AMD Athlon 64 FX-55

The AMD Athlon 64 FX-55 is a desktop processor from AMD, built on the K8 architecture with the San Diego codename. It uses the AMD Socket 939 interface and carries the part number ADAFX55DAA5BN. The release date is 2004-10-09, and the production status is end-of-life. The processor has one core and one thread, with a base clock of 2.60 GHz and no boost clock listed. Cache is organized as 128 KB of L1 and 1 MB of L2, with no L3 or v-cache listed. The 90 nm process packs 114 million transistors on a 115 mm² die. Memory support is dual-channel DDR1 with a memory bandwidth of 6400 MB/s, and ECC memory is not supported. TDP is 104 W. The launch MSRP was $827. In the database, the average benchmark score is 0, and the percentile versus all CPUs is 50.

Who Should Consider It

Workload selection begins with the core and thread topology. The Athlon 64 FX-55 has exactly one core and one thread, so the data points to single-threaded tasks as the natural fit. Any software that can keep a single thread busy at 2.60 GHz will use the full frequency this part offers. There is no boost clock in the record, so the 2.60 GHz base clock is also the ceiling. Multi-threaded software cannot be accelerated by additional cores, because only one thread is available.

Desktop productivity is the plausible environment for such a single-core part. The platform provides dual-channel DDR1 memory with a 6400 MB/s memory bandwidth, which feeds the one execution core. The 128 KB L1 cache and 1 MB L2 cache are the closest storage levels to the core, and they are the only cache levels listed; no L3 or v-cache is present. This cache and memory configuration defines the data path for a workload that does not parallelize across cores.

Gaming is harder to characterize from this record. No benchmark scores are stored for this processor, so there is no frame-rate or game-specific comparison to cite. The only comparison field is the 50th percentile versus all CPUs, which places the part in the middle of the database's CPU distribution. Integrated graphics are listed as "On certain motherboards (Chipset feature)", so display output for a gaming or desktop build would depend on the motherboard chipset rather than on a graphics block inside the CPU.

Creation and rendering workloads that use multiple threads are not a natural match. A one-core, one-thread processor cannot distribute rendering tasks across parallel processing units. The physical parts of the record — 90 nm process, 114 million transistors, 115 mm² die — describe construction, not parallel throughput. The processor also has a 104 W TDP, which is a power envelope rather than a performance class. End-of-life production status further narrows the audience to users maintaining a legacy Socket 939 desktop rather than assembling a current multi-core workstation.

Power and Thermals

The TDP of the Athlon 64 FX-55 is 104 W. This is the thermal design limit in the record, and it determines the class of cooler required. The data does not specify a cooler size or fan type, so the practical requirement is a cooling solution capable of handling a 104 W desktop part.

The physical design context is a 90 nm process, 114 million transistors, and a 115 mm² die. These are the manufacturing figures associated with the 104 W TDP. The die size and transistor count are part of the electrical and thermal picture; the process node is the manufacturing generation. Together with the fixed 2.60 GHz base clock and absent boost clock, the TDP represents the sustained power envelope for the processor.

Memory support affects the platform power and thermal situation as well. The memory interface is dual-channel DDR1 with a memory bandwidth of 6400 MB/s. ECC memory is not supported, so the memory controller is not required to process ECC data. The integrated graphics are not in the processor core; they are a chipset feature on certain motherboards, which means any display-related power draw is external to the CPU package.

Because the production status is end-of-life, cooling and thermal support are matters of existing Socket 939 boards and compatible parts. No boost clock means there is no secondary high-frequency state in the data to create a transient thermal spike above the 104 W TDP. The 104 W figure is the number to use when selecting a thermal solution for this processor.

Benchmark Performance

The benchmark section of this processor's record is empty. There are no per-application benchmark scores, and the nearestRivals array is empty. As a result, there are no deltaPct values and no named competing processors to compare against. The data cannot support a statement such as "X percent faster than product Y," because no such percentages exist in the record.

The aggregate benchmark field, avgBenchmarkScore, is 0. That zero is consistent with the empty benchmark list; it does not represent a measured performance result. The only comparative ranking in the record is the percentile versus all CPUs, which is 50. A 50th percentile rank places the processor at the median of the historical all-CPU distribution captured by the database.

This median position is the strongest comparative statement available from the data. It says the Athlon 64 FX-55 is neither a standout nor a bottom-tier entry in the database's overall CPU set. Without nearest-rival scores, the record cannot show whether it was ahead of or behind specific processors. The core and cache figures in the record give context: one core, one thread, 2.60 GHz base clock, 128 KB L1, 1 MB L2, and dual-channel DDR1 memory with 6400 MB/s bandwidth.

The absence of a boost clock means the performance envelope is fixed at the 2.60 GHz base clock. The memory bandwidth of 6400 MB/s bounds data movement between memory and the core. The 1 MB L2 cache size is the second-level cache capacity available after the 128 KB L1. These are the components that would feed any workload, but the actual benchmark measurements are not present in this record.

FAQ

Q: What socket does the AMD Athlon 64 FX-55 use?

A: It uses AMD Socket 939.

Q: How many cores and threads does it have?

A: It has one core and one thread, with a base clock of 2.60 GHz and no boost clock.

Q: What memory does it support?

A: It supports dual-channel DDR1 memory with a memory bandwidth of 6400 MB/s. ECC memory is not supported.

Q: Does the processor have integrated graphics?

A: The record lists integrated graphics as "On certain motherboards (Chipset feature)", so graphics output depends on the motherboard chipset rather than a graphics block in the processor.

Q: Is the multiplier unlocked?

A: No. The multiplierUnlocked field is false, so the multiplier is not unlocked.

Q: What is the cache layout?

A: The processor has 128 KB of L1 cache and 1 MB of L2 cache; no L3 or v-cache is listed.

Platform and Compatibility

The Athlon 64 FX-55 is physically designed for AMD Socket 939. This socket is the platform interface in the record, and it defines which motherboards can accept the processor. The market segment is Desktop, and the production status is end-of-life, so this is a legacy desktop platform rather than an active product line.

The memory subsystem is dual-channel DDR1 with a peak memory bandwidth of 6400 MB/s. ECC memory is false, so the platform's memory modules would be non-ECC DDR1. The dual-channel designation is explicitly recorded, and the 6400 MB/s bandwidth is the only memory rate figure in the data. Display output is tied to the motherboard; the integrated graphics field says "On certain motherboards (Chipset feature)", meaning the chipset on a compatible Socket 939 board can provide graphics. The processor die itself is not the source of integrated graphics.

The record also contains no PCIe field, so no PCIe revision or lane count can be reported from this data. The physical package data is part of compatibility context as well: the 90 nm process, 114 million transistors, and 115 mm² die are manufacturing characteristics. The architecture is K8, the codename is San Diego, and the part number is ADAFX55DAA5BN. The release date is 2004-10-09, and the 1-core/1-thread layout and end-of-life production status are the structural and lifecycle data points for compatibility.

The multiplier is not unlocked, so multiplier-based frequency adjustment is not supported according to the record. The base clock is 2.60 GHz, and no boost clock is listed. For a user with a Socket 939 motherboard, the DDR1 memory controller, chipset graphics path, and end-of-life processor status are the limiting compatibility factors.