CPU
GPU
Athlon II X4 640
Pentium 4417U
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 640 is positioned at rank 621 and the Pentium 4417U is on rank 497, so the Pentium 4417U 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 640
Performance Per Dollar Pentium 4417U
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Athlon II X4 640 | Pentium 4417U |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ✅ Superior gaming performance | ❌ Lower gaming performance |
| Workstation | ✅ Better multi-core power | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks |
| Price | ⚠️ Higher cost ($15) | ✅ More affordable ($0) |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Propus (2009−2011) / 45 nm) | ✨ Modern (NetBurst (2000−2006) / 14 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Athlon II X4 640 | Pentium 4417U |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ⚠️ Higher cost ($15) | ✅ 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 640 and Pentium 4417U
Athlon II X4 640
The Athlon II X4 640 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 11 May 2010 (15 years ago). It is based on the Propus (2009−2011) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 3 GHz, with boost up to 3 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: 2,266 points. Launch price was $80.
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.
Processing Power
The Athlon II X4 640 packs 4 cores / 4 threads, while the Pentium 4417U offers 2 cores / 4 threads — the Athlon II X4 640 has 2 more cores. The Athlon II X4 640 uses the Propus (2009−2011) architecture (45 nm), while the Pentium 4417U uses NetBurst (2000−2006) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon II X4 640 scores 2,266 against the Pentium 4417U's 2,260 — a 0.3% lead for the Athlon II X4 640. L3 cache: 0 kB on the Athlon II X4 640 vs 2 MB SmartCache on the Pentium 4417U.
| Feature | Athlon II X4 640 | Pentium 4417U |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 4 / 4+100% | 2 / 4 |
| Boost Clock | 3 GHz | — |
| Base Clock | 3 GHz+30% | 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 | 2,266 | 2,260 |
| Cinebench R23 Multi | 1,471 | — |
| Geekbench 6 Single | 386 | — |
| Geekbench 6 Multi | 1,332 | — |
Memory & Platform
The Athlon II X4 640 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 640 | Pentium 4417U |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | AM3 | BGA1356 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 2.0 | PCIe 3.0+50% |
| 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 640) / not specified (Pentium 4417U). Primary use case: Athlon II X4 640 targets Budget. Direct competitor: Athlon II X4 640 rivals Core 2 Quad Q8300.
| Feature | Athlon II X4 640 | Pentium 4417U |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | No | — |
| Unlocked | No | — |
| AVX-512 | No | — |
| Virtualization | AMD-V | — |
| Target Use | Budget | — |
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The most powerful cpus ranked by PassMark CPU Mark benchmark scores.
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