550 Core 2 Quad Q9550 4,279
+-0%
1551 Celeron 3955U 4,278
-0.1%
1552 Core i3-2328M 4,277
-0.1%

View full ranking →

Multicore Score

Multicore performance score for Athlon II X2 255 based on multi-threaded benchmark results.

4,324 Rank: 1676
Rank Name Score Visual
1672 Atom Z3740 4,326
+0%
1673 Phenom X4 9550 4,326
+0%
1674 Athlon II X3 435 4,325
+0%
1675 Core 2 Duo E7600 4,325
+0%
1676 Athlon II X2 255 4,324
1677 A8-4500M 4,324
+0%
1678 Celeron N3160 4,324
+0%
1679 Celeron 3865U 4,323
+-0%
1680 Phenom X4 9650 4,323
+-0%
1681 Pentium G2020 4,322
+-0%

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Singlecore Score

Single-core performance score for Athlon II X2 255 based on single-threaded benchmark results.

4,252 Rank: 1530
Rank Name Score Visual
1526 Phenom II N660 4,258
+0.1%
1527 Athlon II X3 450 4,257
+0.1%
1528 A8-5500 4,256
+0.1%
1529 A6-3670 4,253
+0%
1530 Athlon II X2 255 4,252
1531 Core 2 Quad Q8300 4,248
-0.1%
1532 Phenom II X2 555 4,246
-0.1%
1533 Core i3-2370M 4,244
-0.2%
1534 Celeron 3955U 4,243
-0.2%
1535 Intel Core i5-580M 4,242
-0.2%

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Workload Scores

Performance scores grouped by workload type, normalized and aggregated from multiple raw benchmark results.

Number Crunching

Aggregated score for Athlon II X2 255 based on integer math, floating point math, and prime number computation benchmarks.

4,487 Rank: 1626
Rank Name Score Visual
1622 A4-4300M 4,488
+0%
1623 A6-7000 4,488
+0%
1624 Pentium N3700 4,487
+0%
1625 Pentium 997 4,487
+0%
1626 Athlon II X2 255 4,487
1627 Athlon II X2 250 4,487
+0%
1628 Pentium E6300 4,487
+0%
1629 Pentium E5400 4,487
+0%
1630 Celeron 2957U 4,487
+0%
1631 Celeron N3150 4,487
+0%

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Data Processing

Aggregated score for Athlon II X2 255 based on data encryption, data compression, and string sorting benchmarks.

4,471 Rank: 1524
Rank Name Score Visual
1520 Phenom II X2 B57 4,472
+0%
1521 A4-7300 4,472
+0%
1522 Pentium G630 4,471
+0%
1523 Core M-5Y70 4,471
+0%
1524 Athlon II X2 255 4,471
1525 Core i3-3227U 4,471
+0%
1526 Celeron G1820T 4,471
+0%
1527 Celeron G1620T 4,471
+0%
1528 Core i5-430M 4,471
+0%
1529 Pentium E6700 4,470
+-0%

View full ranking →

Physics & Compute

Aggregated score for Athlon II X2 255 based on physics simulation and extended instruction set (SSE/AVX) benchmarks.

4,468 Rank: 1619
Rank Name Score Visual
1615 A4-5000 4,469
+0%
1616 Celeron N2940 4,469
+0%
1617 Celeron B815 4,468
+0%
1618 Celeron 887 4,468
+0%
1619 Athlon II X2 255 4,468
1620 A4-4000 4,468
+0%
1621 Pentium P6200 4,468
+0%
1622 A4-3420 4,468
+0%
1623 Celeron N4000 4,467
+-0%
1624 Athlon II X2 250 4,467
+-0%

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Athlon II X2 255 Details

As of March 2026, the AMD Athlon II X2 255 remains a relic of early 2010s desktop computing, a dual-core processor launched in January 2010 as part of AMD's Athlon II lineup. Despite its age, the processor still finds a niche in legacy systems and low-cost builds due to its affordability and compatibility with LGA775 motherboards. Built on the 45 nm Regor microarchitecture, the Athlon II X2 255 operates at a base frequency of 3.16 GHz with a locked multiplier, limiting its overclocking potential. It features 1 MB of L2 cache per core and supports dual-channel DDR3 memory, with a maximum bandwidth of 25.6 GB/s. The chip is packaged in µPGA and carries a TDP of 65 W, making it a modest power consumer for its time, though it lacks modern power efficiency improvements.

In performance terms, the Athlon II X2 255 scores 4281 in the overall Passmark benchmark, ranking #1547 out of 2060 processors in the dataset. Its single-core performance is rated at 4252, placing it at #1530, while its multicore score of 4324 lands it at #1676. These results indicate that the processor holds its own against some early 2010s dual-core CPUs, such as the Core 2 Duo P9700 and the Phenom II X2 555, but it trails behind more powerful contemporaries like the A6-3670 and A8-5500. The multicore performance is particularly strong relative to its single-core score, suggesting better scaling in multi-threaded workloads, though this is limited by the lack of modern instruction sets and architectural improvements.

The Athlon II X2 255 does not include integrated graphics, but certain motherboards with compatible chipsets—such as those featuring Intel GMA 5300—can provide basic graphics capabilities. This makes it suitable for entry-level systems where a discrete GPU is not required. The processor supports a range of AMD-specific extensions, including MMX, SSE, SSE2, SSE3, SSE4.1, SSE4.2, AVX2, and AES, as well as virtualization technologies like AMD-V. However, it lacks support for newer features such as FMA4 or Secure Memory Encryption, which are standard in modern processors.

When compared to today’s top-tier CPUs, the Athlon II X2 255 is far from competitive. Among the top 50 processors in overall performance, the Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9995WX leads with a score of 9492, highlighting the massive generational leap in computing power. Even in the single-core category, the Core Ultra 9 285K achieves a score of 8776, more than double the Athlon II X2 255's score. This underscores the processor's obsolescence in modern workloads, particularly in content creation, gaming, or virtualization.

Despite its limitations, the Athlon II X2 255 remains a viable option for basic computing tasks, such as web browsing, office applications, and media playback, especially in systems where cost and compatibility are more important than raw performance. Its low price point and widespread availability make it a practical choice for retro builds or secondary machines. For users seeking modern performance, however, the Athlon II X2 255 serves as a reminder of how far processor technology has come in just over a decade.
Frequently Compared

AMD Ryzen 5 3500X 4 views

AMD Ryzen 9 3900X 3 views

AMD Athlon II X2 260 3 views

AMD Phenom 9750 3 views

AMD A10-4600M 3 views

Intel Core 2 Duo E8600 3 views

AMD Ryzen Threadripper 1950X 2 views

AMD Phenom 9650 2 views

AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 3900 2 views

AMD Phenom II X2 560 2 views

AMD Athlon II X2 255

Main Specifications

Designer: AMD
Name: Athlon II X2 255
Model Number: E8500
Cores: 2
Threads: 4
Base Frequency: 3160 MHz
Clock Multiplier: 15.5xx (locked)
Core Name: Regor
Socket: LGA775
Package: µPGA
Target Segment: Desktop
Max CPUs: 1
TDP: 65 W

Cache Specifications

Memory Specifications

Supported Memory Type: LPDDR3 1333/1600; DDR3L/DDR3L-RS 1600
Memory Channels: 2
Maximum Memory: 0 GB
Maximum Bandwidth: 25.6 GB/s
ECC Support: No

PCI-Express Specifications

PCIe Revision: 2.0
PCIe Lanes: 12
PCIe Configuration: x1 (6), x2 (4), x4 (3)

Integrated Graphics

GPU: HD Graphics 5300
GPU Designer: Intel
GPU Max Frequency: 900 MHz

Physical Specifications

Process: 45 nm
Die Area: 117 mm²
Transistor Count: 0.00 billion
Word Size: 64-bit

CPU Features

MMX SSE SSE2 SSE3 SSE4.1 SSE4.2 AVX2 AES x86-64 HT EIST TXT vPro VT-x VT-d EPT Secure Key SMEP SIPP IPT SSE4a AMD-V TSX Flex Memory FMA 3DNow!
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