Core i7-975 vs Athlon X4 950
Core i7-975
Athlon X4 950
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 Core i7-975 is positioned at rank 1084 and the Athlon X4 950 is on rank 344, so the Athlon X4 950 offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Core i7-975
Performance Per Dollar Athlon X4 950
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Core i7-975 | Athlon X4 950 |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ❌ Lower gaming performance | ✅ Superior gaming performance |
| Workstation | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks | ✅ Better multi-core power |
| Price | ⚠️ Higher cost ($50) | ✅ More affordable ($15) |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Bloomfield (2008−2010) / 45 nm) | ✨ Modern (Bristol Ridge (2016−2019) / 28 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Core i7-975 | Athlon X4 950 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ✅ Better overall value (+238%) |
| Upfront Cost | ⚠️ Higher cost ($50) | ✅ More affordable ($15) |
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 Core i7-975 and Athlon X4 950
Core i7-975
The Core i7-975 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2 June 2009 (16 years ago). It is based on the Bloomfield (2008−2010) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 3.33 GHz, with boost up to 3.6 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1366. Thermal design power (TDP): 130 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 3,527 points. Launch price was $476.
Athlon X4 950
The Athlon X4 950 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 27 July 2017 (8 years ago). It is based on the Bristol Ridge (2016−2019) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 3.5 GHz, with boost up to 3.8 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: 3,576 points. Launch price was $60.
Processing Power
The Core i7-975 packs 4 cores / 8 threads, matching the Athlon X4 950's 4 cores. Boost clocks reach 3.6 GHz on the Core i7-975 versus 3.8 GHz on the Athlon X4 950 — a 5.4% clock advantage for the Athlon X4 950 (base: 3.33 GHz vs 3.5 GHz). The Core i7-975 uses the Bloomfield (2008−2010) architecture (45 nm), while the Athlon X4 950 uses Bristol Ridge (2016−2019) (28 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-975 scores 3,527 against the Athlon X4 950's 3,576 — a 1.4% lead for the Athlon X4 950. L3 cache: 8 MB (total) on the Core i7-975 vs 0 kB on the Athlon X4 950.
| Feature | Core i7-975 | Athlon X4 950 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 4 / 8 | 4 / 4 |
| Boost Clock | 3.6 GHz | 3.8 GHz+6% |
| Base Clock | 3.33 GHz | 3.5 GHz+5% |
| L3 Cache | 8 MB (total) | 0 kB |
| L2 Cache | 256 kB (per core) | 512 kB (per core)+100% |
| Process | 45 nm | 28 nm-38% |
| Architecture | Bloomfield (2008−2010) | Bristol Ridge (2016−2019) |
| PassMark | 3,527 | 3,576+1% |
| Geekbench 6 Single | — | 656 |
| Geekbench 6 Multi | — | 1,637 |
Memory & Platform
The Core i7-975 uses the LGA1366 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Athlon X4 950 uses AM4 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Core i7-975 | Athlon X4 950 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | LGA1366 | AM4 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 2.0 | PCIe 3.0+50% |
| Max RAM Speed | — | DDR4-2400 |
| Max RAM Capacity | — | 64 GB |
| RAM Channels | — | 2 |
| ECC Support | — | ❌ |
| PCIe Lanes | — | 8 |
Advanced Features
Virtualization: not specified (Core i7-975) / AMD-V (Athlon X4 950).
| Feature | Core i7-975 | Athlon X4 950 |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | — | No |
| Unlocked | — | No |
| AVX-512 | — | No |
| Virtualization | — | AMD-V |
Value Analysis
The Core i7-975 launched at $999 MSRP, while the Athlon X4 950 debuted at $58. At current prices ($50 vs $15), the Athlon X4 950 is $35 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i7-975 delivers 70.5 pts/$ vs 238.4 pts/$ for the Athlon X4 950 — making the Athlon X4 950 the 108.7% better value option.
| Feature | Core i7-975 | Athlon X4 950 |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $999 | $58-94% |
| Avg Price (30d) | $50 | $15-70% |
| Performance per Dollar | 70.5 | 238.4+238% |
| Release Date | 2009 | 2017 |
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