Athlon II X4 615e vs Phenom II X4 905e

Athlon II X4 615e vs Phenom II X4 905e Performance Spectrum

Athlon II X4 615e

4 / 4

2,018

+0.2%

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7955WX

Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

Phenom II X4 905e

4 / 4

2,014

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 615e vs Phenom II X4 905e 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 615e vs Phenom II X4 905e: 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 615e

2010

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +4.0% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 45W instead of 65W, a 20W reduction.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Phenom II X4 905e.

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $186 MSRP, while Phenom II X4 905e mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

Phenom II X4 905e

2009

Why buy it

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Athlon II X4 615e across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (2,014 vs 2,018).
❌44.4% higher power demand at 65W vs 45W.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Athlon II X4 615e.

Quick Answers

So, is Athlon II X4 615e better than Phenom II X4 905e?

Yes. Athlon II X4 615e is the better all-around CPU here. It gives you a 4.0% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data, 0.2% 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 615e is the better pick. According to our tests, it delivers 4.0% 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 615e is the stronger fit. You are getting 0.2% better PassMark, backed by 4 cores and 4 threads.

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

Athlon II X4 615e is the better buy right now. Athlon II X4 615e comes in at an unclear MSRP at $186 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it still gives you a 4.0% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (10.8 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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 615e makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2010 vs 2009) 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 615e vs Phenom II X4 905e Technical Specifications

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

Athlon II X4 615e

The Athlon II X4 615e is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 21 September 2010 (15 years ago). It is based on the Propus (2009−2011) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.5 GHz, with boost up to 2.5 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: 2,018 points. Launch price was $59.

Phenom II X4 905e

The Phenom II X4 905e is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2 June 2009 (16 years ago). It is based on the Deneb (2009−2011) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.5 GHz, with boost up to 2.5 GHz. L3 cache: 6 MB (total). L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: AM3. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 2,014 points. Launch price was $212.

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Processing Power

Both the Athlon II X4 615e and Phenom II X4 905e share an identical 4-core/4-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 2.5 GHz on the Athlon II X4 615e versus 2.5 GHz on the Phenom II X4 905e — identical boost frequencies (base: 2.5 GHz vs 2.5 GHz). The Athlon II X4 615e uses the Propus (2009−2011) architecture (45 nm), while the Phenom II X4 905e uses Deneb (2009−2011) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon II X4 615e scores 2,018 against the Phenom II X4 905e's 2,014 — a 0.2% lead for the Athlon II X4 615e. L3 cache: 0 kB on the Athlon II X4 615e vs 6 MB (total) on the Phenom II X4 905e.

Feature	Athlon II X4 615e	Phenom II X4 905e
Cores / Threads	4 / 4	4 / 4
Boost Clock	2.5 GHz	2.5 GHz
Base Clock	2.5 GHz	2.5 GHz
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)	Deneb (2009−2011)
PassMark	2,018	2,014
Cinebench R23 Multi	1,161	—
Geekbench 6 Single	331	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	1,161	—

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Memory & Platform

Both processors use the AM3 socket with PCIe 2.0.

Feature	Athlon II X4 615e	Phenom II X4 905e
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	—

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Advanced Features

Virtualization: AMD-V (Athlon II X4 615e) / not specified (Phenom II X4 905e). Primary use case: Athlon II X4 615e targets Gaming. Direct competitor: Athlon II X4 615e rivals Intel Core 2 Quad Q8300.