Athlon X4 845 vs PRO A12-9800

Athlon X4 845 vs PRO A12-9800 Performance Spectrum

Athlon X4 845

4 / 4

3,768

+0.5%

Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

PRO A12-9800

4 / 4

3,751

0.0%

Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

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 845 vs PRO A12-9800 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 845 vs PRO A12-9800: 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 845

2016

Why buy it

✅+0.5% higher PassMark.
✅Costs $40 less on MSRP ($70 MSRP vs $110 MSRP).
✅Delivers 57.9% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 53.8 vs 34.1 PassMark/$ ($70 MSRP vs $110 MSRP).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (8 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Fewer obvious downsides in this matchup outside of normal market pricing swings.

PRO A12-9800

2016

Why buy it

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (3,751 vs 3,768).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 34.1 vs 53.8 PassMark/$ ($110 MSRP vs $70 MSRP).

Quick Answers

So, is Athlon X4 845 better than PRO A12-9800?

It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, PRO A12-9800 is ahead with a 0.2% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Athlon X4 845 pulls ahead with 0.5% better PassMark.

Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Athlon X4 845 is the stronger fit. You are getting 0.5% better PassMark, backed by 4 cores and 4 threads.

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

Athlon X4 845 is the better buy right now. Athlon X4 845 comes in $40 cheaper on MSRP at $70 MSRP versus $110 MSRP, and it still gives you 0.5% better PassMark. The compromise is that PRO A12-9800 is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 0.2% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 57.9% better value on MSRP (53.8 vs 34.1 PassMark/$), so you are getting the faster CPU without taking a value hit on paper. That said, if you already own a compatible AM4 + DDR4 setup, PRO A12-9800 can still make sense as a platform-matched option because it avoids a motherboard and RAM swap, but on MSRP alone you would want to find it meaningfully cheaper in real-world listings before that path becomes easy to justify.

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

PRO A12-9800 is the safer long-term CPU choice because it gives you more room to grow and a better platform outlook.

Athlon X4 845 vs PRO A12-9800 Technical Specifications

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

Athlon X4 845

The Athlon X4 845 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2009-01-01. It is based on the Carrizo (2015−2018) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 3.5 GHz, with boost up to 3.8 GHz. L2 cache: 2 MB. Built on 28 nm process technology. Socket: FM2+. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR3-2133. Passmark benchmark score: 3,768 points. Launch price was $149.

PRO A12-9800

The PRO A12-9800 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 3 October 2016 (9 years ago). It is based on the Bristol Ridge (2016−2019) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 3.8 GHz, with boost up to 4.2 GHz. L2 cache: 2048 kB. Built on 28 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2400. Passmark benchmark score: 3,751 points. Launch price was $69.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Athlon X4 845 and PRO A12-9800 share an identical 4-core/4-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 3.8 GHz on the Athlon X4 845 versus 4.2 GHz on the PRO A12-9800 — a 10% clock advantage for the PRO A12-9800 (base: 3.5 GHz vs 3.8 GHz). The Athlon X4 845 uses the Carrizo (2015−2018) architecture (28 nm), while the PRO A12-9800 uses Bristol Ridge (2016−2019) (28 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon X4 845 scores 3,768 against the PRO A12-9800's 3,751 — a 0.5% lead for the Athlon X4 845.

Feature	Athlon X4 845	PRO A12-9800
Cores / Threads	4 / 4	4 / 4
Boost Clock	3.8 GHz	4.2 GHz+11%
Base Clock	3.5 GHz	3.8 GHz+9%
L2 Cache	2 MB	2048 kB
Process	28 nm	28 nm
Architecture	Carrizo (2015−2018)	Bristol Ridge (2016−2019)
PassMark	3,768	3,751

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Athlon X4 845 uses the FM2+ socket (PCIe 3.0), while the PRO A12-9800 uses AM4 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Athlon X4 845	PRO A12-9800
Socket	FM2+	AM4
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR3-2133	—
Max RAM Capacity	64 GB	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	No	—
PCIe Lanes	8	—

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the Athlon X4 845 was priced at $70, while the PRO A12-9800 came in at $110. On launch pricing ($70 vs $110), Athlon X4 845 was $40 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Athlon X4 845 delivers 53.8 pts/$ vs 34.1 pts/$ for the PRO A12-9800 — making the Athlon X4 845 the 44.9% better value option.

Feature	Athlon X4 845	PRO A12-9800
MSRP	$70-36%	$110
Performance per Dollar	53.8+58%	34.1
Release Date	2016	2016

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