Athlon II X4 605e vs Phenom X4 9850B

Athlon II X4 605e vs Phenom X4 9850B Performance Spectrum

Athlon II X4 605e

4 / 4

1,964

+0.9%

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7955WX

Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

Phenom X4 9850B

4 / 4

1,946

0.0%

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7955WX

Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

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 605e vs Phenom X4 9850B 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 605e vs Phenom X4 9850B: 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 605e

2009

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +3.8% higher average FPS across 50 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 (AMD Stock), unlike Phenom X4 9850B.

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $143 MSRP, while Phenom X4 9850B mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

Phenom X4 9850B

2008

Why buy it

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Athlon II X4 605e across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (1,946 vs 1,964).
❌111.1% higher power demand at 95W vs 45W.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Athlon II X4 605e.

Quick Answers

So, is Athlon II X4 605e better than Phenom X4 9850B?

Yes. Athlon II X4 605e is the better all-around CPU here. It gives you a 3.8% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data, 0.9% 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 605e is the better pick. According to our tests, it delivers 3.8% more average FPS across 50 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 605e is the stronger fit. You are getting 0.9% better PassMark, backed by 4 cores and 4 threads.

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?

Athlon II X4 605e is the better buy right now. Athlon II X4 605e comes in at an unclear MSRP at $143 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it still gives you a 3.8% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (13.7 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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 605e makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2009 vs 2008) and more multi-core headroom with 4 cores / 4 threads instead of 4/4. That extra compute headroom is more likely to matter as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

Athlon II X4 605e vs Phenom X4 9850B Technical Specifications

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

Athlon II X4 605e

The Athlon II X4 605e 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 2.3 GHz, with boost up to 2.3 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: 1,964 points. Launch price was $102.

Phenom X4 9850B

The Phenom X4 9850B 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: 2.5 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: 1,946 points. Launch price was $149.

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Processing Power

Both the Athlon II X4 605e and Phenom X4 9850B share an identical 4-core/4-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 2.3 GHz on the Athlon II X4 605e versus 2.5 GHz on the Phenom X4 9850B — a 8.3% clock advantage for the Phenom X4 9850B. The Athlon II X4 605e uses the Propus (2009−2011) architecture (45 nm), while the Phenom X4 9850B uses Agena (2007−2008) (65 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon II X4 605e scores 1,964 against the Phenom X4 9850B's 1,946 — a 0.9% lead for the Athlon II X4 605e. L3 cache: 0 kB on the Athlon II X4 605e vs 2 MB (total) on the Phenom X4 9850B.

Feature	Athlon II X4 605e	Phenom X4 9850B
Cores / Threads	4 / 4	4 / 4
Boost Clock	2.3 GHz	2.5 GHz+9%
Base Clock	2.3 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	1,964	1,946
Cinebench R23 Multi	1,140	—
Geekbench 6 Single	300	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	1,069	—

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Memory & Platform

The Athlon II X4 605e uses the AM3 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Phenom X4 9850B uses AM2+ (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.