Processor N97 vs Athlon X4 860K

Place in the ranking	1845	1543
Place by popularity	not in top-100	not in top-100
Market segment	Desktop processor	Laptop
Power efficiency	2.15	27.21
Architecture codename	Kaveri (2014−2015)	Alder Lake-N (2023)
Release date	12 August 2014 (10 years ago)	3 January 2023 (1 year ago)

Detailed specifications

Athlon X4 860K and Processor N97 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	4	4
Base clock speed	3.7 GHz	2 GHz
Boost clock speed	4 GHz	3.6 GHz
L1 cache	256K	96 KB (per core)
L2 cache	4 MB	2 MB (shared)
L3 cache	no data	6 MB (shared)
Chip lithography	28 nm	10 nm
Die size	245 mm²	no data
Maximum core temperature	no data	105 °C
Maximum case temperature (TCase)	72 °C	no data
Number of transistors	2,411 million	no data
64 bit support	+	+
Windows 11 compatibility	no data	+
Unlocked multiplier	+	-

Compatibility

Information on Athlon X4 860K and Processor N97 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	FM2+	Intel BGA 1264
Power consumption (TDP)	95 Watt	12 Watt

Technologies and extensions

Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Athlon X4 860K and Processor N97. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.

AES-NI	+	+
FMA	+	-
AVX	+	+
Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST)	no data	+

Security technologies

Athlon X4 860K and Processor N97 technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.

TXT

no data

Virtualization technologies

Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Athlon X4 860K and Processor N97 are enumerated here.

AMD-V	+	-
VT-d	no data	+
VT-x	no data	+

Memory specs

Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Athlon X4 860K and Processor N97. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.

Supported memory types

DDR3-2133

DDR4, DDR5 4800 MHz Single-channel

Graphics specifications

General parameters of integrated GPUs, if any.

Integrated graphics card

no data

Intel UHD Graphics 24EUs (Alder Lake-N)

Peripherals

Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Athlon X4 860K and Processor N97.

PCIe version	3.0	3.0
PCI Express lanes	16	9

Gaming performance

Pros & cons summary

Performance score	2.16	3.45
Recency	12 August 2014	3 January 2023
Chip lithography	28 nm	10 nm
Power consumption (TDP)	95 Watt	12 Watt

Processor N97 has a 59.7% higher aggregate performance score, an age advantage of 8 years, a 180% more advanced lithography process, and 691.7% lower power consumption.

The Processor N97 is our recommended choice as it beats the Athlon X4 860K in performance tests.

Note that Athlon X4 860K is a desktop processor while Processor N97 is a notebook one.

Should you still have questions on choice between Athlon X4 860K and Processor N97, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.