Athlon X4 970 vs Core 2 Extreme QX9770

Aggregate performance score

Core 2 Extreme QX9770
2008
4 cores / 4 threads, 136 Watt
2.90
+74.7%
Athlon X4 970
2017
4 cores / 4 threads, 65 Watt
1.66

Core 2 Extreme QX9770 outperforms Athlon X4 970 by an impressive 75% based on our aggregate benchmark results.

Primary details

Comparing Core 2 Extreme QX9770 and Athlon X4 970 processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.

Place in the ranking16662075
Place by popularitynot in top-100not in top-100
Market segmentDesktop processorDesktop processor
Power efficiency2.022.42
Architecture codenameYorkfield (2007−2009)Bristol Ridge (2016−2019)
Release dateMarch 2008 (16 years ago)27 July 2017 (7 years ago)

Detailed specifications

Core 2 Extreme QX9770 and Athlon X4 970 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 cores4 (Quad-Core)4 (Quad-Core)
Threads44
Base clock speed3.2 GHz3.8 GHz
Boost clock speed3.2 GHz4 GHz
Bus rate1600 MHzno data
L1 cache64K (per core)128 KB (per core)
L2 cache12 MB (shared)512 KB (per core)
L3 cache0 KB0 KB
Chip lithography45 nm28 nm
Die size2x 107 mm2246 mm2
Maximum case temperature (TCase)55 °C74 °C
Number of transistors820 million1,178 million
64 bit support++
Windows 11 compatibility--
Unlocked multiplier++
VID voltage range0.85V-1.3625Vno data

Compatibility

Information on Core 2 Extreme QX9770 and Athlon X4 970 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 configuration11
SocketLGA775AM4
Power consumption (TDP)136 Watt65 Watt

Technologies and extensions

Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Core 2 Extreme QX9770 and Athlon X4 970. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.

AES-NI-+
FMA-+
AVX-+
Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST)+no data
Turbo Boost Technology-no data
Hyper-Threading Technology-no data
Idle States+no data
Thermal Monitoring+-
Demand Based Switching-no data
FSB parity-no data

Security technologies

Core 2 Extreme QX9770 and Athlon X4 970 technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.

TXT-no data
EDB+no data

Virtualization technologies

Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Core 2 Extreme QX9770 and Athlon X4 970 are enumerated here.

AMD-V-+
VT-x+no data

Memory specs

Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Core 2 Extreme QX9770 and Athlon X4 970. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.

Supported memory typesDDR1, DDR2, DDR3DDR4 Dual-channel

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.

Core 2 Extreme QX9770 2.90
+74.7%
Athlon X4 970 1.66

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.

Core 2 Extreme QX9770 4611
+74.4%
Athlon X4 970 2644

Gaming performance

Pros & cons summary


Performance score 2.90 1.66
Chip lithography 45 nm 28 nm
Power consumption (TDP) 136 Watt 65 Watt

Core 2 Extreme QX9770 has a 74.7% higher aggregate performance score.

Athlon X4 970, on the other hand, has a 60.7% more advanced lithography process, and 109.2% lower power consumption.

The Core 2 Extreme QX9770 is our recommended choice as it beats the Athlon X4 970 in performance tests.


Should you still have questions on choice between Core 2 Extreme QX9770 and Athlon X4 970, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.

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Intel Core 2 Extreme QX9770
Core 2 Extreme QX9770
AMD Athlon X4 970
Athlon X4 970

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Community ratings

Here you can see how users rate the processors, as well as rate them yourself.


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Questions & comments

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