Athlon 64 FX-72 vs Phenom X4 9650
Athlon 64 FX-72
Phenom X4 9650
Performance Spectrum - CPU
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.
Value Upgrade Path
This is the official ChipVERSUS Value Rating, comparing raw performance (PassMark) per dollar. Components placed above yours deliver better value for money. The Athlon 64 FX-72 is positioned at rank 1100 and the Phenom X4 9650 is on rank 362, so the Phenom X4 9650 offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Athlon 64 FX-72
Performance Per Dollar Phenom X4 9650
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Athlon 64 FX-72 | Phenom X4 9650 |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ✅ Superior gaming performance | ❌ Lower gaming performance |
| Workstation | ✅ Better multi-core power | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks |
| Price | ⚠️ Higher cost ($40) | ✅ More affordable ($0) |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Windsor (2006−2007) / 90 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Agena (2007−2008) / 65 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Athlon 64 FX-72 | Phenom X4 9650 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ⚠️ Higher cost ($40) | ✅ More affordable ($0) |
Performance Check
To accurately isolate CPU performance, all benchmarks below use an NVIDIA RTX 4090 as the reference GPU. This eliminates GPU-side bottlenecks and highlights pure processing throughput differences between the CPUs.
Note: Real-world results may vary based on your actual GPU. CPU performance impact is more visible in processing-intensive titles and high-refresh-rate gaming scenarios.
Technical Specifications
Side-by-side comparison of Athlon 64 FX-72 and Phenom X4 9650
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.
Phenom X4 9650
The Phenom X4 9650 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2009-01-01. It is based on the Agena (2007−2008) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Max frequency: 2.3 GHz. L3 cache: 2 MB (total). L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 65 nm process technology. Socket: AM2+. Thermal design power (TDP): 95 Watt. Passmark benchmark score: 1,777 points. Launch price was $149.
Processing Power
The Athlon 64 FX-72 packs 2 cores / 2 threads, while the Phenom X4 9650 offers 4 cores / 4 threads — the Phenom X4 9650 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 2.8 GHz on the Athlon 64 FX-72 versus 2.3 GHz on the Phenom X4 9650 — a 19.6% clock advantage for the Athlon 64 FX-72. The Athlon 64 FX-72 uses the Windsor (2006−2007) architecture (90 nm), while the Phenom X4 9650 uses Agena (2007−2008) (65 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon 64 FX-72 scores 1,794 against the Phenom X4 9650's 1,777 — a 1% lead for the Athlon 64 FX-72. L3 cache: 0 kB on the Athlon 64 FX-72 vs 2 MB (total) on the Phenom X4 9650.
| Feature | Athlon 64 FX-72 | Phenom X4 9650 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 2 / 2 | 4 / 4+100% |
| Boost Clock | 2.8 GHz+22% | 2.3 GHz |
| L3 Cache | 0 kB | 2 MB (total) |
| L2 Cache | 1 MB+100% | 512 kB (per core) |
| Process | 90 nm | 65 nm-28% |
| Architecture | Windsor (2006−2007) | Agena (2007−2008) |
| PassMark | 1,794 | 1,777 |
Memory & Platform
The Athlon 64 FX-72 uses the F socket (PCIe 1.1), while the Phenom X4 9650 uses AM2+ (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Athlon 64 FX-72 | Phenom X4 9650 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | F | AM2+ |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 1.1 | PCIe 2.0+82% |
| Max RAM Speed | DDR2-800 | — |
| Max RAM Capacity | 16 GB | — |
| RAM Channels | 2 | — |
| ECC Support | ❌ | — |
| PCIe Lanes | 0 | — |
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The most powerful cpus ranked by PassMark CPU Mark benchmark scores.
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