AMD Athlon 64 X2 4200+

The AMD Athlon 64 X2 4200+ is a desktop processor from AMD’s K8/Toledo generation, released on 2005-05-30 with a launch MSRP of $537. It is a 2-core, 2-thread part running at a fixed 2.20 GHz base clock with no boost clock. Cache is 128 KB L1 and 512 KB L2 per core, with no L3 cache. The chip is built on a 90nm process with 154 million transistors on a 156 mm² die. It uses AMD Socket 939, supports dual-channel DDR1 memory with 6400 MB/s bandwidth, and does not support ECC memory. Its average benchmark score is 196, with Geekbench multicore and single-core scores of 243 and 148, placing it at the 0th percentile in the database.

Who Should Consider It

The 4200+ is fundamentally a two-thread processor. Its strongest measured result is a Geekbench multicore score of 243, while its single-core score is 148. That spread indicates workloads that can use both cores gain a meaningful advantage over workloads that only use one. Single-threaded tasks will be anchored by the 2.20 GHz base clock and the 148 single-core score. There is no boost clock to transiently lift performance, so the base clock is the performance ceiling for lightly threaded work.

The data set does not include a gaming-specific benchmark, so gaming guidance has to come from the general Geekbench results. A game that depends on one core would run closer to the 148 single-core score, while a title that scales to two cores could move toward the 243 multicore score. With only two threads, any workload that expects to use more than two cores would not be a fit for this part. The 512 KB L2 per core and the absence of L3 cache are the relevant cache facts: there is no shared L3 to cushion repeated accesses beyond each core’s L2.

For office and general desktop use, the 148 single-core score and 2.20 GHz base clock are the binding limits for typical single-threaded operations. For creation tasks that can spread across two threads, the 243 multicore score is the higher reference, but the scaling ceiling is two cores and two threads. The 0th percentile ranking against all CPUs in the database means this is not a competitive part in the broader market; it belongs to the Socket 939 era and is best considered by users who need a dual-core processor on that socket. The production status is end-of-life, so new-system recommendations are not supported by the data.

How It Compares

The nearest-rival data places the 4200+ against four processors, with the 4200+’s average score of 196 as the anchor.

Intel Pentium D 945: The Pentium D 945 averages 222. The deltaPct of -11.5 means the Athlon 64 X2 4200+ trails the Pentium D 945 by 11.5% in average benchmark score. This is the closest gap in the rival group, but the Intel part is still ahead.

AMD A6-4455M: The A6-4455M averages 266. The 4200+ trails by 26.3% per the deltaPct value. The A6-4455M’s average score is also higher than the Pentium D 945’s, making it a stronger overall benchmark performer among the listed rivals.

AMD Athlon 64 X2 5000+: The X2 5000+ averages 267, the highest average score in the rival set. The 4200+ trails by 26.6%, a margin nearly identical to the gap behind the A6-4455M. Both parts carry the Athlon 64 X2 name, but the 5000+ holds a substantial average-score advantage.

AMD Athlon 64 3500+: This is the one rival the 4200+ beats. The 3500+ averages 123, and the deltaPct of 60 indicates the 4200+ is 60% ahead in average benchmark score. The 196 average score of the 4200+ versus 123 for the 3500+ is the clearest positive comparison in the data.

Power and Thermals

The 4200+ is rated at 89W TDP. That TDP is the thermal design point for cooling considerations. The physical context for that envelope is the 90nm process, the 154-million-transistor count, and the 156 mm² die size. The processor has no boost clock, so its frequency is fixed at 2.20 GHz; the thermal load is tied to that base frequency rather than a higher temporary state.

An 89W TDP places this part in a conventional desktop air-cooling class. The data does not include a cooler specification, but the TDP is the number that defines the required thermal solution. Because integrated graphics are listed as a chipset feature on certain motherboards rather than a CPU feature, the processor package itself does not add GPU thermals. Cooling only needs to manage the CPU die.

Platform and Compatibility

The 4200+ uses AMD Socket 939, which defines the motherboard compatibility boundary. Memory support is DDR1 with a dual-channel interface and 6400 MB/s bandwidth. ECC memory is not supported. The data does not include PCIe information, so expansion connectivity is not specified at the processor level and would come from the motherboard.

Integrated graphics are not part of the CPU data; the data lists integrated graphics as a chipset feature on certain motherboards. That means video output depends on the motherboard chipset, not the processor. The production status is end-of-life, so the data does not indicate any ongoing roadmap support. The upgrade path implied by the socket is limited to other Socket 939 processors. The multiplier is locked, and the part number is ADA4200DAA5CD.

FAQ

Q: What socket does the Athlon 64 X2 4200+ use?

A: AMD Socket 939.

Q: Does the processor have a boost clock?

A: No. The base clock is 2.20 GHz and there is no boost clock.

Q: What memory configuration does it support?

A: Dual-channel DDR1 with 6400 MB/s bandwidth. ECC memory is not supported.

Q: Does the CPU include integrated graphics?

A: The data lists integrated graphics as a chipset feature on certain motherboards, not as a CPU feature.

Q: How does its average score compare with the Athlon 64 3500+?

A: The 4200+ averages 196, while the 3500+ averages 123, a 60% advantage for the 4200+.

Q: Is the multiplier unlocked?

A: No, the multiplier is locked.