Athlon II X4 635 vs Pentium 4417U

Athlon II X4 635 vs Pentium 4417U Performance Spectrum

Athlon II X4 635

4 / 4

2,248

0.0%

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7955WX

Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

Pentium 4417U

2 / 4

2,260

+0.5%

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 635 vs Pentium 4417U 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 635 vs Pentium 4417U: 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 635

2010

Why buy it

✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Pentium 4417U.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (2,248 vs 2,260).
❌Launch MSRP is still $400 MSRP, while Pentium 4417U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌533.3% higher power demand at 95W vs 15W.

Pentium 4417U

2019

Why buy it

✅Draws 15W instead of 95W, a 80W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Athlon II X4 635.

Quick Answers

So, is Pentium 4417U better than Athlon II X4 635?

Yes. Pentium 4417U is the better all-around CPU here. It gives you a 2.4% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data, 0.5% 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, Pentium 4417U is the better pick. According to our tests, it delivers 2.4% 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, Pentium 4417U is the stronger fit. You are getting 0.5% better PassMark, backed by 2 cores and 4 threads.

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

Pentium 4417U is still the much better call for a fresh build. Pentium 4417U comes in at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $400 MSRP, and it still gives you a 2.4% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. Athlon II X4 635 only looks stronger on raw value math because it is extremely cheap, but that usually means used-market pricing on an obsolete 2010 platform. Even with 100.0% better value on paper (5.6 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), it really only makes sense as a cheap stopgap or a niche existing-platform option for someone already on AM3.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

Pentium 4417U makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2019 vs 2010) and more multi-core headroom with 2 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 635 vs Pentium 4417U Technical Specifications

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

Athlon II X4 635

The Athlon II X4 635 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 25 January 2010 (15 years ago). It is based on the Propus (2009−2011) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.9 GHz, with boost up to 2.9 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. 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: 2,248 points. Launch price was $70.

Pentium 4417U

The Pentium 4417U is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2007-01-01. It is based on the NetBurst (2000−2006) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency: 2.3 GHz. L3 cache: 2 MB SmartCache. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: BGA1356. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2133, LPDDR3-1866, DDR3L-1600. Passmark benchmark score: 2,260 points. Launch price was $69.

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Processing Power

The Athlon II X4 635 packs 4 cores / 4 threads, while the Pentium 4417U offers 2 cores / 4 threads — the Athlon II X4 635 has 2 more cores. The Athlon II X4 635 uses the Propus (2009−2011) architecture (45 nm), while the Pentium 4417U uses NetBurst (2000−2006) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon II X4 635 scores 2,248 against the Pentium 4417U's 2,260 — a 0.5% lead for the Pentium 4417U. L3 cache: 0 kB on the Athlon II X4 635 vs 2 MB SmartCache on the Pentium 4417U.

Feature	Athlon II X4 635	Pentium 4417U
Cores / Threads	4 / 4+100%	2 / 4
Boost Clock	2.9 GHz	—
Base Clock	2.9 GHz+26%	2.3 GHz
L3 Cache	0 kB	2 MB SmartCache
L2 Cache	512 kB (per core)	—
Process	45 nm	14 nm-69%
Architecture	Propus (2009−2011)	NetBurst (2000−2006)
PassMark	2,248	2,260
Cinebench R23 Multi	658	—
Geekbench 6 Single	180	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	550	—

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Memory & Platform

The Athlon II X4 635 uses the AM3 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Pentium 4417U uses BGA1356 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Athlon II X4 635	Pentium 4417U
Socket	AM3	BGA1356
PCIe Generation	PCIe 2.0	PCIe 3.0+50%
Max RAM Speed	DDR3-1333 / DDR2-1066	—
Max RAM Capacity	16 GB	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	No	—
PCIe Lanes	16	—