AMD FX-4170

The AMD FX-4170 is a desktop processor from the Bulldozer architecture line, released on February 26, 2012, with the codename Zambezi. It carries 4 cores and 4 threads, a base clock of 4.20 GHz, and a boost clock of 4.30 GHz. The chip uses AMD Socket AM3+, supports dual-channel DDR3 memory, and is manufactured on a 32 nm process. The die holds 1,200 million transistors and measures 315 mm². Its cache hierarchy is composed of a 192 KB L1 cache, a 4 MB L2 cache, and an 8 MB shared L3 cache. The TDP is 125 W, the multiplier is unlocked, and ECC memory is not supported. In the benchmark database, the FX-4170 sits at the 50th percentile against all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 0.

Single-Thread vs Multi-Thread Behavior

The FX-4170’s compute structure starts with a strict 4-core, 4-thread configuration. Because the core count and thread count are equal, every thread has its own dedicated core rather than sharing a core with another thread. That direct mapping gives each software thread a private execution path, which simplifies how the CPU handles both lightly threaded and fully loaded work.

The frequency envelope reinforces this profile. The base clock of 4.20 GHz is already substantial, and the boost clock of 4.30 GHz sits close to it. The two clock values are the only frequency numbers in the entry, and they describe a narrow operating range. A single-threaded workload can run at the 4.30 GHz boost ceiling, while a workload using all 4 cores still has a 4.20 GHz floor. Because the base and boost figures are so close, the FX-4170’s performance does not change dramatically as thread count rises or falls.

For real workloads, the practical effect is that the CPU behaves predictably. Light single-threaded tasks have the full advantage of the high clock speed. Multi-threaded tasks have four full cores available, but no more. Anything that requires more than 4 concurrent threads will have to wait for a core to free up. This makes the FX-4170 a frequency-first CPU with a modest thread ceiling.

The cache layout plays a supporting role. The 8 MB L3 cache is explicitly marked shared, which means multiple threads can draw from the same large cache tier. The 4 MB L2 cache and the 192 KB L1 cache are the other rungs in the memory hierarchy. For workloads that shuffle data between threads, the shared 8 MB L3 is the most relevant asset because it avoids forcing all cross-thread data through the dual-channel DDR3 memory path.

The memory subsystem itself is listed as dual-channel DDR3. With four cores sharing that path, memory bandwidth is a shared resource in multi-threaded situations. The entry does not contain a memory bandwidth figure, so the channel layout and memory type are the only memory facts on record. The combination of a high base clock, a high boost clock, and a 4-thread limit points to a CPU that feels strongest in lightly threaded desktop work and reaches its ceiling when software scales beyond four threads.

How It Compares

The FX-4170’s nearestRivals field is empty. No rival names are present, no rival scores are stored, and no deltaPct values are available. The database therefore lists no direct competitors for this chip, which rules out head-to-head percentage comparisons. The only comparative number in the entire entry is percentileVsAllCpus, and that number is 50.

A percentile of 50 is the median position in a distribution. In the context of the database’s full CPU list, the FX-4170 is exactly in the middle: half of the tracked CPUs sit below it and half sit above it. This is a database-wide comparison rather than a specific rivalry. It tells the reader where the chip lands across the whole population, not next to any one opponent.

Beyond that rank, the FX-4170’s comparison profile is defined by its own specification set. It offers 4 cores, 4 threads, a 4.20 GHz base clock, a 4.30 GHz boost clock, and a 125 W TDP. The platform features include Socket AM3+, dual-channel DDR3 memory, and PCIe Gen 2. These are the facts that would feed any future rival comparison, but the database does not currently pair them with a scored competitor. The 50th-percentile rank remains the sole comparative anchor.

Benchmark Performance

The benchmark section of the FX-4170’s entry is sparse. The average benchmark score is 0, and the benchmarks array itself is empty. An empty array means there are no individual test results to list or average. The 0 score is the numeric residue of that empty state; it is not a measured performance result.

The only filled performance statistic is the percentileVsAllCpus value of 50. That value positions the FX-4170 at the median of the database. Because the nearestRivals field is empty, there are no competitive benchmark scores from which to calculate exact percentage deltas. The data cannot support exact percentage leads or deficits against any named rival because those rival scores are not recorded.

The 0 average score needs to be read in context. A literal score of 0 would suggest no measured performance, which would not align with a 50th-percentile rank in a distribution of CPUs. The two numbers coexist in the entry, but they describe different data. The percentile rank reflects the chip’s standing in the database population, while the 0 average reflects an unset score field. The entry’s benchmark picture is therefore a median rank with no underlying average to corroborate it.

What the benchmark data does permit is a specification-based reading of expected behavior. The FX-4170’s 4.20 GHz base clock and 4.30 GHz boost clock are the performance anchors. The 4-core, 4-thread design sets an upper bound on parallel work. In any benchmark scenario, the CPU’s outcome would be shaped by those two facts: a consistently high clock and a hard 4-thread cap. The database, however, has not yet populated the score field, so the 50th-percentile rank is the only score-derived positioning available.

FAQ

Q: What are the FX-4170’s core, thread, and clock specifications?

A: The FX-4170 has 4 cores and 4 threads, with a base clock of 4.20 GHz and a boost clock of 4.30 GHz.

Q: What socket and memory types does the FX-4170 support?

A: It is designed for AMD Socket AM3+ and supports dual-channel DDR3 memory. ECC memory is not supported.

Q: What is the FX-4170’s cache layout?

A: The cache hierarchy includes a 192 KB L1 cache, a 4 MB L2 cache, and an 8 MB shared L3 cache.

Q: Does the FX-4170 have integrated graphics?

A: No. Integrated graphics are supported on certain motherboards as a chipset feature, not on the CPU itself.

Q: What are the FX-4170’s physical and thermal characteristics?

A: The chip is built on a 32 nm process, contains 1,200 million transistors on a 315 mm² die, and has a 125 W TDP.

Q: What performance ranking does the database give the FX-4170?

A: The database records a 50th-percentile rank against all CPUs, while the average benchmark score is 0.

Power and Thermals

The FX-4170 has a TDP of 125 W. This is the chip’s thermal design point, a single figure that summarizes how much heat the cooling solution must handle under sustained load. A processor with a 125 W TDP belongs in the active-cooling tier; it cannot rely on passive heat spreading. The practical cooling tier is a capable air cooler with a substantial heatsink and fan.

The physical construction behind that thermal load is significant. The FX-4170 is manufactured on a 32 nm process and contains 1,200 million transistors within a die area of 315 mm². These two figures describe the silicon area and transistor budget that produce the 125 W thermal envelope. The large transistor count and die area are part of the explanation for why the chip carries a 125 W TDP.

The clock settings operate within that envelope. The base clock of 4.20 GHz is the non-boost operating point, and the boost clock of 4.30 GHz is the upper frequency limit. Because the two clocks are close together, the thermal behavior of the chip does not change dramatically as it moves between base and boost operation. The frequency curve is not the variable that pushes this chip to its thermal limit; the 125 W TDP is.

The unlocked multiplier adds a thermal consideration. Because the multiplier is unlocked, the FX-4170 can be pushed beyond its 4.30 GHz boost clock. Raising the frequency through the multiplier raises heat output above the 125 W stock design point. For users who take advantage of the unlocked multiplier, the cooling requirement moves upward from the already high 125 W baseline.

In summary, the FX-4170’s power and thermal story is defined by the 125 W TDP, the 32 nm process, and the 1,200 million transistors spread across a 315 mm² die. Those numbers place the chip clearly in the capable-air-cooler tier and make the cooling solution a central part of the build equation, even before any overclocking is considered. The data does not list a cooler size or a more detailed wattage figure, so the 125 W TDP stands as the primary thermal reference point.