AMD Athlon II X4 605e

The AMD Athlon II X4 605e is a 4-core, 4-thread desktop processor from the Athlon II X4 (Propus) generation, built on AMD's K10 architecture with a 45 nm process. It has a 2.30 GHz base clock and no boost clock, a 45W TDP, and uses AMD Socket AM3. The memory controller supports dual-channel DDR3. Its average benchmark score is 574, and the processor sits at the 12th percentile of all CPUs. The nearest rivals are all within 0.2 percent of that average, making this an entry-level part with a tightly clustered competitive set.

How It Compares

Against the Intel Core i3-4010U, the 605e is exactly tied. Both have an average benchmark score of 574, and the deltaPct value is 0. In aggregate benchmark terms, there is no measurable performance difference between the two processors.

Against the Intel Core i7-740QM, the 605e is 0.1 percent ahead. The i7-740QM has an average score of 573, so the margin is extremely thin. Benchmark data treat these two as effectively identical in overall performance.

Against the Intel Xeon E5506, the 605e records its largest advantage among nearest rivals at 0.2 percent. The Xeon E5506 also averages 573, again placing both parts in the same performance neighborhood.

Against the Intel Core i7-3689Y, the 605e trails by 0.2 percent. That rival averages 575, and it is the only nearest rival sitting above the 605e in the aggregate data.

Who Should Consider It

This is a low-power desktop part with four physical cores and four threads, so it can handle four threads at once. The 45W TDP, end-of-life production status, and 12th percentile ranking suggest it belongs in a lightweight office or legacy desktop system rather than a high-throughput workstation. For office-style workloads that are not heavily threaded, the Cinebench R20 single-core score of 98 and Cinebench R23 single-core score of 235 indicate limited interactive headroom. For multi-threaded creation tasks, the R20 multi-core score of 700 and R23 multi-core score of 1669 show that the chip can engage all four cores but still lands in a low performance band. In gaming contexts, the single-core scores are weak, the boost clock is absent, and the overall percentile position reinforces the conclusion that this is not a gaming CPU. Users who need more single-thread or multi-thread performance should look outside this processor's benchmark cluster.

Benchmark Performance

The average benchmark score is 574. That score places the 605e at the 12th percentile, meaning the large majority of CPUs in the database sit ahead of it. In Cinebench, the 605e scores 168 in R15 multi-core, 700 in R20 multi-core, 98 in R20 single-core, 1669 in R23 multi-core, and 235 in R23 single-core. The single-core and multi-core Cinebench numbers point in the same direction: there is real parallel scaling across the four cores, but the per-core performance baseline is low. Against nearest rivals, the aggregate deltas are exactly 0.1 percent ahead of the Intel Core i7-740QM, 0.2 percent ahead of the Intel Xeon E5506, 0 percent against the Intel Core i3-4010U, and -0.2 percent against the Intel Core i7-3689Y. No rival in this group is more than 0.2 percent away, so the 605e is not positioned above its competitive set; it is completely inside it.

FAQ

Q: Does the Athlon II X4 605e support ECC memory?

A: No. The ECC memory field is false.

Q: Does it have integrated graphics?

A: Integrated graphics are available only as a motherboard chipset feature on certain motherboards, not as an on-die CPU feature.

Q: What memory does it support?

A: It supports dual-channel DDR3 memory. It does not support ECC memory.

Q: Is the multiplier unlocked for adjustment?

A: No. The multiplierUnlocked field is false.

Q: What is the production status and release date?

A: The production status is end-of-life, and the release date is 2009-10-19.

Q: How much cache does it have?

A: It has 128 KB of L1 cache and 512 KB of L2 cache per core, with no L3 cache.

Power and Thermals

The 45W TDP puts the 605e in a low-power class. On a 45 nm process with 300 million transistors and a 169 mm² die, the thermal design works with a modest cooling solution. A basic air cooler should be sufficient because the processor has no boost clock, so the thermal load is tied to the 2.30 GHz base-clock operating point. For a desktop part, this is a gentle thermal profile, and the 45W figure is the key specification for determining the cooling tier.

Single-Thread vs Multi-Thread Behavior

The benchmark split is clear: Cinebench R20 single-core is 98 and multi-core is 700; Cinebench R23 single-core is 235 and multi-core is 1669. These pairs show that the multi-threaded result is several times the single-threaded result, reflecting the presence of four cores. At the same time, the absolute single-core scores are low, and with no boost clock any single-thread workload runs at 2.30 GHz. The multi-core advantage is therefore real but starts from a low baseline. In practice, a well-parallelized Cinebench-style workload can use all four threads, while single-thread-bound applications receive far less of the chip's total capability.

Platform and Compatibility

The 605e uses AMD Socket AM3, supports dual-channel DDR3, and offers PCIe Gen 2. It has 128 KB of L1 and 512 KB of L2 cache per core, with no L3 cache. ECC memory is not supported, and the multiplier is not unlocked. Integrated graphics depend on the chipset feature of certain motherboards. The production status is end-of-life, with a release date of 2009-10-19. For upgrade planning, the relevant data points are the AM3 socket, DDR3 memory support, PCIe Gen 2 interface, and end-of-life status; no ongoing production is indicated for this processor.