Phenom X3 8650 vs Athlon II X2 255
Phenom X3 8650
Athlon II X2 255
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 X3 8650 is positioned at rank 496 and the Athlon II X2 255 is on rank 793, so the Phenom X3 8650 offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Phenom X3 8650
Performance Per Dollar Athlon II X2 255
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Phenom X3 8650 | Athlon II X2 255 |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ❌ Lower gaming performance | ✅ Superior gaming performance |
| Workstation | ✅ Better multi-core power | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks |
| Price | ✅ More affordable ($0) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($10) |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Toliman (2008) / 65 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Regor (2009−2013) / 45 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Phenom X3 8650 | Athlon II X2 255 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ✅ More affordable ($0) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($10) |
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 X3 8650 and Athlon II X2 255
Phenom X3 8650
The Phenom X3 8650 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2009-01-01. It is based on the Toliman (2008) architecture. It features 3 cores and 3 threads. Max frequency: 2.3 GHz. L3 cache: 2 MB (total). L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 65 nm process technology. Socket: AM2+. Thermal design power (TDP): 95 Watt. Passmark benchmark score: 1,218 points. Launch price was $149.
Athlon II X2 255
The Athlon II X2 255 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 25 January 2010 (15 years ago). It is based on the Regor (2009−2013) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 3.1 GHz, with boost up to 3.1 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 1 MB. Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: AM3. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,210 points. Launch price was $60.
Processing Power
The Phenom X3 8650 packs 3 cores / 3 threads, while the Athlon II X2 255 offers 2 cores / 2 threads — the Phenom X3 8650 has 1 more core. Boost clocks reach 2.3 GHz on the Phenom X3 8650 versus 3.1 GHz on the Athlon II X2 255 — a 29.6% clock advantage for the Athlon II X2 255. The Phenom X3 8650 uses the Toliman (2008) architecture (65 nm), while the Athlon II X2 255 uses Regor (2009−2013) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Phenom X3 8650 scores 1,218 against the Athlon II X2 255's 1,210 — a 0.7% lead for the Phenom X3 8650. L3 cache: 2 MB (total) on the Phenom X3 8650 vs 0 kB on the Athlon II X2 255.
| Feature | Phenom X3 8650 | Athlon II X2 255 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 3 / 3+50% | 2 / 2 |
| Boost Clock | 2.3 GHz | 3.1 GHz+35% |
| Base Clock | — | 3.1 GHz |
| L3 Cache | 2 MB (total) | 0 kB |
| L2 Cache | 512 kB (per core) | 1 MB+100% |
| Process | 65 nm | 45 nm-31% |
| Architecture | Toliman (2008) | Regor (2009−2013) |
| PassMark | 1,218 | 1,210 |
| Geekbench 6 Single | — | 265 |
| Geekbench 6 Multi | — | 500 |
Memory & Platform
The Phenom X3 8650 uses the AM2+ socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Athlon II X2 255 uses AM3 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Phenom X3 8650 | Athlon II X2 255 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | AM2+ | 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 | — | 0 |
Advanced Features
Virtualization: not specified (Phenom X3 8650) / AMD-V (Athlon II X2 255). Primary use case: Athlon II X2 255 targets Legacy Desktop. Direct competitor: Athlon II X2 255 rivals Pentium E5700.
| Feature | Phenom X3 8650 | Athlon II X2 255 |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | — | No |
| Unlocked | — | No |
| AVX-512 | — | No |
| Virtualization | — | AMD-V |
| Target Use | — | Legacy Desktop |
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