For the most part the Phenom II X2 550 proved to be faster than the Core 2 Duo E7400, which costs 20% more at $120 US. Although the Phenom II X2 550 did show one or two weaknesses, it was the gaming performance that impressed us the most. Not only was this new AMD processor faster than the E7400 in all three tested games, it was also comparable to the Phenom II X4 910.