AMD Phenom II X4 965 vs AMD FX-6100

Gaming speed, cores and clocks

On our gaming index the AMD Phenom II X4 965 scores 11 and the AMD FX-6100 scores 10, about 10% faster for gaming. That gap is small and mostly shows up at 1080p with a very fast graphics card.

The AMD Phenom II X4 965 has 4 cores and 4 threads, and the AMD FX-6100 has 6 cores and 6 threads. The extra cores of the AMD FX-6100 help with video editing, streaming while you play and heavy multitasking more than with the game itself. Boost clocks are 3.4 GHz and 3.9 GHz.

Platform, power and price

The AMD Phenom II X4 965 uses the AM3 socket and the AMD FX-6100 uses AM3+, so they need different motherboards, and often different memory. When you compare prices, count the board as well as the chip.

Rated power is 125 W for the first and 95 W for the second. That is close enough that cooling needs will be similar.

At launch the AMD Phenom II X4 965 cost $245 and the AMD FX-6100 $165, which gives 4.5 and 6.1 points of gaming performance per $100. Today's prices will differ.

Which graphics cards each one can feed, and which to buy

At 1080p the AMD Phenom II X4 965 can feed a card up to the GeForce GTX 1650 Super before it holds the card back by more than 10 percent. The AMD FX-6100 reaches the Arc A380. If you plan to buy a fast graphics card, that gap is the real difference between these two.

Choose the AMD Phenom II X4 965 if you want the faster gaming chip. Choose the AMD FX-6100 if you would rather spend the difference on a graphics card, which does more for frame rates in most games.