Pentium 977 vs Phenom II X2 550
Pentium 977
Phenom II X2 550
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 977 is positioned at rank 1117 and the Phenom II X2 550 is on rank 516, so the Phenom II X2 550 offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Pentium 977
Performance Per Dollar Phenom II X2 550
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Pentium 977 | Phenom II X2 550 |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ❌ Lower gaming performance | ✅ Superior gaming performance |
| Workstation | ✅ Better multi-core power | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks |
| Price | ⚠️ Higher cost ($10) | ✅ More affordable ($0) |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) / 32 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Callisto (2009−2010) / 45 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Pentium 977 | Phenom II X2 550 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ⚠️ Higher cost ($10) | ✅ More affordable ($0) |
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 977 and Phenom II X2 550
Pentium 977
The Pentium 977 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 January 2012 (13 years ago). It is based on the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 1.4 GHz, with boost up to 1.4 GHz. L3 cache: 2 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: BGA1023. Thermal design power (TDP): 17 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,148 points. Launch price was $134.
Phenom II X2 550
The Phenom II X2 550 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 4 November 2009 (16 years ago). It is based on the Callisto (2009−2010) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 3.1 GHz, with boost up to 3.1 GHz. L3 cache: 6 MB (total). L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: AM3. Thermal design power (TDP): 80 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,142 points. Launch price was $133.
Processing Power
Both the Pentium 977 and Phenom II X2 550 share an identical 2-core/2-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 1.4 GHz on the Pentium 977 versus 3.1 GHz on the Phenom II X2 550 — a 75.6% clock advantage for the Phenom II X2 550 (base: 1.4 GHz vs 3.1 GHz). The Pentium 977 uses the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture (32 nm), while the Phenom II X2 550 uses Callisto (2009−2010) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Pentium 977 scores 1,148 against the Phenom II X2 550's 1,142 — a 0.5% lead for the Pentium 977. L3 cache: 2 MB (total) on the Pentium 977 vs 6 MB (total) on the Phenom II X2 550.
| Feature | Pentium 977 | Phenom II X2 550 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 2 / 2 | 2 / 2 |
| Boost Clock | 1.4 GHz | 3.1 GHz+121% |
| Base Clock | 1.4 GHz | 3.1 GHz+121% |
| L3 Cache | 2 MB (total) | 6 MB (total)+200% |
| L2 Cache | 256K (per core) | 512 kB (per core)+100% |
| Process | 32 nm-29% | 45 nm |
| Architecture | Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) | Callisto (2009−2010) |
| PassMark | 1,148 | 1,142 |
Memory & Platform
The Pentium 977 uses the BGA1023 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Phenom II X2 550 uses AM3 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Pentium 977 | Phenom II X2 550 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | BGA1023 | AM3 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 2.0 | PCIe 2.0 |
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The most powerful cpus ranked by PassMark CPU Mark benchmark scores.
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