Athlon II X4 638 vs Ryzen 7 7800X3D

Athlon II X4 638

4 Cores4 Thrd65 WWMax: 2.7 GHz2012

Ryzen 7 7800X3D

8 Cores16 Thrd120 WWMax: 5 GHz2023

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Athlon II X4 638

4 / 4

2,260

0.0%

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7955WX

Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

Ryzen 7 7800X3D

8 / 16

34,293

+1417.4%

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7965WX

Ryzen Threadripper 7970X

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. The Athlon II X4 638 is positioned at rank #1040 in our cost-efficiency ranking, representing a Lower cost-benefit for your build. Components placed above yours deliver better value for money.

MSRP is the manufacturer's suggested retail price.•
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.

Performance Per Dollar Athlon II X4 638

Ryzen 9 7950X

MSRP: $194|Avg: $20

41396%

Core i9-10900T

MSRP: $120|Avg: $5

39116%

Ryzen 3 PRO 4355GE

MSRP: $423|Avg: $5

28401%

Ryzen Threadripper 3960X

MSRP: $1399|Avg: $85

8556%

Ryzen 9 9950X

MSRP: $649|Avg: $129

6777%

Ryzen 5 8400F

MSRP: $303|Avg: $55

5929%

Ryzen 7 PRO 2700

MSRP: $299|Avg: $60

3396%

Ryzen 5 2600X

MSRP: $229|Avg: $55

3351%

Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G

MSRP: $150|Avg: $60

3052%

#10

Core Ultra 5 245KF

MSRP: $294|Avg: $189

3051%

#11

Ryzen 5 5500

MSRP: $159|Avg: $85

3017%

#12

Ryzen 5 3600

MSRP: $199|Avg: $80

2936%

#13

Core i3-9100E

MSRP: $202|Avg: $30

2895%

#14

Core Ultra 5 245K

MSRP: $319|Avg: $200

2883%

#15

Core i3-8300T

MSRP: $138|Avg: $25

2857%

#1040

Athlon II X4 638

MSRP: $300|Avg: $280

100%

#1041

Core 2 Duo E7200

MSRP: $133|Avg: $133

100%

#1043

Phenom X3 8750

MSRP: $195|Avg: $20

98%

#1044

Pentium G4400TE

MSRP: $300|Avg: $250

97%

#1045

Celeron 2.60

MSRP: $53|Avg: $10

96%

#1046

Core i7-990X

MSRP: $999|Avg: $225

95%

#1047

Phenom X4 9750B

MSRP: $215|Avg: $34

94%

#1048

Core 2 Duo E8200

MSRP: $163|Avg: $20

93%

#1049

Core 2 Quad Q9450

MSRP: $316|Avg: $15

93%

#1050

Core 2 Duo E8600

MSRP: $200|Avg: $95

92%

#1051

Core 2 Duo E6320

MSRP: $163|Avg: $5

91%

#1052

Core i7-980X

MSRP: $999|Avg: $150

91%

#1053

Athlon 64 X2 3600+

MSRP: $150|Avg: $10

90%

#1054

Core 2 Duo E6420

MSRP: $183|Avg: $10

90%

#1055

Phenom X4 9600B

MSRP: $278|Avg: $20

88%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Ryzen 7 7800X3D

#197

Ryzen 5 5600X3D

MSRP: $229|Avg: $229

107%

#198

Core i3-9350KF

MSRP: $173|Avg: $80

106%

#199

Ryzen 7 PRO 5755GE

MSRP: $220|Avg: $220

106%

#200

Core i3-9300

MSRP: $143|Avg: $75

106%

#201

Ryzen 7 3800XT

MSRP: $399|Avg: $249

105%

#202

Core i5-11400T

MSRP: $182|Avg: $140

104%

#203

Core i3-10305

MSRP: $149|Avg: $100

103%

#204

Core i3-9320

MSRP: $154|Avg: $80

103%

#205

Core i3-10105

MSRP: $122|Avg: $90

103%

#206

Core i3-13100E

MSRP: $150|Avg: $150

102%

#207

Core i9-13900F

MSRP: $524|Avg: $536

102%

#208

Processor 300

MSRP: $82|Avg: $80

102%

#209

Ryzen 5 2600

MSRP: $199|Avg: $145

102%

#210

Ryzen 5 2400GE

MSRP: $169|Avg: $80

101%

#211

Core i9-14900KS

MSRP: $749|Avg: $670

101%

#212

Ryzen 7 7800X3D

MSRP: $449|Avg: $384

100%

#213

Core i3-8100T

MSRP: $117|Avg: $59

100%

#214

Core i7-13700E

MSRP: $390|Avg: $380

100%

#215

Ryzen 7 PRO 5750G

MSRP: $430|Avg: $270

99%

#216

Core i7-9700

MSRP: $333|Avg: $150

99%

#217

Core i5-13500TE

MSRP: $235|Avg: $250

98%

#218

Ryzen 3 PRO 2200G

MSRP: $294|Avg: $76

98%

#219

Ryzen 7 PRO 5845

MSRP: $300|Avg: $300

97%

#220

Athlon PRO 300GE

MSRP: $50|Avg: $50

97%

#221

Athlon Gold 3150G

MSRP: $100|Avg: $80

97%

#222

Core i7-9800X

MSRP: $589|Avg: $210

97%

#223

Ryzen 7 4700G

MSRP: $299|Avg: $235

96%

#224

Ryzen 9 5900

MSRP: $549|Avg: $395

96%

#225

Ryzen 5 7600X3D

MSRP: $299|Avg: $300

96%

#226

Ryzen 5 1600X

MSRP: $249|Avg: $144

59%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Generational Difference: This comparison involves processors from different technological eras. The Ryzen 7 7800X3D (2023) utilizes 5 nm technology and DDR5-5200, providing a fundamental performance advantage.

Insight	Athlon II X4 638	Ryzen 7 7800X3D
Gaming	❌ Lower gaming performance	✅ Superior gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	✅ More affordable ($280)	⚠️ Higher cost ($384)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Llano (2011−2012) / 32 nm)	✨ Modern (Raphael (Zen4) (2022−2023) / 5 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Athlon II X4 638 (2012) relies on 32 nm technology and DDR3, placing it in a different performance category relative to modern standards.

Insight	Athlon II X4 638	Ryzen 7 7800X3D
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	✅ Better overall value (+1006%)
Upfront Cost	✅ More affordable ($280)	⚠️ Higher cost ($384)

Performance Check

Paired with RTX 4090

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.

Athlon II X4 638 Benchmark Check

Ryzen 7 7800X3D Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Athlon II X4 638 and Ryzen 7 7800X3D

Athlon II X4 638

The Athlon II X4 638 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2009-01-01. It is based on the Llano (2011−2012) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.7 GHz, with boost up to 2.7 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: FM1. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 2,260 points. Launch price was $149.

Ryzen 7 7800X3D

The Ryzen 7 7800X3D is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 4 January 2023 (2 years ago). It is based on the Raphael (Zen4) (2022−2023) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 4.4 GHz, with boost up to 5 GHz. L3 cache: 96 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 5 nm process technology. Socket: AM5. Thermal design power (TDP): 120 Watt. Memory support: DDR5-5200. Passmark benchmark score: 34,293 points. Launch price was $449.

⚡

Processing Power

The Athlon II X4 638 packs 4 cores / 4 threads, while the Ryzen 7 7800X3D offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Ryzen 7 7800X3D has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 2.7 GHz on the Athlon II X4 638 versus 5 GHz on the Ryzen 7 7800X3D — a 59.7% clock advantage for the Ryzen 7 7800X3D (base: 2.7 GHz vs 4.4 GHz). The Athlon II X4 638 uses the Llano (2011−2012) architecture (32 nm), while the Ryzen 7 7800X3D uses Raphael (Zen4) (2022−2023) (5 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon II X4 638 scores 2,260 against the Ryzen 7 7800X3D's 34,293 — a 175.3% lead for the Ryzen 7 7800X3D. L3 cache: 0 kB on the Athlon II X4 638 vs 96 MB (total) on the Ryzen 7 7800X3D.

Feature	Athlon II X4 638	Ryzen 7 7800X3D
Cores / Threads	4 / 4	8 / 16+100%
Boost Clock	2.7 GHz	5 GHz+85%
Base Clock	2.7 GHz	4.4 GHz+63%
L3 Cache	0 kB	96 MB (total)
L2 Cache	1 MB (per core)	1 MB (per core)
Process	32 nm	5 nm-84%
Architecture	Llano (2011−2012)	Raphael (Zen4) (2022−2023)
PassMark	2,260	34,293+1417%
Cinebench R23 Multi	—	18,500
Geekbench 6 Single	—	2,700
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	15,000

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Athlon II X4 638 uses the FM1 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Ryzen 7 7800X3D uses AM5 (PCIe 5.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR3-1866 on the Athlon II X4 638 versus DDR5-5200 on the Ryzen 7 7800X3D — the Ryzen 7 7800X3D supports 50% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Ryzen 7 7800X3D supports up to 128 GB of RAM compared to 64 GB — 66.7% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 16 (Athlon II X4 638) vs 28 (Ryzen 7 7800X3D) — the Ryzen 7 7800X3D offers 12 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: AMD FM1 (Athlon II X4 638) and X670E,X670,B650E,B650,A620 (Ryzen 7 7800X3D).

Feature	Athlon II X4 638	Ryzen 7 7800X3D
Socket	FM1	AM5
PCIe Generation	PCIe 2.0	PCIe 5.0+150%
Max RAM Speed	DDR3-1866	DDR5-5200+67%
Max RAM Capacity	64 GB	128 GB+100%
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	❌	✅
PCIe Lanes	16	28+75%

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Athlon II X4 638) / AMD-V (Ryzen 7 7800X3D). The Ryzen 7 7800X3D includes integrated graphics (AMD Radeon Graphics (2-core)), while the Athlon II X4 638 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Ryzen 7 7800X3D targets Gaming. Direct competitor: Ryzen 7 7800X3D rivals Intel Core i7-14700K.

Feature	Athlon II X4 638	Ryzen 7 7800X3D
Integrated GPU	No	Yes
IGPU Model	—	AMD Radeon Graphics (2-core)
Unlocked	—	Yes
AVX-512	—	Yes
Virtualization	—	AMD-V
Target Use	—	Gaming

💰

Value Analysis

The Athlon II X4 638 launched at $300 MSRP, while the Ryzen 7 7800X3D debuted at $449. At current prices ($280 vs $384), the Athlon II X4 638 is $104 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Athlon II X4 638 delivers 8.1 pts/$ vs 89.3 pts/$ for the Ryzen 7 7800X3D — making the Ryzen 7 7800X3D the 166.8% better value option.