Phenom II X2 N640 vs Pentium 2129Y
Phenom II X2 N640
Pentium 2129Y
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 Phenom II X2 N640 is positioned at rank 977 and the Pentium 2129Y is on rank 590, so the Pentium 2129Y offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Phenom II X2 N640
Performance Per Dollar Pentium 2129Y
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Phenom II X2 N640 | Pentium 2129Y |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ✅ Superior gaming performance | ❌ Lower gaming performance |
| Workstation | ✅ Better multi-core power | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks |
| Price | ⚠️ Higher cost ($55) | ✅ More affordable ($0) |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Champlain (2010−2011) / 45 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) / 22 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Phenom II X2 N640 | Pentium 2129Y |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ⚠️ Higher cost ($55) | ✅ More affordable ($0) |
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 Phenom II X2 N640 and Pentium 2129Y
Phenom II X2 N640
The Phenom II X2 N640 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2009-01-01. It is based on the Champlain (2010−2011) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Max frequency: 2.9 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: 1,505 points. Launch price was $149.
Pentium 2129Y
The Pentium 2129Y is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 September 2012 (13 years ago). It is based on the Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 1.1 GHz, with boost up to 1.1 GHz. L3 cache: 2 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: BGA1023. Thermal design power (TDP): 10 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,502 points. Launch price was $150.
Processing Power
Both the Phenom II X2 N640 and Pentium 2129Y share an identical 2-core/2-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 2.9 GHz on the Phenom II X2 N640 versus 1.1 GHz on the Pentium 2129Y — a 90% clock advantage for the Phenom II X2 N640. The Phenom II X2 N640 uses the Champlain (2010−2011) architecture (45 nm), while the Pentium 2129Y uses Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Phenom II X2 N640 scores 1,505 against the Pentium 2129Y's 1,502 — a 0.2% lead for the Phenom II X2 N640.
| Feature | Phenom II X2 N640 | Pentium 2129Y |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 2 / 2 | 2 / 2 |
| Boost Clock | 2.9 GHz+164% | 1.1 GHz |
| Base Clock | — | 1.1 GHz |
| L3 Cache | — | 2 MB (total) |
| L2 Cache | 2 MB+700% | 256K (per core) |
| Process | 45 nm | 22 nm-51% |
| Architecture | Champlain (2010−2011) | Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) |
| PassMark | 1,505 | 1,502 |
| Geekbench 6 Single | 300 | — |
| Geekbench 6 Multi | 422 | — |
Memory & Platform
The Phenom II X2 N640 uses the S1 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Pentium 2129Y uses BGA1023 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Phenom II X2 N640 | Pentium 2129Y |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | S1 | BGA1023 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 2.0 | PCIe 3.0+50% |
| Max RAM Speed | DDR3-1333 | — |
| Max RAM Capacity | 8 GB | — |
| RAM Channels | 2 | — |
| ECC Support | ❌ | — |
| PCIe Lanes | 16 | — |
Advanced Features
Virtualization: AMD-V (Phenom II X2 N640) / not specified (Pentium 2129Y). Primary use case: Phenom II X2 N640 targets Legacy Laptop.
| Feature | Phenom II X2 N640 | Pentium 2129Y |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | No | — |
| IGPU Model | None | — |
| Unlocked | No | — |
| AVX-512 | No | — |
| Virtualization | AMD-V | — |
| Target Use | Legacy Laptop | — |
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