Pentium 997 vs A4-9120

Pentium 997

2 Cores2 Thrd17 WWMax: 1.6 GHz2012

A4-9120

2 Cores2 Thrd1 WWMax: 2.5 GHz2017

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Pentium 997

2 / 2

1,215

0.0%

1,222

+0.6%

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3955WX

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7955WX

Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

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 997 is positioned at rank 1104 and the A4-9120 is on rank 871, so the A4-9120 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 997

#1092

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

3235%

#1093

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

3187%

#1094

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

2926%

#1095

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

2913%

#1096

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

2886%

#1098

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

2787%

#1099

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

2673%

#1100

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

2668%

#1101

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

2596%

#1104

Pentium 997

MSRP: $134|Avg: $10

100%

#1105

Pentium A1018

MSRP: $132|Avg: $15

99%

#1106

Core i5-2430M

MSRP: $225|Avg: N/A

99%

#1108

Pentium Dual Core T4500

MSRP: $150|Avg: $30

98%

#1109

Celeron B820

MSRP: $86|Avg: $15

98%

#1110

Pentium B980

MSRP: $125|Avg: $35

97%

#1111

Celeron 867

MSRP: $86|Avg: $15

97%

#1112

Pentium B970

MSRP: $125|Avg: $39

96%

#1113

Core i5-2410M

MSRP: $225|Avg: N/A

96%

#1114

Pentium T2370

MSRP: $86|Avg: $10

95%

#1115

Pentium N3710

MSRP: $161|Avg: $50

95%

#1116

Core m3-7Y30

MSRP: $281|Avg: $281

95%

#1117

Pentium 977

MSRP: $134|Avg: $10

94%

#1118

Core i7-2715QE

MSRP: $378|Avg: $50

94%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar A4-9120

#859

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

1440%

#860

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

1419%

#861

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

1303%

#862

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

1297%

#863

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

1285%

#865

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

1241%

#866

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

1190%

#867

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

1188%

#868

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

1156%

#871

A4-9120

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#873

Celeron M 540

MSRP: $86|Avg: $20

100%

#877

Microsoft SQ1

MSRP: $300|Avg: $180

99%

#879

Core i5-6440HQ

MSRP: $250|Avg: N/A

99%

#882

Celeron Dual-Core T1600

MSRP: $150|Avg: $150

98%

#884

Athlon II N330

MSRP: $100|Avg: $50

98%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Generational Difference: This comparison involves processors from different technological eras. The A4-9120 (2017) utilizes 28 nm technology and DDR4, providing a fundamental performance advantage.

Insight	Pentium 997	A4-9120
Gaming	❌ Lower gaming performance	✅ Superior gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	⚠️ Higher cost ($10)	✅ More affordable ($0)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) / 32 nm)	✨ Modern (Stoney Ridge (2016−2019) / 28 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Pentium 997 (2012) relies on 32 nm technology and DDR3, placing it in a different performance category relative to modern standards.

Insight	Pentium 997	A4-9120
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	⚠️ Higher cost ($10)	✅ More affordable ($0)

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.

Pentium 997 Benchmark Check

A4-9120 Benchmark Check

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Pentium 997 and A4-9120

Pentium 997

The Pentium 997 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 September 2012 (13 years ago). It is based on the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 1.6 GHz, with boost up to 1.6 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: 1,215 points. Launch price was $134.

A4-9120

The A4-9120 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2014-01-01. It is based on the Stoney Ridge (2016−2019) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 2.2 GHz, with boost up to 2.5 GHz. L2 cache: 1 MB. Built on 28 nm process technology. Socket: BGA. Thermal design power (TDP): 1 MB. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 1,222 points. Launch price was $50.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Pentium 997 and A4-9120 share an identical 2-core/2-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 1.6 GHz on the Pentium 997 versus 2.5 GHz on the A4-9120 — a 43.9% clock advantage for the A4-9120 (base: 1.6 GHz vs 2.2 GHz). The Pentium 997 uses the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture (32 nm), while the A4-9120 uses Stoney Ridge (2016−2019) (28 nm). In PassMark, the Pentium 997 scores 1,215 against the A4-9120's 1,222 — a 0.6% lead for the A4-9120.

Feature	Pentium 997	A4-9120
Cores / Threads	2 / 2	2 / 2
Boost Clock	1.6 GHz	2.5 GHz+56%
Base Clock	1.6 GHz	2.2 GHz+38%
L3 Cache	2 MB (total)	—
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	1 MB+300%
Process	32 nm	28 nm-13%
Architecture	Sandy Bridge (2011−2013)	Stoney Ridge (2016−2019)
PassMark	1,215	1,222
Geekbench 6 Single	—	350

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Pentium 997 uses the BGA1023 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the A4-9120 uses BGA (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Pentium 997	A4-9120
Socket	BGA1023	BGA
PCIe Generation	PCIe 2.0	PCIe 3.0+50%
Max RAM Speed	—	DDR4-2133
Max RAM Capacity	—	8 GB
RAM Channels	—	1
ECC Support	—	❌
PCIe Lanes	—	8

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Pentium 997) / AMD-V (A4-9120). The A4-9120 includes integrated graphics (Radeon R3), while the Pentium 997 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: A4-9120 targets Entry Laptop. Direct competitor: A4-9120 rivals Celeron N3350.