Pentium 2129Y
VS
Athlon II Neo K125

Pentium 2129Y vs Athlon II Neo K125

Intel

Pentium 2129Y

2 Cores2 Thrd512 WWMax: 1.1 GHz2012
VS
AMD

Athlon II Neo K125

1 Cores1 Thrd1 WWMax: 1.7 GHz2010

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 2129Y is positioned at rank 590 and the Athlon II Neo K125 is on rank 982, so the Pentium 2129Y offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.

MSRP is the manufacturer's suggested retail price.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.

Performance Per Dollar Pentium 2129Y

#184
Core Ultra 7 266V
MSRP: $520|Avg: $520
99%
#578
Atom x5-Z8300
MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A
781%
#579
Atom Z3735G
MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A
770%
#580
Core i5-480M
MSRP: $81|Avg: $77
707%
#581
Core i5-460M
MSRP: $80|Avg: $129
704%
#582
Core i5-2540M
MSRP: $266|Avg: $10
697%
#584
Core i5-450M
MSRP: $32|Avg: $31
673%
#585
Core i3-380M
MSRP: $49|Avg: $25
646%
#586
Core i5-430M
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33
644%
#587
Core 2 Duo T6600
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4
627%
#590
Pentium 2129Y
MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A
100%
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Athlon II Neo K125

#970
Atom x5-Z8300
MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A
1968%
#971
Atom Z3735G
MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A
1939%
#972
Core i5-480M
MSRP: $81|Avg: $77
1780%
#973
Core i5-460M
MSRP: $80|Avg: $129
1772%
#974
Core i5-2540M
MSRP: $266|Avg: $10
1756%
#976
Core i5-450M
MSRP: $32|Avg: $31
1696%
#977
Core i3-380M
MSRP: $49|Avg: $25
1626%
#978
Core i5-430M
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33
1623%
#979
Core 2 Duo T6600
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4
1579%
#982
Athlon II Neo K125
MSRP: $100|Avg: $100
100%
#986
Pro A8-8600B
MSRP: $150|Avg: $25
99%
#991
Pentium 8500
MSRP: $200|Avg: $200
97%
#992
A6-8500P
MSRP: $100|Avg: $16
97%
#994
Core i7-4700EQ
MSRP: $378|Avg: $180
96%
#995
Core i3-8145UE
MSRP: $281|Avg: $50
96%
#996
Core i7-4712MQ
MSRP: $378|Avg: $60
94%
#997
Core i7-3615QE
MSRP: $400|Avg: $100
94%
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Trade-off: The Athlon II Neo K125 leads in gaming performance. However, the Pentium 2129Y is the stronger candidate for professional workloads, offering 0.7% greater multi-core processing power.
InsightPentium 2129YAthlon II Neo K125
Gaming
Lower gaming performance
Superior gaming performance
Workstation
Better multi-core power
Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price
More affordable ($0)
⚠️ Higher cost ($100)
Longevity
🛑 Legacy (Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) / 22 nm)
🛑 Legacy (Geneva (2010) / 45 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

InsightPentium 2129YAthlon II Neo K125
Cost Efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost
More affordable ($0)
⚠️ Higher cost ($100)

Performance Check

Paired with RTX 4090

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 2129Y and Athlon II Neo K125

Intel

Pentium 2129Y

The Pentium 2129Y 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 1.1 GHz, with boost up to 1.1 GHz. L3 cache: 2 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: BGA1023. Thermal design power (TDP): 10 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,502 points. Launch price was $150.

AMD

Athlon II Neo K125

The Athlon II Neo K125 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2009-01-01. It is based on the Geneva (2010) architecture. It features 1 cores and 1 threads. Max frequency: 1.7 GHz. L2 cache: 1 MB. Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: S1. Thermal design power (TDP): 1 MB. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,491 points. Launch price was $149.

Processing Power

The Pentium 2129Y packs 2 cores / 2 threads, while the Athlon II Neo K125 offers 1 cores / 1 threads — the Pentium 2129Y has 1 more core. Boost clocks reach 1.1 GHz on the Pentium 2129Y versus 1.7 GHz on the Athlon II Neo K125 — a 42.9% clock advantage for the Athlon II Neo K125. The Pentium 2129Y uses the Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) architecture (22 nm), while the Athlon II Neo K125 uses Geneva (2010) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Pentium 2129Y scores 1,502 against the Athlon II Neo K125's 1,491 — a 0.7% lead for the Pentium 2129Y.

FeaturePentium 2129YAthlon II Neo K125
Cores / Threads
2 / 2+100%
1 / 1
Boost Clock
1.1 GHz
1.7 GHz+55%
Base Clock
1.1 GHz
L3 Cache
2 MB (total)
L2 Cache
256K (per core)
1 MB+300%
Process
22 nm-51%
45 nm
Architecture
Ivy Bridge (2012−2013)
Geneva (2010)
PassMark
1,502
1,491
🧠

Memory & Platform

The Pentium 2129Y uses the BGA1023 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Athlon II Neo K125 uses S1 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

FeaturePentium 2129YAthlon II Neo K125
Socket
BGA1023
S1
PCIe Generation
PCIe 3.0+50%
PCIe 2.0
Max RAM Speed
DDR3-800
Max RAM Capacity
4 GB
RAM Channels
2
ECC Support
PCIe Lanes
0