Pentium 2129Y vs Phenom II X2 N640
Pentium 2129Y
Phenom II X2 N640
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 Phenom II X2 N640 is on rank 977, so the Pentium 2129Y offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Pentium 2129Y
Performance Per Dollar Phenom II X2 N640
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Pentium 2129Y | Phenom II X2 N640 |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ❌ Lower gaming performance | ✅ Superior gaming performance |
| Workstation | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks | ✅ Better multi-core power |
| Price | ✅ More affordable ($0) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($55) |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) / 22 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Champlain (2010−2011) / 45 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Pentium 2129Y | Phenom II X2 N640 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ✅ More affordable ($0) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($55) |
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 2129Y and Phenom II X2 N640
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.
Phenom II X2 N640
The Phenom II X2 N640 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2009-01-01. It is based on the Champlain (2010−2011) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Max frequency: 2.9 GHz. L2 cache: 2 MB. Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: S1. Thermal design power (TDP): 2 MB. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,505 points. Launch price was $149.
Processing Power
Both the Pentium 2129Y and Phenom II X2 N640 share an identical 2-core/2-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 1.1 GHz on the Pentium 2129Y versus 2.9 GHz on the Phenom II X2 N640 — a 90% clock advantage for the Phenom II X2 N640. The Pentium 2129Y uses the Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) architecture (22 nm), while the Phenom II X2 N640 uses Champlain (2010−2011) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Pentium 2129Y scores 1,502 against the Phenom II X2 N640's 1,505 — a 0.2% lead for the Phenom II X2 N640.
| Feature | Pentium 2129Y | Phenom II X2 N640 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 2 / 2 | 2 / 2 |
| Boost Clock | 1.1 GHz | 2.9 GHz+164% |
| Base Clock | 1.1 GHz | — |
| L3 Cache | 2 MB (total) | — |
| L2 Cache | 256K (per core) | 2 MB+700% |
| Process | 22 nm-51% | 45 nm |
| Architecture | Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) | Champlain (2010−2011) |
| PassMark | 1,502 | 1,505 |
| Geekbench 6 Single | — | 300 |
| Geekbench 6 Multi | — | 422 |
Memory & Platform
The Pentium 2129Y uses the BGA1023 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Phenom II X2 N640 uses S1 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Pentium 2129Y | Phenom II X2 N640 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | BGA1023 | S1 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 3.0+50% | PCIe 2.0 |
| Max RAM Speed | — | DDR3-1333 |
| Max RAM Capacity | — | 8 GB |
| RAM Channels | — | 2 |
| ECC Support | — | ❌ |
| PCIe Lanes | — | 16 |
Advanced Features
Virtualization: not specified (Pentium 2129Y) / AMD-V (Phenom II X2 N640). Primary use case: Phenom II X2 N640 targets Legacy Laptop.
| Feature | Pentium 2129Y | Phenom II X2 N640 |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | — | No |
| IGPU Model | — | None |
| Unlocked | — | No |
| AVX-512 | — | No |
| Virtualization | — | AMD-V |
| Target Use | — | Legacy Laptop |
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