A8-3870K vs Phenom II 42 TWKR Black Edition
Aggregate performance score
Phenom II 42 TWKR Black Edition outperforms A8-3870K by an impressive 50% based on our aggregate benchmark results.
Primary details
Comparing Phenom II 42 TWKR Black Edition and A8-3870K processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.
| Place in the ranking | 1816 | 2138 |
| Place by popularity | not in top-100 | not in top-100 |
| Market segment | Desktop processor | Desktop processor |
| Power efficiency | 1.66 | 1.38 |
| Architecture codename | Deneb (2009−2011) | Llano (2011−2012) |
| Release date | 1 June 2009 (15 years ago) | 20 December 2011 (12 years ago) |
Detailed specifications
Phenom II 42 TWKR Black Edition and A8-3870K 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 | no data | 3 GHz |
| Boost clock speed | 2 GHz | 3 GHz |
| L1 cache | 128 KB (per core) | 128 KB (per core) |
| L2 cache | 512 KB (per core) | 1 MB (per core) |
| L3 cache | 6 MB (shared) | 0 KB |
| Chip lithography | 45 nm | 32 nm |
| Die size | 258 mm2 | 228 mm2 |
| Number of transistors | 758 million | 1,178 million |
| 64 bit support | + | + |
| Windows 11 compatibility | - | - |
| Unlocked multiplier | + | + |
Compatibility
Information on Phenom II 42 TWKR Black Edition and A8-3870K 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 | FM1 |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 125 Watt | 100 Watt |
Virtualization technologies
Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Phenom II 42 TWKR Black Edition and A8-3870K are enumerated here.
| AMD-V | + | + |
Memory specs
Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Phenom II 42 TWKR Black Edition and A8-3870K. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.
| Supported memory types | DDR3 | DDR3 |
Graphics specifications
General parameters of integrated GPUs, if any.
| Integrated graphics card | On certain motherboards (Chipset feature) | AMD Radeon HD 6550D |
Peripherals
Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Phenom II 42 TWKR Black Edition and A8-3870K.
| PCIe version | 2.0 | no data |
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 | 2.28 | 1.52 |
| Recency | 1 June 2009 | 20 December 2011 |
| Chip lithography | 45 nm | 32 nm |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 125 Watt | 100 Watt |
Phenom II 42 TWKR Black Edition has a 50% higher aggregate performance score.
A8-3870K, on the other hand, has an age advantage of 2 years, a 40.6% more advanced lithography process, and 25% lower power consumption.
The Phenom II 42 TWKR Black Edition is our recommended choice as it beats the A8-3870K in performance tests.
Should you still have questions on choice between Phenom II 42 TWKR Black Edition and A8-3870K, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.
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