Pro A12-8800B vs Athlon X4 970
Pro A12-8800B
Athlon X4 970
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 Pro A12-8800B is positioned at rank 1174 and the Athlon X4 970 is on rank 582, so the Athlon X4 970 offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Pro A12-8800B
Performance Per Dollar Athlon X4 970
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Pro A12-8800B | Athlon X4 970 |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ❌ Lower gaming performance | ✅ Superior gaming performance |
| Workstation | ✅ Better multi-core power | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks |
| Price | ✅ More affordable ($40) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($85) |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Carrizo (2015−2018) / 28 nm) | ✨ Modern (Bristol Ridge (2016−2019) / 28 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Pro A12-8800B | Athlon X4 970 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ✅ Better overall value (+114%) | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ✅ More affordable ($40) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($85) |
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 Pro A12-8800B and Athlon X4 970
Pro A12-8800B
The Pro A12-8800B is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 3 June 2015 (10 years ago). It is based on the Carrizo (2015−2018) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.1 GHz, with boost up to 3.4 GHz. L2 cache: 2048 kB. Built on 28 nm process technology. Socket: FP4. Thermal design power (TDP): 2 MB. Memory support: DDR3/DDR3L-2133. Passmark benchmark score: 2,667 points. Launch price was $69.
Athlon X4 970
The Athlon X4 970 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2009-01-01. It is based on the Bristol Ridge (2016−2019) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 3.8 GHz, with boost up to 4 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 28 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4 Dual-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 2,644 points. Launch price was $149.
Processing Power
Both the Pro A12-8800B and Athlon X4 970 share an identical 4-core/4-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 3.4 GHz on the Pro A12-8800B versus 4 GHz on the Athlon X4 970 — a 16.2% clock advantage for the Athlon X4 970 (base: 2.1 GHz vs 3.8 GHz). The Pro A12-8800B uses the Carrizo (2015−2018) architecture (28 nm), while the Athlon X4 970 uses Bristol Ridge (2016−2019) (28 nm). In PassMark, the Pro A12-8800B scores 2,667 against the Athlon X4 970's 2,644 — a 0.9% lead for the Pro A12-8800B.
| Feature | Pro A12-8800B | Athlon X4 970 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 4 / 4 | 4 / 4 |
| Boost Clock | 3.4 GHz | 4 GHz+18% |
| Base Clock | 2.1 GHz | 3.8 GHz+81% |
| L3 Cache | — | 0 kB |
| L2 Cache | 2048 kB+300% | 512 kB (per core) |
| Process | 28 nm | 28 nm |
| Architecture | Carrizo (2015−2018) | Bristol Ridge (2016−2019) |
| PassMark | 2,667 | 2,644 |
| Geekbench 6 Single | 528 | — |
| Geekbench 6 Multi | 1,144 | — |
Memory & Platform
The Pro A12-8800B uses the FP4 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Athlon X4 970 uses AM4 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR3-2133 on the Pro A12-8800B versus DDR4-2400 on the Athlon X4 970 — the Athlon X4 970 supports 28.6% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. Both support up to 64 GB of RAM. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 16 (Pro A12-8800B) vs 8 (Athlon X4 970) — the Pro A12-8800B offers 8 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: Socket FP4 (Pro A12-8800B) and AMD AM4 (Athlon X4 970).
| Feature | Pro A12-8800B | Athlon X4 970 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | FP4 | AM4 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 3.0 | PCIe 3.0 |
| Max RAM Speed | DDR3-2133 | DDR4-2400+33% |
| Max RAM Capacity | 64 GB | 64 GB |
| RAM Channels | 2 | 2 |
| ECC Support | ❌ | ❌ |
| PCIe Lanes | 16+100% | 8 |
Advanced Features
Virtualization: AMD-V (Pro A12-8800B) / not specified (Athlon X4 970). The Pro A12-8800B includes integrated graphics (Radeon R7 Graphics), while the Athlon X4 970 requires a dedicated GPU.
| Feature | Pro A12-8800B | Athlon X4 970 |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | Yes | No |
| IGPU Model | Radeon R7 Graphics | — |
| Unlocked | No | — |
| AVX-512 | No | — |
| Virtualization | AMD-V | — |
Value Analysis
The Pro A12-8800B launched at $400 MSRP, while the Athlon X4 970 debuted at $85. At current prices ($40 vs $85), the Pro A12-8800B is $45 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Pro A12-8800B delivers 66.7 pts/$ vs 31.1 pts/$ for the Athlon X4 970 — making the Pro A12-8800B the 72.8% better value option.
| Feature | Pro A12-8800B | Athlon X4 970 |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $400 | $85-79% |
| Avg Price (30d) | $40-53% | $85 |
| Performance per Dollar | 66.7+114% | 31.1 |
| Release Date | 2015 | 2017 |
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