Athlon 64 FX-74 vs Phenom II X3 B73

Athlon 64 FX-74 vs Phenom II X3 B73 Performance Spectrum

Athlon 64 FX-74

2 / 2

1,658

0.0%

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 5945WX

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7955WX

Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

Phenom II X3 B73

3 / 3

1,671

+0.8%

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 5945WX

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-74 vs Phenom II X3 B73 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-74 vs Phenom II X3 B73: 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-74

2006

Why buy it

✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (1,658 vs 1,671).
❌Launch MSRP is still $499 MSRP, while Phenom II X3 B73 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌31.6% higher power demand at 125W vs 95W.

Phenom II X3 B73

2009

Why buy it

✅+0.8% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 95W instead of 125W, a 30W reduction.

Trade-offs

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

Quick Answers

So, is Phenom II X3 B73 better than Athlon 64 FX-74?

It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, Athlon 64 FX-74 is ahead with a 0.2% average FPS lead across 49 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Phenom II X3 B73 pulls ahead with 0.8% better PassMark.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Phenom II X3 B73 is the stronger fit. You are getting 0.8% better PassMark, backed by 3 cores and 3 threads.

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

Phenom II X3 B73 is still the much better call for a fresh build. Phenom II X3 B73 comes in at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $499 MSRP, and it still gives you 0.8% better PassMark. Athlon 64 FX-74 only looks stronger on raw value math because it is extremely cheap, but that usually means used-market pricing on an obsolete 2006 platform. Even with 100.0% better value on paper (3.3 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), it really only makes sense as a cheap stopgap or a niche existing-platform option for someone already on F.

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

Phenom II X3 B73 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 3 cores / 3 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-74 vs Phenom II X3 B73 Technical Specifications

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

Athlon 64 FX-74

The Athlon 64 FX-74 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in Novembro 2006 (19 years ago). It is based on the Windsor (2006−2007) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Max frequency: 3 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: 1,658 points. Launch price was $500.

Phenom II X3 B73

The Phenom II X3 B73 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 1 October 2009 (16 years ago). It is based on the Heka (2009−2010) architecture. It features 3 cores and 3 threads. Base frequency is 2.8 GHz, with boost up to 2.8 GHz. L3 cache: 6 MB (total). L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: AM3. Thermal design power (TDP): 95 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,671 points. Launch price was $75.

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Processing Power

The Athlon 64 FX-74 packs 2 cores / 2 threads, while the Phenom II X3 B73 offers 3 cores / 3 threads — the Phenom II X3 B73 has 1 more core. Boost clocks reach 3 GHz on the Athlon 64 FX-74 versus 2.8 GHz on the Phenom II X3 B73 — a 6.9% clock advantage for the Athlon 64 FX-74. The Athlon 64 FX-74 uses the Windsor (2006−2007) architecture (90 nm), while the Phenom II X3 B73 uses Heka (2009−2010) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon 64 FX-74 scores 1,658 against the Phenom II X3 B73's 1,671 — a 0.8% lead for the Phenom II X3 B73. L3 cache: 0 kB on the Athlon 64 FX-74 vs 6 MB (total) on the Phenom II X3 B73.

Feature	Athlon 64 FX-74	Phenom II X3 B73
Cores / Threads	2 / 2	3 / 3+50%
Boost Clock	3 GHz+7%	2.8 GHz
Base Clock	—	2.8 GHz
L3 Cache	0 kB	6 MB (total)
L2 Cache	1 MB+100%	512 kB (per core)
Process	90 nm	45 nm-50%
Architecture	Windsor (2006−2007)	Heka (2009−2010)
PassMark	1,658	1,671
Geekbench 6 Single	400	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	750	—

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Memory & Platform

The Athlon 64 FX-74 uses the F socket (PCIe 1.1), while the Phenom II X3 B73 uses AM3 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Athlon 64 FX-74	Phenom II X3 B73
Socket	F	AM3
PCIe Generation	PCIe 1.1	PCIe 2.0+82%
Max RAM Speed	DDR2	—
Max RAM Capacity	16 GB	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	No	—
PCIe Lanes	16	—

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Advanced Features

Virtualization: AMD-V (Athlon 64 FX-74) / not specified (Phenom II X3 B73). Primary use case: Athlon 64 FX-74 targets Budget. Direct competitor: Athlon 64 FX-74 rivals Pentium Extreme Edition 965.