Athlon X4 970 vs Pentium G4520
Athlon X4 970
Pentium G4520
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 Pentium G4520 is on rank 584, 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 Pentium G4520
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Athlon X4 970 | Pentium G4520 |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ✅ Superior gaming performance | ❌ Lower gaming performance |
| Workstation | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks | ✅ Better multi-core power |
| Price | ⚠️ Higher cost ($85) | ✅ More affordable ($45) |
| Longevity | ✨ Modern (Bristol Ridge (2016−2019) / 28 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Skylake (2015−2016) / 14 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Athlon X4 970 | Pentium G4520 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ✅ Better overall value (+91%) |
| Upfront Cost | ⚠️ Higher cost ($85) | ✅ More affordable ($45) |
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 Pentium G4520
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.
Pentium G4520
The Pentium G4520 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 2 threads. Base frequency is 3.6 GHz, with boost up to 3.6 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1151. Thermal design power (TDP): 51 Watt. Memory support: DDR3, DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 2,670 points. Launch price was $93.
Processing Power
The Athlon X4 970 packs 4 cores / 4 threads, while the Pentium G4520 offers 2 cores / 2 threads — the Athlon X4 970 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4 GHz on the Athlon X4 970 versus 3.6 GHz on the Pentium G4520 — a 10.5% clock advantage for the Athlon X4 970 (base: 3.8 GHz vs 3.6 GHz). The Athlon X4 970 uses the Bristol Ridge (2016−2019) architecture (28 nm), while the Pentium G4520 uses Skylake (2015−2016) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon X4 970 scores 2,644 against the Pentium G4520's 2,670 — a 1% lead for the Pentium G4520. L3 cache: 0 kB on the Athlon X4 970 vs 4 MB (total) on the Pentium G4520.
| Feature | Athlon X4 970 | Pentium G4520 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 4 / 4+100% | 2 / 2 |
| Boost Clock | 4 GHz+11% | 3.6 GHz |
| Base Clock | 3.8 GHz+6% | 3.6 GHz |
| L3 Cache | 0 kB | 4 MB (total) |
| L2 Cache | 512 kB (per core)+100% | 256K (per core) |
| Process | 28 nm | 14 nm-50% |
| Architecture | Bristol Ridge (2016−2019) | Skylake (2015−2016) |
| PassMark | 2,644 | 2,670 |
Memory & Platform
The Athlon X4 970 uses the AM4 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Pentium G4520 uses LGA1151 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Athlon X4 970 | Pentium G4520 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | AM4 | LGA1151 |
| 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 | — |
Value Analysis
The Athlon X4 970 launched at $85 MSRP, while the Pentium G4520 debuted at $86. At current prices ($85 vs $45), the Pentium G4520 is $40 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Athlon X4 970 delivers 31.1 pts/$ vs 59.3 pts/$ for the Pentium G4520 — making the Pentium G4520 the 62.4% better value option.
| Feature | Athlon X4 970 | Pentium G4520 |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $85-1% | $86 |
| Avg Price (30d) | $85 | $45-47% |
| Performance per Dollar | 31.1 | 59.3+91% |
| Release Date | 2017 | 2015 |
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