Phenom II X2 X640 BE vs Core i5-4278U

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Phenom II X2 X640 BE

2 / 2

2,839

+0.5%

Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

Core i5-4278U

2 / 4

2,826

0.0%

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 X640 BE is positioned at rank 136 and the Core i5-4278U is on rank 726, so the Phenom II X2 X640 BE 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 Phenom II X2 X640 BE

#36

Core i5-11500B

MSRP: $185|Avg: $185

98%

#124

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

310%

#125

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

306%

#126

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

280%

#127

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

279%

#128

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

277%

#130

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

267%

#131

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

256%

#132

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

256%

#133

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

249%

#136

Phenom II X2 X640 BE

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#137

N200

MSRP: $193|Avg: N/A

100%

#138

Core 2 Duo SP9600

MSRP: $316|Avg: N/A

100%

#140

Core 2 Duo P8700

MSRP: $241|Avg: $85

99%

#147

Atom N2800

MSRP: $47|Avg: $3

97%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Core i5-4278U

#714

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

1038%

#715

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

1023%

#716

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

939%

#717

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

935%

#718

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

926%

#720

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

895%

#721

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

858%

#722

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

856%

#723

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

833%

#726

Core i5-4278U

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Leadership: The Phenom II X2 X640 BE delivers superior performance across the board. It outperforms the Core i5-4278U in both compute-intensive tasks (0.5% faster) and gaming workloads.

Insight	Phenom II X2 X640 BE	Core i5-4278U
Gaming	✅ Superior gaming performance	❌ Lower gaming performance
Workstation	✅ Better multi-core power	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price	Equivalent pricing	Equivalent pricing
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Champlain (2010−2011) / 45 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Haswell (2013−2015) / 22 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Insight	Phenom II X2 X640 BE	Core i5-4278U
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	Equivalent pricing	Equivalent pricing

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.

Phenom II X2 X640 BE Benchmark Check

Core i5-4278U Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Phenom II X2 X640 BE and Core i5-4278U

Phenom II X2 X640 BE

The Phenom II X2 X640 BE 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: 3.2 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: 2,839 points. Launch price was $149.

Core i5-4278U

The Core i5-4278U is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 21 July 2014 (11 years ago). It is based on the Haswell (2013−2015) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.6 GHz, with boost up to 3.1 GHz. L3 cache: 3 MB. L2 cache: 512 kB. Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1168. Thermal design power (TDP): 28 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 2,826 points. Launch price was $315.

⚡

Processing Power

The Phenom II X2 X640 BE packs 2 cores / 2 threads, matching the Core i5-4278U's 2 cores. Boost clocks reach 3.2 GHz on the Phenom II X2 X640 BE versus 3.1 GHz on the Core i5-4278U — a 3.2% clock advantage for the Phenom II X2 X640 BE. The Phenom II X2 X640 BE uses the Champlain (2010−2011) architecture (45 nm), while the Core i5-4278U uses Haswell (2013−2015) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Phenom II X2 X640 BE scores 2,839 against the Core i5-4278U's 2,826 — a 0.5% lead for the Phenom II X2 X640 BE.

Feature	Phenom II X2 X640 BE	Core i5-4278U
Cores / Threads	2 / 2	2 / 4
Boost Clock	3.2 GHz+3%	3.1 GHz
Base Clock	—	2.6 GHz
L3 Cache	—	3 MB
L2 Cache	2 MB+300%	512 kB
Process	45 nm	22 nm-51%
Architecture	Champlain (2010−2011)	Haswell (2013−2015)
PassMark	2,839	2,826
Cinebench R23 Multi	—	1,688
Geekbench 6 Single	—	889
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	1,860

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Phenom II X2 X640 BE uses the S1 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Core i5-4278U uses FCBGA1168 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Phenom II X2 X640 BE	Core i5-4278U
Socket	S1	FCBGA1168
PCIe Generation	PCIe 2.0	PCIe 3.0+50%
Max RAM Speed	—	DDR3L-1600
Max RAM Capacity	—	16 GB
RAM Channels	—	2
ECC Support	—	❌
PCIe Lanes	—	12

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Phenom II X2 X640 BE) / true (Core i5-4278U). The Core i5-4278U includes integrated graphics (Intel Iris Graphics 5100), while the Phenom II X2 X640 BE requires a dedicated GPU.