Athlon X4 970 vs Pro A12-8800B
Athlon X4 970
Pro A12-8800B
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 Pro A12-8800B is on rank 1174, 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 Pro A12-8800B
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Athlon X4 970 | Pro A12-8800B |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ✅ Superior gaming performance | ❌ Lower gaming performance |
| Workstation | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks | ✅ Better multi-core power |
| Price | ⚠️ Higher cost ($85) | ✅ More affordable ($40) |
| Longevity | ✨ Modern (Bristol Ridge (2016−2019) / 28 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Carrizo (2015−2018) / 28 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Athlon X4 970 | Pro A12-8800B |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ✅ Better overall value (+114%) |
| Upfront Cost | ⚠️ Higher cost ($85) | ✅ More affordable ($40) |
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 Pro A12-8800B
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.
Pro A12-8800B
The Pro A12-8800B is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 3 June 2015 (10 years ago). It is based on the Carrizo (2015−2018) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.1 GHz, with boost up to 3.4 GHz. L2 cache: 2048 kB. Built on 28 nm process technology. Socket: FP4. Thermal design power (TDP): 2 MB. Memory support: DDR3/DDR3L-2133. Passmark benchmark score: 2,667 points. Launch price was $69.
Processing Power
Both the Athlon X4 970 and Pro A12-8800B share an identical 4-core/4-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 4 GHz on the Athlon X4 970 versus 3.4 GHz on the Pro A12-8800B — a 16.2% clock advantage for the Athlon X4 970 (base: 3.8 GHz vs 2.1 GHz). The Athlon X4 970 uses the Bristol Ridge (2016−2019) architecture (28 nm), while the Pro A12-8800B uses Carrizo (2015−2018) (28 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon X4 970 scores 2,644 against the Pro A12-8800B's 2,667 — a 0.9% lead for the Pro A12-8800B.
| Feature | Athlon X4 970 | Pro A12-8800B |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 4 / 4 | 4 / 4 |
| Boost Clock | 4 GHz+18% | 3.4 GHz |
| Base Clock | 3.8 GHz+81% | 2.1 GHz |
| L3 Cache | 0 kB | — |
| L2 Cache | 512 kB (per core) | 2048 kB+300% |
| Process | 28 nm | 28 nm |
| Architecture | Bristol Ridge (2016−2019) | Carrizo (2015−2018) |
| PassMark | 2,644 | 2,667 |
| Geekbench 6 Single | — | 528 |
| Geekbench 6 Multi | — | 1,144 |
Memory & Platform
The Athlon X4 970 uses the AM4 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Pro A12-8800B uses FP4 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR4-2400 on the Athlon X4 970 versus DDR3-2133 on the Pro A12-8800B — the Athlon X4 970 supports 28.6% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. Both support up to 64 GB of RAM. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 8 (Athlon X4 970) vs 16 (Pro A12-8800B) — the Pro A12-8800B offers 8 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: AMD AM4 (Athlon X4 970) and Socket FP4 (Pro A12-8800B).
| Feature | Athlon X4 970 | Pro A12-8800B |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | AM4 | FP4 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 3.0 | PCIe 3.0 |
| Max RAM Speed | DDR4-2400+33% | DDR3-2133 |
| Max RAM Capacity | 64 GB | 64 GB |
| RAM Channels | 2 | 2 |
| ECC Support | ❌ | ❌ |
| PCIe Lanes | 8 | 16+100% |
Advanced Features
Virtualization: not specified (Athlon X4 970) / AMD-V (Pro A12-8800B). The Pro A12-8800B includes integrated graphics (Radeon R7 Graphics), while the Athlon X4 970 requires a dedicated GPU.
| Feature | Athlon X4 970 | Pro A12-8800B |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | No | Yes |
| IGPU Model | — | Radeon R7 Graphics |
| Unlocked | — | No |
| AVX-512 | — | No |
| Virtualization | — | AMD-V |
Value Analysis
The Athlon X4 970 launched at $85 MSRP, while the Pro A12-8800B debuted at $400. At current prices ($85 vs $40), the Pro A12-8800B is $45 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Athlon X4 970 delivers 31.1 pts/$ vs 66.7 pts/$ for the Pro A12-8800B — making the Pro A12-8800B the 72.8% better value option.
| Feature | Athlon X4 970 | Pro A12-8800B |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $85-79% | $400 |
| Avg Price (30d) | $85 | $40-53% |
| Performance per Dollar | 31.1 | 66.7+114% |
| Release Date | 2017 | 2015 |
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The most powerful cpus ranked by PassMark CPU Mark benchmark scores.
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