Phenom II X3 720 vs Phenom II X4 B97
Aggregate performance score
Phenom II X4 B97 outperforms Phenom II X3 720 by an impressive 60% based on our aggregate benchmark results.
Primary details
Comparing Phenom II X4 B97 and Phenom II X3 720 processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.
| Place in the ranking | 2090 | 2463 |
| Place by popularity | not in top-100 | not in top-100 |
| Cost-effectiveness evaluation | 2.36 | 5.16 |
| Market segment | Desktop processor | Desktop processor |
| Power efficiency | 1.59 | 0.99 |
| Architecture codename | Deneb (2009−2011) | Heka (2009−2010) |
| Release date | 11 May 2010 (14 years ago) | 1 January 2010 (14 years ago) |
| Launch price (MSRP) | $100 | $75 |
Cost-effectiveness evaluation
Performance per price, higher is better.
Phenom II X3 720 has 119% better value for money than Phenom II X4 B97.
Detailed specifications
Phenom II X4 B97 and Phenom II X3 720 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) | 3 (Tri-Core) |
| Threads | 4 | 3 |
| Base clock speed | 3.2 GHz | 2.8 GHz |
| Boost clock speed | 3.2 GHz | 2.8 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) | 6 MB (shared) |
| Chip lithography | 45 nm | 45 nm |
| Die size | 258 mm2 | 258 mm2 |
| Number of transistors | 758 million | 758 million |
| 64 bit support | + | + |
| Windows 11 compatibility | - | - |
Compatibility
Information on Phenom II X4 B97 and Phenom II X3 720 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 | AM3 |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 95 Watt | 95 Watt |
Memory specs
Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Phenom II X4 B97 and Phenom II X3 720. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.
| Supported memory types | DDR3 | DDR3 |
Peripherals
Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Phenom II X4 B97 and Phenom II X3 720.
| PCIe version | 2.0 | 2.0 |
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.
GeekBench 5 Single-Core
GeekBench 5 Single-Core is a cross-platform application developed in the form of CPU tests that independently recreate certain real-world tasks with which to accurately measure performance. This version uses only a single CPU core.
GeekBench 5 Multi-Core
GeekBench 5 Multi-Core is a cross-platform application developed in the form of CPU tests that independently recreate certain real-world tasks with which to accurately measure performance. This version uses all available CPU cores.
Pros & cons summary
| Performance score | 1.60 | 1.00 |
| Recency | 11 May 2010 | 1 January 2010 |
| Physical cores | 4 | 3 |
| Threads | 4 | 3 |
Phenom II X4 B97 has a 60% higher aggregate performance score, an age advantage of 4 months, and 33.3% more physical cores and 33.3% more threads.
The Phenom II X4 B97 is our recommended choice as it beats the Phenom II X3 720 in performance tests.
Should you still have questions on choice between Phenom II X4 B97 and Phenom II X3 720, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.
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