Ultra 9 285K vs Athlon II X2 255
Aggregate performance score
Core Ultra 9 285K outperforms Athlon II X2 255 by a whopping 5751% based on our aggregate benchmark results.
Primary details
Comparing Athlon II X2 255 and Core Ultra 9 285K processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.
| Place in the ranking | 2664 | 50 |
| Place by popularity | not in top-100 | not in top-100 |
| Cost-effectiveness evaluation | 0.02 | 70.87 |
| Market segment | Desktop processor | Desktop processor |
| Power efficiency | 1.08 | 32.78 |
| Architecture codename | Regor (2009−2013) | Arrow Lake-S (2024−2025) |
| Release date | 25 January 2010 (14 years ago) | 24 October 2024 (less than a year ago) |
| Launch price (MSRP) | $60 | $589 |
Cost-effectiveness evaluation
Performance per price, higher is better.
Ultra 9 285K has 354250% better value for money than Athlon II X2 255.
Detailed specifications
Athlon II X2 255 and Core Ultra 9 285K 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 | 2 (Dual-core) | 24 (Tetracosa-Core) |
| Threads | 2 | 24 |
| Base clock speed | 3.1 GHz | 3.7 GHz |
| Boost clock speed | 3.1 GHz | 5.7 GHz |
| Bus rate | no data | 250 MHz |
| L1 cache | 128 KB | 112 KB (per core) |
| L2 cache | 1 MB | 3 MB (per core) |
| L3 cache | 0 KB | 36 MB (shared) |
| Chip lithography | 45 nm | 3 nm |
| Die size | 117 mm2 | 243 mm2 |
| Number of transistors | 410 million | 17,800 million |
| 64 bit support | + | + |
| Windows 11 compatibility | - | no data |
| Unlocked multiplier | - | + |
Compatibility
Information on Athlon II X2 255 and Core Ultra 9 285K 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 | 1851 |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 65 Watt | 125 Watt |
Technologies and extensions
Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Athlon II X2 255 and Core Ultra 9 285K. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.
| AES-NI | - | + |
| AVX | - | + |
| vPro | no data | + |
| Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST) | no data | + |
| TSX | - | + |
Security technologies
Athlon II X2 255 and Core Ultra 9 285K technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.
| TXT | no data | + |
Virtualization technologies
Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Athlon II X2 255 and Core Ultra 9 285K are enumerated here.
| VT-d | no data | + |
| VT-x | no data | + |
Memory specs
Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Athlon II X2 255 and Core Ultra 9 285K. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.
| Supported memory types | DDR3 | DDR5 Depends on motherboard |
Graphics specifications
General parameters of integrated GPUs, if any.
| Integrated graphics card | no data | Arc Xe-LPG Graphics 64EU |
Peripherals
Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Athlon II X2 255 and Core Ultra 9 285K.
| PCIe version | 2.0 | 5.0 |
| PCI Express lanes | no data | 20 |
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 | 0.74 | 43.30 |
| Recency | 25 January 2010 | 24 October 2024 |
| Physical cores | 2 | 24 |
| Threads | 2 | 24 |
| Chip lithography | 45 nm | 3 nm |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 65 Watt | 125 Watt |
Athlon II X2 255 has 92.3% lower power consumption.
Ultra 9 285K, on the other hand, has a 5751.4% higher aggregate performance score, an age advantage of 14 years, 1100% more physical cores and 1100% more threads, and a 1400% more advanced lithography process.
The Core Ultra 9 285K is our recommended choice as it beats the Athlon II X2 255 in performance tests.
Should you still have questions on choice between Athlon II X2 255 and Core Ultra 9 285K, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.
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