Athlon X4 730 vs Phenom II X4 925

AMD

Athlon X4 730

4 Cores4 Thrd65 WWMax: 3.2 GHz2012
VS
AMD

Phenom II X4 925

4 Cores4 Thrd95 WWMax: 2.8 GHz2009

Athlon X4 730 vs Phenom II X4 925 Performance Spectrum

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 X4 730 vs Phenom II X4 925 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 X4 730 vs Phenom II X4 925: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each CPU makes more sense in practice: gaming, heavier work, platform cost, power draw, and upgrade path.

Athlon X4 730

2012

Why buy it

  • βœ…Better for gaming: +4.8% higher average FPS across 47 shared CPU benchmark tests.
  • βœ…Draws 65W instead of 95W, a 30W reduction.
  • βœ…100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

  • ❌Launch MSRP is still $60 MSRP, while Phenom II X4 925 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

Phenom II X4 925

2009

Why buy it

    Trade-offs

    • ❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Athlon X4 730 across 47 shared CPU benchmark tests.
    • ❌Lower PassMark (2,261 vs 2,278).
    • ❌46.2% higher power demand at 95W vs 65W.

    Quick Answers

    So, is Athlon X4 730 better than Phenom II X4 925?
    Yes. Athlon X4 730 is the better all-around CPU here. It gives you a 4.8% average FPS lead across 47 shared CPU game tests in our data, 0.8% 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 X4 730 is the better pick. According to our tests, it delivers 4.8% more average FPS across 47 shared CPU game tests.
    Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?
    For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Athlon X4 730 is the stronger fit. You are getting 0.8% better PassMark, backed by 4 cores and 4 threads.
    Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?
    Athlon X4 730 is the better buy right now. Athlon X4 730 comes in at an unclear MSRP at $60 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it still gives you a 4.8% average FPS lead across 47 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (38.0 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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 X4 730 makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2012 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 X4 730 vs Phenom II X4 925 Technical Specifications

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

    AMD

    Athlon X4 730

    The Athlon X4 730 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2009-01-01. It is based on the Trinity (2012βˆ’2013) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.8 GHz, with boost up to 3.2 GHz. L2 cache: 4 MB (total). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: FM2. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR3-1866. Passmark benchmark score: 2,278 points. Launch price was $149.

    AMD

    Phenom II X4 925

    The Phenom II X4 925 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 11 May 2009 (16 years ago). It is based on the Deneb (2009βˆ’2011) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.8 GHz, with boost up to 2.8 GHz. L3 cache: 6 MB (total). 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: 2,261 points. Launch price was $160.

    ⚑

    Processing Power

    Both the Athlon X4 730 and Phenom II X4 925 share an identical 4-core/4-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 3.2 GHz on the Athlon X4 730 versus 2.8 GHz on the Phenom II X4 925 β€” a 13.3% clock advantage for the Athlon X4 730 (base: 2.8 GHz vs 2.8 GHz). The Athlon X4 730 uses the Trinity (2012βˆ’2013) architecture (32 nm), while the Phenom II X4 925 uses Deneb (2009βˆ’2011) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon X4 730 scores 2,278 against the Phenom II X4 925's 2,261 β€” a 0.7% lead for the Athlon X4 730.

    FeatureAthlon X4 730Phenom II X4 925
    Cores / Threads
    4 / 4
    4 / 4
    Boost Clock
    3.2 GHz+14%
    2.8 GHz
    Base Clock
    2.8 GHz
    2.8 GHz
    L3 Cache
    β€”
    6 MB (total)
    L2 Cache
    4 MB (total)+700%
    512 kB (per core)
    Process
    32 nm-29%
    45 nm
    Architecture
    Trinity (2012βˆ’2013)
    Deneb (2009βˆ’2011)
    PassMark
    2,278
    2,261
    🧠

    Memory & Platform

    The Athlon X4 730 uses the FM2 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Phenom II X4 925 uses AM3 (PCIe 2.0) β€” making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

    FeatureAthlon X4 730Phenom II X4 925
    Socket
    FM2
    AM3
    PCIe Generation
    PCIe 2.0
    PCIe 2.0
    Max RAM Speed
    DDR3-1866
    β€”
    Max RAM Capacity
    64 GB
    β€”
    RAM Channels
    2
    β€”
    ECC Support
    No
    β€”
    PCIe Lanes
    16
    β€”