CPU
GPU
Athlon X4 970
Core i3-6100U
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 X4 970 is positioned at rank 582 and the Core i3-6100U is on rank 772, so the Athlon X4 970 offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Athlon X4 970
Performance Per Dollar Core i3-6100U
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Athlon X4 970 | Core i3-6100U |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ✅ Superior gaming performance | ❌ Lower gaming performance |
| Workstation | ✅ Better multi-core power | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks |
| Price | ⚠️ Higher cost ($85) | ✅ More affordable ($0) |
| Longevity | ✨ Modern (Bristol Ridge (2016−2019) / 28 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Skylake (2015−2016) / 14 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Athlon X4 970 | Core i3-6100U |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ⚠️ Higher cost ($85) | ✅ 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 X4 970 and Core i3-6100U
Athlon X4 970
The Athlon X4 970 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2009-01-01. 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 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 28 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4 Dual-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 2,644 points. Launch price was $149.
Core i3-6100U
The Core i3-6100U is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 September 2015 (10 years ago). It is based on the Skylake (2015−2016) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.3 GHz, with boost up to 2.3 GHz. L3 cache: 3 MB. L2 cache: 512 kB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: BGA1356. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR3, DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 2,631 points. Launch price was $281.
Processing Power
The Athlon X4 970 packs 4 cores / 4 threads, while the Core i3-6100U offers 2 cores / 4 threads — the Athlon X4 970 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4 GHz on the Athlon X4 970 versus 2.3 GHz on the Core i3-6100U — a 54% clock advantage for the Athlon X4 970 (base: 3.8 GHz vs 2.3 GHz). The Athlon X4 970 uses the Bristol Ridge (2016−2019) architecture (28 nm), while the Core i3-6100U uses Skylake (2015−2016) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon X4 970 scores 2,644 against the Core i3-6100U's 2,631 — a 0.5% lead for the Athlon X4 970. L3 cache: 0 kB on the Athlon X4 970 vs 3 MB on the Core i3-6100U.
| Feature | Athlon X4 970 | Core i3-6100U |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 4 / 4+100% | 2 / 4 |
| Boost Clock | 4 GHz+74% | 2.3 GHz |
| Base Clock | 3.8 GHz+65% | 2.3 GHz |
| L3 Cache | 0 kB | 3 MB |
| L2 Cache | 512 kB (per core) | 512 kB |
| Process | 28 nm | 14 nm-50% |
| Architecture | Bristol Ridge (2016−2019) | Skylake (2015−2016) |
| PassMark | 2,644 | 2,631 |
Memory & Platform
The Athlon X4 970 uses the AM4 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core i3-6100U uses BGA1356 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Athlon X4 970 | Core i3-6100U |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | AM4 | BGA1356 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 3.0 | PCIe 3.0 |
| Max RAM Speed | DDR4-2400 | — |
| Max RAM Capacity | 64 GB | — |
| RAM Channels | 2 | — |
| ECC Support | ❌ | — |
| PCIe Lanes | 8 | — |
Top Performing CPUs
The most powerful cpus ranked by PassMark CPU Mark benchmark scores.
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