Phenom X4 9850 (125W) vs Phenom II X3 720
Primary details
Comparing Phenom II X3 720 and Phenom X4 9850 (125W) processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.
| Place in the ranking | 2463 | not rated |
| Place by popularity | not in top-100 | not in top-100 |
| Cost-effectiveness evaluation | 5.16 | no data |
| Market segment | Desktop processor | Desktop processor |
| Power efficiency | 0.99 | no data |
| Architecture codename | Heka (2009−2010) | Agena (2007−2008) |
| Release date | 1 January 2010 (14 years ago) | July 2008 (16 years ago) |
| Launch price (MSRP) | $75 | no data |
Cost-effectiveness evaluation
Performance per price, higher is better.
Detailed specifications
Phenom II X3 720 and Phenom X4 9850 (125W) 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 | 3 (Tri-Core) | 4 (Quad-Core) |
| Threads | 3 | 4 |
| Base clock speed | 2.8 GHz | no data |
| Boost clock speed | 2.8 GHz | 2.5 GHz |
| L1 cache | 128 KB (per core) | 128 KB (per core) |
| L2 cache | 512 KB (per core) | 512 KB (per core) |
| L3 cache | 6 MB (shared) | 2 MB (shared) |
| Chip lithography | 45 nm | 65 nm |
| Die size | 258 mm2 | 285 mm2 |
| Number of transistors | 758 million | 450 million |
| 64 bit support | + | + |
| Windows 11 compatibility | - | - |
Compatibility
Information on Phenom II X3 720 and Phenom X4 9850 (125W) 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 | AM3 | AM2+ |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 95 Watt | 125 Watt |
Virtualization technologies
Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Phenom II X3 720 and Phenom X4 9850 (125W) are enumerated here.
| AMD-V | - | + |
Memory specs
Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Phenom II X3 720 and Phenom X4 9850 (125W). Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.
| Supported memory types | DDR3 | no data |
Peripherals
Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Phenom II X3 720 and Phenom X4 9850 (125W).
| PCIe version | 2.0 | no data |
Pros & cons summary
| Physical cores | 3 | 4 |
| Threads | 3 | 4 |
| Chip lithography | 45 nm | 65 nm |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 95 Watt | 125 Watt |
Phenom II X3 720 has a 44.4% more advanced lithography process, and 31.6% lower power consumption.
Phenom X4 9850 (125W), on the other hand, has 33.3% more physical cores and 33.3% more threads.
We couldn't decide between Phenom II X3 720 and Phenom X4 9850 (125W). We've got no test results to judge.
Should you still have questions on choice between Phenom II X3 720 and Phenom X4 9850 (125W), ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.
Similar processor comparisons
We picked several similar comparisons of processors in the same market segment and performance relatively close to those reviewed on this page.
