Pentium 997 vs Athlon II X2 255
Pentium 997
Athlon II X2 255
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 997 is positioned at rank 1104 and the Athlon II X2 255 is on rank 793, so the Athlon II X2 255 offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Pentium 997
Performance Per Dollar Athlon II X2 255
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Pentium 997 | Athlon II X2 255 |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ❌ Lower gaming performance | ✅ Superior gaming performance |
| Workstation | ✅ Better multi-core power | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks |
| Price | Equivalent pricing | Equivalent pricing |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) / 32 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Regor (2009−2013) / 45 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Pentium 997 | Athlon II X2 255 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ✅ Better overall value (+0%) | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | Equivalent pricing | Equivalent pricing |
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 997 and Athlon II X2 255
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 II X2 255
The Athlon II X2 255 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 25 January 2010 (15 years ago). It is based on the Regor (2009−2013) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 3.1 GHz, with boost up to 3.1 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 1 MB. Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: AM3. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,210 points. Launch price was $60.
Processing Power
Both the Pentium 997 and Athlon II X2 255 share an identical 2-core/2-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 1.6 GHz on the Pentium 997 versus 3.1 GHz on the Athlon II X2 255 — a 63.8% clock advantage for the Athlon II X2 255 (base: 1.6 GHz vs 3.1 GHz). The Pentium 997 uses the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture (32 nm), while the Athlon II X2 255 uses Regor (2009−2013) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Pentium 997 scores 1,215 against the Athlon II X2 255's 1,210 — a 0.4% lead for the Pentium 997. L3 cache: 2 MB (total) on the Pentium 997 vs 0 kB on the Athlon II X2 255.
| Feature | Pentium 997 | Athlon II X2 255 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 2 / 2 | 2 / 2 |
| Boost Clock | 1.6 GHz | 3.1 GHz+94% |
| Base Clock | 1.6 GHz | 3.1 GHz+94% |
| L3 Cache | 2 MB (total) | 0 kB |
| L2 Cache | 256K (per core) | 1 MB+300% |
| Process | 32 nm-29% | 45 nm |
| Architecture | Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) | Regor (2009−2013) |
| PassMark | 1,215 | 1,210 |
| Geekbench 6 Single | — | 265 |
| Geekbench 6 Multi | — | 500 |
Memory & Platform
The Pentium 997 uses the BGA1023 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Athlon II X2 255 uses AM3 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Pentium 997 | Athlon II X2 255 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | BGA1023 | AM3 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 2.0 | PCIe 2.0 |
| Max RAM Speed | — | DDR3-1333 |
| Max RAM Capacity | — | 16 GB |
| RAM Channels | — | 2 |
| ECC Support | — | ✅ |
| PCIe Lanes | — | 0 |
Advanced Features
Virtualization: not specified (Pentium 997) / AMD-V (Athlon II X2 255). Primary use case: Athlon II X2 255 targets Legacy Desktop. Direct competitor: Athlon II X2 255 rivals Pentium E5700.
| Feature | Pentium 997 | Athlon II X2 255 |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | — | No |
| Unlocked | — | No |
| AVX-512 | — | No |
| Virtualization | — | AMD-V |
| Target Use | — | Legacy Desktop |
Value Analysis
The Pentium 997 launched at $134 MSRP, while the Athlon II X2 255 debuted at $60. At current prices ($10 vs $10), the Athlon II X2 255 is $0 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Pentium 997 delivers 121.5 pts/$ vs 121.0 pts/$ for the Athlon II X2 255 — making the Pentium 997 the 0.4% better value option.
| Feature | Pentium 997 | Athlon II X2 255 |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $134 | $60-55% |
| Avg Price (30d) | $10 | $10 |
| Performance per Dollar | 121.5 | 121.0 |
| Release Date | 2012 | 2010 |
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