FX-4100 vs Athlon X4 970
FX-4100
Athlon X4 970
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 FX-4100 is positioned at rank 728 and the Athlon X4 970 is on rank 582, 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 FX-4100
Performance Per Dollar Athlon X4 970
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | FX-4100 | Athlon X4 970 |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ✅ Superior gaming performance | ❌ Lower gaming performance |
| Workstation | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks | ✅ Better multi-core power |
| Price | ✅ More affordable ($20) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($85) |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Zambezi (2011−2012) / 32 nm) | ✨ Modern (Bristol Ridge (2016−2019) / 28 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | FX-4100 | Athlon X4 970 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ✅ Better overall value (+323%) | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ✅ More affordable ($20) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($85) |
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 FX-4100 and Athlon X4 970
FX-4100
The FX-4100 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 12 October 2011 (14 years ago). It is based on the Zambezi (2011−2012) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 3.6 GHz, with boost up to 3.8 GHz. L3 cache: 8192 kB. L2 cache: 4096 kB. Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: AM3+. Thermal design power (TDP): 95 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 2,630 points. Launch price was $69.
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.
Processing Power
Both the FX-4100 and Athlon X4 970 share an identical 4-core/4-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 3.8 GHz on the FX-4100 versus 4 GHz on the Athlon X4 970 — a 5.1% clock advantage for the Athlon X4 970 (base: 3.6 GHz vs 3.8 GHz). The FX-4100 uses the Zambezi (2011−2012) architecture (32 nm), while the Athlon X4 970 uses Bristol Ridge (2016−2019) (28 nm). In PassMark, the FX-4100 scores 2,630 against the Athlon X4 970's 2,644 — a 0.5% lead for the Athlon X4 970. L3 cache: 8192 kB on the FX-4100 vs 0 kB on the Athlon X4 970.
| Feature | FX-4100 | Athlon X4 970 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 4 / 4 | 4 / 4 |
| Boost Clock | 3.8 GHz | 4 GHz+5% |
| Base Clock | 3.6 GHz | 3.8 GHz+6% |
| L3 Cache | 8192 kB | 0 kB |
| L2 Cache | 4096 kB+700% | 512 kB (per core) |
| Process | 32 nm | 28 nm-13% |
| Architecture | Zambezi (2011−2012) | Bristol Ridge (2016−2019) |
| PassMark | 2,630 | 2,644 |
Memory & Platform
The FX-4100 uses the AM3+ socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Athlon X4 970 uses AM4 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | FX-4100 | Athlon X4 970 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | AM3+ | 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 |
Value Analysis
The FX-4100 launched at $115 MSRP, while the Athlon X4 970 debuted at $85. At current prices ($20 vs $85), the FX-4100 is $65 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the FX-4100 delivers 131.5 pts/$ vs 31.1 pts/$ for the Athlon X4 970 — making the FX-4100 the 123.5% better value option.
| Feature | FX-4100 | Athlon X4 970 |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $115 | $85-26% |
| Avg Price (30d) | $20-76% | $85 |
| Performance per Dollar | 131.5+323% | 31.1 |
| Release Date | 2011 | 2017 |
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