CPU
GPU
Athlon 64 FX-74
Phenom II X4 N970
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-74 is positioned at rank 1087 and the Phenom II X4 N970 is on rank 388, so the Phenom II X4 N970 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-74
Performance Per Dollar Phenom II X4 N970
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Athlon 64 FX-74 | Phenom II X4 N970 |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ✅ Superior gaming performance | ❌ Lower gaming performance |
| Workstation | ✅ Better multi-core power | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks |
| Price | ⚠️ Higher cost ($50) | ✅ More affordable ($0) |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Windsor (2006−2007) / 90 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Champlain (2010−2011) / 45 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Athlon 64 FX-74 | Phenom II X4 N970 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ⚠️ Higher cost ($50) | ✅ 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-74 and Phenom II X4 N970
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 X4 N970
The Phenom II X4 N970 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2009-01-01. It is based on the Champlain (2010−2011) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Max frequency: 2.2 GHz. L2 cache: 2 MB. Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: S1. Thermal design power (TDP): 2 MB. Passmark benchmark score: 1,647 points. Launch price was $149.
Processing Power
The Athlon 64 FX-74 packs 2 cores / 2 threads, while the Phenom II X4 N970 offers 4 cores / 4 threads — the Phenom II X4 N970 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3 GHz on the Athlon 64 FX-74 versus 2.2 GHz on the Phenom II X4 N970 — a 30.8% 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 X4 N970 uses Champlain (2010−2011) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon 64 FX-74 scores 1,658 against the Phenom II X4 N970's 1,647 — a 0.7% lead for the Athlon 64 FX-74.
| Feature | Athlon 64 FX-74 | Phenom II X4 N970 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 2 / 2 | 4 / 4+100% |
| Boost Clock | 3 GHz+36% | 2.2 GHz |
| L3 Cache | 0 kB | — |
| L2 Cache | 1 MB | 2 MB+100% |
| Process | 90 nm | 45 nm-50% |
| Architecture | Windsor (2006−2007) | Champlain (2010−2011) |
| PassMark | 1,658 | 1,647 |
| Geekbench 6 Single | 400 | — |
| Geekbench 6 Multi | 750 | — |
Memory & Platform
The Athlon 64 FX-74 uses the F socket (PCIe 1.1), while the Phenom II X4 N970 uses S1 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Athlon 64 FX-74 | Phenom II X4 N970 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | F | S1 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 1.1 | PCIe 2.0+82% |
| Max RAM Speed | DDR2 | — |
| Max RAM Capacity | 16 GB | — |
| RAM Channels | 2 | — |
| ECC Support | ❌ | — |
| PCIe Lanes | 16 | — |
Advanced Features
Virtualization: AMD-V (Athlon 64 FX-74) / not specified (Phenom II X4 N970). Primary use case: Athlon 64 FX-74 targets Budget. Direct competitor: Athlon 64 FX-74 rivals Pentium Extreme Edition 965.
| Feature | Athlon 64 FX-74 | Phenom II X4 N970 |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | No | — |
| Unlocked | Yes | — |
| AVX-512 | No | — |
| Virtualization | AMD-V | — |
| Target Use | Budget | — |
Top Performing CPUs
The most powerful cpus ranked by PassMark CPU Mark benchmark scores.
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