Athlon II X4 600e vs Phenom X4 9650
Athlon II X4 600e
Phenom X4 9650
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 X4 600e is positioned at rank 842 and the Phenom X4 9650 is on rank 362, so the Phenom X4 9650 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 X4 600e
Performance Per Dollar Phenom X4 9650
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Athlon II X4 600e | Phenom X4 9650 |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ❌ Lower gaming performance | ✅ Superior gaming performance |
| Workstation | ✅ Better multi-core power | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks |
| Price | ⚠️ Higher cost ($20) | ✅ More affordable ($0) |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Propus (2009−2011) / 45 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Agena (2007−2008) / 65 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Athlon II X4 600e | Phenom X4 9650 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ⚠️ Higher cost ($20) | ✅ 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 II X4 600e and Phenom X4 9650
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.
Phenom X4 9650
The Phenom X4 9650 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2009-01-01. It is based on the Agena (2007−2008) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Max frequency: 2.3 GHz. L3 cache: 2 MB (total). L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 65 nm process technology. Socket: AM2+. Thermal design power (TDP): 95 Watt. Passmark benchmark score: 1,777 points. Launch price was $149.
Processing Power
Both the Athlon II X4 600e and Phenom X4 9650 share an identical 4-core/4-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 2.2 GHz on the Athlon II X4 600e versus 2.3 GHz on the Phenom X4 9650 — a 4.4% clock advantage for the Phenom X4 9650. The Athlon II X4 600e uses the Propus (2009−2011) architecture (45 nm), while the Phenom X4 9650 uses Agena (2007−2008) (65 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon II X4 600e scores 1,795 against the Phenom X4 9650's 1,777 — a 1% lead for the Athlon II X4 600e. L3 cache: 0 kB on the Athlon II X4 600e vs 2 MB (total) on the Phenom X4 9650.
| Feature | Athlon II X4 600e | Phenom X4 9650 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 4 / 4 | 4 / 4 |
| Boost Clock | 2.2 GHz | 2.3 GHz+5% |
| Base Clock | 2.2 GHz | — |
| L3 Cache | 0 kB | 2 MB (total) |
| L2 Cache | 512 kB (per core) | 512 kB (per core) |
| Process | 45 nm-31% | 65 nm |
| Architecture | Propus (2009−2011) | Agena (2007−2008) |
| PassMark | 1,795+1% | 1,777 |
Memory & Platform
The Athlon II X4 600e uses the AM3 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Phenom X4 9650 uses AM2+ (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Athlon II X4 600e | Phenom X4 9650 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | AM3 | AM2+ |
| 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 | 16 | — |
Advanced Features
Virtualization: AMD-V (Athlon II X4 600e) / not specified (Phenom X4 9650).
| Feature | Athlon II X4 600e | Phenom X4 9650 |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | No | — |
| Unlocked | No | — |
| AVX-512 | No | — |
| Virtualization | AMD-V | — |
Top Performing CPUs
The most powerful cpus ranked by PassMark CPU Mark benchmark scores.
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