Athlon 64 FX-72 vs Athlon II X4 600e

Athlon 64 FX-72 vs Athlon II X4 600e Performance Spectrum

Athlon 64 FX-72

2 / 2

1,794

0.0%

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7955WX

Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

Athlon II X4 600e

4 / 4

1,795

+0.1%

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7955WX

Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

About PassMark

PassMark CPU Mark evaluates processor speed through complex mathematical computations. It provides a reliable metric to compare multi-core performance, where higher scores indicate faster processing for multitasking, gaming, and heavy workloads.

Athlon 64 FX-72 vs Athlon II X4 600e FPS Benchmarks

Predicted gaming performance across popular games. Tested paired with GeForce RTX 5090 to isolate CPU performance.

Search any supported game below to compare 1080p FPS for both components.

Athlon 64 FX-72 vs Athlon II X4 600e: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each CPU makes more sense in practice: gaming, heavier work, platform cost, power draw, and upgrade path.

Athlon 64 FX-72

2006

Why buy it

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (1,794 vs 1,795).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 2.2 vs 17.9 PassMark/$ ($799 MSRP vs $100 MSRP).
❌177.8% higher power demand at 125W vs 45W.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Athlon II X4 600e.

Athlon II X4 600e

2009

Why buy it

✅+0.1% higher PassMark.
✅Costs $699 less on MSRP ($100 MSRP vs $799 MSRP).
✅Delivers 699.4% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 17.9 vs 2.2 PassMark/$ ($100 MSRP vs $799 MSRP).
✅Draws 45W instead of 125W, a 80W reduction.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Fewer obvious downsides in this matchup outside of normal market pricing swings.

Quick Answers

So, is Athlon II X4 600e better than Athlon 64 FX-72?

It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, Athlon 64 FX-72 is ahead with a 1.3% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Athlon II X4 600e pulls ahead with 0.1% better PassMark.

Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Athlon II X4 600e is the stronger fit. You are getting 0.1% better PassMark, backed by 4 cores and 4 threads.

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?

Athlon II X4 600e is the better buy right now. Athlon II X4 600e comes in $699 cheaper on MSRP at $100 MSRP versus $799 MSRP, and it still gives you 0.1% better PassMark. The compromise is that Athlon 64 FX-72 is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 1.3% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 699.4% better value on MSRP (17.9 vs 2.2 PassMark/$), so you are getting the faster CPU without taking a value hit on paper.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

Athlon II X4 600e makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2009 vs 2006) and more multi-core headroom with 4 cores / 4 threads instead of 2/2. That extra compute headroom is more likely to matter as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

Athlon 64 FX-72 vs Athlon II X4 600e Technical Specifications

Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

Athlon 64 FX-72

The Athlon 64 FX-72 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2009-01-01. It is based on the Windsor (2006−2007) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Max frequency: 2.8 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 1 MB. Built on 90 nm process technology. Socket: F. Thermal design power (TDP): 125 Watt. Memory support: DDR1. Passmark benchmark score: 1,794 points. Launch price was $149.

Athlon II X4 600e

The Athlon II X4 600e is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 20 October 2009 (16 years ago). It is based on the Propus (2009−2011) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.2 GHz, with boost up to 2.2 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: AM3. Thermal design power (TDP): 45 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,795 points. Launch price was $130.

⚡

Processing Power

The Athlon 64 FX-72 packs 2 cores / 2 threads, while the Athlon II X4 600e offers 4 cores / 4 threads — the Athlon II X4 600e has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 2.8 GHz on the Athlon 64 FX-72 versus 2.2 GHz on the Athlon II X4 600e — a 24% clock advantage for the Athlon 64 FX-72. The Athlon 64 FX-72 uses the Windsor (2006−2007) architecture (90 nm), while the Athlon II X4 600e uses Propus (2009−2011) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon 64 FX-72 scores 1,794 against the Athlon II X4 600e's 1,795 — a 0.1% lead for the Athlon II X4 600e. Both processors carry 0 kB of L3 cache.

Feature	Athlon 64 FX-72	Athlon II X4 600e
Cores / Threads	2 / 2	4 / 4+100%
Boost Clock	2.8 GHz+27%	2.2 GHz
Base Clock	—	2.2 GHz
L3 Cache	0 kB	0 kB
L2 Cache	1 MB+100%	512 kB (per core)
Process	90 nm	45 nm-50%
Architecture	Windsor (2006−2007)	Propus (2009−2011)
PassMark	1,794	1,795

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Athlon 64 FX-72 uses the F socket (PCIe 1.1), while the Athlon II X4 600e uses AM3 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR2-800 on the Athlon 64 FX-72 versus DDR3-1333 on the Athlon II X4 600e — the Athlon II X4 600e supports 66.6% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. Both support up to 16 GB of RAM. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 0 (Athlon 64 FX-72) vs 16 (Athlon II X4 600e) — the Athlon II X4 600e offers 16 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: AMD F (1207) (Athlon 64 FX-72) and Socket AM3 (Athlon II X4 600e).

Feature	Athlon 64 FX-72	Athlon II X4 600e
Socket	F	AM3
PCIe Generation	PCIe 1.1	PCIe 2.0+82%
Max RAM Speed	DDR2-800	DDR3-1333+67%
Max RAM Capacity	16 GB	16 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	No	No
PCIe Lanes	0	16

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Athlon 64 FX-72) / AMD-V (Athlon II X4 600e).

Feature	Athlon 64 FX-72	Athlon II X4 600e
Integrated GPU	No	No
Unlocked	—	No
AVX-512	—	No
Virtualization	—	AMD-V

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the Athlon 64 FX-72 was priced at $799, while the Athlon II X4 600e came in at $100. On launch pricing ($799 vs $100), Athlon II X4 600e was $699 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Athlon 64 FX-72 delivers 2.2 pts/$ vs 17.9 pts/$ for the Athlon II X4 600e — making the Athlon II X4 600e the 155.5% better value option.

Feature	Athlon 64 FX-72	Athlon II X4 600e
MSRP	$799	$100-87%
Performance per Dollar	2.2	17.9+714%
Release Date	2006	2009

Search Athlon 64 FX-72 on Amazon

Search Athlon II X4 600e on Amazon

Affiliate Disclosure

ChipVERSUS is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. We may earn a commission on qualifying purchases made through our links. This comes at no additional cost to you and helps support our work in providing comprehensive PC building guides and tools.

Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.