Pentium 2117U vs Athlon II X2 215
Pentium 2117U
Athlon II X2 215
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 Pentium 2117U is positioned at rank 117 and the Athlon II X2 215 is on rank 739, so the Pentium 2117U offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Pentium 2117U
Performance Per Dollar Athlon II X2 215
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Pentium 2117U | Athlon II X2 215 |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ❌ Lower gaming performance | ✅ Superior gaming performance |
| Workstation | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks | ✅ Better multi-core power |
| Price | ✅ More affordable ($0) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($10) |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) / 22 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Regor (2009−2013) / 45 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Pentium 2117U | Athlon II X2 215 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ✅ More affordable ($0) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($10) |
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 Pentium 2117U and Athlon II X2 215
Pentium 2117U
The Pentium 2117U is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 September 2012 (13 years ago). It is based on the Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 1.8 GHz, with boost up to 1.8 GHz. L3 cache: 2 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: BGA1023. Thermal design power (TDP): 17 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,009 points. Launch price was $134.
Athlon II X2 215
The Athlon II X2 215 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 20 October 2009 (16 years ago). It is based on the Regor (2009−2013) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 2.7 GHz, with boost up to 2.7 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 512 kB. Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: AM3. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,011 points. Launch price was $45.
Processing Power
Both the Pentium 2117U and Athlon II X2 215 share an identical 2-core/2-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 1.8 GHz on the Pentium 2117U versus 2.7 GHz on the Athlon II X2 215 — a 40% clock advantage for the Athlon II X2 215 (base: 1.8 GHz vs 2.7 GHz). The Pentium 2117U uses the Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) architecture (22 nm), while the Athlon II X2 215 uses Regor (2009−2013) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Pentium 2117U scores 1,009 against the Athlon II X2 215's 1,011 — a 0.2% lead for the Athlon II X2 215. L3 cache: 2 MB (total) on the Pentium 2117U vs 0 kB on the Athlon II X2 215.
| Feature | Pentium 2117U | Athlon II X2 215 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 2 / 2 | 2 / 2 |
| Boost Clock | 1.8 GHz | 2.7 GHz+50% |
| Base Clock | 1.8 GHz | 2.7 GHz+50% |
| L3 Cache | 2 MB (total) | 0 kB |
| L2 Cache | 256K (per core) | 512 kB+100% |
| Process | 22 nm-51% | 45 nm |
| Architecture | Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) | Regor (2009−2013) |
| PassMark | 1,009 | 1,011 |
| Geekbench 6 Single | — | 274 |
| Geekbench 6 Multi | — | 674 |
Memory & Platform
The Pentium 2117U uses the BGA1023 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Athlon II X2 215 uses AM3 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Pentium 2117U | Athlon II X2 215 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | BGA1023 | AM3 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 3.0+50% | PCIe 2.0 |
| Max RAM Speed | — | 1333 |
| Max RAM Capacity | — | 16 |
| RAM Channels | — | 2 |
| ECC Support | — | ❌ |
| PCIe Lanes | — | 0 |
Advanced Features
Virtualization: not specified (Pentium 2117U) / true (Athlon II X2 215). Primary use case: Athlon II X2 215 targets Budget. Direct competitor: Athlon II X2 215 rivals Pentium E5400.
| Feature | Pentium 2117U | Athlon II X2 215 |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | — | No |
| IGPU Model | — | None |
| Unlocked | — | No |
| AVX-512 | — | No |
| Virtualization | — | true |
| Target Use | — | Budget |
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