Athlon X4 970 vs Athlon II X3 450

VS

Aggregate performance score

Athlon II X3 450
2010
3 cores / 3 threads, 95 Watt
1.17
Athlon X4 970
2017
4 cores / 4 threads, 65 Watt
1.66
+41.9%

Athlon X4 970 outperforms Athlon II X3 450 by a considerable 42% based on our aggregate benchmark results.

Primary details

Comparing Athlon II X3 450 and Athlon X4 970 processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.

Place in the ranking23742076
Place by popularitynot in top-100not in top-100
Cost-effectiveness evaluation4.89no data
Market segmentDesktop processorDesktop processor
Power efficiency1.172.42
Architecture codenameRana (2009−2011)Bristol Ridge (2016−2019)
Release date21 September 2010 (14 years ago)27 July 2017 (7 years ago)
Launch price (MSRP)$45no data

Cost-effectiveness evaluation

Performance per price, higher is better.

no data

Detailed specifications

Athlon II X3 450 and Athlon X4 970 basic parameters such as number of cores, number of threads, base frequency and turbo boost clock, lithography, cache size and multiplier lock state. These parameters indirectly say of CPU speed, though for more precise assessment you have to consider their test results.

Physical cores3 (Tri-Core)4 (Quad-Core)
Threads34
Base clock speed3.2 GHz3.8 GHz
Boost clock speed3.2 GHz4 GHz
L1 cache128 KB (per core)128 KB (per core)
L2 cache512 KB (per core)512 KB (per core)
L3 cache0 KB0 KB
Chip lithography45 nm28 nm
Die size169 mm2246 mm2
Maximum case temperature (TCase)no data74 °C
Number of transistors300 million1,178 million
64 bit support++
Windows 11 compatibility--
Unlocked multiplier-+

Compatibility

Information on Athlon II X3 450 and Athlon X4 970 compatibility with other computer components: motherboard (look for socket type), power supply unit (look for power consumption) etc. Useful when planning a future computer configuration or upgrading an existing one. Note that power consumption of some processors can well exceed their nominal TDP, even without overclocking. Some can even double their declared thermals given that the motherboard allows to tune the CPU power parameters.

Number of CPUs in a configuration11
SocketAM3AM4
Power consumption (TDP)95 Watt65 Watt

Technologies and extensions

Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Athlon II X3 450 and Athlon X4 970. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.

AES-NI-+
FMA-+
AVX-+

Virtualization technologies

Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Athlon II X3 450 and Athlon X4 970 are enumerated here.

AMD-V-+

Memory specs

Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Athlon II X3 450 and Athlon X4 970. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.

Supported memory typesDDR3DDR4 Dual-channel

Peripherals

Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Athlon II X3 450 and Athlon X4 970.

PCIe version2.0no data

Synthetic benchmark performance

Various benchmark results of the processors in comparison. Overall score is measured in points in 0-100 range, higher is better.


Combined synthetic benchmark score

This is our combined benchmark performance rating. We are regularly improving our combining algorithms, but if you find some perceived inconsistencies, feel free to speak up in comments section, we usually fix problems quickly.

Athlon II X3 450 1.17
Athlon X4 970 1.66
+41.9%

Passmark

Passmark CPU Mark is a widespread benchmark, consisting of 8 different types of workload, including integer and floating point math, extended instructions, compression, encryption and physics calculation. There is also one separate single-threaded scenario measuring single-core performance.

Athlon II X3 450 1858
Athlon X4 970 2644
+42.3%

Gaming performance

Pros & cons summary


Performance score 1.17 1.66
Recency 21 September 2010 27 July 2017
Physical cores 3 4
Threads 3 4
Chip lithography 45 nm 28 nm
Power consumption (TDP) 95 Watt 65 Watt

Athlon X4 970 has a 41.9% higher aggregate performance score, an age advantage of 6 years, 33.3% more physical cores and 33.3% more threads, a 60.7% more advanced lithography process, and 46.2% lower power consumption.

The Athlon X4 970 is our recommended choice as it beats the Athlon II X3 450 in performance tests.


Should you still have questions on choice between Athlon II X3 450 and Athlon X4 970, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.

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AMD Athlon II X3 450
Athlon II X3 450
AMD Athlon X4 970
Athlon X4 970

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Community ratings

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Questions & comments

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