Athlon II X2 245e
Pentium 977
Athlon II X2 245e vs Pentium 977 Performance Spectrum
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 II X2 245e vs Pentium 977 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.
Path of Exile 2
Counter-Strike 2
League of Legends
Valorant
Among Us
Apex Legends
ARC Raiders
Baldur's Gate 3
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
Athlon II X2 245e vs Pentium 977: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict
See where each CPU makes more sense in practice: gaming, heavier work, platform cost, power draw, and upgrade path.
Athlon II X2 245e
2010Why buy it
- ✅Costs $47 less on MSRP ($87 MSRP vs $134 MSRP).
- ✅Delivers 53.1% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 13.1 vs 8.6 PassMark/$ ($87 MSRP vs $134 MSRP).
Trade-offs
- ❌Lower PassMark (1,141 vs 1,148).
- ❌164.7% higher power demand at 45W vs 17W.
Pentium 977
2012Why buy it
- ✅+0.6% higher PassMark.
- ✅Draws 17W instead of 45W, a 28W reduction.
Trade-offs
- ❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 8.6 vs 13.1 PassMark/$ ($134 MSRP vs $87 MSRP).
Quick Answers
So, is Pentium 977 better than Athlon II X2 245e?
Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?
Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?
Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?
Athlon II X2 245e vs Pentium 977 Technical Specifications
Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.
Athlon II X2 245e
The Athlon II X2 245e is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 11 May 2010 (15 years ago). It is based on the Regor (2009−2013) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 2.9 GHz, with boost up to 2.9 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 1 MB. Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: AM3. Thermal design power (TDP): 45 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,141 points. Launch price was $80.
Pentium 977
The Pentium 977 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 January 2012 (13 years ago). It is based on the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 1.4 GHz, with boost up to 1.4 GHz. L3 cache: 2 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: BGA1023. Thermal design power (TDP): 17 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,148 points. Launch price was $134.
Processing Power
Both the Athlon II X2 245e and Pentium 977 share an identical 2-core/2-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 2.9 GHz on the Athlon II X2 245e versus 1.4 GHz on the Pentium 977 — a 69.8% clock advantage for the Athlon II X2 245e (base: 2.9 GHz vs 1.4 GHz). The Athlon II X2 245e uses the Regor (2009−2013) architecture (45 nm), while the Pentium 977 uses Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) (32 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon II X2 245e scores 1,141 against the Pentium 977's 1,148 — a 0.6% lead for the Pentium 977. L3 cache: 0 kB on the Athlon II X2 245e vs 2 MB (total) on the Pentium 977.
| Feature | Athlon II X2 245e | Pentium 977 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 2 / 2 | 2 / 2 |
| Boost Clock | 2.9 GHz+107% | 1.4 GHz |
| Base Clock | 2.9 GHz+107% | 1.4 GHz |
| L3 Cache | 0 kB | 2 MB (total) |
| L2 Cache | 1 MB | 256K (per core)+25500% |
| Process | 45 nm | 32 nm-29% |
| Architecture | Regor (2009−2013) | Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) |
| PassMark | 1,141 | 1,148 |
| Geekbench 6 Single | 319 | — |
| Geekbench 6 Multi | 741 | — |
Memory & Platform
The Athlon II X2 245e uses the AM3 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Pentium 977 uses BGA1023 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Athlon II X2 245e | Pentium 977 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | AM3 | BGA1023 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 2.0 | PCIe 2.0 |
| Max RAM Speed | DDR3-1333 | — |
| Max RAM Capacity | 16 GB | — |
| RAM Channels | 2 | — |
| ECC Support | No | — |
Advanced Features
Virtualization: AMD-V (Athlon II X2 245e) / not specified (Pentium 977). Primary use case: Athlon II X2 245e targets Budget. Direct competitor: Athlon II X2 245e rivals Athlon II X2 270u.
| Feature | Athlon II X2 245e | Pentium 977 |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | No | — |
| Unlocked | No | — |
| AVX-512 | No | — |
| Virtualization | AMD-V | — |
| Target Use | Budget | — |
Value Analysis
At launch, the Athlon II X2 245e was priced at $87, while the Pentium 977 came in at $134. On launch pricing ($87 vs $134), Athlon II X2 245e was $47 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Athlon II X2 245e delivers 13.1 pts/$ vs 8.6 pts/$ for the Pentium 977 — making the Athlon II X2 245e the 41.9% better value option.
| Feature | Athlon II X2 245e | Pentium 977 |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $87-35% | $134 |
| Performance per Dollar | 13.1+52% | 8.6 |
| Release Date | 2010 | 2012 |
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