Pentium G870
VS
Phenom II X4 N930

Pentium G870 vs Phenom II X4 N930

Intel

Pentium G870

2 Cores2 Thrd65 WWMax: 3.1 GHz2012
VS
AMD

Phenom II X4 N930

4 Cores4 Thrd2 WWMax: 2 GHz2010

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 G870 is positioned at rank 836 and the Phenom II X4 N930 is on rank 422, so the Phenom II X4 N930 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 G870

#1
Ryzen 9 7950X
MSRP: $194|Avg: $20
17165%
#2
Core i9-10900T
MSRP: $120|Avg: $5
16219%
#3
Ryzen 3 PRO 4355GE
MSRP: $423|Avg: $5
11776%
#4
Ryzen Threadripper 3960X
MSRP: $1399|Avg: $85
3548%
#5
Ryzen 9 9950X
MSRP: $649|Avg: $129
2810%
#6
Ryzen 5 8400F
MSRP: $303|Avg: $55
2458%
#7
Ryzen 7 PRO 2700
MSRP: $299|Avg: $60
1408%
#8
Ryzen 5 2600X
MSRP: $229|Avg: $55
1390%
#9
Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G
MSRP: $150|Avg: $60
1265%
#10
Core Ultra 5 245KF
MSRP: $294|Avg: $189
1265%
#11
Ryzen 5 5500
MSRP: $159|Avg: $85
1251%
#12
Ryzen 5 3600
MSRP: $199|Avg: $80
1217%
#13
Core i3-9100E
MSRP: $202|Avg: $30
1200%
#14
Core Ultra 5 245K
MSRP: $319|Avg: $200
1195%
#15
Core i3-8300T
MSRP: $138|Avg: $25
1185%
#836
Pentium G870
MSRP: $86|Avg: $15
100%
#837
Athlon II X2 210e
MSRP: $60|Avg: $28
100%
#838
Pentium G645
MSRP: $80|Avg: $15
100%
#840
Pentium G630
MSRP: $75|Avg: $46
99%
#841
Core i5-2550K
MSRP: $235|Avg: $46
99%
#842
Athlon II X4 600e
MSRP: $100|Avg: $20
99%
#843
Core i7-4785T
MSRP: $306|Avg: $32
99%
#844
Core i5-6442EQ
MSRP: $250|Avg: $250
99%
#845
Core i5-4690S
MSRP: $306|Avg: $189
99%
#846
Core i3-3250
MSRP: $138|Avg: $40
98%
#847
Core i3-3240
MSRP: $132|Avg: $15
98%
#848
Pentium G640T
MSRP: $64|Avg: $69
98%
#849
Core i7-5930K
MSRP: $583|Avg: $410
98%
#851
Core i3-3240T
MSRP: $117|Avg: $8
98%
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Phenom II X4 N930

#410
Atom x5-Z8300
MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A
565%
#411
Atom Z3735G
MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A
557%
#412
Core i5-480M
MSRP: $81|Avg: $77
511%
#413
Core i5-460M
MSRP: $80|Avg: $129
509%
#414
Core i5-2540M
MSRP: $266|Avg: $10
504%
#416
Core i5-450M
MSRP: $32|Avg: $31
487%
#417
Core i3-380M
MSRP: $49|Avg: $25
467%
#418
Core i5-430M
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33
466%
#419
Core 2 Duo T6600
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4
453%
#422
Phenom II X4 N930
MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A
100%
#426
Celeron 2981U
MSRP: $137|Avg: N/A
100%
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Leadership: The Pentium G870 delivers superior performance across the board. It outperforms the Phenom II X4 N930 in both compute-intensive tasks (0.3% faster) and gaming workloads.
InsightPentium G870Phenom II X4 N930
Gaming
Superior gaming performance
Lower gaming performance
Workstation
Better multi-core power
Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price
⚠️ Higher cost ($15)
More affordable ($0)
Longevity
🛑 Legacy (Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) / 32 nm)
🛑 Legacy (Champlain (2010−2011) / 45 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

InsightPentium G870Phenom II X4 N930
Cost Efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost
⚠️ Higher cost ($15)
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.

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Pentium G870 and Phenom II X4 N930

Intel

Pentium G870

The Pentium G870 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 3 June 2012 (13 years ago). It is based on the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 3.1 GHz, with boost up to 3.1 GHz. L3 cache: 3 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1155. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,562 points. Launch price was $97.

AMD

Phenom II X4 N930

The Phenom II X4 N930 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2009-01-01. It is based on the Champlain (2010−2011) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Max frequency: 2 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: 1,558 points. Launch price was $149.

Processing Power

The Pentium G870 packs 2 cores / 2 threads, while the Phenom II X4 N930 offers 4 cores / 4 threads — the Phenom II X4 N930 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.1 GHz on the Pentium G870 versus 2 GHz on the Phenom II X4 N930 — a 43.1% clock advantage for the Pentium G870. The Pentium G870 uses the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture (32 nm), while the Phenom II X4 N930 uses Champlain (2010−2011) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Pentium G870 scores 1,562 against the Phenom II X4 N930's 1,558 — a 0.3% lead for the Pentium G870.

FeaturePentium G870Phenom II X4 N930
Cores / Threads
2 / 2
4 / 4+100%
Boost Clock
3.1 GHz+55%
2 GHz
Base Clock
3.1 GHz
L3 Cache
3 MB (total)
L2 Cache
256 kB (per core)
2 MB+700%
Process
32 nm-29%
45 nm
Architecture
Sandy Bridge (2011−2013)
Champlain (2010−2011)
PassMark
1,562
1,558
🧠

Memory & Platform

The Pentium G870 uses the LGA1155 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Phenom II X4 N930 uses S1 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

FeaturePentium G870Phenom II X4 N930
Socket
LGA1155
S1
PCIe Generation
PCIe 2.0
PCIe 2.0