Athlon II X2 255 vs Pentium 997
Athlon II X2 255
Pentium 997
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 II X2 255 is positioned at rank 793 and the Pentium 997 is on rank 1104, so the Athlon II X2 255 offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Athlon II X2 255
Performance Per Dollar Pentium 997
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Athlon II X2 255 | Pentium 997 |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ✅ Superior gaming performance | ❌ Lower gaming performance |
| Workstation | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks | ✅ Better multi-core power |
| Price | Equivalent pricing | Equivalent pricing |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Regor (2009−2013) / 45 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) / 32 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Athlon II X2 255 | Pentium 997 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ✅ Better overall value (+0%) |
| Upfront Cost | Equivalent pricing | Equivalent pricing |
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 II X2 255 and Pentium 997
Athlon II X2 255
The Athlon II X2 255 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 25 January 2010 (15 years ago). It is based on the Regor (2009−2013) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 3.1 GHz, with boost up to 3.1 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 1 MB. Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: AM3. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,210 points. Launch price was $60.
Pentium 997
The Pentium 997 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 September 2012 (13 years ago). It is based on the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 1.6 GHz, with boost up to 1.6 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: 1,215 points. Launch price was $134.
Processing Power
Both the Athlon II X2 255 and Pentium 997 share an identical 2-core/2-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 3.1 GHz on the Athlon II X2 255 versus 1.6 GHz on the Pentium 997 — a 63.8% clock advantage for the Athlon II X2 255 (base: 3.1 GHz vs 1.6 GHz). The Athlon II X2 255 uses the Regor (2009−2013) architecture (45 nm), while the Pentium 997 uses Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) (32 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon II X2 255 scores 1,210 against the Pentium 997's 1,215 — a 0.4% lead for the Pentium 997. L3 cache: 0 kB on the Athlon II X2 255 vs 2 MB (total) on the Pentium 997.
| Feature | Athlon II X2 255 | Pentium 997 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 2 / 2 | 2 / 2 |
| Boost Clock | 3.1 GHz+94% | 1.6 GHz |
| Base Clock | 3.1 GHz+94% | 1.6 GHz |
| L3 Cache | 0 kB | 2 MB (total) |
| L2 Cache | 1 MB+300% | 256K (per core) |
| Process | 45 nm | 32 nm-29% |
| Architecture | Regor (2009−2013) | Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) |
| PassMark | 1,210 | 1,215 |
| Geekbench 6 Single | 265 | — |
| Geekbench 6 Multi | 500 | — |
Memory & Platform
The Athlon II X2 255 uses the AM3 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Pentium 997 uses BGA1023 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Athlon II X2 255 | Pentium 997 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | ✅ | — |
| PCIe Lanes | 0 | — |
Advanced Features
Virtualization: AMD-V (Athlon II X2 255) / not specified (Pentium 997). Primary use case: Athlon II X2 255 targets Legacy Desktop. Direct competitor: Athlon II X2 255 rivals Pentium E5700.
| Feature | Athlon II X2 255 | Pentium 997 |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | No | — |
| Unlocked | No | — |
| AVX-512 | No | — |
| Virtualization | AMD-V | — |
| Target Use | Legacy Desktop | — |
Value Analysis
The Athlon II X2 255 launched at $60 MSRP, while the Pentium 997 debuted at $134. At current prices ($10 vs $10), the Pentium 997 is $0 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Athlon II X2 255 delivers 121.0 pts/$ vs 121.5 pts/$ for the Pentium 997 — making the Pentium 997 the 0.4% better value option.
| Feature | Athlon II X2 255 | Pentium 997 |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $60-55% | $134 |
| Avg Price (30d) | $10 | $10 |
| Performance per Dollar | 121.0 | 121.5 |
| Release Date | 2010 | 2012 |
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