AMD Phenom 9850 vs AMD Athlon II X4 640
The AMD Athlon II X4 640 is the faster chip for gaming by roughly 33%. Here is the full spec-by-spec breakdown.
| Specification | AMD Phenom 9850 | AMD Athlon II X4 640 |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming score | 6/100 | 8/100 |
| Tier | F | F |
| Manufacturer | AMD | AMD |
| Cores | 4 | 4 |
| Threads | 4 | 4 |
| Base clock | 2.5 GHz | 3 GHz |
| Boost clock | 2.5 GHz | 3 GHz |
| Power draw (TDP) | 125 W | 95 W |
| Release year | 2008 | 2010 |
Which should you buy?
For gaming specifically, the AMD Athlon II X4 640 is the better buy — it holds a 33% lead in our index, which shows up most at 1080p and in CPU-bound titles like strategy and simulation games. The AMD Athlon II X4 640 runs 30W cooler, meaning a cheaper cooler and less case heat. Either way, pair it with a graphics card of similar standing — check the bottleneck calculator before you buy.