Phenom II X4 N970 vs Athlon II X3 435
Phenom II X4 N970
Athlon II X3 435
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 X4 N970 is positioned at rank 388 and the Athlon II X3 435 is on rank 817, so the Phenom II X4 N970 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 X4 N970
Performance Per Dollar Athlon II X3 435
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Phenom II X4 N970 | Athlon II X3 435 |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ❌ Lower gaming performance | ✅ Superior gaming performance |
| Workstation | ✅ Better multi-core power | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks |
| Price | ✅ More affordable ($0) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($15) |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Champlain (2010−2011) / 45 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Rana (2009−2011) / 45 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Phenom II X4 N970 | Athlon II X3 435 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ✅ More affordable ($0) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($15) |
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 X4 N970 and Athlon II X3 435
Phenom II X4 N970
The Phenom II X4 N970 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: 2.2 GHz. L2 cache: 2 MB. Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: S1. Thermal design power (TDP): 2 MB. Passmark benchmark score: 1,647 points. Launch price was $149.
Athlon II X3 435
The Athlon II X3 435 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 9 October 2009 (16 years ago). It is based on the Rana (2009−2011) architecture. It features 3 cores and 3 threads. Base frequency is 2.9 GHz, with boost up to 2.9 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. 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: 1,645 points. Launch price was $160.
Processing Power
The Phenom II X4 N970 packs 4 cores / 4 threads, while the Athlon II X3 435 offers 3 cores / 3 threads — the Phenom II X4 N970 has 1 more core. Boost clocks reach 2.2 GHz on the Phenom II X4 N970 versus 2.9 GHz on the Athlon II X3 435 — a 27.5% clock advantage for the Athlon II X3 435. The Phenom II X4 N970 uses the Champlain (2010−2011) architecture (45 nm), while the Athlon II X3 435 uses Rana (2009−2011) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Phenom II X4 N970 scores 1,647 against the Athlon II X3 435's 1,645 — a 0.1% lead for the Phenom II X4 N970.
| Feature | Phenom II X4 N970 | Athlon II X3 435 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 4 / 4+33% | 3 / 3 |
| Boost Clock | 2.2 GHz | 2.9 GHz+32% |
| Base Clock | — | 2.9 GHz |
| L3 Cache | — | 0 kB |
| L2 Cache | 2 MB+300% | 512 kB (per core) |
| Process | 45 nm | 45 nm |
| Architecture | Champlain (2010−2011) | Rana (2009−2011) |
| PassMark | 1,647 | 1,645 |
Memory & Platform
The Phenom II X4 N970 uses the S1 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Athlon II X3 435 uses AM3 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Phenom II X4 N970 | Athlon II X3 435 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | S1 | 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 | — | 16 |
Advanced Features
Virtualization: not specified (Phenom II X4 N970) / AMD-V (Athlon II X3 435).
| Feature | Phenom II X4 N970 | Athlon II X3 435 |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | — | No |
| Unlocked | — | No |
| AVX-512 | — | No |
| Virtualization | — | AMD-V |
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The most powerful cpus ranked by PassMark CPU Mark benchmark scores.
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