Athlon II X4 640 vs Pentium 4417U

Athlon II X4 640 vs Pentium 4417U Performance Spectrum

Athlon II X4 640

4 / 4

2,266

+0.3%

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7955WX

Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

Pentium 4417U

2 / 4

2,260

0.0%

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 640 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 640 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 640

2010

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +4.0% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Pentium 4417U.

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $80 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

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Athlon II X4 640 across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (2,260 vs 2,266).
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Athlon II X4 640.

Quick Answers

So, is Athlon II X4 640 better than Pentium 4417U?

Yes. Athlon II X4 640 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 and 0.3% better PassMark, which is enough to make it the stronger overall pick.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Athlon II X4 640 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 640 is the stronger fit. You are getting 0.3% better PassMark, backed by 4 cores and 4 threads.

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

Athlon II X4 640 is the better buy right now. Athlon II X4 640 comes in at an unclear MSRP at $80 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it still gives you a 4.0% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (28.3 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), so you are getting the faster CPU without taking a value hit on paper.

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

Pentium 4417U makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2019 vs 2010). That makes it the safer long-term bet.

Athlon II X4 640 vs Pentium 4417U Technical Specifications

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

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.

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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	—

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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	No	—
PCIe Lanes	16	—

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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.