Pentium 997 vs Athlon 64 FX-60

Pentium 997

2 Cores2 Thrd17 WWMax: 1.6 GHz2012

Athlon 64 FX-60

2 Cores2 Thrd110 WWMax: 2.6 GHz2006

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Pentium 997

2 / 2

1,215

+0.8%

1,205

0.0%

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 Athlon 64 FX-60 is on rank 1119, so the Pentium 997 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 Athlon 64 FX-60

Ryzen 9 7950X

MSRP: $194|Avg: $20

266423%

Core i9-10900T

MSRP: $120|Avg: $5

251744%

Ryzen 3 PRO 4355GE

MSRP: $423|Avg: $5

182786%

Ryzen Threadripper 3960X

MSRP: $1399|Avg: $85

55066%

Ryzen 9 9950X

MSRP: $649|Avg: $129

43618%

Ryzen 5 8400F

MSRP: $303|Avg: $55

38157%

Ryzen 7 PRO 2700

MSRP: $299|Avg: $60

21855%

Ryzen 5 2600X

MSRP: $229|Avg: $55

21569%

Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G

MSRP: $150|Avg: $60

19639%

#10

Core Ultra 5 245KF

MSRP: $294|Avg: $189

19638%

#11

Ryzen 5 5500

MSRP: $159|Avg: $85

19418%

#12

Ryzen 5 3600

MSRP: $199|Avg: $80

18894%

#13

Core i3-9100E

MSRP: $202|Avg: $30

18630%

#14

Core Ultra 5 245K

MSRP: $319|Avg: $200

18555%

#15

Core i3-8300T

MSRP: $138|Avg: $25

18386%

#1118

Pentium Extreme Edition 965

MSRP: $999|Avg: $100

100%

#1119

Athlon 64 FX-60

MSRP: $1031|Avg: $1000

100%

#1120

Athlon XP 2200+

MSRP: $241|Avg: $30

99%

#1121

Athlon XP 1700+

MSRP: $190|Avg: $15

96%

#1122

Pentium Extreme Edition 955

MSRP: $999|Avg: $50

94%

#1123

Athlon XP 2700+

MSRP: $349|Avg: $20

88%

#1124

Athlon XP 2800+

MSRP: $375|Avg: $35

86%

#1125

Pentium III 1200

MSRP: $200|Avg: $10

84%

#1126

Athlon XP 3200+

MSRP: $464|Avg: $40

82%

#1127

Pentium III 1400

MSRP: $250|Avg: $20

78%

#1128

Pentium III 1400S

MSRP: $250|Avg: $250

78%

#1129

Pentium 4 2.60

MSRP: $401|Avg: $25

78%

#1130

Athlon XP 1800+

MSRP: $252|Avg: $30

76%

#1131

Athlon XP 1900+

MSRP: $269|Avg: $20

75%

#1132

Athlon 64 FX-51

MSRP: $733|Avg: $733

72%

#1133

Athlon 64 FX-55

MSRP: $827|Avg: $50

71%

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 Pentium 997 (2012) utilizes 32 nm technology and DDR3, providing a fundamental performance advantage.

Insight	Pentium 997	Athlon 64 FX-60
Gaming	❌ Lower gaming performance	✅ Superior gaming performance
Workstation	✅ Better multi-core power	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price	✅ More affordable ($10)	⚠️ Higher cost ($1,000)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) / 32 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Toledo (2006) / 90 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Athlon 64 FX-60 (2006) relies on 90 nm technology and older memory, placing it in a different performance category relative to modern standards.

Insight	Pentium 997	Athlon 64 FX-60
Cost Efficiency	✅ Better overall value (+9983%)	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	✅ More affordable ($10)	⚠️ Higher cost ($1,000)

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

Athlon 64 FX-60 Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Pentium 997 and Athlon 64 FX-60

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.

Athlon 64 FX-60

The Athlon 64 FX-60 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2009-01-01. It is based on the Toledo (2006) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Max frequency: 2.6 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 2 MB. Built on 90 nm process technology. Socket: 939. Thermal design power (TDP): 110 Watt. Passmark benchmark score: 1,205 points. Launch price was $149.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Pentium 997 and Athlon 64 FX-60 share an identical 2-core/2-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 1.6 GHz on the Pentium 997 versus 2.6 GHz on the Athlon 64 FX-60 — a 47.6% clock advantage for the Athlon 64 FX-60. The Pentium 997 uses the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture (32 nm), while the Athlon 64 FX-60 uses Toledo (2006) (90 nm). In PassMark, the Pentium 997 scores 1,215 against the Athlon 64 FX-60's 1,205 — a 0.8% lead for the Pentium 997. L3 cache: 2 MB (total) on the Pentium 997 vs 0 kB on the Athlon 64 FX-60.

Feature	Pentium 997	Athlon 64 FX-60
Cores / Threads	2 / 2	2 / 2
Boost Clock	1.6 GHz	2.6 GHz+63%
Base Clock	1.6 GHz	—
L3 Cache	2 MB (total)	0 kB
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	2 MB+700%
Process	32 nm-64%	90 nm
Architecture	Sandy Bridge (2011−2013)	Toledo (2006)
PassMark	1,215	1,205
Geekbench 6 Single	—	250
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	480

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Pentium 997 uses the BGA1023 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Athlon 64 FX-60 uses 939 (PCIe 1.1) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Pentium 997	Athlon 64 FX-60
Socket	BGA1023	939
PCIe Generation	PCIe 2.0+82%	PCIe 1.1
Max RAM Speed	—	DDR-400
Max RAM Capacity	—	4 GB
RAM Channels	—	2
ECC Support	—	❌
PCIe Lanes	—	0

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Pentium 997) / None (Athlon 64 FX-60). Primary use case: Athlon 64 FX-60 targets Gaming/Enthusiast.

Feature	Pentium 997	Athlon 64 FX-60
Integrated GPU	—	No
Unlocked	—	Yes
AVX-512	—	No
Virtualization	—	None
Target Use	—	Gaming/Enthusiast

💰

Value Analysis

The Pentium 997 launched at $134 MSRP, while the Athlon 64 FX-60 debuted at $1031. At current prices ($10 vs $1000), the Pentium 997 is $990 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Pentium 997 delivers 121.5 pts/$ vs 1.2 pts/$ for the Athlon 64 FX-60 — making the Pentium 997 the 196.1% better value option.