FX-4170 vs i7-870S
Aggregate performance score
FX-4170 outperforms Core i7-870S by a moderate 10% based on our aggregate benchmark results.
Primary details
Comparing Core i7-870S and FX-4170 processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.
| Place in the ranking | 2025 | 1958 |
| Place by popularity | not in top-100 | not in top-100 |
| Market segment | Desktop processor | Desktop processor |
| Power efficiency | 2.01 | 1.45 |
| Architecture codename | Lynnfield (2009−2010) | Zambezi (2011−2012) |
| Release date | 19 July 2010 (14 years ago) | 27 February 2012 (12 years ago) |
Detailed specifications
Core i7-870S and FX-4170 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 cores | 4 (Quad-Core) | 4 (Quad-Core) |
| Threads | 8 | 4 |
| Base clock speed | 2.66 GHz | 4.2 GHz |
| Boost clock speed | 3.6 GHz | 4.3 GHz |
| Bus rate | 2.5 GT/s | no data |
| L1 cache | 64 KB (per core) | 192 KB |
| L2 cache | 256 KB (per core) | 4096 KB |
| L3 cache | 8 MB (shared) | 8192 KB |
| Chip lithography | 45 nm | 32 nm |
| Die size | 296 mm2 | 315 mm2 |
| Maximum core temperature | no data | 61 °C |
| Number of transistors | 774 million | 1,200 million |
| 64 bit support | + | + |
| Windows 11 compatibility | - | - |
| P0 Vcore voltage | no data | Min: 1.1875 V - Max: 1.4125 V |
Compatibility
Information on Core i7-870S and FX-4170 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 configuration | 1 | 1 |
| Socket | FCLGA1156,LGA1156 | AM3+ |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 82 Watt | 125 Watt |
Technologies and extensions
Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Core i7-870S and FX-4170. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.
| Instruction set extensions | Intel® SSE4.2 | no data |
| AES-NI | - | + |
| FMA | - | + |
| AVX | - | + |
| Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST) | + | no data |
| Turbo Boost Technology | 1.0 | no data |
| Hyper-Threading Technology | + | no data |
| Idle States | + | no data |
| Demand Based Switching | - | no data |
| PAE | 36 Bit | no data |
Security technologies
Core i7-870S and FX-4170 technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.
| TXT | + | no data |
| EDB | + | no data |
Virtualization technologies
Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Core i7-870S and FX-4170 are enumerated here.
| AMD-V | - | + |
| VT-d | + | no data |
| VT-x | + | no data |
| EPT | + | no data |
Memory specs
Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Core i7-870S and FX-4170. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.
| Supported memory types | DDR3 | DDR3 |
| Maximum memory size | 16 GB | no data |
| Max memory channels | 2 | no data |
| Maximum memory bandwidth | 21 GB/s | no data |
Peripherals
Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Core i7-870S and FX-4170.
| PCIe version | 2.0 | n/a |
| PCI Express lanes | 16 | no 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.
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.
Pros & cons summary
| Performance score | 1.74 | 1.91 |
| Recency | 19 July 2010 | 27 February 2012 |
| Threads | 8 | 4 |
| Chip lithography | 45 nm | 32 nm |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 82 Watt | 125 Watt |
i7-870S has 100% more threads, and 52.4% lower power consumption.
FX-4170, on the other hand, has a 9.8% higher aggregate performance score, an age advantage of 1 year, and a 40.6% more advanced lithography process.
Given the minimal performance differences, no clear winner can be declared between Core i7-870S and FX-4170.
Should you still have questions on choice between Core i7-870S and FX-4170, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.
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