CPU
GPU
Phenom X4 9850B
Athlon II X4 605e
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 X4 9850B is positioned at rank 331 and the Athlon II X4 605e is on rank 923, so the Phenom X4 9850B offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Phenom X4 9850B
Performance Per Dollar Athlon II X4 605e
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Phenom X4 9850B | Athlon II X4 605e |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ✅ Superior gaming performance | ❌ Lower gaming performance |
| Workstation | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks | ✅ Better multi-core power |
| Price | ✅ More affordable ($0) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($25) |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Agena (2007−2008) / 65 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Propus (2009−2011) / 45 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Phenom X4 9850B | Athlon II X4 605e |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ✅ More affordable ($0) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($25) |
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 X4 9850B and Athlon II X4 605e
Phenom X4 9850B
The Phenom X4 9850B is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2009-01-01. It is based on the Agena (2007−2008) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Max frequency: 2.5 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: 1,946 points. Launch price was $149.
Athlon II X4 605e
The Athlon II X4 605e is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 20 October 2009 (16 years ago). It is based on the Propus (2009−2011) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.3 GHz, with boost up to 2.3 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: AM3. Thermal design power (TDP): 45 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,964 points. Launch price was $102.
Processing Power
Both the Phenom X4 9850B and Athlon II X4 605e share an identical 4-core/4-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 2.5 GHz on the Phenom X4 9850B versus 2.3 GHz on the Athlon II X4 605e — a 8.3% clock advantage for the Phenom X4 9850B. The Phenom X4 9850B uses the Agena (2007−2008) architecture (65 nm), while the Athlon II X4 605e uses Propus (2009−2011) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Phenom X4 9850B scores 1,946 against the Athlon II X4 605e's 1,964 — a 0.9% lead for the Athlon II X4 605e. L3 cache: 2 MB (total) on the Phenom X4 9850B vs 0 kB on the Athlon II X4 605e.
| Feature | Phenom X4 9850B | Athlon II X4 605e |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 4 / 4 | 4 / 4 |
| Boost Clock | 2.5 GHz+9% | 2.3 GHz |
| Base Clock | — | 2.3 GHz |
| L3 Cache | 2 MB (total) | 0 kB |
| L2 Cache | 512 kB (per core) | 512 kB (per core) |
| Process | 65 nm | 45 nm-31% |
| Architecture | Agena (2007−2008) | Propus (2009−2011) |
| PassMark | 1,946 | 1,964 |
| Cinebench R23 Multi | — | 1,140 |
| Geekbench 6 Single | — | 300 |
| Geekbench 6 Multi | — | 1,069 |
Memory & Platform
The Phenom X4 9850B uses the AM2+ socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Athlon II X4 605e uses AM3 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Phenom X4 9850B | Athlon II X4 605e |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | AM2+ | AM3 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 2.0 | PCIe 2.0 |
| Max RAM Speed | — | DDR3-1333 |
| Max RAM Capacity | — | 32 GB |
| RAM Channels | — | 2 |
| ECC Support | — | ❌ |
| PCIe Lanes | — | 16 |
Advanced Features
Virtualization: not specified (Phenom X4 9850B) / AMD-V (Athlon II X4 605e). Primary use case: Athlon II X4 605e targets Desktop.
| Feature | Phenom X4 9850B | Athlon II X4 605e |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | — | No |
| Unlocked | — | No |
| AVX-512 | — | No |
| Virtualization | — | AMD-V |
| Target Use | — | Desktop |
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The most powerful cpus ranked by PassMark CPU Mark benchmark scores.
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