Pentium Silver N5030 vs Phenom II X4 B97

Pentium Silver N5030 vs Phenom II X4 B97 Performance Spectrum

Pentium Silver N5030

4 / 4

2,543

+0.1%

2,540

0.0%

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.

Pentium Silver N5030 vs Phenom II X4 B97 FPS Benchmarks

Predicted gaming performance across popular games. Tested paired with GeForce RTX 5090 to isolate CPU performance.

Search any supported game below to compare 1080p FPS for both components.

Pentium Silver N5030 vs Phenom II X4 B97: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each CPU makes more sense in practice: gaming, heavier work, platform cost, power draw, and upgrade path.

Pentium Silver N5030

2019

Why buy it

✅+0.1% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 4W instead of 95W, a 91W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (4 MB vs 6 MB).

Phenom II X4 B97

2010

Why buy it

✅+50% larger total L3 cache (6 MB vs 4 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (2,540 vs 2,543).
❌Launch MSRP is still $100 MSRP, while Pentium Silver N5030 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌2275% higher power demand at 95W vs 4W.

Quick Answers

So, is Pentium Silver N5030 better than Phenom II X4 B97?

It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, Phenom II X4 B97 is ahead with a 1.5% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Pentium Silver N5030 pulls ahead with 0.1% better PassMark. Phenom II X4 B97 also has the bigger cache pool with 50% larger total L3 cache (6 MB vs 4 MB).

Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Pentium Silver N5030 is the stronger fit. You are getting 0.1% better PassMark, backed by 4 cores and 4 threads.

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?

Pentium Silver N5030 is still the much better call for a fresh build. Pentium Silver N5030 comes in at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $100 MSRP, and it still gives you 0.1% better PassMark. Phenom II X4 B97 only looks stronger on raw value math because it is extremely cheap, but that usually means used-market pricing on an obsolete 2010 platform. Even with 100.0% better value on paper (25.4 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), it really only makes sense as a cheap stopgap or a niche existing-platform option for someone already on AM3.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

Pentium Silver N5030 makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2019 vs 2010) and more multi-core headroom with 4 cores / 4 threads instead of 4/4. That extra compute headroom is more likely to matter as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

Pentium Silver N5030 vs Phenom II X4 B97 Technical Specifications

Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

Pentium Silver N5030

The Pentium Silver N5030 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2007-01-01. It is based on the Gemini Lake Refresh (2019) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 1.1 GHz, with boost up to 3.1 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB. L2 cache: 4 MB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1090. Thermal design power (TDP): 6 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 2,543 points. Launch price was $69.

Phenom II X4 B97

The Phenom II X4 B97 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 11 May 2010 (15 years ago). It is based on the Deneb (2009−2011) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 3.2 GHz, with boost up to 3.2 GHz. L3 cache: 6 MB (total). L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: AM3. Thermal design power (TDP): 95 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 2,540 points. Launch price was $100.

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Processing Power

Both the Pentium Silver N5030 and Phenom II X4 B97 share an identical 4-core/4-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 3.1 GHz on the Pentium Silver N5030 versus 3.2 GHz on the Phenom II X4 B97 — a 3.2% clock advantage for the Phenom II X4 B97 (base: 1.1 GHz vs 3.2 GHz). The Pentium Silver N5030 uses the Gemini Lake Refresh (2019) architecture (14 nm), while the Phenom II X4 B97 uses Deneb (2009−2011) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Pentium Silver N5030 scores 2,543 against the Phenom II X4 B97's 2,540 — a 0.1% lead for the Pentium Silver N5030. L3 cache: 4 MB on the Pentium Silver N5030 vs 6 MB (total) on the Phenom II X4 B97.

Feature	Pentium Silver N5030	Phenom II X4 B97
Cores / Threads	4 / 4	4 / 4
Boost Clock	3.1 GHz	3.2 GHz+3%
Base Clock	1.1 GHz	3.2 GHz+191%
L3 Cache	4 MB	6 MB (total)+50%
L2 Cache	4 MB+700%	512 kB (per core)
Process	14 nm-69%	45 nm
Architecture	Gemini Lake Refresh (2019)	Deneb (2009−2011)
PassMark	2,543	2,540

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Memory & Platform

The Pentium Silver N5030 uses the FCBGA1090 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Phenom II X4 B97 uses AM3 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.