Athlon II X4 600e vs Phenom II X3 B75

AMD

Athlon II X4 600e

4 Cores4 Thrd45 WWMax: 2.2 GHz2009
Similar parts
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VS
AMD

Phenom II X3 B75

3 Cores3 Thrd95 WWMax: 3 GHz2009

Athlon II X4 600e vs Phenom II X3 B75 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 X4 600e vs Phenom II X3 B75 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 II X4 600e vs Phenom II X3 B75: 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 X4 600e

2009

Why buy it

  • Better for gaming: +4.0% higher average FPS across 38 shared CPU benchmark tests.
  • Draws 45W instead of 95W, a 50W reduction.
  • 100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
  • Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Phenom II X3 B75.

Trade-offs

  • Launch MSRP is still $100 MSRP, while Phenom II X3 B75 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

Phenom II X3 B75

2009

Why buy it

    Trade-offs

    • Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Athlon II X4 600e across 38 shared CPU benchmark tests.
    • Lower PassMark (1,783 vs 1,795).
    • 111.1% higher power demand at 95W vs 45W.
    • No boxed cooler included, unlike Athlon II X4 600e.

    Quick Answers

    So, is Athlon II X4 600e better than Phenom II X3 B75?
    Yes. Athlon II X4 600e is the better all-around CPU here. It gives you a 4.0% average FPS lead across 38 shared CPU game tests in our data, 0.7% better PassMark, and the stronger long-term platform, which is enough to make it the stronger overall pick.
    Which one is better for gaming?
    If gaming is the priority, Athlon II X4 600e is the better pick. According to our tests, it delivers 4.0% more average FPS across 38 shared CPU game tests.
    Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?
    For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Athlon II X4 600e is the stronger fit. You are getting 0.7% better PassMark, backed by 4 cores and 4 threads.
    Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?
    Athlon II X4 600e is the better buy right now. Athlon II X4 600e comes in at an unclear MSRP at $100 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it still gives you a 4.0% average FPS lead across 38 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (17.9 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), so you are getting the faster CPU without taking a value hit on paper.
    Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?
    Athlon II X4 600e makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting more multi-core headroom with 4 cores / 4 threads instead of 3/3. That extra compute headroom is more likely to matter as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

    Athlon II X4 600e vs Phenom II X3 B75 Technical Specifications

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

    AMD

    Athlon II X4 600e

    The Athlon II X4 600e is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 20 October 2009 (16 years ago). It is based on the Propus (2009−2011) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.2 GHz, with boost up to 2.2 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: AM3. Thermal design power (TDP): 45 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,795 points. Launch price was $130.

    AMD

    Phenom II X3 B75

    The Phenom II X3 B75 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2009-01-01. It is based on the Heka (2009−2010) architecture. It features 3 cores and 3 threads. Base frequency is 3 GHz, with boost up to 3 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: 1,783 points. Launch price was $149.

    Processing Power

    The Athlon II X4 600e packs 4 cores / 4 threads, while the Phenom II X3 B75 offers 3 cores / 3 threads — the Athlon II X4 600e has 1 more core. Boost clocks reach 2.2 GHz on the Athlon II X4 600e versus 3 GHz on the Phenom II X3 B75 — a 30.8% clock advantage for the Phenom II X3 B75 (base: 2.2 GHz vs 3 GHz). The Athlon II X4 600e uses the Propus (2009−2011) architecture (45 nm), while the Phenom II X3 B75 uses Heka (2009−2010) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon II X4 600e scores 1,795 against the Phenom II X3 B75's 1,783 — a 0.7% lead for the Athlon II X4 600e. L3 cache: 0 kB on the Athlon II X4 600e vs 6 MB (total) on the Phenom II X3 B75.

    FeatureAthlon II X4 600ePhenom II X3 B75
    Cores / Threads
    4 / 4+33%
    3 / 3
    Boost Clock
    2.2 GHz
    3 GHz+36%
    Base Clock
    2.2 GHz
    3 GHz+36%
    L3 Cache
    0 kB
    6 MB (total)
    L2 Cache
    512 kB (per core)
    512 kB (per core)
    Process
    45 nm
    45 nm
    Architecture
    Propus (2009−2011)
    Heka (2009−2010)
    PassMark
    1,795
    1,783
    🧠

    Memory & Platform

    Both processors use the AM3 socket with PCIe 2.0.

    FeatureAthlon II X4 600ePhenom II X3 B75
    Socket
    AM3
    AM3
    PCIe Generation
    PCIe 2.0
    PCIe 2.0
    Max RAM Speed
    DDR3-1333
    Max RAM Capacity
    16 GB
    RAM Channels
    2
    ECC Support
    No
    PCIe Lanes
    16
    🔧

    Advanced Features

    Virtualization: AMD-V (Athlon II X4 600e) / not specified (Phenom II X3 B75).

    FeatureAthlon II X4 600ePhenom II X3 B75
    Integrated GPU
    No
    Unlocked
    No
    AVX-512
    No
    Virtualization
    AMD-V